A petition calling on the UK government to ban the terror group Hezbollah in its entirety has now passed 10,000 signatures and shows no sign of slowing down.
The petition, started by Christians United for Israel UK (CUFI), was launched in the wake of this year’s Al-Quds Day march that proceeded through the streets of the capital. Despite the heavy presence of Hezbollah flags, police allowed the march to go on undisturbed through London’s central business district to the American Embassy in Grosvenor Square.
The annual event, organised by the Islamic Human Rights Commission, is seen as a profoundly anti-Israel rally by members of the Jewish community.
Hezbollah is a Lebanese-based terrorist organisation banned throughout the world, including by the Arab League, United States, France and Israel, but not in the UK. It calls for global Islamist revolution, has carried out terror attacks for over 30 years, and demands the “liberation of Jerusalem” and for the destruction of Israel. Backed by Iran, it has tens of thousands of rockets that can reach every city in Israel.
CUFI Executive Director, Des Starritt, says “Hezbollah is an anti-Israel, anti-West organisation that should not be allowed in Britain, yet … its supporters marched through central London flying Hezbollah flags.”
“If Britain is to genuinely say ‘no to terror’ then all terrorist organisations must be banned without compromise. Following the Arab League and United States in proscribing Hezbollah is one simple step that the UK Government can take in ensuring that extremism will not be tolerated in this country.”
As Breitbart London reported, London’s new and first Muslim mayor Sadiq Khan has refused to back a request for Hezbollah to be a proscribed organisation.
Following a question from UK Independence Party (UKIP) London Assembly member David Kurten, Mr. Khan said that he would not back a ban on the group.
Mr. Kurten asked the question last month in the discussion following Assembly member Kemi Badenoch’s question: “What action is the Metropolitan Police Service taking against the use of flags representing designated terrorist organisations as seen during the recent al-Quds Day march in London on July 3rd?”
While Mr. Khan said he understood “the concerns of the Jewish community, and the distress these flags cause many Londoners”, he also said “It would not be appropriate… to comment on an ongoing police investigation” and that he would not commit to pushing for a ban on the “political wing” of Hezbollah.
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