UK: Pro-Hizballah Cleric Operates Islamic Combat Training Camp

Image: Jihad Watch

A Muslim residential training programme that blended combat skills with religious instruction concluded on Sunday, despite earlier objections from Jewish community groups and reports linking the event’s leadership to a pro-Hezbollah preacher.

The event, called the Spiritual Warrior camp, ran from July 30 to August 3 at Darwin Lake in Derbyshire, England. According to organisers, its focus was on fostering “God-centric masculinity and brotherhood,” offering a mix of physical training sessions — including wrestling and striking — as well as guidance from business leaders and Islamic scholars.

The camp was organised by the Spiritual Warrior Project (SWP), which claims to combine Islamic spiritual psychology with practical skills in order to provide men with holistic personal development. However, the camp quickly became a focal point of controversy due to its leader, Shia cleric Sayed Hussain Makke.

Jewish organisations, including the Derbyshire Jewish Community and the Community Security Trust (CST), raised strong objections over Makke’s history of statements praising Hezbollah. Makke has previously made extensive pro-Hezbollah remarks, attended the funeral of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut, and posted messages of support for both Hamas and Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on social media.

In March, Makke attempted to travel to Australia, but his visa was revoked by the Department of Home Affairs under Minister Tony Burke, after officials discovered that he had attended Nasrallah’s funeral only ten days before his planned arrival. Makke has in the past described Nasrallah as one of the world’s “greatest freedom fighters” and said that the massive funeral turnout proved that “the resistance” remained “alive and well.” Hezbollah is designated as a terrorist organisation in the UK, Australia, Israel, and the United States.

Makke’s legal representatives have maintained that he is neither a member of nor a supporter of any proscribed organisation. Makke himself has forcefully denied all allegations against him, responding directly to media reports from The Telegraph and The Jewish Chronicle.

He accused The Telegraph of deliberately attempting to tarnish his reputation by publishing selective excerpts of his statements. In response, he publicly released his full comment, claiming:

“This attempt to stir up hatred against our camp attendees originates from the infamous Zionist lobby group, United Against a Nuclear Iran (UANI), which until recently had two Mossad terror chiefs on its advisory board.”

The controversy over the Spiritual Warrior camp has underscored tensions in the UK surrounding the limits of religious gatherings, free speech, and associations with groups designated as terrorist organisations by multiple countries.

(This Article was originally published by Jihad Watch)