Shabana Mahmood has banned an Islamic preacher from entering the UK after he defended Hamas in the wake of the October 7 terror attack on Israel.
The Home Secretary revoked the travel authorisation of Dr Shadee Elmasry, an Islamic scholar from New Jersey, days before he had been due to arrive for a series of talks in the UK.
He had been set to arrive on Sunday for three days of talks in Birmingham, Bolton and Ilford, organised by the Global Relief Trust (GRT), a Muslim charity.
Mr Elmasry has a history of controversial social media posts about the war in Gaza, including justifying the actions of Hamas.
A day after Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel, he tweeted: “They are all in this (fake or real) state of shock that the people of Gaza finally punched back (after 50 years).
A source close to the Home Secretary said: “There is no place in the UK for foreign nationals who spread hate or push extremist ideas. Those seeking to divide our communities will not be allowed to enter to the UK.”
Nick Timothy, the Conservative MP for Suffolk and a former Downing Street chief of staff, had urged the Government not to allow the preacher entry to the UK.
A month ago, Ms Mahmood cancelled the visa of a Pakistani influencer after it emerged that he had made extremist comments, including a call for “jihad” against Israel. Tuaha Ibn Jalil, who helps run a Muslim youth club in Pakistan and has two million followers on Instagram, had intended to speak at mosques, community centres, a university and a school. Mr Jalil has previously called for all Muslims to go to Palestine for “jihad” and complained that, as a Pakistani citizen, he cannot enter Israel to wage holy war.
This was his intended tour; the talk in Ilford, cancelled, (oh dear, how sad, never mind) was expected tonight, at a mosque whose activities I must keep an eye on.
One Response
“oh dear, how sad, never mind”!
You are a true Brit, Esme!