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July 17, 2006

UK: Two Islamist Groups To Be Banned

News from Associated Press via the Hindu and also from the BBC, Politics.co.uk, from 24 Dash.com, Bloomberg, the Times and the Press Association via the Guardian states that two Islamist groups will be banned in the United Kingdom.

The two groups are Al Ghurabaa and the Saved Sect, which changed its name from the Saviour Sect. The other two groups which Home Secretary John Reid intends to ban are the Baluchistan Liberation Army and Teyrebaz Azadiye Kurdistan. They will be banned under the terms of the Terrorism Act 2006, which was passed into law on March 22, and effective from April.

Reid said: "Proscribing these groups, which are either engaged in terrorism or which glorify terrorist acts, sends a strong signal. The United Kingdom is not prepared to tolerate those who support terrorism here or anywhere in the world."

"I am determined to act against those who, while not directly involved in committing acts of terrorism, provide support for and make statements that glorify, celebrate and exalt the atrocities of terrorist groups."

"I am also committed to ensuring that those organisations that change their name do not avoid the consequences of proscription. Protecting the public and strengthening national security is my top priority. Proscription powers are an important tool in our armoury in the fight against terrorism."

"The new, widened, criteria introduced in the Terrorism Act 2006 allows us to create an even more hostile environment in which terrorists find it more difficult to operate, and will assist us in tackling every part of the terrorist network."

The move is not before time. The Saved Sect and Al Ghurabaa are both remnants of Al-Muhajiroun, and their membership is virtually identical. Abu Izzadeen was formerly the leading light of Al Ghurabaa, but went on to head the Saved Sect. Anjem Choudary is the former deputy leader of Al-Muhajiroun, but now heads Al Ghurabaa.

Strangely, John Reid did not mention the group which we mentioned yesterday, Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah (ASWJ).

This group, formed in the presence of Anjem Choudary and Abu Izzadeen (aka Omar Brooks) in a charity shop in North London in November last year, specifically states that it is a group to replace Al-Muhajiroun.

Basically, Al Ghurabaa, the Saved Sect, the Saviour Sect and Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah are only four different presentations the same group, which has about 1,000 hard-core members.

Reid was wise to mention that groups who change their name will be affected by proscription, but though the legislation necessary to deal with "aliases" of proscribed laws is available under the Terrorism Act 2006, the proscription will not be immediate.

The Home Secretary today laid an order in Parliament which will make it a criminal offence for a person to belong to or encourage support for the two groups, to arrange meetings in their support or to wear clothes or carry articles in public indicating support or membership for these groups.

Under the terms of the Terrorism Act 2006, a summary conviction on such a charge would invoke a potential prison sentence of up to 12 months, and if convicted following an indictment, a sentence of seven years.

The draft proscription Order on the four groups named is subject to approval by the Houses of Commons and also the House of Lords. It will be debated next week. The draft Order proposing proscription of groups using alternative names will come into effect on 14 August, but this is specifically related to two alternative titles for the Kurdish terror group, based in Turkey, the PKK.

The Saved Sect mentions the ban on its website, but only refers to the BBC article and does not make any comment. Al Ghurabaa has no comments on its website so far. But before it disappears into the ether, we are reproducing a nice little poster image from the site.

Last August, Tony Blair signalled his desire to have successor groups to AL-Muhajiroun banned, and also Hizb ut-Tahrir, a group which campaigns to destroy democracy, and which supports suicide bombings against innocent Israeli civilians. Hizb ut-Tahrir is not on the list of proscribed groups. When asked about this organisation, Reid's spokesperson said: "This does remain a group about which we have real concerns and we are keeping the situation under review." The spokesperson said that decisions on other groups was still pending.

The Times states:

In a memorandum issued alongside today's order, the Home Office stated that Omar Bakri Mohammed had founded Al-Muhajiroun in 1996 with the aim of creating a world-wide Islamic state and encouraging Muslims to support mujahideen who undertake violent jihad. The organisation was dissolved in 2004 and Omar Bakri later travelled to Lebanon and was barred from re-entering the UK.

The Home Office said that the Al-Ghurabaa Internet website, which was used as "a means of mobilising support as well as disseminating its ideas", shared an address and telephone number with that of Al-Muhajiroun. The memo said that the group "courts publicity and makes deliberately provocative and controversial statements expressing extremist views" which fall foul of the anti-glorification legislation.

Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at July 17, 2006 12:23 PM

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