Moazzam Begg

PreacherRadicaliserRecruiterTerrorism Funder

Nov 1

**DOB:** 5 July 1968

**Nationality:** Pakistani-British

**Location:** London, United Kingdom
**Ideology/Affiliation:** Islamist Extremism/Jihadism/Radicalism

**Type of Leader:** Former Jihadist/
Recruiter/
Propagandist/Financier

Current Status: Author, Media Commentator, and Director of Outreach at CA GE UK

Biography

Moazzam Begg was born in the suburbs of Birmingham in 1968, grew up in Moseley, and holds dual UK-Pakistani citizenship. During his secondary education, Begg became a member of the Birmingham Lynx street gang, which was formed to combat persecution by far-right anti-immigrant groups. Begg attended Solihull College and then the University of Wolverhampton, where he studied Law for two years before dropping out.

Begg became intere sted in Islam during a family vacation to Saudi Arabia and Pakistan in his late teens. He returned to Pakistan in late 1993 and decided to cross the Pakistan–Afghan border to go to a camp where US-backed nationalist and Islamic insurgents were training to fight the Soviet-backed Afghan government. Begg admitted that he travelled to Bosnia in the early 1990s to support Muslims during the war after being inspired by the “mujahideen’s” dedication. He stated that he was “terrified by some of the reports... of the horrors taking place there.” In 1994, he joined a foundation that dealt with Bosnian Muslims. Begg also attem pted to visit Chechnya during its battle with Russia in the early 1990s. While he believed that “fighting wasn't out of the question,” he claims that he did not take part in the armed battle but did provide financial aid to foreign militants.

At the time of his arrest in 1994, anti-terrorist police allegedly discovered night vision goggles, a flak jacket, and “extreme Islamist literature” in his residence. Begg argued that the goggles and flak jacket were from his charity work in Bosnia and Chechnya, and he denied having any “extremist Islamist material.” Begg, according to his father, has been collecting military memorials as a passion since childhood.

According to the Pentagon, Begg received extensive training at three al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist camps. Begg was iden tifi ed as a “member of al-Qaeda and affiliated organisations” who was "engaged in hostilities against the United States and its coalition partners” in Afghanistan and “provided support to al-Qaeda terrorists, by providing shelter for their families,” according to the statement. Begg rej ect ed all of these allegations, claiming that he “never planned, assisted, or participated in any assaults on Westerners.”

Begg was brought to US military custody at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp on February 2, 2003. He was held at Guantanamo Bay for two years, where the first nearly 600 days were spent in solitary confinement, as the US government considered him an enemy combatant. On 11 January 2005, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw indica ted that the four British nationals in Guantanamo Bay will be released “within weeks” following “intensive and intricate conversations” between his government and the US. Begg and three other British inmates, Feroz Abbasi, Martin Mubanga, and Richard Belmar, were transported to RAF Northolt in west London on January 25, 2005.

The Metropolitan Police detained them under the Terrorism Act 2 000 and took them to Paddington Green Police Station for questioning by anti-terrorist officers. On the 26th of January, all four were freed without charge.

In 2006, Begg joined CAGE UK as a founding-member and Director. Moazzam is also a patron of prisoners’ families charity HHUGS . He works very closely with leading human rights organisations and has acted in an advisory capacity to Reprieve, Amnesty International, Islamic Human Rights Commission, the Law Society, American Civil Liberties Union, Center for Constitutional Rights, Rewind, Peacemaker and Conflicts Forum.

Begg was detained in February 2014 in Birmingham by West Midlands police on suspicion of attending terrorist training camps, supporting international terrorism, and providing financial support to terrorist organisations. Although this is not considered hate speech, it does open the way for people, particularly youngsters, to become radicalized and extremist persons and, as a result, victims of hatred and terrorist incitement.

As of 2014, Begg describes himself as an independent War on Terror Consultant, and has since then delivered hundreds of speeches and lectures across the world, from world-class universities and colleges to schools and mosques.

In a recently-published blog, preceded by a tagline that described the militants' takeover as a “historic victory and humiliation,” Moazzam Begg declares that UK forces would be remembered as “the terrible ones,” and that the Taliban should be allowed “the right to celebrate” for conquering Afghanistan.

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Evidence of Hate Speech/Incitement:

August 2021: In a recently-published blog, preceded by a tagline that described the militants’ takeover as a “historic victory and humiliation,” Moazzam Begg declares that UK forces would be remembered as “the terrible ones,” claiming that “History books will record they were the bad guys. Let it be a stark lesson about the choices they had. They could have refused to occupy others’ lands, but they chose otherwise,” and that the Taliban should be allowed “the right to celebrate” for conquering Afghanistan.

February 2015: In an article by The New Sta tesman, Begg describes jihad as a “noble concept” and openly states that he supports Islamist groups that fight against foreign enemies and invaders.

February 2014: According to the Wall Street Journ al, Moazzam Begg was arrested by West Midlands’ police in Birmingham on suspicion of attending terrorist training camps, facilitating overseas terrorism and providing financial support to terrorist groups. Although, this is not considered hate speech, however, it opens the door for people, especially among youths, to turn into radicalised and extremist individuals and, by such, become victims of hatred and terrorism incitement.

Unknown: Begg claim ed that the United Kingdom, among other Western countries, is waging “a war on ordinary Muslims who stand up for their rights,” adding that “we, as Muslims, have motivation - our co-religionists in Iraq and Afghanistan and Somalia and everywhere are being bombed indiscriminately.” Begg even describes Bilal Abdullah, one of the terrorists, who carried out an attack on Glasgow Airport back in 2007, as someone who is “unbelievably warm, kind, gentle, loving, unextreme to the maximum.”

Extremist Individuals - Islam