Convicted terrorist who plotted consulate, church bombings to run in UK election

A Muslim activistic who served a situation condemnation for his relation successful an overseas panic crippled is present seeking elected bureau successful Birmingham, Britain’s second-largest city, arsenic section elections attack amid heightened communal tensions.

Shahid Butt was convicted by a Yemeni tribunal successful 1999 and sentenced to 5 years successful situation aft being recovered blameworthy of forming an equipped pack and conspiring to weaponry the British consulate successful Aden, an Anglican religion and a Swiss-owned edifice successful Yemen. At the time, Yemeni prosecutors said the radical had been sent to transportation retired unit by Abu Hamza, the extremist preacher who was the begetter of 1 of the convicted men.

Shahid Butt is shown successful a screenshot from a run video posted to his TikTok account. (TikTok/@shahidbutt955)

He is present lasting arsenic a campaigner for the recently formed Independent Candidates Alliance successful the May 7 Birmingham City Council elections.

Butt maintains his innocence, claiming his confession was coerced done torture, and that grounds against him was planted, The Daily Telegraph reported.

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Shahid Butt is pictured successful 1999 aft being detained successful Yemen connected suspicion of terrorism. (Photo by PA Images via Getty Images)

He volition contention the Sparkhill ward, an country wherever astir two-thirds of residents are of Pakistani background, according to The Daily Telegraph.

Butt’s candidacy comes arsenic Birmingham — location to 1 of the largest Muslim populations successful the U.K. — has faced renewed strains implicit overseas policy, individuality authorities and nationalist order. Those tensions came into crisp absorption past November erstwhile Israeli shot nine Maccabi Tel Aviv played Aston Villa successful a Europa Conference League match.

Ahead of the game, Butt utilized societal media to telephone connected Muslims from astir the state to question to Birmingham to amusement solidarity with Palestinians and to forestall the Israeli team’s supporters from, successful his words, "desecrating" and "dirtying" the city. In 1 post, helium referred to the visiting fans arsenic "IDF babykillers," according to Birmingham live.

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A subordinate of the nationalist holds a protestation motion which reads 'Football Shouldn't Cover Up Genocide' extracurricular the stadium anterior to the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 League Phase MD4 lucifer betwixt Aston Villa FC and Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC astatine Villa Park connected November 06, 2025 successful Birmingham, England.  (Clive Mason/Getty Images)

Authorities yet barred Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters from attending the match, citing information concerns, aft large-scale protests were planned.

In a video posted from a protestation connected to the fixture, Butt made comments that critics accidental crossed from governmental code into the endorsement of violence. "Muslims are not pacifists," Butt said successful the video. "If idiosyncratic comes into your face, you sound his teeth retired — that’s my connection to the youth."

Local supporters and pro-Palestine activists protestation astatine Villa Park against the beingness of Masccabi Tel Aviv who they accidental should beryllium banned by FIFA on with each Israeli teams due to the fact that of quality rights violations connected Nov. 6, 2025 successful Birmingham, United Kingdom.  (Photo by Guy Smallman/Getty Images)

Emma Schubart, a researcher astatine the Henry Jackson Society, said the developments uncover deeper fractures wrong British society. "Shahid Butt, a convicted terrorist, is lasting for predetermination successful a ward that is astir 80% Muslim. Maccabi Tel Aviv fans were banned from the second-largest metropolis successful the U.K. which is present astir a 3rd Muslim," Schubart said.

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A instrumentality is escorted distant by members of the constabulary arsenic she holds the nationalist emblem of Israel extracurricular the stadium anterior to the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 League Phase MD4 lucifer betwixt Aston Villa FC and Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC astatine Villa Park connected November 06, 2025 successful Birmingham, England. (Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

"Politically," she added, "These events foreshadow a apt Muslim sectarian expanse successful the section elections, since candidates similar Butt are poised to erode Labour’s clasp connected seats passim Birmingham."

The Independent Candidates Alliance was founded by activists Akhmed Yakoob and Shakeel Afsar, some of whom ran unsuccessfully successful Birmingham constituencies during the 2024 wide predetermination connected a pro-Gaza platform. The radical is expected to tract candidates successful astir 20 wards crossed the city.