May 5, 2009: Hate Promoters Excluded By Home Office

Individuals banned from the UK for stirring-up hatred have been named and shamed for the first time. The list covers people excluded from the United Kingdom for fostering extremism or hatred between October 2008 and March 2009.

It follows the Home Secretary’s introduction of new measures against such individuals last year, including creating a presumption in favour of exclusion in respect of all those who have engaged in spreading hate.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith also announced today that the government is now able to ban European nationals and their family members, if they constitute a threat to public policy or public security.

In the period from 28 October 2008 to 31 March 2009, the Home Secretary excluded a total of 22 individuals from coming to the United Kingdom. It is not considered to be in the public interest to disclose the names of 6 of these individuals, but the remaining 16 individuals are:

• Abdullah Qadri Al Ahdal: Preacher. Considered to be engaging in unacceptable behaviour by seeking to foment, justify or glorify terrorist violence in furtherance of particular beliefs and fostering hatred which might lead to inter-community violence.
• Yunis Al Astal: Preacher. Considered to be engaging in unacceptable behaviour by seeking to foment, justify or glorify terrorist violence in furtherance of particular beliefs and to provoke others to terrorist acts.
• Stephen Donald Black. Set up Stormfront, a racist website. Considered to be engaging in unacceptable behaviour by promoting serious criminal activity and fostering hatred, which might lead to inter-community violence in the United Kingdom.
• Wadgy Abd El Hamied Mohamed Ghoneim: A prolific speaker and writer. Considered to be engaging in unacceptable behaviour by seeking to foment, justify or glory terrorist violence in furtherance of particular beliefs and to provoke others to commit terrorist acts.
• Eric Gliebe: Has made web-radio broadcasts in which he vilifies certain ethnic groups and encourages the download and distribution of provocative racist leaflets and posters. Considered to be engaging in unacceptable behaviour by justifying terrorist violence, provoking others to commit serious crime and fostering racial hatred.
• Mike Guzovsky: Leader of a violent group and actively involved with military training camps. Considered to be engaging in unacceptable behaviour by seeking to foment, justify or glorify terrorist violence in furtherance of particular beliefs and to provoke others to terrorist acts.
• Safwat Hijazi: Television preacher. Considered to be engaging in unacceptable behaviour by glorifying terrorist violence.
• Nasr Javed: Considered to be engaging in unacceptable behaviour by seeking to foment, justify or glorify terrorist violence in furtherance of particular beliefs.
• Abdul Ali Musa: Considered to be engaging in unacceptable behaviour by fomenting and glorifying terrorist violence in furtherance of his particular beliefs and seeking to provoke others to terrorist acts.
• Fred Waldron Phelps Snr and Shirley Phelps-Roper: Pastor and leading spokesperson of Westboro Baptist Church. Considered to be engaging in unacceptable behaviour by fostering hatred which might lead to inter-community violence in the United Kingdom.
• Samir Al Quntar: Spent three decades in prison for killing four soldiers and a four-year-old girl. Considered to be engaging in unacceptable behaviour by seeking to foment, justify or glorify terrorist violence in furtherance of particular beliefs and to provoke others to terrorist acts.
• Artur Ryno and Pavel Skachevsky: Leaders of a violent gang that beat migrants and posted films of their attacks on the internet. Considered to be engaging in unacceptable behaviour by fomenting serious criminal activity and seeking to provoke others to serious criminal acts.
• Amir Siddique: Preacher. Considered to be engaging in unacceptable behaviour by fomenting terrorist violence in furtherance of particular beliefs.
• Michael Alan Weiner (aka Michael Savage): Controversial daily radio host. Considered to be engaging in unacceptable behaviour by seeking to provoke others to serious criminal acts and fostering hatred which might lead to inter-community violence.

The tougher exclusions policy follows the Prime Minister’s commitment in the National Security Strategy to take 'stronger action against those we suspect of stirring up tensions' and the Home Secretary’s decision to introduce a presumption in favour of exclusion for extremists promoting hatred or violence.

Under the new policy we are preventing more promoters of hate from coming to the UK than ever before, with more than five being excluded a month as opposed to two a month under the previous policy.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said, 'Coming to the UK is a privilege and I refuse to extend that privilege to individuals who abuse our standards and values to undermine our way of life. Therefore, I will not hesitate to name and shame those who foster extremist views as I want them to know that they are not welcome here.

'The government opposes extremism in all its forms and I am determined to stop those who want to spread extremism, hatred and violent messages in our communities from coming to our country. This is the driving force behind tighter rules on exclusions for unacceptable behaviour.'

Under the unacceptable behaviour policy, the Home Secretary may exclude from the UK any non-British citizen, whether in the UK or abroad, who uses any means or medium including:

• writing, producing, publishing or distributing material
• public speaking including preaching
• running a website
• using a position of responsibility such as teacher, community or youth leader

To express views which:

• foment, justify or glorify terrorist violence in furtherance of particular beliefs
• seek to provoke others to terrorist acts
• foment other serious criminal activity or seek to provoke others to serious criminal acts
• foster hatred which might lead to inter-community violence in the UK

On 28 October 2008, following a review of the policy, the Home Secretary announced a number of new measures targeted at those who sought to enter the UK to stir up hatred within our society.

In the period from August 2005 to 31 March 2009, a total of 101 individuals have been excluded from the UK for having engaged in unacceptable behaviour. Of these 101 individuals, a total of 22 were excluded by the Home Secretary in the period from 28 October 2008 to 31 March 2009.

This figure comprises 72 individuals excluded for fomenting, justifying or glorifying terrorist violence in furtherance of particular beliefs; two individuals excluded for seeking to provoke others to terrorist acts; 18 individuals excluded for fomenting other serious criminal activity or seeking to provoke others to serious criminal acts; and nine individuals excluded for fostering hatred which might lead to inter-community violence in the UK.

The individuals concerned include animal rights extremists, right to life extremists, homophobe extremists, far-right extremists, as well as advocates of hatred and violence in support of their religious beliefs.

Excluding European nationals and their family members, it is expected to take effect from 1 June 2009. Where it is identified that a European national presents a threat to public policy or public security, the Home Secretary may personally decide to exclude that individual. The effect of exclusion is to prohibit the person’s admission or entry to the UK and require immigration officials to refuse entry.