Anjem Choudary’s Extremist Network Rebuilds in Year After Radical Cleric’s Early Release from Prison

CEP Report Details Choudary’s Ties To 143 Extremist Entities

(New York, N.Y.) - In the year since Anjem Choudary’s early release from prison, the radical Islamic cleric and convicted ISIS supporter has inspired a revival of al-Muhajiroun, the U.K.-banned extremist group he co-founded in 1996. Choudary was arrested in 2014 and sentenced in 2016 after he publicly pledged allegiance to ISIS. However, in 2018, he was released on parole after serving only half of his sentence. Choudary and al-Muhajiroun have been linked to more than 600 extremists. Choudary is also reportedly linked to some 300 individuals who have traveled to Syria to become foreign fighters for ISIS.

In its report, Anjem Choudary’s Ties to Extremists, the Counter Extremism Project (CEP) has 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 include Lee Rigby murderers Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale, London Bridge attackers Rachid Redouane and Khuram Shazad Butt, and suicide bomber Bilal Mohammed.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, CEP Senior Adviser Ian Acheson stated that “even though Choudary has to all intents and purposes been on his best behavior, individuals and groups that were radicalized by him have been revitalized, thus threatening the UK’s national security. The UK Government’s counter-terrorism strategy needs to address this if we intend unrepentant hate preachers like Choudary to see out their sentences in the community.”

“Despite tight restrictions put in place to prevent Anjem Choudary from radicalizing others after his release, al-Muhajiroun’s revival is a serious concern and a reminder that Choudary remains a dangerous and radical figure,” said CEP Executive Director David Ibsen. “His extremist followers have been responsible for devastating attacks and attempted attacks. British authorities must continue to enforce restrictions on Choudary to minimize his influence and reach, especially given the online activities of Choudary’s followers.”

Abu Haleema, one of Choudary’s associates, maintains a presence on YouTube. CEP researchers have monitored his YouTube channel, “Abu Haleema Media,” which has been online for four years and has amassed hundreds of thousands of views. Abu Haleema’s channel hosts 138 videos, with the most recent video uploaded on October 16. CEP has also identified several lectures on YouTube by Abu Baraa, a.k.a. Mohammed Mizanur Rahman, who was previously jailed with Choudary for supporting ISIS. One YouTube channel contains almost 40 video lectures from Abu Baraa and was spread on a pro-ISIS Telegram channel. Abu Baraa speaks about a variety of topics, including why Muslims should not vote in democratic elections and the significance and use of takfir—the process by which one Muslim characterizes another Muslim as a kafir. This designation carries with it a death sentence, according to certain interpretations of Islamic law.

Earlier this year, CEP released a series of resources highlighting the influence and online presence of dangerous extremist propagandists as well as notorious extremist content with links to violence. These resources include: Siege’s Ties to Extremists, Abdullah al-Faisal’s Ties to Extremists, Ahmad Musa Jibril’s Ties to Extremists, The Turner Diaries’ Ties to Extremists, and Yusuf al-Qaradawi’s Ties to Extremists. Together with Anjem Choudary’s Ties to Extremists, these resources document the real-world consequences of allowing such propagandists to operate and pieces of content to proliferate on the Internet.

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