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Anjem Choudary

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Anjem Choudary in 2011. Clearly a sucker for little hats (though likely not a member of the green berets).
Party Like It's 632
Islam
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Turning towards Mecca
I also believe firmly in the concept of Izhar ud-Deen i.e. the domination of the world by Islam... I believe that one day Britain and indeed every part of the world (including the rest of Europe, USA, China and Russia etc…) will be governed by and under the authority of the Muslims implementing Islamic Law. This is something that I believe in and strive to see Insha’Allah.
—Anjem Choudary[note 1]

Anjem Choudary (born 1967) is a Pakistani British Muslim looney and a convicted criminal who, to the embarrassment of its population, lives in Britain.[1] He studied law, becoming chairman of the Society of Muslim Lawyers until his removal from the role in 2002.[2]

In 2015, Choudary was charged under the Terrorism Act 2000 with inviting support for the Islamic State and was convicted in July 2016.[3][1] In September 2016, he was sentenced to five years and six months in prison.[4] He was released after just two years.[5] Choudary was arrested again in 2023 and is awaiting trial for directing and being a member of a banned terrorist organisation.[6]

Organisations[edit]

He has been aligned with a number of radical Islamic groups. In the late nineties, he co-founded al-Muhajiroun, an organisation that was later banned under anti-terrorist legislation in 2004;[2][7] he was also associated with al-Ghurabaa, which was banned by John Reid in 2006.[8] After this, he led Islam4UK,[9] which was banned in 2010;[10] the Government decided at this time that the group, along with al-Muhajiroun, al-Ghurabaa, and several other organisations (Call to Submission, Islamic Path, London School of Sharia, and the Saved Sect) should be treated as the same group under different names.[11] He became involved with Muslims Against Crusades[12] until that too was banned.

Views and activities[edit]

Choudary has been a proponent of implementing Sharia in the Western world,[13] mainly focusing on Britain and the U.S., with the usual idiocy that entails.[14]

In 2011, he announced a rally at the White House, but it was cancelled.[15] He also announced plans to protest at the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton,[16] but cancelled those plans as well.[17] He planned to protest against the burqa ban in France, but was barred from entering the country.[18]

Choudary was a supporter of Osama bin Laden; commenting on the deaths that occured on 9/11 (the perpetrators of which he describes as "magnificent martyrs"[7]), Choudary argues that the American army has also killed people, which he appears to believe justifies the atrocity.[19] In response to the killing of bin Laden in May 2011, Choudary organised a protest at the US Embassy in London; attendees held placards with slogans such as "Islam will dominate the world". He called on the US to return the remains of bin Laden to the deceased terrorist's relatives[20] (think they'd really want them? He must be pretty damp by now, not to mention smelly...).

He has also apparently called for the assassination of the Pope.[2]

Media appearances[edit]

Choudary often popped up as a talking head on British TV and radio, appearing on Channel 4's 4thought strand,[21] BBC Radio 4's The Report[22] and more than once on BBC's Newsnight.[23][24] This is rather curious, considering that a sizable controversy surrounded the episode of Question Time featuring BNP leader Nick Griffin,[25] a man no more nutty than Choudary.

Despite a dislike for the BBC, Choudary will occasionally be invited onto talk shows to discuss events involving Muslim extremism.[26][27] Predictably, after these appearances, everyone calls for him to be jailed before people remember that no-one cares what he thinks and goes back to watching Downton Abbey.

Presumably because the UK has become bored with him by now, Choudary has also made appearances on American news stations, including CNN[28] and Fox News.[29] In the case of the latter, he is useful to Fox to act as a stereotype of all Muslims. However, it led to the only recorded occasion of Sean Hannity stating a fact.[30]

Life before wingnuttery[edit]

In 2010, images of Choudary during his time as a law student surfaced.[31] At the time, Andy Choudary was fond of drugs, sex, beer, porn without models wearing burqas, and various other insults to Allah.

Presumably, his deity has forgiven him because none of the pictures depict him with a bacon sandwich and/or engaging in gay sex with a minimum of four witnesses. Oh, and chocolate milkshakes are a-okay.[32]

Notes[edit]

  1. Originally written in the 'About Me' section on his now defunct website.

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-37098751
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/terrorism-in-the-uk/6930447/Anjem-Choudary-profile.html
  3. http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-33784926
  4. "Radical cleric Anjem Choudary guilty of inviting IS support". BBC News. 16 August 2016. Archived from the original on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 16 August 2016. 
  5. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-45911160
  6. Anjem Choudary charged with terror offences and directing terrorist organisation by Holly Evans, The Independent, 24 July 2023.
  7. 7.0 7.1 http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2005/aug/10/july7.terrorism2
  8. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/5188136.stm
  9. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/the_daily_politics/8459410.stm
  10. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8453560.stm
  11. http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/counter-terrorism/proscribed-terror-groups/proscribed-groups?view=Binary
  12. http://www.tntmagazine.com/tnt-today/archive/2011/04/19/royal-wedding-protest-planned-by-muslims-against-crusades.aspx
  13. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2HOTK-wb84
  14. http://didyoustealmycountry.wordpress.com/2009/03/21/stone-homosexuals-and-adulterors-to-death-anjem-choudary/
  15. http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2011/03/02/anjem_choudary_america/index.html
  16. http://www.tntmagazine.com/tnt-today/archive/2011/04/19/royal-wedding-protest-planned-by-muslims-against-crusades.aspx
  17. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/terrorism-in-the-uk/8476691/Radical-Muslim-group-cancels-royal-wedding-protest-amid-terrorism-fears.html
  18. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1375265/UK-Muslims-including-Anjem-Choudary-arrested-France-burka-protest.html
  19. http://www.memri.org/clip_transcript/en/3133.htm
  20. http://www.metro.co.uk/news/862613-extremists-hold-osama-bin-laden-funeral-at-us-embassy-in-london
  21. http://www.channel4.com/programmes/4thoughttv/episode-guide/series-1/episode-155
  22. http://hurryupharry.org/2011/08/13/shoddy-work-by-the-bbc/
  23. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/4700976.stm
  24. http://www.quilliamfoundation.org/index.php/component/content/article/612
  25. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8319136.stm
  26. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2013/may/24/bbc-channel-4-anjem-choudary
  27. http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/bbc-news-chief-defends-anjem-choudary-interview-face-calls-ban-hate-preachers
  28. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A75Vg__GcqQ
  29. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRyI7x-rpCM&feature=player_embedded
  30. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRyI7x-rpCM&feature=player_embedded
  31. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1161909/Swilling-beer-smoking-dope-leering-porn-hate-preacher-Andy-Choudary.html
  32. http://www.vice.com/en_uk/read/jihad-milkshake