Mizanur Rahman (Islamic activist)

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

On 28 July 2016, Rahman was convicted alongside Anjem Choudary of inviting support for a proscribed organisation, ISIS. Reporting restrictions were imposed on the conviction, preventing its publication until 16 August 2016.[2] Rahman was sentenced to 5 years and 6 months imprisonment.[3]

Activist

Mizanur Rahman is known for his advocacy of Islamist views. He participated in the Islamist demonstration outside the Danish Embassy in London in 2006 and he was later charged in relation to the protest. On 9 November 2006, he was found guilty at trial of the charge of inciting racial hatred.[4] The jury could not reach a verdict on the charge of soliciting murder. The Crown indicated it would seek a retrial.[5]

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.[6]

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.[7]

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".[8]

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."[9]

On 5 August 2015, Rahman was charged, along with his associate Anjem Choudary, with supporting the terrorist group ISIS.[10] He was convicted on 28 July 2016 and later sentenced to 5 years and 6 months imprisonment. Rahman is expected to be released on licence in October 2018.

References

  1. ↑ Holden, Michael (13 October 2014). "Why Britain is still losing its fight against radicalisation". Retrieved 18 August 2016.
  2. ↑ "Radical cleric Anjem Choudary guilty of inviting IS support". BBC News. 16 August 2016. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  3. ↑ http://news.sky.com/story/radical-preacher-anjem-choudary-jailed-for-inviting-is-support-10567170
  4. ↑ "Cartoons protester found guilty". BBC News. 9 November 2006. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
  5. ↑ "Man guilty of inciting race hate at protest". The Guardian UK. 10 November 2006.
  6. ↑ "Abu Baraa aka Mizanur Rahman" (biography and lectures, Izharudeen website). Archived from the original on 27 November 2010.
  7. ↑ Rahman, Mizanur. "Audio lecture about mistreatment of Muslim prisoners in Belmarsh". Archived from the original on 26 February 2011.
  8. ↑ "UK Islamist Convicted of Soliciting Murder" (Interview, YouTube).
  9. ↑ "BBC2's Rageh Omar interviews Abu Muwahhid & Mizanur Rahman" (Interview, YouTube).
  10. ↑ "Islamic Cleric in Britain Charged With Supporting IS". VOA News. 5 August 2015.
  • The Killing of Alan Henning: Refutation of Abu Baraa (PDF), London: SalafiManhaj.com, UK .
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