With Anjem Choudary’s public speaking ban lifted by the United Kingdom, the
radical British cleric has made multiple attempts to re-establish his.....


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Tech & Terrorism: Radical Hate Preacher Anjem Choudary Attempts To Return
Online After U.K. Lifts Speech Ban

 

(New York, N.Y.) — With Anjem Choudary’s public speaking ban
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lifted by the United Kingdom, the radical British cleric has made multiple
attempts
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to re-establish his online presence on multiple major social media platforms.
Already, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn have blocked Choudary’s
efforts to create new accounts on their platforms, but the violent extremist
has been active on the Facebook-owned application WhatsApp, reportedly
“promoting Shariah Law” and uploading “a number of posts detailing his
interpretation of the Koran.” Choudary poses a significant danger to the
international community, as his propaganda can once again inspire hundreds of
violent extremists around the world.

 

“Anjem Choudary is a cut-and-dry case for all tech companies: he, his
lectures, and any other forms of online extremism that he will propagate should
not be allowed on their platforms,” said the Counter Extremism Project (CEP).
“Choudary’s followers are responsible for devastating attacks and attempted
attacks. Choudary has demonstrated an enduring tenacity to maintaining his
online presence. With the public speaking restrictions on Choudary lifted, tech
companies must maintain a heightened awareness that the hate preacher remains a
dangerous and radical figure.”

 

On July 19, 2021, more than 20 government restrictions on Choudary expired.
Among the expired restrictions was a ban on public speaking. Later that day,
Choudary held a press conference in a park near his east London home, during
which he proclaimed his innocence and labeled himself a “prisoner of faith” who
could not receive a fair trial in the United Kingdom. He went on to condemn the
criminalization of people for their opinions, referring to himself as a normal
Muslim who never had any ties to extremism. Choudary also called for the
release ofOmar Bakri Muhammad
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Sunni Islamist cleric who has a long record of supporting terrorism, from
Lebanese prison.

 

In its report Anjem Choudary’s Ties to Extremists
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documented 143 entities, 110 violent individuals and 33 organizations that
Choudary influenced or communicated with during his career. Of these 110
individuals, 18 carried out terror attacks, 50 attempted to carry out terror
attacks, 19 became—or attempted to become—foreign fighters in Syria for ISIS
and others and 36 are Islamist propagandists or recruiters. Notable violent
extremists directly linked to Choudary includeLee Rigby
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London Bridge attackersRachid Redouane
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suicide bomber Bilal Mohammed.

 

Choudary is an internationally designated Islamist cleric and convicted ISIS
supporter. British authorities arrested Choudary and his associateMohammed
Mizanur Rahman
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September 2014 for suspected membership in ISIS. Both men were charged in
August 2015 with promoting support for ISIS between June 29, 2014, and March 6,
2015. The pair was ultimately convicted in July 2016 of inviting support for
ISIS. For years before his 2014 arrest, Choudary’s Islamist speeches,
anti-Western rhetoric, and declared support for foreign Islamist movements such
as ISIS drew the attention of British authorities, who connected Choudary to
multiple terrorist-related cases in the United Kingdom and Europe.

 

To read CEP’s resource Anjem Choudary, please click here
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To read CEP’s report Anjem Choudary’s Ties to Extremists, please click here
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