Brits pledge over £18,000 to defend 'Jihad Johnny'

Few in the Western world would deny even the most despicable of characters a valid legal defense to defend themselves of crimes accused in a court of law. Yet what has many in the United Kingdom raising their eyebrows are the reports bubbling to the surface regarding a number of Britons raising the equivalent of $27,000 to defend the individual dubbed "Jihad Johnny" by the international press, and identified by the British government as the executioner of a number of American, British, and Japanese citizens.

As reported by The Sunday Times (of London, UK) and also by the ITN British television network, both on March 7, 2015, a London-based advocacy group that goes by the nom d' Internet of CAGE has managed to cull well over £18,000 to defend 'Jihad Johnny' from "harassment" at the hands of the British government. For their part, the British government's Charity Commission has pledged to take "robust action" in their demand that the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and the Roddick Foundation immediately cease and desist "all current and future donations to the group."

While seeking to "address the root causes of conflict and injustice," the Rowntree Foundation has pumped £305,000 ($450,000) to CAGE between 2007 and 2014. Meanwhile, the self-described "progressive" Roddick Foundation has sent £120,000 ($180,500) to CAGE's coffers between 2009 and 2012.

Nonetheless, CAGE has managed to garner thousands of pounds from their internet plea for funds to defend Kuwaiti-born British citizen Mohammed Emwazi, whom the media has dubbed "Jihad Johnny." To his infamy, Emwazi was identified by British anti-terrorism services as the very same masked jihadist who appeared in more than one video slowly decapitating helpless captives in the name of an ISIS global Islamic Caliphate in the making.

For their part, CAGE describes themselves on their internet site as "working to empower communities impacted by the War on Terror." Specific pages include sympathetic biographies not only of Emwazi, but also the likes of Samer Hilmi Abdel al-Barq, Ali Saleh Alkohlah al-Marri, and numerous other individuals who have either been on the run from authorities or currently jailed for active participation in Islamic jihad. The CAGE site also has a specific section titled "Memorizing the Qur'an: A Practicle Guide for Prisoners".