On April 16, the UK had new terror legislation on its statute books, the Terrorism Act, 2006. Schedule 1, section 1 (3) of the act prohibits any statement which:
"(a) glorifies the commission or preparation (whether in the past, in the future or generally) of such acts or offences; and (b) is a statement from which those members of the public could reasonably be expected to infer that what is being glorified is being glorified as conduct that should be emulated by them in existing circumstances."
A summary conviction can carry a sentence of up to 12 months' imprisonment, but if convicted following an indictment, a sentence of up to 7 years' imprisonment can be imposed.
Predictably, the Muslim Council for Britain urged the government to exercise "restraint" with these laws. Its ecretary general then was Iqbal Sacranie, who said: "The fact that these laws are based upon a number of false premises and an unacceptably vague definition of terrorism makes them a recipe for disaster as well as a huge blow to our freedoms."
Tony Blair had made plain that he intended to use this act to prohibit groups which condoned terrorism, particularly Hizb ut-Tahrir and the "successors to Al-Muhajiroun", specifically mentioned in a clause discussed in November last year, but now conspicuously absent from the final document.
These successors to Al-Muhajiroun included most notably the Saviour Sect and Al-Ghurabaa. In an effort to avoid being legislated against, the Saviour Sect renamed itself the "Saved Sect". And the former deputy of Al-Muhajiroun, Anjem Choudary, with the assistance of others from the "Saved" Sect and Al Ghurabaa, launched a new Islamist group in November last year.
The launch was held in a north London charity shop, where one Simon Sulayman Keeler said: "The Queen is enemy to Islam and Muslims. We are not interested in what she says, her public relations with Muslims and her subjects. We see in reality her actions all around the earth, her forces, army, navy, her air force bombing, destroying Muslims, killing our families, destroying our properties and occupying our land."
The new group was called Ahl ul-Sunnah Wa al-Jamma or Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah (ASWJ). Abu Izzadeen, aka 31-year old electrician Omar Brooks, head of the Saved Sect, was also at the launch of the group, as was Abu Yahya, aka 31-year old Abdul Rahman Saleem. Yahya is currently on trial for using words likely to stir up racial hatred, at the anti-cartoon rally which took place on February 3. Choudary himself was given a nominal fine for organising the illegal demonstration, where members of these former al-Muhajiroun groups carried placards demanding the beheading of those who insulted Islam.
Even though the Terrorism Act has been on the statute books for three months, no-one has so far been prosecuted for "glorifying terrorism" under Schedule 1, section 1 (3). Though the act allows the Home Secretary to prohibit groups, no group has so far been outlawed.
According to the Times today, there will be a new list of "proscribed groups" published by the government next week. We can only hope that Al Ghurabaa, Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah, the Saviour/Saved Sect and also Hizb ut-Tahrir will be on the list of banned groups. Considering the inordinate influence the Muslim Council for Britain wields with the current government, nothing is certain.
The Times states that the group Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah (ASWJ) is still active, and has a website. On this website, a former leading figure from Al-Muhajiroun, Abu Muwahhid has been appearing in video sermons.
The website is a forum, and one must be registered to view these sermons. But they are virulent. In one sermon, thought to have been made in 2004, before Al-Muhajiroun became disbanded, he praised Hurricane Charley for making Americans homeless: "May Allah send them more hurricanes and tornadoes, and more aeroplanes as well.....We should never feel sorry for a kaffir, whether or not they die on September 11." In the same speech, he said: "Oh Allah, don't leave a single kaffir on the earth - destroy them all."
One speech is called Attributes of the Hypocrites. Here Muwahhid states: "People say....you gonna put the black flag on 10 Downing Street? You'll never do it until pigs fly. The pigs are flying. In America, they're flying, these pigs, in aeroplanes."
Two weekends ago, Abu Izzadeen preached at Small Heath community center in Birmingham, which can be found HERE. In this speech, he made fun of non-Muslims as "animals" and "cowards". He said that the 9/11 attacks upon the World Trade Centre "changed many people's lives." He then added: "especially for those inside," a quip that brought laughter from his audience.
Abu Muwahhid was also present at that sermon, which was given a few days before the anniversary of the 7/7 attacks in London, which killed 52 people on 7 July, 2005. Muwahhid, who is based in London, spoke at the Small Heath venue, saying: "Allah says kill the mushrikeen (sinners and polytheists) where you find them and capture them and besiege them and prepare an ambush from every angle."
On March 3, 2004, Muwahhid gave a lecture in London on the restoring of the Khilaafah, in conjunction with Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammed. The "khilaafah" is the Caliphate, a system of universal Muslim rule, last held by the Ottomans, and crushed by Ataturk on March 3, 1924. As an illustration for this speech, Al-Muhajiroun showed the White House bombed (pictured). A mirror page of this site can be found courtesy of Daniel Pipes. Two days later, Muwahhid shared a podium with Abu Izzadeen/Omar Brooks, giving a lecture about "Tawheed the way for Khilaafah".
Abu Muwahhid has used the internet to disseminate his speeches for some time. In March 2004, he advertised an internet sermon on Paltalk at the now-disbanded site: http://www.almuk.com/obm/paltalk.html. The advertisement said: "This Saturday's LIVE talk on Paltalk will discuss one of the greatest forgotten obligations in Islaam - Hating false religions. Allaah (swt) orders the believers to hate all other religions, way of lives, creeds, doctrines and beliefs that contradict with Islaam, and one cannot be Muslim without to declare animosity and hatred towards kufr, bid'ah, shirk and nifaaq (Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Democracy, Freedom etc.)."
The shadow home secretary, David Davis has said of the recent posting of sermons by Muwahhid: "We have urged the government to use the powers available to them to deal with people like this. We will see whether they act or whether they prefer to wait several years like they did with Abu Hamza."
From Western Resistance
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