Abu Haleema

Islamic ExtremismIslamistJihadistSalafism

Sep 12

Other Names: Shakil Chapra

Current Status: Imprisoned

**DOB:** 1978

**Nationality:** British

**Location:** London, UK
**Ideology/Affiliation:** Islamism/Jihadism/Salafism

**Type of Leader:** Preacher/Radicaliser/Jihadist

Biography

Abu Haleema, who used to work as a part-time bus driver, was born in London to Pakistani immigrant parents and grew up in South Kilburn. Abu Haleema is a friend of Anjem Choudary (click here to see Anjem Choudary’s profile on EMAN), the founder of the outlawed Islamist organisation al-Muhajiroun and an imprisoned Daesh supporter. Abu Haleema has also been associated with terrorists, including Khuram Butt, one of the assailants in the London Bridge assaults on June 3, 2017, who was radicalised by lectures given by both Choudary and Abu Haleema, and who had participated in a documentary, published in 2016, about Abu Haleema. In April 2014, British police detained Abu Haleema - suspecting him of plotting to travel to Syria to join armed extremist organizations. Abu Haleema disputed the allegations and referred to the raid as a “war against Islam.” In January 2016, Channel 4 aired a programme titled “The Jihadis Next Door”. The two-year filming process followed Abu Haleema and his band of radical individuals.

Shortly before the June 2017 London Bridge assault, Abu Haleema reportedly fled his house when Tommy Robinson, far-right English Defence League founder and radical-right activist, exposed his address to the public. Neighbours have previously avoided disclosing Abu Haleema's address for fear of being arrested and prosecuted by the authorities. Despite being arrested numerous times and having his passport seized, Abu Haleema's name was not published until June 2019. The Daily Mail in London discovered Abu Haleema's real name as Shakil Chapra, a former used-car dealer and bus driver.

Abu Haleema was sentenced to two years and six months in prison by a London Court in July 2021 for disseminating terrorist material, including sharing a video on a WhatsApp group with 52 other radical Islamists in September 2019 glorifying the September 11, 2001 attacks - and wishing a “happy 18th anniversary”. Abu Haleema’s phone was seized during an unrelated drugs investigation, and according to neighbours, he had previously been involved with gangs and narcotics.

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Evidence of Hate Speech/Incitement:

January 2016: Abu Haleema released inciting videos in 2016 criticizing moderate Australian clerics Shady Alsuleiman and Wesam Charkawi, in an attempt to build a radical base of supporters in Australia. In the same video, Haleema chastised Liverpool Imam Sheikh Abu Adnan for letting a police officer speak at a mosque about domestic abuse.

July 2015: In a banned video on Youtube, titled “Allying with the Kuffar,” Abu Haleema tells his followers: “Do not ally with the Jews and Christians. They are only allies to one another. Whoever allies with one of them is one of them. All of those who work with the police in counterterrorism strategies are kuffar (nonbelievers).”

March 2015: In a banned video on Youtube, titled “Sharia over your noses,” Abu Haleema vows and threatens the “kuffar (nonbelievers),” that they soon will see the black flag of “Sharia” over the White House, Windsor Castle, and the Suez Canal.

2015: Abu Haleema is also known for supporting radical Islamist hate preachers in the UK. In one of his Tweets, before banning his account, he demanded the release of terrorist cleric Abu Hamza. Abu Haleema has also spoken out in favour of Omar Bakri Mohammed, an extremist cleric who was previously regarded as Osama bin Laden's right-hand man in Europe and currently lives in Lebanon after being prohibited from entering the UK.

Extremist Individuals - Islam