A notorious preacher, known for influencing the 7/7 bombers, has expressed admiration for the White Widow while incarcerated in a high-security prison. Shaikh Abdullah al Faisal, aged 62, is currently serving an 18-year sentence in a New York penitentiary for his association with ISIS. The radical cleric, identified in a Home Office report as a significant influence on terrorist Germaine Lindsay, was deported from the UK in 2007 following a seven-year sentence for incitement to murder.
US prosecutors in 2023 labeled him as one of the “most influential English-speaking terrorists globally” for attracting numerous recruits to terrorism. His followers reportedly include well-known extremists such as Richard Reid, the shoe bomber, and Zacarias Moussaoui, one of the 9/11 hijackers. Despite his imprisonment, the Jamaican-born Faisal continues to share his extremist views, cautioning about the rising radicalization by ISIS and Al Qaeda.
In a communication with the Mirror from Attica jail, Faisal praised the White Widow, Samantha Lewthwaite, infamous for orchestrating the 2013 Westgate Mall attack in Kenya. Survivors of the 7/7 bombings, like Sajda Mughal, have criticized Faisal’s intentions of returning to the UK to “deradicalize” young Muslims, expressing unease over his ongoing influence from prison.
Former Head of the National Counter Terrorism Security Office, Chris Phillips, raised concerns about Faisal’s ability to communicate with the outside world, emphasizing the dangers posed by such individuals. Despite being monitored, Faisal’s messages have sparked controversy, with survivors and officials wary of his potential impact.
Faisal, with a history of radical preaching and terror-related offenses, has been a central figure in the extremist landscape, with Lindsay and other terrorists allegedly falling under his sway. His past convictions and influence on individuals like Lewthwaite have raised alarms about his continued dissemination of extremist ideologies, even from behind bars.
The preacher’s contentious statements and aspirations to return to the UK have evoked strong reactions from those affected by terrorist acts linked to his incitement. The ongoing saga surrounding Faisal underscores the challenges posed by individuals promoting radicalization and the imperative to counter such threats effectively.