Mosque CCTV Reveals 'Going Green Bird' Plot Ahead of Manchester Synagogue Attack

Fresh CCTV footage from Al Sunnah mosque in Cheetham Hill has emerged showing conversations between Mohammad Bashir and Jihad Al‑Shamie in which they discussed becoming martyrs, a court heard.

Mohammad Bashir, 31, of Cheetham Hill, was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 17 years at Manchester Crown Court after admitting a charge of preparing to commit a terrorist act alongside 35‑year‑old Jihad Al‑Shamie.

Al‑Shamie later carried out an attack on worshippers at Heaton Park Synagogue in Crumpsall on 2 October 2025, killing two men. Officers shot Al‑Shamie dead at the scene; he had been on bail at the time in connection with an alleged rape.

Police retrieved roughly 30 minutes of footage from the mosque, captured on 9 August 2025, showing the two men speaking privately. During the recording Bashir is heard telling Al‑Shamie:

“This time next year, we’re going green bird.”

A terrorism expert told the court that the image of "green birds of paradise" in some Islamic texts is closely associated with the notion of martyrdom.

Other extracts of the conversation included Al‑Shamie saying: “I wish we had a weapon. We need to get one. Crossbow. Is there a way for us to go in?” Bashir later told Al‑Shamie, “You got me really excited.” Al‑Shamie responded: “Once we go there, we’re not coming back. Once we go to the mission. Prepare to say bye to loved ones, any last debts we could pay off or any fines.”

Investigation Findings

Assistant Chief Constable Robert Potts, who leads Counter Terrorism Policing North West, described the mosque footage as "crucial" to the investigation. He said the conversations appeared deliberately secretive and that the two men seemed unaware audio had been recorded. Potts told the BBC that references to "green birds" illustrated the extremist mindset the pair had adopted and showed they were on a pathway toward planning an attack.

Investigators found evidence the men researched weapons (including knives, other bladed weapons and crossbows) and carried out hostile reconnaissance. Bashir admitted driving Al‑Shamie to the UK Defence Academy in Shrivenham, Oxfordshire, on 14 August 2025 to scout the site; police believe the academy was targeted because the pair perceived a link between it and the Israeli military.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) uncovered phone and cloud communications, including participation in a 2024 WhatsApp group described in court as a cluster of like‑minded, antisemitic individuals. Potts said messaging and other communications showed "consistent vitriolic antisemitism" from both men, which influenced their choice of target.

GMP Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson apologised in court for a "missed opportunity" after admitting Al‑Shamie’s phones were not examined following an earlier arrest. Al‑Shamie had been arrested in February 2025 over an alleged breach of a non‑molestation order and again in September 2025 on suspicion of rape.

Potts said Al Sunnah mosque cooperated fully with investigators and there is no evidence that anyone else at the mosque was aware of the pair's plans. The sentencing hearing included detailed evidence from investigators on the pair’s preparations, communications and reconnaissance that culminated in the fatal synagogue attack.

Case Outcome: Bashir was jailed after admitting he assisted Al‑Shamie with the intention of facilitating acts of terrorism. Al‑Shamie died at the scene of the synagogue attack; two worshippers were killed and the community remains affected by the violence.