On 12 August 2005 Omar Bakri Muhammad was banned from Britain and excluded by Charles Clarke from returning from Lebanon.[2] On 17 July 2006 the group was proscribed under legislation in Britain outlawing organizations that support terrorism.[3] Home Secretary John Reid laid an order in Parliament which makes it a criminal offence for a person to belong to or encourage support for the group, to arrange meetings in its support, or to wear clothes or carry articles in public indicating support or membership.[4]
The name of the group is derived from a hadith (or tradition) ascribed to Muhammad, "Islam began as something strange and will end as something strange...so give glad tidings to the strangers."
Al Ghurabaa was banned by Waltham Forest Council from holding meetings at premises within walking distance of the homes of several of the 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot suspects.[7]
Abu Izzadeen, a Muslim convert also known as Omar Brookes, was ejected from an open community meeting in East London at which the Home Secretary John Reid was speaking. Izzadeen was furious about "state terrorism by British police" and heckled Reid before being ejected by the police.[8]
In response to the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy, Al Ghurabaa' published an article on their website titled, "Kill those who insult the Prophet Muhammad". The article states, "The insulting of the Messenger Muhammad is something that the Muslims cannot and will not tolerate and the punishment in Islam for the one who does so is death. This is the sunnah of the prophet and the verdict of Islam upon such people, one that any Muslim is able [to] execute."[9] wrong url
Al Ghurabaa' had organized the 3 February protest march from London Central Mosque to the Danish Embassy,[10] where protesters waved placards reading, "Butcher those who mock Islam", "Kill those who insult Islam", "Europe you will pay, your 9/11 is on the way", or "7/7 is on its way", "Europe you will pay, bin Laden is on his way" and "Europe you'll come crawling, when the Mujahideen come roaring".
Despite the similar theme on Al Ghurabaa's website, their spokesman, Anjem Choudary, said he did not know who wrote the placards.[11]MPs from all parties condemned the protest, calling the Metropolitan police to pursue those responsible on the grounds that the threats were an incitement to murder.[12]
