The Irish Muslim-convert Terence “Khalid” Kelly, who has reportedly died fighting for Islamic State in Iraq, was a “ticking time-bomb”, according to the head of the Islamic Centre in Ireland.
Shaykh Dr Umar Al-Qadri said that when he heard news of the death at the weekend, knew it had just been a matter of time, given Kelly’s views.
“At least now the risk is over,” he said. “ At least we will not now have an atrocity in Ireland.”
Kelly, who grew up in Dublin, died in an apparent suicide bombing attack on Friday near Mosul, where a coalition of forces is attacking the jihadist-held city.
Kelly was an outspoken supporter of Islamic State, which is also known as Isis. His most recent Irish address was a rented house down an isolated lane near Ardagh, Co Longford.
“He used to go jogging on the roads, late at night,” one local said. Another said Kelly had kept to himself and was on occasion visited by his wife and children.
Shaykh Al-Qadri said Kelly “deserves to be in hell because he has probably killed innocent children”.
When he was here, Kelly was isolated within the Irish Muslim community, was seen as a threat, and was a cause of great worry to the community. “He was stupid enough to have done something terrible,” Shaykh Al Qadri said.
