Canadian convicted under U.K. terrorism act | CBC News

Radical British preacher Anjem Choudary was found guilty Tuesday by a London jury of directing a terrorist group, the radical Muslim group Al-Muhajiroun, or ALM, also known as the Islamic Thinkers Society.

One of his followers, Khaled Hussein, 29, of Edmonton, was convicted of membership in a proscribed organization. Prosecutors said he was a dedicated supporter of ALM.

Both men were arrested a year ago after Hussein landed at Heathrow Airport.

Al-Muhajiroun was outlawed by the British government in 2010 as a group involved in committing, preparing for or promoting terrorism.

During the trial, the U.K. court heard that Hussein had been a member of Al-Muhajiroun for at least two years and had been in close contact with Choudary, “in effect working for him.”

After the verdict, RCMP Asst. Commissioner Lisa Mooreland said Hussein’s role was creating propaganda for the group, “essentially writing these documents under pen names and getting it out to the worldwide community.” 

In order to do that, she said Hussein would have to be directed by a higher authority in the organization, which is why prosecutors highlighted his relationship with Choudary.

Five Eyes alliance collaborate on investigation

“ALM’s tentacles have spread across the world and have had a massive impact on public safety and security,” Metropolitan Police Cmdr. Dominic Murphy said. “There are individuals that have conducted terrorist attacks or travelled for terrorist purposes as a result of Anjem Choudary’s radicalizing impact upon them.”

Murphy also said this case is a good example of how counter-terrorism policing works across borders. Law enforcement in the U.S. and Canada collaborated in the investigation.

Mooreland said that is important, when trying to protect public safety. “As countries, we all have our physical borders, but as the internet has progressed and we’ve moved through social media platforms, we realize that, physical borders are no longer borders for us,” she said.

Choudary, who was previously convicted of supporting the Islamic State group, denied at trial that he promoted ALM through his lectures, saying ALM no longer exists.

Prosecutor Tom Little, who described Choudary as having a “warped and twisted mindset,” said that he had stepped in to lead ALM after Omar Bakri Muhammad, the group’s founder, was imprisoned in Lebanon between 2014 and March 2023.

Sentencing is scheduled for July 30.