Community leaders and friends reacted with shock yesterday to reports that a young martial arts enthusiast from Sheffield had blown himself up in a suicide bomb attack in Iraq.
A story in the Yemeni newspaper Al Ayyam claimed that Wail al Dhaleai (22), a Muslim who fled from Yemen three years ago, had died in an assault on US troops.
”It has been a really big shock to hear this,” said Craig Wallis, who trained with al Dhaleai in Sheffield’s tae kwon do clubs. ”It is very hard to believe.”
”I was very surprised at the news — anyone would be,” added Omer Abdulquder, chairman of Sheffield’s Goodwill community centre, where al Dhaleai taught martial arts to members of the Yemeni community. ”He was a very jolly person, a very sociable person.”
Another friend said the first he knew that something was wrong was when men he took to be special branch officers knocked on his door and questioned him about his relationship with al Dhaleai.
Yesterday Bashraheel Bashraheel, foreign editor of Al Ayyam, said the story had been checked with al Dhaleai’s family in Yemen.
”They had received two telephone calls, one from one of his friends, the other from someone who was preparing his burial,” he said. ”The family does not know the complete story but they understand that he went to a martial arts competition in Amsterdam and from there flew to a country bordering Iraq.”
Al Dhaleai came to Britain three years ago as a refugee and told friends that he had had to leave Yemen after writing newspaper articles criticising the government.
A year later he married a British woman. The couple had a young son and were said to be expecting another.
Five weeks ago al Dhaleai, who had been receiving social security benefits while taking a computer course, left Sheffield saying he was going to make a new start in the United Arab Emirates, where he had been offered a job as a security guard and martial arts trainer. He said he would earn £250 a week and be given a house for his family.
”Wail had to leave Yemen because he feared for his life,” said Andrew Hill, a tae kwon do master in Sheffield. ”When he first came to this country, he hadn’t two pennies to rub together. I used to let him train for free at my club.
”He was a catalyst there and everyone started to train a lot harder. He was very good — an inspiration. He was a fantastic kid.”
But al Dhaleai gave no indication that he would involve himself in extreme politics or fanatical action.
”Everyone at the club got on with him and he would do anything for you. He had a fantastic career in tae kwon do in front of him. He trained with the UK Olympic team and couldn’t wait to get his British passport so that he could try for selection for Britain.”
Hill said it seemed totally out of character for him to be a suicide bomber. ”I cannot say enough nice things about him. He was such a nice guy.”
Just after al Dhaleai left Sheffield, Hill said he was visited by two men he now believes were police officers. ”They asked what I knew about and also about my own political and religious beliefs.”
Abdulquder said al Dhaleai was ”punctual in his prayers and kept his religious duties” but gave no sign that he might sacrifice his life for his beliefs.
”He told everyone that he was going to Abu Dhabi to work as a martial arts trainer,” he said. ”That was all we knew. Then, after a few weeks, we learned that he had died but we did not know where. Then we had a call from Jordan to say he had died in Iraq. It was a great shock.
”When I heard the news, I tried to contact his home number. But it just rings and no one picks it up. I do not know where Wail’s wife is now.”
A South Yorkshire police spokesperson said yesterday: ”We know of Mr al Dhaleai and are making inquiries.” – Guardian Unlimited