No one takes Anjem Choudary seriously, but the provocative preacher’s uncanny ability to attract publicity worries British Muslims as David Cameron’s government plans new laws to curb radical religious extremists.
For millions of Muslims, not just in the West, the radical British imam and activist Anjem Choudary is not only a willing apologist for terrorism but an affront to their culture and faith.
Britain’s Conservative prime minister, David Cameron, describes him as a “minority of a minority of a minority”.
"I want to know who and what he represents," says Harun Khan, deputy secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain, an umbrella group for more than 500 mosques and associations. "He certainly does not represent me or the majority of Muslims."
But in proposing another raft of anti-extremist measures to counter the views and activities of such figures, the new Cameron government risks being seen by British Muslims as having launched a “Cold War” against them, says Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, a Muslim former cabinet minister.
At the state opening of parliament in London next Wednesday, Queen Elizabeth is due to outline the proposals of a bill to introduce further immigration rules and give the authorities wide powers aimed at curbing extremism.
Organisations considered a potential threat would be outlawed even if they did not break specific laws.
Mosques and other premises used in drawing young people into militancy would face closure, while “extremism disruption orders” would restrict the movements of those suspected of spreading hatred and inciting violence.
This appears to target such figures as Mr Choudary, who has openly urged the radicalisation of Muslim youths in visits to Denmark, Norway and the Netherlands.
Mr Cameron says a poisonous, extremist ideology must be confronted. But despite his assertion that Mr Choudary and like-minded people are in a negligible minority, the prime minister is said by BBC and other commentators to be basing his policy on a desire to silence them or impede their activities.
Baroness Warsi was the most senior Muslim in Mr Cameron’s last government until she resigned after disagreeing with the government’s approach to the Gaza conflict.
She warns that policies must be applied consistently across all communities, cover “all forms of extremism” including that espoused by other faith groups, and avoid criminalising thought.
“The test will be whether this is a genuine attempt to deal with extremism in all its forms, as opposed to the current perception that it is a Cold War against British Muslims,” she told The Independent newspaper.
Muslim leaders express similar concerns. The Muslim Council’s secretary general, Dr Shuja Shafi, has warned against giving extremists “indirect victory by curtailing our rights, alienating communities and giving grounds to ideologically-driven vested interests”.
“Any initiative to keep our country safe is welcomed,” says Dr Shafi. “The scourge of terrorism affects us all. We all must challenge acts of terrorism and ideas, and the environment in which it thrives.”
He points out that the council and Muslim community has “consistently and vocally challenged and denounced acts of terrorism” and those who incite, encourage or support them.
“Our best defence is to hold on to our values firmly – values of freedom, justice, fairness, rule of law, respect and tolerance.”
Along with other mainstream Muslim organisations, the council bitterly resents the amount of media air time Mr Choudary is granted to articulate what they regard as un-Islamic views and inflammatory statements.
A market trader’s son born in southeastern England of Pakistani descent, Mr Choudary is a self-styled figurehead of radical Islam.
He was the co-founder of Al Muhajiroun, a virulently anti-western group that glorified the attacks on the World Trade Centre and other US targets on September 11, 2001. He was also the spokesman for Islam4UK, which campaigned for the implementation of Sharia in the UK.
Both organisations are now banned under British counter-terrorism laws.
But western media turns to him whenever a terrorist act occurs, knowing he will oblige with unapologetic endorsement of intolerance and a refusal to condemn specific crimes.
Recently he called for the death of Pamela Geller, an anti-Islam American lobbyist. Even many of Mr Choudary’s strongest opponents find her views repellent.
On the conservative Fox News, Mr Choudary rose to tempting bait as he confronted Ms Geller, co-organiser of the contentious “Draw the Prophet” cartoon contest in Texas in which two gunmen, later claimed by ISIL as members, were shot dead while trying to mount an attack.
Repeatedly pressed on whether he wanted her killed, Mr Choudary said: “She should be put before a Sharia court and tried, and if found guilty of course she would face capital punishment.”
Ms Geller is not widely seen as a heroic champion of freedom. Long before the Texas incident, the British government had responded to her rabble-rousing tendencies, banning her from entry to the country because of her involvement in establishing “anti-Muslim hate groups”, the American Freedom Defence Initiative, and Stop Islamisation of America movements.
But Mr Choudary’s belligerence on Fox News made her seem almost a victim.
His appearance had a familiar ring. Two years ago, after the murder of unarmed British soldier Lee Rigby, in a London street, he told BBC viewers he was shocked by the murder but steadfastly refused to “abhor” it.
Referring to the video clip from the scene of the crime, with one of it perpetrators, bloodstained meat cleaver in hand as he sought to justify his actions, he insisted “not many Muslims” would disagree with what the killer had said.
Two moderate Muslim leaders in the same studio looked on aghast but it was clear his apologia rather than their unqualified denunciation was the focus of the discussion.
He has been arrested in the past and is on bail on suspicion of belonging to a banned organisation, but has never been convicted of a terrorism-related offence.
But is he truly a dangerous man, a mouthpiece for terrorists and indirectly responsible for the recruitment of western Muslims to fight with ISIL and other terrorist groups in conflict zones including Syria and Iraq?
Or is he just a publicity-hungry hothead elevated by media access grossly disproportionate to his true level of support, into a hate figure whose menacing pronouncements lend justification to illiberal and possibly divisive official responses?
When the BBC cited the “Western Jihadism Project” of Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, suggesting a third or more of the westerners fighting in Iraq and Syria were linked to groups with which Mr Choudary was involved, he had a ready reply.
“I don’t think there is one example of anyone who has gone to Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria or any other place in the world, whether they have passed away or are alive, who has actually said, ‘I am here today because Mr Choudary asked me to abroad’, or who was incited or encouraged by me to go abroad.”
Mr Khan believes the media gives far too much attention to his statements on terrorist atrocities. “We receive a lot of requests to react to what he says, but we don’t want to give him the oxygen of publicity and feel that is the right approach,” he says.
Yet the shadow of such men is cast over much western debate of the issues arising from security threats and official responses to them. Last year, The Observer devoted two broadsheet pages and lavish illustration to an interview with Mr Choudary.
Meanwhile, misgivings about Mr Cameron’s approach to a complex problem, in which the goodwill of a large minority of the population is crucial, show no sign of diminishing. His bill could run into difficulties in the House of Lords, where his party has no majority.
The Muslim Council advises the prime minister to “tread carefully” and not rush through “yet more legislation without proper debate; engaging all stakeholders, building consensus and unity between communities”.
Otherwise, it suggests, he risks the opposite of what he intends, “the further alienation of a wide section of our nation”.
newsdesk@thenational.ae
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Details
Through Her Lens: The stories behind the photography of Eva Sereny
Forewords by Jacqueline Bisset and Charlotte Rampling, ACC Art Books
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
RESULT
Manchester United 2 Tottenham Hotspur 1
Man United: Sanchez (24' ), Herrera (62')
Spurs: Alli (11')
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Profile of MoneyFellows
Founder: Ahmed Wadi
Launched: 2016
Employees: 76
Financing stage: Series A ($4 million)
Investors: Partech, Sawari Ventures, 500 Startups, Dubai Angel Investors, Phoenician Fund
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%3Cp%3EAuthor%3A%20Diaa%20Jubaili%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPages%3A%20180%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPublisher%3A%20Deep%20Vellum%20Publishing%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Seemar’s top six for the Dubai World Cup Carnival:
1. Reynaldothewizard
2. North America
3. Raven’s Corner
4. Hawkesbury
5. New Maharajah
6. Secret Ambition
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
UAE Team Emirates
Valerio Conti (ITA)
Alessandro Covi (ITA)
Joe Dombrowski (USA)
Davide Formolo (ITA)
Fernando Gaviria (COL)
Sebastian Molano (COL)
Maximiliano Richeze (ARG)
Diego Ulissi (ITAS)
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
- The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
- The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
- The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
- The Milky Bar white chocolate Egg Hunt Pack contains eight eggs at 7.7g of sugar per egg
- The Cadbury Creme Egg contains 26g of sugar per 40g egg
'THE WORST THING YOU CAN EAT'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
pakistan Test squad
Azhar Ali (capt), Shan Masood, Abid Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Fawad Alam, Haris Sohail, Imran Khan, Kashif Bhatti, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Abbas, Yasir Shah, Usman Shinwari
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Wydad 2 Urawa 3
Wydad Nahiri 21’, Hajhouj 90'
Urawa Antonio 18’, 60’, Kashiwagi 26’
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
TOP%2010%20MOST%20POLLUTED%20CITIES
%3Cp%3E1.%20Bhiwadi%2C%20India%0D%3Cbr%3E2.%20Ghaziabad%2C%20India%0D%3Cbr%3E3.%20Hotan%2C%20China%0D%3Cbr%3E4.%20Delhi%2C%20India%0D%3Cbr%3E5.%20Jaunpur%2C%20India%0D%3Cbr%3E6.%20Faisalabad%2C%20Pakistan%0D%3Cbr%3E7.%20Noida%2C%20India%0D%3Cbr%3E8.%20Bahawalpur%2C%20Pakistan%0D%3Cbr%3E9.%20Peshawar%2C%20Pakistan%0D%3Cbr%3E10.%20Bagpat%2C%20India%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3ESource%3A%20IQAir%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Greatest Royal Rumble match listing
50-man Royal Rumble - names entered so far include Braun Strowman, Daniel Bryan, Kurt Angle, Big Show, Kane, Chris Jericho, The New Day and Elias
Universal Championship Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
WWE World Heavyweight ChampionshipAJ Styles (champion) v Shinsuke Nakamura
Intercontinental Championship Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe
United States Championship Jeff Hardy (champion) v Jinder Mahal
SmackDown Tag Team Championship The Bludgeon Brothers (champions) v The Usos
Raw Tag Team Championship (currently vacant) Cesaro and Sheamus v Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt
Casket match The Undertaker v Rusev
Singles match John Cena v Triple H
Cruiserweight Championship Cedric Alexander v Kalisto
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3EName%3A%20Cashew%0D%3Cbr%3EStarted%3A%202020%0D%3Cbr%3EFounders%3A%20Ibtissam%20Ouassif%20and%20Ammar%20Afif%0D%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%0D%3Cbr%3EIndustry%3A%20FinTech%0D%3Cbr%3EFunding%20size%3A%20%2410m%0D%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Mashreq%2C%20others%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Heather, the Totality
Matthew Weiner,
Canongate
What%20is%20Dungeons%20%26%20Dragons%3F%20
%3Cp%3EDungeons%20%26amp%3B%20Dragons%20began%20as%20an%20interactive%20game%20which%20would%20be%20set%20up%20on%20a%20table%20in%201974.%20One%20player%20takes%20on%20the%20role%20of%20dungeon%20master%2C%20who%20directs%20the%20game%2C%20while%20the%20other%20players%20each%20portray%20a%20character%2C%20determining%20its%20species%2C%20occupation%20and%20moral%20and%20ethical%20outlook.%20They%20can%20choose%20the%20character%E2%80%99s%20abilities%2C%20such%20as%20strength%2C%20constitution%2C%20dexterity%2C%20intelligence%2C%20wisdom%20and%20charisma.%20In%20layman%E2%80%99s%20terms%2C%20the%20winner%20is%20the%20one%20who%20amasses%20the%20highest%20score.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh1,470,000 (est)
Engine 6.9-litre twin-turbo W12
Gearbox eight-speed automatic
Power 626bhp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 900Nm @ 1,350rpm
Fuel economy, combined 14.0L / 100km
Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
Yemen's Bahais and the charges they often face
The Baha'i faith was made known in Yemen in the 19th century, first introduced by an Iranian man named Ali Muhammad Al Shirazi, considered the Herald of the Baha'i faith in 1844.
The Baha'i faith has had a growing number of followers in recent years despite persecution in Yemen and Iran.
Today, some 2,000 Baha'is reside in Yemen, according to Insaf.
"The 24 defendants represented by the House of Justice, which has intelligence outfits from the uS and the UK working to carry out an espionage scheme in Yemen under the guise of religion.. aimed to impant and found the Bahai sect on Yemeni soil by bringing foreign Bahais from abroad and homing them in Yemen," the charge sheet said.
Baha'Ullah, the founder of the Bahai faith, was exiled by the Ottoman Empire in 1868 from Iran to what is now Israel. Now, the Bahai faith's highest governing body, known as the Universal House of Justice, is based in the Israeli city of Haifa, which the Bahais turn towards during prayer.
The Houthis cite this as collective "evidence" of Bahai "links" to Israel - which the Houthis consider their enemy.
