The chilling final phone call of a British terrorist who held four Jewish people hostage in a synagogue has been released and captures his desperate brother trying to persuade him to give himself up.
Malik Faisal Akram had travelled to America from England and armed himself before storming the Beth Israel synagogue in Colleyville, Texas on Saturday.
As he held a Rabbi and three of the congregation hostage, his brother called him from a police station in Blackburn in a bid to bring the stand off to a close.
The harrowing call was obtained by the Jewish Chronicle from a security source and hears Akram make threats, antisemitic remarks and promise "I'm coming home in a body bag."
The paper claims the audio contains a call between 44-year-old Akram and his 43-year-old brother Gulbar back in the UK.
In the phone call, of which a longer version can be heard on the paper's YouTube channel, he tells his brother he is going to die and says he told his children not to cry at his funeral.
He is heard saying: "I'm opening the doors for every youngster in England to enter America and f**k with them."
As the audio begins Gulbar can be heard saying: "I hope it connects" before his brother picks up and he innocently asks 'what's going on man?'.
His brother replies: "I'm in America man, I thought I'd just kiss my last goodbye to you.
"I've taken some hostages, I've been surrounded, I'm in a synagogue."
He goes on: "Don't worry about what I'm doing, you just do what you gotta do.
"I've come to die. I'm going to take them toe to toe anyway."
Gulbar tries to convince his brother his actions are against Allah and says they are 'gunah' which means sin in Islam.
Akram replies: "You wanna preach what is gunah and what ain't gunah ok, I promised my brother when I watched him on that death bed, that I'm gonna go down as a martyr.
"I ain't gonna let no motherf**ker suppress me.
"I'm surrounded, I'm in a synagogue, I've got four beautiful guys, Jewish guys with me, they are trying to play ball with me, I told them bring her here, she's got 84 years, they're talking to her because I'm near the prison FMC Carswell."
Akram is referring to convicted terrorist Aafia Siddiqui. She is being held at the Carswell Air Force Base nearby.
She had alleged ties to al-Qaida and was convicted of assault and attempted murder of a US soldier in 2010 and sentenced to 86 years in prison.
He goes on: "I'm bombed up, I've got f**king every ammunition, I've only been here two weeks right, I've got them all at gunpoint.
"I'm going to die, I've told them I'll release these four guys, I'll come on the yard and I'll have a toe to toe with you.
"Shoot me dead, shoot her dead, because I'm dead and she's dead, she's got 84 years right, they've f**ing framed her."
It is believed Akram and Gulbar's other brother had died from coronavirus just three months earlier.
Akram adds: "I've told my kids to man up and don't f**king cry at my funeral.
"Because I've come to die."
His brother tries again to convince him to stop, as his actions will not make the authorities release Aafia Siddiqui.
But Akram insists: "I know what I'm doing, I'd rather live one day as a lion than 100 years as a jackal. I asked Allah for this death and Allah is with me, I'm not worried in the slightest, I don't even flinch man."
Once again his Gulbar tries to say the hostages are innocent people and to think about his children, but Akram goes off on a rant about Afghanistan, American journalist James Foley and compassion for jews, before abruptly ending the call.
The stand off ended as an American SWAT team stormed the building.
The hostages were seen running for their lives as Akram was shot dead.
