Warning: Muslim Terror-Tied Group Launches Dangerous Campaign To Convert British Infidels to Islam For Ramadan

London finds itself at the center of a heated debate as the terror-tied Islamic Education and Research Academy (iERA) launches a campaign aimed at converting tens of thousands of non-Muslims to Islam. Dubbed “#DiscoverTheQuran,” the initiative, which deploys its members to the streets to target non-Muslims and try to convert them to Islam, has sparked concerns and raised eyebrows over its tactics and objectives. Especially troubling is the fact that individuals previously deployed by iERA to the streets for conversion efforts later joined the Islamic State in Syria, highlighting the potential risks associated with such initiatives.

Selective Quranic Verses and Propaganda

The campaign, launched over the weekend, has drawn criticism for its dissemination of a whitewashed version of Islam and the Quran. Critics have accused the group of promoting a distorted portrayal of Islam through the distribution of propaganda posters and billboards featuring selective Quranic verses. Notably, the controversial group has consistently sought funds to support an ongoing campaign aimed at financing these billboards promoting Islamic messages.

Distribution of Quran Copies

The campaign will also distribute to Londoners 60,000 copies of the Quran, which teaches supremacy, hatred, and hostility. It dehumanizes and stigmatizes non-believers, making it easier to rationalize (or ignore) their mistreatment in the name of Islam.

As the Religion of Peace reports, “The holiest book of Islam (most of which is about non-Muslims) draws the sharpest of distinctions between Muslims, the best of people (3:110),  and non-believers, the worst of creatures, (98:6).  Praise is lavished on the former while the latter is condemned with scorching generalization. 

Far from teaching universal love, the Quran incessantly preaches the inferiority of non-Muslims, even comparing them to vile animals and gloating over Allah’s hatred of them and his dark plans for their eternal torture.  Muslims are told that they are destined to dominate non-believers, against whom harsh treatment is encouraged.”

Islamic Dawah and its Legal Implications

In a statement posted on X on Saturday, iERA expressed enthusiasm about the campaign, “inviting” Britons to learn about Islam and order a free copy of the Quran in English. Central to the campaign is the practice of Dawah, the Islamic concept of inviting individuals to embrace Islam.

Legal Interpretations and Controversies

The iERA proudly showcases its success in converting non-Muslims on the streets in photos posted to social media, celebrating individuals from non-Muslim backgrounds taking their “Shahada” (pledge of faith).

It is unclear whether those convinced to take the pledge are informed that the punishment for leaving Islam, known as apostasy, is death. According to Islamic teachings, Those who turn their back on Islam are to be executed. This principle is confirmed by the words and deeds of Muhammad. In Islam, the only freedom of belief is the freedom to become Muslim. Adding to the concern, Abdurraheem Green, the founder of iERA, openly advocates for the death penalty for apostasy and blasphemy, further exacerbating the troubling nature of the situation.

Sheikh @AbduraheemGreen explains what’s stopping iERA from reaching a million Shahadas a year 👇

Support the Dawah taking place around the world🌍➡️https://t.co/X6QWEJQqGI pic.twitter.com/MLHWHmjEgY

— @ieraorg (@iERAorg) March 1, 2024

Dawah is a legal requirement in Islam before Muslims can wage war on non-Muslims. According to the counter-terrorism group UTT, the Quran emphasizes Dawah as a necessary precursor before resorting to any punitive actions against non-Muslims. Quranic verses such as ‘We do not punish until We send a messenger’ (Koran 17:15) underscore the obligation for Muslims to extend invitations to Islam before considering any form of retribution.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir, which provides legal interpretations of Quranic verses, further elucidates that Muslims cannot mete out punishment to non-Muslims until they have been warned by inviting them to Islam. This process is known as Dawah.

The Um Dat al Salik (Reliance of the Traveller), an authoritative Islamic Sacred Law approved by the highest authority in Islamic jurisprudence (Al Azhar in Egypt), reveals “Dawah…as a condition for waging jihad against non-Muslims” can be found in Book O, Justice, o9.8, which reads:  “The caliph makes war upon Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians provided he has first invited them to enter Islam in faith and practice, and if they will not then invited them to enter the social order of Islam by paying the non-Muslim poll tax (jizya)…and the war continues until they become Muslim or else pay the non-Muslim poll tax in accordance with the word of Allah Most High.”

The “most perfect example of a man” in Islam is Mohammad.  “When the Muslims commence battle, and they have surrounded a city or a fort, they are to invite the inhabitants to accept Islam, due to what is related by Ibn ‘Abbas ‘that the Prophet did not commence combat with a people without first inviting them to Islam.’”  [Al-Hidayah, A Classical Manual of Hanafi Law, “The Rules of Warfare”]

First comes Dawah, then comes Jihad.  Dawah is a legal requirement in Islam before Muslims can wage war on non-Muslims.

In May 2006, Iranian President Ahmadinejad sent a letter to President Bush and the American people inviting us all to embrace Islam and asked, “Will you not accept this invitation?”

This was a declaration of war. This is the very same type of “invitation” being extended to non-Muslims on the streets of London.

Saqib Sattar, Co-Founder of iERA, defended the campaign as “unprecedented,” highlighting its goal of providing access to the Quran for those interested in learning about Islam.

However, doubts persist regarding the campaign’s intentions. Critics argue that while iERA presents it as an opportunity for dialogue and education, there are major concerns about the implications of its outreach efforts.

Warnings About iERA: Beware of Terror-Tied Individuals Targeting Londoners on Ramadan

Past reports have uncovered alarming ties between iERA and individuals associated with terrorist activities. On 30 November 2014, Andrew Gilligan reported in The Daily Telegraph that several young men from Hampshire, who later joined Islamic State (ISIL) in Syria, had proselytized in the streets with iERA material on behalf of Mission Dawah, a team associated with iERA. Andrew Gilligan stated:

Others paid thousands of pounds of public money in Gift Aid [i.e. from the UK government] include IERA (sic), a charity closely linked to a number of the ‘Portsmouth jihadis’ – six young men from the Hampshire city who travelled together to fight for Islamic State (Isil) in Syria. At least two of the six, Mehdi Hassan and Ifthekar Jaman, and possibly as many as five, were members of the ‘Portsmouth Dawah [Prayer] Team,’ a group which proselytises in the streets of the port.” Naturally, iERA denied this connection, but Gilligan added, “The group was last year described by Mission Dawah, part of IERA, as ‘our team from Portsmouth.’

This revelation underscores the presence of terror-tied individuals operating on U.K. streets under the guise of iERA’s campaigns, particularly during Ramadan, when they aggressively target Londoners.

Controversies Surrounding iERA

The Islamic Education and Research Academy (iERA) has repeatedly been at the center of controversy stemming from the conduct and pronouncements of its affiliates. Abdurraheem Green, iERA’s founder, is particularly notorious for his inflammatory Islamic rhetoric. A father of ten by two wives, Green has been documented making disparaging comments about Jews and espousing dangerous Islamic views on homosexuality and adultery.

Green’s written and spoken assertions have often stoked tensions; he has proclaimed that the conflict between Islam and Western societies is divinely mandated in the Quran. He has been quoted as saying that dying in Jihad is among the surest paths to achieving divine favor and paradise.

In a 2006 online post reported by the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain (CEMB), he labeled homosexual individuals as “vile” and “evil,” suggesting that women guilty of adultery deserve to die a “slow and painful death by stoning.” Green has endorsed child marriage under specific circumstances.

These statements, among others, have led to Green facing international travel restrictions and bans, including an incident where he was prohibited from boarding a flight via Brisbane in 2005 and his 2012 ban from Arsenal F.C.’s Emirates Stadium. Additionally, his public calls for the marginalization of Jews and Christians have surfaced in various videos, showcasing a pattern of discriminatory conduct.

Beyond Green, iERA has been associated with figures known for their extreme Islamist stances. Hamza Tzortzis, a Greek-origin British Muslim convert who served as chairman at iERA’s inception event, has previously aligned with radical ideologies. Zakir Naik and Bilal Philips, both advisors to iERA at different times, have faced bans from entering Britain and other countries due to their controversial Islamic teachings. Philips was even named an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing by the U.S. government.

iERA’s activities have attracted scrutiny from the Charity Commission, leading to an investigation that uncovered instances of misconduct and mismanagement within the organization, as detailed in a 2016 report. Despite these findings, iERA has been permitted to continue its operations.

The organization’s campaign to target non-Muslims in London, particularly its deceptive practices in Dawah aimed at Christians, underscores the need for vigilance. iERA’s outreach, notably through the distribution of literature that misrepresents Islamic views on figures like Jesus to attract Christian interest, raises significant concerns about their methods and intentions. Their affiliation with hardline Muslim preachers and the propagation of violent and dangerous Islamic views highlight the risks posed to public safety and community cohesion.

Given iERA’s history of jihadi ties and rhetoric, as well as its strategic misleading approach to proselytization, authorities and citizens alike must exercise caution and remain informed about the group’s activities. The organization’s documented connections to Islamic extremism and divisive discourse warrant close scrutiny to safeguard community well-being and counter the spread of Islamic supremacism.