Mizanur Rahman (Islamic activist)

For the Bangladeshi cricketer, see Mizanur Rahman (cricketer).

Mizanur Rahman (alias Abu Baraa, born 1983 in London, England) is a British activist and former follower of Omar Bakri Muhammad. He was convicted in 2007 of charges of solicitation to murder and sentenced to four years in jail. He was released from jail in late 2010 and re-arrested for terror-related offenses in September 2014.[1]

On 28 July 2016, Rahman was convicted alongside Anjem Choudary of inviting support for a proscribed organisation. Reporting restrictions were imposed on the conviction, preventing its publication until 16 August 2016.[2] Rahman and Choudary are due to be sentenced in September 2016.[3]

Activist

Mizanur Rahman has acted as a provocateur in what he says are Islamist interests. He participated in the Islamist demonstration outside the Danish Embassy in London in 2006, where he prayed, "O Allah, we want to see another 9/11 in Iraq, another 9/11 in Denmark, another 9/11 in Spain, in France, all over Europe. O Allah, destroy all of them."[4] On 9 November 2006, he was found guilty at trial of the charge of inciting racial hatred.[5] The jury could not reach a verdict on the charge of soliciting murder. The Crown indicated it would seek a retrial.[6]

At his retrial in 2007, Rahman was convicted of the second charge of solicitation to murder, and sentenced to six years in prison. This sentence was reduced to four years on appeal in October 2008. During his trial, the prosecution asserted that Rahman, while not a member of any organisation, was soliciting unknown person(s) to murder other unknown person(s) from among the American occupying forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Since completing his four-year sentence at the end of 2010, Mizanur Rahman immediately began to revive his Islamist activities around the UK and on the Internet. He has called for the laws in Britain to be changed to the Islamic Shari'ah so that the country would become an Islamic Khilafah state.[7]

Mizanur Rahman claims that many Muslim prisoners in the UK are being illegally detained, unfairly treated and abused. He has referred to 'crimes' committed by prison officials in Belmarsh prison in talks and internet addresses since his release from prison.[8]

He has also claimed that his arrest was driven by a media campaign. He said his action are a challenge to and an "exposition freedom of speech".[9]

In November 2010, immediately after completing his four-year prison sentence, he was interviewed by Rageh Omar for a BBC2 series on the life of Muhammad. Questioned about jihad and violence related to insurgencies around the world against western forces, he said, "violence can be praiseworthy and can be dispraised."[10]

In 2014, Mizanur Rahman spoke about the ISIS' killing of British aid worker Alan Henning, though he refused to take a stance on the matter, neither justifying, condoning nor condemning, arguing instead that there was not enough information about the circumstances of the killing and no defence from the accused has been heard. He suggested that those with evidence of wrongdoing take the matter to a Shariah court in ISIS territory demanding justice as a possible solution to the confusion.[11]

On 5 August 2015, Rahman was charged, along with his associate Anjem Choudury, with supporting the terrorist group ISIS.[12] He was convicted on 28 July 2016 and is due to be sentenced in September 2016.[2][3]

References

  1. ↑ Holden, Michael (13 October 2014). "Why Britain is still losing its fight against radicalisation". Retrieved 18 August 2016.
  2. 1 2 "Radical cleric Anjem Choudary guilty of inviting IS support". BBC News. 16 August 2016. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  3. 1 2 "Radical Islamist preacher Anjem Choudary guilty of inviting support for IS". Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  4. ↑ "Muslim 'wanted new 9/11". The Sun. 4 November 2006.
  5. ↑ "Cartoons protester found guilty". BBC News. 9 November 2006. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
  6. ↑ "Man guilty of inciting race hate at protest". The Guardian UK. 10 November 2006.
  7. ↑ "Abu Baraa aka Mizanur Rahman" (biography and lectures, Izharudeen website).
  8. ↑ Rahman, Mizanur. "Audio lecture about mistreatment of Muslim prisoners in Belmarsh".
  9. ↑ "UK Islamist Convicted of Soliciting Murder" (Interview, YouTube).
  10. ↑ "BBC2's Rageh Omar interviews Abu Muwahhid & Mizanur Rahman" (Interview, YouTube).
  11. ↑ Baraa, Abu (2014). "Alan Henning & The Islamic State" (YouTube).
  12. ↑ "Islamic Cleric in Britain Charged With Supporting IS". VOA News. 5 August 2015.
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