The Islamic Human Rights Commission

Continuing our profiling of radical Muslim groups in Britain, we give some information on the extremism of the Islamic Human Rights Commission. The group was set up in 1997 by Massoud Shadjareh, who remains its chairman. On its website it claims to "campaign for justice for all peoples regardless of their racial, confessional or political background." A brief look at their website, however, reveals that they only campaign for the human rights of Muslims.

Listed as number 2 in their aims and objectives is: "To promote a new social & international order, based on truth, justice, righteousness & generosity, rather than selfish interest." "Selfish interest", one supposes, would be capitalism; so is the new order to be communist in nature or Islamic? Clarification has been sought from them on this point and we await a response.

Their chairman, Massoud Shadjareh has reportedly called for "financial, logistical and informational support” for Hezbollah, and draped himself in their flag. He later defended wearing their flag on the basis that lots of people do it.

A 2003 report from the Tel Aviv university regarding anti-Semitism in the UK identifies the IHRC as a "radical Islamist organization" that "supports jihad groups around the world". The report goes on to state that the IHRC "subscribe to the radical Islamist belief that Jewish conspiracies are afoot to undermine Muslims."

The report also reveals that a number of IHRC advisers are extremists. Two, in particular, are mentioned: Muhammad al-Mas‘ari and Muhammad al-‘Asi. The former of these has declared British troops in Iraq as legitimate targets for terrorism and has posted beheadings on his website. He also runs a radio station calling for jihad. Read more on him here.

Muhammad al-‘Asi is an American based Muslim who has called for jihad and denied the Holocaust. Read more on him here and here.