Convicted terrorist Mizanur Rahman posts extremist rants on TikTok
Mizanur Rahman, a convicted terrorist and former associate of Anjem Choudary, has used TikTok to post anti-British and extremist rants, prompting concern that young Muslims could be exposed to material that encourages support for violence. Counter-extremism experts describe the content as dangerous and say glorifying terrorism may constitute a criminal offence.
Rahman, 43, was jailed for five-and-a-half years in 2016 for inviting support for Isis and was released in 2018. His videos have attracted nearly 2,000 followers and almost 10,000 likes; in one, he claimed that 99 per cent of people convicted of terrorism had no connection to violence. The article also reports that supporters reposted his videos on a new account after TikTok removed his personal account, and cites figures on young people referred to Prevent.
In short
- Convicted extremist Mizanur Rahman posted anti-British rants on TikTok.
- His videos gained nearly 10,000 likes.
- Experts warn the content could influence young viewers.
Explained simply
Mizanur Rahman is a British Islamist preacher who was convicted in 2016 of inviting support for Islamic State, also known as Isis, a proscribed terrorist group. He was jailed for five-and-a-half years and released in 2018; he was also an associate of Anjem Choudary, another Islamist preacher convicted of terrorism offences.
In Britain, it is a criminal offence to invite support for a proscribed terrorist organisation, and counter-terrorism efforts include Prevent, a programme that aims to stop people being drawn into terrorism. Social media platforms are also used by young people to encounter political and religious material, so content promoting extremist views can raise questions about online safety and the boundaries of lawful speech.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “The TikTok hate preacher: Terrorist’s ‘highly toxic’ social media rants ‘target 11 to 15-year-olds online’”.