Al Ghurabaa
Encyclopedia
Al Ghurabaa is a Muslim
organization which, along with the The Saviour Sect, is widely believed to be the reformed Al-Muhajiroun
after it disbanded in 2004 by order of Omar Bakri Muhammad
. Other members include Abu Izzadeen
and Abu Uzair
.
On July 17, 2006 the group was proscribed under legislation in Britain outlawing organizations that support terrorism. Home Secretary Dr. John Reid laid an order in Parliament which makes it a criminal offence for a person to belong to or encourage support for the group, to arrange meetings in its support, or to wear clothes or carry articles in public indicating support or membership.
The name of the group is derived from a hadith
(or tradition) ascribed to Muhammad
, "Islam began as something strange and will end as something strange...Paradise is for Al Ghurabaa' [the strangers]."
Anjem Choudary
, previously a leader of Al-Muhajiroun
, was a spokesman or prominent figure in al Ghurabaa'. In 2010 he reemerged as the leader of Islam4UK.
This statement is at odds with the views of leading member Abu Izzadeen
who was filmed on the eve of the first anniversary of the 7/7 terrorist attacks on the city of London mocking the victims of 9/11 and threatening further attacks on non-Muslims.
Al Ghurabaa was banned by Waltham Forest Council from holding meetings at premises within walking distance of the homes of several of the 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot suspects
.
Abu Izzadeen, a Muslim convert also known as Omar Brookes, was ejected from an open community meeting in East London at which the Home Secretary Dr John Reid was speaking. Izzadeen was furious about "state terrorism by British police" and heckled
Reid before ejected by the police.
, Al Ghurabaa' published an article on their website titled, "Kill those who insult the Prophet Muhammad". The article states, "The insulting of the Messenger Muhammad is something that the Muslims cannot and will not tolerate and the punishment in Islam for the one who does so is death. This is the sunnah of the prophet and the verdict of Islam upon such people, one that any Muslim is able [to] execute."
Al Ghurabaa' had organised the 3 February protest march from London Central Mosque
to the Danish
Embassy, where protesters waved placards reading, "Butcher those who mock Islam
", "Kill those who insult Islam", "Europe
you will pay, your 9/11 is on the way", or "7/7 is on its way", "Europe you will pay, bin Laden
is on his way" and "Europe you'll come crawling, when the Mujahideen
come roaring".
Despite the similar theme on Al Ghurabaa's website, their spokesman, Anjem Choudary
, said he did not know who wrote the placards. MP
s from all parties condemned the protest, calling the Metropolitan police
to pursue those responsible on the grounds that the threats were an incitement to murder
.
were re-established under the name Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah
. This organization operates mainly through an invitation-only Internet forum, of which Anjem Choudary is a prominent contributor, using the username "Abou Luqman". A reporter visiting the site found recordings of Osama Bin Laden
, Ayman al-Zawahiri
, and Omar Bakri Mohammed, as well as calls for holy war.
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
organization which, along with the The Saviour Sect, is widely believed to be the reformed Al-Muhajiroun
Al-Muhajiroun
Al-Muhajiroun is a banned Islamist organisation that was based in Britain and which has been linked to international terrorism, homophobia and anti-semitism...
after it disbanded in 2004 by order of Omar Bakri Muhammad
Omar Bakri Muhammad
Omar Bakri Muhammad is an Islamist militant leader who was instrumental in developing Hizb ut-Tahrir into a major organization in the United Kingdom before leaving the group and heading another Islamist organisation, Al-Muhajiroun, until its disbandment in 2004.For several years Bakri was one of...
. Other members include Abu Izzadeen
Abu Izzadeen
Abu Izzadeen , born Trevor Brooks , is a British spokesman for Al Ghurabaa, a Muslim organization banned under the Terrorism Act 2006 for the glorification of terrorism, that operated in the United Kingdom....
and Abu Uzair
Abu Uzair
Abu Uzair is a Muslim teacher and Islamist activist in The United Kingdom. He served as the leader of the The Saved Sect, an organisation the British government has designated and banned as terrorist, and a leading member of Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah...
.
On July 17, 2006 the group was proscribed under legislation in Britain outlawing organizations that support terrorism. Home Secretary Dr. John Reid laid an order in Parliament which makes it a criminal offence for a person to belong to or encourage support for the group, to arrange meetings in its support, or to wear clothes or carry articles in public indicating support or membership.
The name of the group is derived from a hadith
Hadith
The term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....
(or tradition) ascribed to Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
, "Islam began as something strange and will end as something strange...Paradise is for Al Ghurabaa' [the strangers]."
Anjem Choudary
Anjem Choudary
Anjem Choudary is a British former solicitor, and, before it was proscribed, spokesman for the Islamist group Islam4UK. He is married, has four children, and lives in Ilford, London....
, previously a leader of Al-Muhajiroun
Al-Muhajiroun
Al-Muhajiroun is a banned Islamist organisation that was based in Britain and which has been linked to international terrorism, homophobia and anti-semitism...
, was a spokesman or prominent figure in al Ghurabaa'. In 2010 he reemerged as the leader of Islam4UK.
Statement about terrorism
"Al Ghurabaa do not glorify any acts of terrorism, whether committed by individuals, organisations or nation states such as USA or UK, we do not wish anybody to emulate them or praise them and make expressly clear that that is not the intention of any of our articles or comments of our representatives. If anyone was to mistakenly get this impression then that is not our intention and we will do everything we can to clarify the misunderstanding."This statement is at odds with the views of leading member Abu Izzadeen
Abu Izzadeen
Abu Izzadeen , born Trevor Brooks , is a British spokesman for Al Ghurabaa, a Muslim organization banned under the Terrorism Act 2006 for the glorification of terrorism, that operated in the United Kingdom....
who was filmed on the eve of the first anniversary of the 7/7 terrorist attacks on the city of London mocking the victims of 9/11 and threatening further attacks on non-Muslims.
Al Ghurabaa was banned by Waltham Forest Council from holding meetings at premises within walking distance of the homes of several of the 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot suspects
2006 transatlantic aircraft plot suspects
According to British and American authorities, the 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot was a terrorist plot to detonate liquid explosives carried on board several airliners travelling from the United Kingdom to the United States....
.
Abu Izzadeen, a Muslim convert also known as Omar Brookes, was ejected from an open community meeting in East London at which the Home Secretary Dr John Reid was speaking. Izzadeen was furious about "state terrorism by British police" and heckled
Heckler
A heckler is a person who harass and try to disconcert others with questions, challenges, or gibes.Hecklers are often known to shout disparaging comments at a performance or event, or interrupts set-piece speeches, for example at a political meeting, with intent to disturb its performers or...
Reid before ejected by the police.
Death threats
In response to the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversyJyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy
The Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy began after 12 editorial cartoons, most of which depicted the Islamic prophet Muhammad, were published in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten on 30 September 2005...
, Al Ghurabaa' published an article on their website titled, "Kill those who insult the Prophet Muhammad". The article states, "The insulting of the Messenger Muhammad is something that the Muslims cannot and will not tolerate and the punishment in Islam for the one who does so is death. This is the sunnah of the prophet and the verdict of Islam upon such people, one that any Muslim is able [to] execute."
Al Ghurabaa' had organised the 3 February protest march from London Central Mosque
London Central Mosque
The London Central Mosque is a mosque in North London, England. It was designed by Sir Frederick Gibberd, completed in 1978, and has a prominent golden dome. The main hall can hold over five thousand worshippers, with women praying on a balcony overlooking the hall...
to the Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
Embassy, where protesters waved placards reading, "Butcher those who mock Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
", "Kill those who insult Islam", "Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
you will pay, your 9/11 is on the way", or "7/7 is on its way", "Europe you will pay, bin Laden
Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
is on his way" and "Europe you'll come crawling, when the Mujahideen
Mujahideen
Mujahideen are Muslims who struggle in the path of God. The word is from the same Arabic triliteral as jihad .Mujahideen is also transliterated from Arabic as mujahedin, mujahedeen, mudžahedin, mudžahidin, mujahidīn, mujaheddīn and more.-Origin of the concept:The beginnings of Jihad are traced...
come roaring".
Despite the similar theme on Al Ghurabaa's website, their spokesman, Anjem Choudary
Anjem Choudary
Anjem Choudary is a British former solicitor, and, before it was proscribed, spokesman for the Islamist group Islam4UK. He is married, has four children, and lives in Ilford, London....
, said he did not know who wrote the placards. MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
s from all parties condemned the protest, calling the Metropolitan police
Metropolitan police
Metropolitan Police is a generic title for the municipal police force for a major metropolitan area, and it may be part of the official title of the force...
to pursue those responsible on the grounds that the threats were an incitement to murder
Incitement
In English criminal law, incitement was an anticipatory common law offence and was the act of persuading, encouraging, instigating, pressuring, or threatening so as to cause another to commit a crime....
.
New organization
In November 2005 The Saved SectThe Saved Sect
The Saved Sect , formerly and more generally known as The Saviour Sect, is a Muslim organization that operated in the United Kingdom from its formation in November 2005 until the British government proscribed it on 17 July 2006...
were re-established under the name Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah
Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah
Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah, Ahle Sunnat Wal Jama'at and other variants may refer to:* Sunni Islam, the majority sect of Islam* Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah , an Islamic organisation operating in the United Kingdom...
. This organization operates mainly through an invitation-only Internet forum, of which Anjem Choudary is a prominent contributor, using the username "Abou Luqman". A reporter visiting the site found recordings of Osama Bin Laden
Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
, Ayman al-Zawahiri
Ayman al-Zawahiri
Ayman Mohammed Rabie al-Zawahiri is an Egyptian physician, Islamic theologian and current leader of al-Qaeda. He was previously the second and last "emir" of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad, having succeeded Abbud al-Zumar in the latter role when Egyptian authorities sentenced al-Zumar to life...
, and Omar Bakri Mohammed, as well as calls for holy war.
See also
- The Saviour Sect
- Al Muhajiroun
- Hizb ut-Tahrir in the United Kingdom
- IslamismIslamismIslamism also , lit., "Political Islam" is set of ideologies holding that Islam is not only a religion but also a political system. Islamism is a controversial term, and definitions of it sometimes vary...
- Islam in the United KingdomIslam in the United KingdomIslam has been present in the United Kingdom since its formation in 1707, though it was not legally recognised until the Trinitarian Act in 1812. Today it is the second largest religion in the country with estimates suggesting that by 2010 the total Muslim population had reached 2.869 million.The...
- UK Islamist demonstration outside Danish Embassy
Related media articles
- A Critical Study of the Multiple Identities and Disguises of 'al-Muhajiroun'
- Treason threat cleric 'leaves UK'
- Why radical views 'must be heard'
- Terror treason charge considered
- Radicals warned of treason risk
- Profile: Omar Bakri Muhammad
- BBC - 'Police raid Islamic group'
- BBC Newsnight's Richard Watson interviews Al-Muhajiroun recruits
- The Times (London) - 'Preacher of hate' is banned from Britain
- 10 March 2004, Mahan Abedin of Jamestown.org interviews Omar Bakri Mohammed at his London home
- Telegraph - Al Muhajiroun under scrutiny
- Telegraph - Militants of Al-Muhajiroun seek world Islamic state
- BBC HARDtalk interview, 5 May 2003, Anjem Choudary refuses to condemn suicide attacks.
- Washington Times - British Muslims called to take up jihad
- Al Ghurabaa - Defend the honour of Muhammad
- Militant groups in the UK The Guardian, June 19, 2002
- Protester dumps family The SunThe Sun (newspaper)The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
- Banned Islamists spawn front organisations, Guardian July 22, 2006
Video
- Anjem Choudary interviewed by Jeremy Paxman NewsnightNewsnightNewsnight is a BBC Television current affairs programme noted for its in-depth analysis and often robust cross-examination of senior politicians. Jeremy Paxman has been its main presenter for over two decades....
, BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff... - Abu Izzadeen addressing an Islamic conference in Birmingham UK. Mocking victims of 7/7, 9/11 and 9/3 (the Spanish train bombings)