Sheikh Yasser al-Habib, 45, who already runs military-style training camps, has plans to build a school, hospital and mosque on the island of Torsa, to practise sharia law, revealed The Mail on Sunday.
The extremist scholar claimed asylum in the UK 20 years ago after fleeing Kuwait and has his “global headquarters” in Fulmer, a small village in South Buckinghamshire. Al-Habib – nicknamed the “Mullah of Fulmer” – is accused of stirring up sectarian hatred in the UK and in the Arab world between Shias and rival Sunni Muslims – who dispute who should succeed the Prophet Muhammad as the leader of the Islamic faith he introduced.
He has been fundraising through his controversial satellite channel Fadak TV, which has been running from a £2million converted church hall for several years.
Despite repeated warnings from Ofcom, al-Habib has been permitted to continue his lectures, which spread hate and incite violence toward the Sunni faith across the world.
So far, he has amassed a following in Britain and millions more across the world. He plans to hit a target of £3.5 million.
Al-Habib said he would negotiate with the government to allow Muslims “from all over the world” to be given visas so they could live in their new “homeland”, called the Mahdi [Messiah] Servants Union (MSU) and prepare for the coming of their messiah – mahdi. Plans include their own army, justice system, schools and hospitals.
The mile-long island is only accessible by sea, from a private boat from the neighbouring island of Luing, in turn reached via ferry from the island of Seil, connected to the mainland via a bridge. Al-Habib described the project on his channel as an “irreplaceable opportunity”.
In a video, al-Habib said: “If you want to live free under the banner of the imam [Shia leader], in a special homeland where you feel everything in it reminds you of the awaited mahdi, everything is the Shia homeland…support this project.”
Residents on the neighbouring island of Luing have since raised their concerns about the project, with one man saying: “I’ve spent much of my life working in Muslim countries so have no issues whatsoever with that community, but this group do seem alarming from what I’ve just seen now.”
Another said, “I’m not sure the Women’s Institute are going to stand for this. We’d welcome just about anyone, but this doesn’t seem appropriate”.
Sarah Saaimi, a deputy director for communications at Atlantic Council, an American think tank, said: “It does challenge the notion of sovereignty. It’s puzzling to me how the UK authorities are allowing such a discourse. You are fundraising for the creation of a sovereign country on the margins of another country.”
In a previous speech, al-Habib called former Home Secretary Suella Braverman an “animal” after she said may impose restrictions on pro-Gaza marches and after the attacks on Israel on October 7 last year, he said: “Who among us does not enjoy retaliation of the Zionist enemy? We were all buoyed by this news.”
He did, however, criticise Hamas for desecrating bodies and raping women.
The former Labour MP for Birmingham Perry Barr, Khalid Mahmood, demanded the closing down of his channel, criticising Ofcom for not taking ction against him: “This man has constantly attacked people of the Sunni faith with Fadak TV, which should not be allowed.”
He continued: “If a far-Right group did this, there would be action against it, and so Ofcom should take action against him. It’s now even more absurd that there are paramilitary activities taking place at his premises. I want his channel closed down.”
