Hamara Youth Access Point Explained

The Hamara Youth Access Point (Hyap) is a drop-in centre for teens in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, operated by the Hamara Healthy Living Centre, an Islamic charity partly funded by the UK government. The drop-in centre was frequented by several of the suspects in the 7 July 2005 London bombings.

2005 controversy

In 2005, police searched the premises and confiscated items such as computer hard drives for forensic investigation ^[1] Both Shehzad Tanweer, 22, and Hasib Hussain, 19, who have since been proven to be suicide bombers, frequented Hyap, according to police.^[2] The Leeds teacher Mohammed Sadique Khan, 30, also identified by police as a suicide bomber, acted as a mentor to youths at the centre.

The centre is directly across the street from a mosque, and it is said that a request that Khan and others should stop having political activities in the mosque, including community meetings opposed to UK policy in Iraq, but they then moved them to the centre.

The Hyap's status permitted it to apply for grants from the UK government for various program monies totalling more than £1 million.^[3]

References

• News: Jenkins . Russell . Killers may have been recruited at youth centre . 16 July 2005 . The Times . https://archive.today/20110604013008/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,22989-1696082,00.html . dead . 4 June 2011 . London.
• News: Armstrong . Jeremy . Propaganda shop -- funded by lottery cash . 19 July 2005 . The Mirror . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20051126155627/http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/tm_objectid%3D15751873%26method%3Dfull%26siteid%3D94762%26headline%3D7-7--war-on-britain--the-shop-that-sold-propaganda-dvds---funded-by-lotto-cash--name_page.html . 26 November 2005 .

Notes and References

1. Web site: London bomb net widens. Duncan. Campbell. Richard. Norton-Taylor. 15 July 2005. theguardian.com. 28 September 2016.
2. Web site: 'Father figure' inspired young bombers. Sandra. Laville. Audrey. Gillan. Dilpazier. Aslam. 14 July 2005. theguardian.com. 28 September 2016.
3. Web site: Bomb experts search youth centre where terrorists hatched their plot. Jonathan Petre, Nick Britten and Paul Stokes. telegraph.co.uk. 15 July 2005. 28 September 2016.