Edinburgh, Oct.24 : Muslims attending prayers at Edinburgh's central mosque last night criticised the eight-year jail sentence handed to Mohammed Atif Siddique as too severe.
Karim Adam Zarhara, 31, said: "I think he is the victim of political interference. Whatever happened to freedom of speech?"
Rohan Haksar said he believed the sentence was "very unjust".
Sana Ashraf, 21, said she had not followed the case, but believed Siddique was "disadvantaged" by being a devout Muslim.
"If you're Asian, you have a beard and are religious, it's going to work against you from the start," the law student was quoted by Scotsman, as saying.
Mohammed Ali, a 21-year-old student, said: "I don't think it's good for young people to be made a criminal for motives alone.