For some British Muslims, the path to jihad and the path to peaceful aid work can traverse much of the same terrain.

From an office in Britain's second largest city, Waseem Iqbal and a friend are planning a trip to the Middle East. In Jordan, they will bring food packages for Syrian refugees.

Iqbal, 27, chose charity work not violence. "How do you save innocents in Syria? By going into a war zone and getting yourself killed? Or by . . . bringing people water pumps, schools and food packages? This is what saves innocents," he said.