Anjem Choudary and prison radicalisation

Standard, Hate preacher's followers still posting extremist videos on YouTube Interesting original report in the Times over the weekend. I have posted this link, as the Times has a paywall online (I bought the newspaper!).

Also see related coverage/opinion pieces:

Mail Online, The face of hatred unveiled: Wife of jailed Anjem Choudary is clearly identified for the first time as she vows non-Muslims in Britain will be destroyed

Express, 'Belmarsh HERO' Hate preacher Anjem Choudary ‘raising an army of extremists’ behind bars [the emphasis is from the Express]

BBC News, Prison extremists to be put in special units in jails

Raffaello Pantucci, Telegraph, It's cruel, but isolation is the only way to deal with prisoners like Anjem Choudary

Going undercover against extremism

BBC News, Going undercover against extremism, 18 Aug 2016 "A long-running undercover police operation in the Bedfordshire town of Luton, which has contributed evidence to two recent counter-terrorism trials, helped build up an incredibly detailed picture of the depths of loathing for Britain felt by the men at the heart of the investigation."

Anjem Choudary

Dominic Casciani, BBC News, How Anjem Choudary's mouth was finally shut "For 20 years Anjem Choudary stood on street corners, in shopping precincts, outside mosques, embassies and police stations and used his megaphone to drive a wedge between Muslims and the rest of Britain. Now he has been convicted of inviting others to support the Islamic State militant group."

 Mail Online, Fanatic's web of hatred: From 7/7 bombers to Lee Rigby's killers, how vile preacher's network of radical connections was like a who's who of Islamic terrorism - with links to 15 plots and 500 jihadis

Daily Mirror, Anjem Choudary's 'perfect Sharia Britain' included no queues, tax or air stewardesses...and instructions on biscuit-making

BBC News, Anjem Choudary case raises terror law questions

Miqdaad Versi, Independent, Anjem Choudary inspired terrorists around the world – and the media shares some of the blame [opinion piece]

Woolwich attack update

Man in bloody video - named 'Mujahid' - was known to Anjem Choudary's banned Islamist group Al Muhajiroun - The Independent: "He [Anjem Choudary] denied that Mujahid could have been radicalised by his teachings, adding that more extremist material, including the sermons of Yemen-based cleric Anwar Al Awlaki and the Al Qaeda-linked magazine Inspire, have been easily available via the internet."

CNN interview: Eliot Spitzer interviews Adjem Choudary

Check the CNN page for the comments from viewers.

Omar Bakri Muhammad

Yaakov Lappin, Jerusalem Post, Analysis: Al-Qaida ideologue’s arrest blow to ME jihadis, 15 Nov 2010: "The arrest on Sunday of al-Qaida ideologue Omar Bakri Muhammad by Lebanese security forces in Tripoli is a blow to the al-Qaida network in the Middle East."

Journalist Yaakov Lappin's book Virtual Caliphate is out now. Details:

Yaakov Lappin, potomacbooksinc.com, Virtual Caliphate: Exposing the Islamist State on the Internet

I have yet to see this book.

Radicalization

Reuters, Interview: UK Islamist says like-minded U.S. groups expanding, 2 Sep 2010 "U.S. officials are worried about the emergence of so-called homegrown militants in the United States who apparently radicalized themselves by visiting Internet sites that host strongly anti-Western Islamist commentary written in English."

Islam4UK march

Ian Drury and Andy Dolan, Daily Mail, Choudary compares British troops to Nazi stormtroopers as 190,000 sign Facebook bid to stop his Islamic extremist march, 4 Jan 2010

"As more than 190,000 people signed an internet petition objecting to the march, Anjem Choudary said he had chosen to protest in the town - renowned for honouring soldiers killed in Afghanistan - because it would attract 'maximum attention'."

Also see Telegraph, What is Islam4UK?, 4 Jan 2010


Related links:

Facebook, No to the Planned Islam4UK March through Wootton Bassett

Islam4UK

Opinion piece on al-Muhajiroun

Adrian Morgan, Exclusive: Al Muhajiroun – Vigilantes of Islam, 22 Jul 09 Opinion piece "Though the members of Al-Muhajiroun may be few in number, their intransigent and confrontational attitudes have done more to damage social cohesion in Britain's Muslim and non-Muslim communities than any other group. "

Omar Bakri Muhammad's "A-Team"

Dominik Lemanski, Daily Star, Bakri's A-Team on Global Jihad, 6 Apr 09, "Omar Bakri Mohammed claims he is training up to 400 extremist activists in a bid to win over the 'hearts and minds' of western converts ...

" ... We are already doing this in the UK with the use of the internet but we need Muslim intellectuals on the ground who can speak -English and French as well as Arabic."

Islam4UK

Telegraph, Anjem Choudary investigated by police over mujahideen fundraising, 15 Mar 09 "In the recording, posted on the site Islam4UK, Choudary said: "People looking for a place for their money to go so they can go to the front line and they can't find it.

""You have opportunity to carry dawah [spreading the word] to society . . . and you have money that can go towards the dawah, you have money that can go towards the mujahideen.""

Sunday Times, Hate cleric leads jihad cash appeal, 15 Mar 09 "When confronted, Choudary said: “I don’t think I’ve ever said to people ‘raise money and send it to Al-Qaeda and the Taliban’, which is what you are suggesting.”"

Rejoiners and comments: islam4uk.com

Omar Bakri Muhammad

Telegraph, Omar Bakri accused of training al-Qaeda terrorists, 2 Jan 09 "An arrest warrant has been issued by Lebanese security forces over allegations the preacher gave weapons training to an extremist group called al-Qaeda Lebanon."

On a related theme: MailOnline, Hate preacher Omar Bakri instructs followers to convert aliens to Islam, 3 Jan 08 "A security source is reported to have said: 'Perhaps he could show his people the way - it would give everyone a break if he was beamed up.'"

Habib Ahmed

manchestereveningnews.co.uk, Habib's 'get-rich quick schemes', 19 Dec 08 "Books entitled Islamic Military Resurgence and Defence of the Muslim Lands were found and two computers recovered showed numerous terror-related internet searches on addresses of chemical companies, the components of bombs and how grenades worked."

OBM

This is London, Islamic radicals make mockery of hate laws, 10 Nov 08 "JUST days after Home Secretary Jacqui Smith announced tough new measures to name and shame foreign-based extremists and prevent them coming from abroad to stir up hatred in the UK, firebrand preacher Sheikh Omar Bakri Muhammad cocked a snook at her new initiative, the Evening Standard can reveal.

"More than 200 Muslims at a packed public meeting in Tower Hamlets were told by organiser Anjem Choudary: "We have a special surprise, a special treat for you. Sheikh Omar Bakri Muhammad will be joining us on a live feed from Lebanon." He added: "As Muslims, we will not submit to any man-made law, any government, or any prime minister - Bush or Brown - or [to] Jacqui Smith. We submit to Allah.""

Omar Bakri Mohammed

This is London, Hate preacher Bakri targets young people through Web campaign, 29 Oct 08 "The Home Office wants to introduce rules making it easier to bar preachers of hate from Britain.

"But a Standard investigation has uncovered dozens of YouTube videos filmed by a radical Islamic sect and its exiled leader Omar Bakri Mohammed as part of its latest recruitment drive."

Also see Jamie Bartlett, Comment is Free, Guardian, Extremism: live by webcam, 29 Oct 08 "First, listening to radical preachers rant and rave about Jewish conspiracies or the importance of jihad doesn't turn someone into an Islamic extremist. In Demos' research into the relationship between radicalisation and violence, we are finding that vitriolic speeches calling on people to fight infidels are readily available. But on their own, they never lead anyone into action.

"Indeed, the leaked MI5 report on violent extremism in Britain suggested the influence of extremist clerics had "moved into the background". There is a much more tangled web of influences at work, and forcibly shutting up radical preachers can even be counter-productive. Anything the government ever bans usually becomes, by default, more exciting. Just as 16 year olds will clamber to watch any video that has been banned by MTV, the hits on a preacher's website will quadruple the instant he is not welcome in the UK."

Bartlett writes for Demos, whose main website is here, which includes an indication of their perspective on a number of issues.

Daily Mail, X Factor in terror alert as hate cleric Bakri says reality show is anti-Muslim for supporting troops charity, 21 Oct 08 "Security has been stepped up for reality show the X Factor this weekend after Muslim hate preacher Omar Bakri Mohammed blasted the show for being anti-Muslim, it has been claimed.

"The exiled radical cleric hit out against the ITV1 show for supporting charity Help For Heroes, which aids injured troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"Police fear his extremist followers will view his internet rant as a 'fatwa' – a religious ruling – and target the show’s stars and judges, including Simon Cowell."

UK

Mail on Sunday, Merchants of Hatred: On the anniversary of 9/11 this terrifying investigation reveals the hatred of Britain's enemies within, 14 Sep 08 " Gordon Brown and Communities Minister Hazel Blears welcomed Muslim worshippers from Regent's Park Mosque to a meeting in Downing Street to launch a huge Labour campaign to combat Islamic extremism at grassroots level following the London bombings of 2005.

"As part of this initiative-200 different organisations from 70 parts of Britain with large Muslim populations have received millions in public grants under what is officially called the Preventing Extremism Pathfinder Fund - a total of £15million a year." Sue Reid's piece also discusses Omar Bakri Mohammed, Anjem Choudary, Abu Qatada and Yasser Al-Sirri.

Also see communities.gov.uk, Preventing Extremism Pathfinder Fund (pdf)

Hassan Butt arrested

Daily Mail, Anti-terror police arrest Muslim author and former al-Qaida recruiter as he boards flight to Pakistan, 10 May 08 "Mr Butt has renounced a past in which he admitted raising tens of thousands of pounds for terror networks. He has also spoken of his determination to work against extremism."

Jail Mail

Mail on Sunday, Jailed terrorists are using the internet to contact supporters, 13 Apr 08 "The serious security breach was revealed last week after The Mail on Sunday was alerted to messages on a "private" website linked to militant Islamic movement Al-Muhajiroun, which has been banned under anti-terror laws.

"The threatening emails were apparently sent from inside Belmarsh high-security prison in South-East London, which houses some of Britain's most feared terror suspects."

Mobile phones are the likely tool for this communication.

Observer, My plea to fellow Muslims: you must renounce terror, 1 July 2007 "As the bombers return to Britain, Hassan Butt, who was once a member of radical group Al-Muhajiroun, raising funds for extremists and calling for attacks on British citizens, explains why he was wrong." Scope for another book (following on the heels of Ed Hussein's 'The Islamist')? An earlier interview can be found here: Prospect Magazine, A British jihadist, August 2005, 113