A radical Islamist cleric in the United Kingdom has reportedly urged his followers to raise funds in order to purchase a private island off the coast of Scotland, with the intention of establishing a de facto Islamic state within the borders of the UK. Sheikh Yasser al-Habib, a Kuwaiti Shia cleric, is allegedly seeking £3.5 million to buy Torsa (Thor’s Island) in the Inner Hebrides area as a destination for Shias from all over the world to migrate to and call home.
Al-Habib has claimed that the acquisition would serve to establish a “homeland” for his Mahdi Servants Union, a Shia sect of Islam that holds the belief that ‘Mahdi’ will appear as a messiah at the end of time to redeem Islam and instill peace and justice on Earth. The cleric is said to have told his followers on his Buckinghamshire-based satellite channel Fadak TV: “If you want to live free under the banner of the imam, in a special homeland where you feel everything in it reminds you of the awaited Mahdi, everything is the Shia homeland, support this project.
According to the Mail on Sunday report, al-Habib already runs “boot camps” for his adherents, who are known to parade around the English countryside dressed in military-style uniforms. A spokeswoman for the Atlantic Council, Sarah Zaaimi, has commented that if this group succeeds in purchasing the island, they will effectively have their own army, justice system, schools, and hospitals, and people from around the world would be able to migrate there as a “homeland.” She added, “It does challenge the notion of sovereignty. It’s puzzling to me how the UK authorities are allowing such a discourse. You are fundraising for the creation of a sovereign country on the margins of another country.
A local resident expressed concern about the plan, stating, “I’m not sure the Women’s Institute are going to stand for this. We’d welcome just about anyone, but this doesn’t seem appropriate.” In response to the situation, Nigel Farage has warned that “sectarian politics are here to stay” as Muslim voters back pro-Gaza candidates in the UK.