Sayed Hussain Makke plans six-day religious retreat in Thailand
Sayed Hussain Makke, a London-born Shia preacher accused of praising members of Hezbollah and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, is due to run a six-day religious and physical training retreat in Thailand. The planned event has renewed scrutiny of his activities and raised questions from a former parliamentary foreign affairs committee chair about how authorities respond to allegations of support for a proscribed group.
The retreat is advertised for men who “no longer know how to be men” and is scheduled for 1 to 6 December, with workshops, training and reflection. Makke previously ran similar camps in England; the article says a video shows men listening to a lecture in a boxing ring. Alicia Kearns says she has reported him to counter-terrorism police and asked the Home Office why he was not arrested after returning to the UK; the article does not include Makke’s response.
In short
- Makke plans a six-day retreat in Thailand.
- A former MP says she has reported him to counter-terrorism police.
- The allegations concern his comments and earlier training camps.
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The case for
Those concerned about public safety and the rule of law may argue that credible allegations of praise for a proscribed organisation warrant careful scrutiny, particularly when the person is organising events that combine religious teaching and physical training. They may also see questions to police and ministers as a legitimate way to establish whether existing safeguards are being applied consistently, without assuming that an allegation itself proves wrongdoing.
The case against
Others may argue that a religious retreat and its physical training are not, on their own, evidence of support for terrorism, and that allegations should not be treated as established facts. They may stress that authorities must assess evidence fairly and respect lawful religious expression and due process, while avoiding arrest or public suspicion based solely on political criticism or association.
Explained simply
Shia Islam is one of the two main branches of Islam, and religious preachers lead teaching and discussion in Shia communities. Hezbollah is a Lebanese armed and political group, while Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is a military organisation; both are subject to UK restrictions, and supporting a proscribed organisation can have legal consequences.
Sayed Hussain Makke is a London-born Shia preacher who has previously held religious and physical training camps in England. Alicia Kearns, a Conservative MP and former chair of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, has raised concerns about his activities with police and the Home Office. The case concerns how allegations about support for restricted groups are assessed and what action authorities may take.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “British Islamic preacher accused of celebrating terrorists and radicalising followers sets up ‘religious training camp’ in Thailand”.