UK Islamic Preacher Urges Fellow Muslims To Reject Poppy Appeal

A Muslim preacher who is believed to be both and ISIS sympathiser as well as an ardent proponent of Islamist firebrand Anjem Choudary has called on British Muslims to reject the annual Poppy Appeal for service veterans and their families or face charges of apostasy.

The Royal British Legion’s annual Poppy Appeal helps raise charitable funds to provide thousands of modern veterans, service men and women, and their families with much-needed support. However, British Islamist preacher Abu Sayfillaah has ordered fellow Muslims not to wear the traditional symbol for commemorating the war dead, reports the The Daily Express.

Don't become a Apostate from Islam by wearing the poppy. It supports current British troops who are killing Muslims pic.twitter.com/Sa3CbPwtzf

— Abu Sayfillaah (@Abu_Sayfillaah) October 25, 2015

Thousands of young British Muslims ignore Mr. Sayfillaah and raise money every year for the Poppy Appeal. His comment has been branded “idiotic” and un-Islamic.

Haseeb Ahmed, another British Muslim who has spoken out against Islamist extremism before, labelled Mr. Sayfillaah an “absolute idiot”.

What an absolute idiot….. Doesn't realise 2 million Muslims fought for Britain over the 2 World Wars…. Idiot https://t.co/ftT9soQz6X

— Haseeb Ahmed (@haseeb1986) October 26, 2015

This is not the first time Mr. Sayfillaah has made controversial statements. He has previously spoken out in support of ISIS telling his supporters:

“The only people I see in the world today that are going to send an army to help the Muslims in Palestine are from the Islamic State.

“And that’s why you see that they are fighting against those apostate governments, like the Iraqi Shiite Maliki government and like the Shiite Syrian government, removing these obstacles in the way of reaching Palestine.

“If you live long enough, Allah willing, you will see Palestine being liberated.”

Mr. Sayfillaah is not a man who finds life in Britain comfortable.

I disassociate myself from democracy, British values, freedom, human rights, secularism. All of these are falsehood and rejected

— Abu Sayfillaah (@Abu_Sayfillaah) September 25, 2015

Indeed his feelings of shame at doing so are explicit.

I feel embarrassed to be living in Britain. Most people here are just shameless

— Abu Sayfillaah (@Abu_Sayfillaah) October 15, 2015

It is not known whether Mr. Sayfillah has yet decided that living in Britain is so unpalatable for him that he will leave to join others offering him a more suitable way of life.