Britain bans Islamist group after protest threat

Tue, 12 Jan 2010

London - The British government Tuesday proscribed an Islamist group which provoked outrage with plans to demonstrate on the fringes of repatriation parades for British soldiers killed in Afghanistan. Home Secretary Alan Johnson said the order to ban the group Islam UK on the grounds that it was linked to terrorism would come into effect from Thursday.

The controversial group withdrew plans to march through the town of Wootton Bassett, in the south-western county of Wiltshire, after a storm of protest last week.

It has become customary for hearses carrying the coffins of soldiers flown back from Afghanistan through the small town, with relatives and local people lining its streets in silence.

Johnson said the group had tried to escape proscription by simply changing its name. Thus the order would apply to the group's other names, including Al Muhajiroun, a description under which it was banned in 2006.

The ban would also apply other names adopted by the group, which included Islam4UK, Al Ghurabaa and The Saved Sect.

The order will come into effect on Thursday and make it a criminal offense to be a member, punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

The ban is directed at organizations which are suspected of preparing for, promoting and encouraging terrorism.

"Proscription is a tough but necessary power to tackle terrorism and is not a course we take lightly," said Johnson.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/303251,britain-bans-islamist-group-after-protest-threat.html.