So harsh! Brit community center bans ladies' afternoon tea meetup for Daesh supporters

Published November 26th, 2015 - 09:00 GMT
Al Bawaba
Al Bawaba

A ladies' tea afternoon has been banned from a community centre after its members were exposed as ISIS supporters. 

The group, who met every Tuesday for two years, were barred when a 12-month undercover investigation which saw a team of Muslim reporters infiltrate the group's inner circle revealed their jihadi sympathies. 

One member was heard speaking of her admiration for jihadi fighters and went on to brag about ISIS fighters she was in touch with over the internet. 

Today, after the findings were aired on a documentary, building management officer for the centre Abed Mallam said: 'We have now cancelled all of their bookings.'

A notice has now been posted outside the building, which reads: 'No ladies tea afternoon from today onwards'.

The group have met in the community centre in Walthamstow, east London (pictured) for two years but were barred when a 12-month undercover investigation revealed their Jihadi sympathies

In the documentary ISIS: The British Women Supporters Unveiled, which was shown on Channel 4 on Monday a woman went undercover to meet with women supporting jihadists.

After eight months of talking to them online she met with them and was allowed to attend an invitation-only meeting - which was held in Walthamstow, east London.

Nine women attended the meeting, with their teenage daughters and small children.

A woman named Umm Saalihah, who says online Muslims should go to Syria, preached to the group.

Speaking about the bombing campaigns in Syria, she said: 'Not like the cowards throwing airstrikes at the Khilafah (Islamic State) and killing innocent people.

'They are cowards. They will never come down and put boots on the ground

'What can you do to a person who looks down the barrel of a gun?'

She also praised hate preacher Omar Bakri Mohammed, who has been banned from Britain and is now in jail in Lebanon, and speaks of her admiration for jihadi fighters saying 'hasten his release'.

She went on to brag about ISIS fighters she is in contact with over the internet.

Members had told organisers it was a private booking for women friends. 

Mr Mallam said: 'When they booked they were asked if they were associated with any particular group in the area and she said it was just a private booking for women friends.

When the women were in the room they take off their veils so only other women were allowed in.

'We had no idea what they were talking about until we saw the documentary.

'We have been in touch with the council and the police and we are bettering our booking practices from now on.'

At another meeting in Lewisham, a woman named only as Umm L addresses over 20 women.

She said: 'The good days have already begun. Nobody thought it our lifetime we would see the establishment of the Khilafah (Islamic state).'

She also talks about the conflict in Gaza, calling the Israelis 'filthy Jews'.

During filming, the women can be seen contacting each other over Twitter and meeting with members associated with banned group.

They tweet and tell people not to vote in the UK, not to wear the poppy and they re-tweet messages from jihadists.

The investigation was brought to a close a month before the terrorist attacks in Paris when one of the female ISIS supporters became suspicious of an undercover reporter.

Last night, the Orford Road Asian Centre displayed a sign stating women's groups were cancelled from yesterday.

By Katie Louise Davies

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