Anjem Choudary Jailed for Life on Terrorism Offenses
Anjem Choudary Jailed for Life on Terrorism Offenses
The Facts
On Tuesday, British Muslim preacher Anjem Choudary was sentenced to life in prison for his involvement in the banned in al-Muhajiroun (ALM) group, which Justice Mark Wall referred to as a "terrorist organization."British Muslim preacher Anjem Choudary has been handed a life sentence with a minimum non-parole period of 28 years for directing and encouraging support for the terrorist-designated Muslim group al-Muhajiroun (ALM).
ALM is alleged to be behind multiple acts of terror since its founding in the late 1990s, with Choudhary becoming its leader in 2014. He was convicted of directing the group and holding around 30 online lectures for members of the ALM network which allegedly encouraged violence.Sentencing him at the Woolwhich Crown Court on Tuesday, Justice Wall said Choudary "ran the risk of causing or contributing" to "very many" deaths and undermined bonds between Muslims and people of other faiths and none in the UK.
The Spin
For over two decades, Choudary has acted as a provocateur in support of radical Islam, and only now is he facing punishment for his abhorrent views. Everything this man stands for runs against British values, and has worn the label of extremist as a badge of honor. The world cannot ignore the threat terrorist messaging poses, as these violent preachers sow hatred and division. We must always remain vigilant.
Choudary would be little more than an internet crackpot if not for a news media that constantly platformed him as a means of spreading fear about British Muslims. Choudary's provocative actions sold newspapers, which granted him bigger platforms to spread his fringe terror messaging. We should lament that such an extremist speaker was granted an outsized public presence, which hurt Muslims and the general public.
