Nearly forty organisations have signed a joint statement voicing support for the legal case to de-proscribe Palestinian group Hamas from the UK’s terrorism list.
The organisations include students’ networks, religious groups and advocacy organisations.
Their support for de-proscription comes after two legal applications were submitted to the UK Home Secretary arguing a policy change on the grounds of freedom of speech.
London-based law firm Riverway Law and CAGE International are the two groups which submitted separate applications in April and June.
The organisations backing the statement have indicated that the legal cases present “a crucial opportunity to smash a colonial tool.”
This tool, they argue, is being used to “suppress journalists, activists and migrants in Britain” and “acts as an obstacle for Palestinian self-determination.”
Additionally, the joint statement highlighted the difficulties the designation poses to humanitarian organisations trying to help the needy in the besieged Gaza Strip.
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“The Hamas’ terror designation means that humanitarian organisations active in Gaza cannot engage with Gaza civil service institutions once they are run by the Hamas government, undermining Gaza’s civil society and politicising access to aid. This includes UNRWA, which is facing dismantling under the pretext of employing individuals connected to Hamas.
“This in turn contributes to dangerous narratives that maligns the entire population of Gaza for their democratic support for Hamas, a rhetoric that has been used to justify collective punishment and genocidal policies by the Zionist State in the Gaza Strip.”
Anas Mustapha, the Head of Public Advocacy at Cage International told 5Pillars: “This display of support from an array of civic groups is an important indicator of the growing public anger against proscription laws and how they are being used to target activists, teachers, healthcare workers, academics, university students and even school children who have expressed support for Palestine.”
CAGE says there is a consistent pattern of arrests and harassment against the above individuals with unsuccessful prosecution, yet leaving lasting damage.
And the advocacy group says its evidence reveals that prosecutions and disciplinary actions are overwhelmingly directed at Muslims, often triggered by “bad-faith actors and amplified by a politicised regulatory environment.”
CAGE filed the application on June 2 and the current Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, has 90 days to respond.
If the Home Secretary agrees with CAGE’s application, Hamas will be de-proscribed, but if not, a right to appeal exists via the Proscribed Organisations Appeals Commission (POAC).
UK proscription of Hamas
The UK remains an outlier in continuing to proscribe Hamas in its entirety, despite growing international engagement with the political wing of the organisation and its de facto governance of Gaza.
The military wing of Hamas, known as the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, was initially proscribed in March 2001 under the Terrorism Act 2000.
In November 2021, the UK government extended this proscription to cover the entirety of Hamas, including its political wing, following a decision by then-Home Secretary Priti Patel.
The government assessed that the distinction previously made between the military and political wings was artificial, as Hamas was deemed a single, complex organisation involved in committing, participating in, preparing for, and promoting terrorism.
This proscription makes it a criminal offense in the UK to:
- Belong to or profess to belong to Hamas
- Invite support for the group
- Express opinions or beliefs supportive of Hamas in a way that is reckless as to whether it encourages others to support the group
- Arrange or assist in arranging meetings to support or further the activities of Hamas
- Wear clothing or display articles in public that arouse reasonable suspicion of membership or support for Hamas
Penalties for these offences can include up to 14 years in prison and/or a fine.
Signatories:
1. Leeds Students Against Apartheid Coalition
2. CAGE International
3. Riverway Law
4. London For A Free Palestine
5. Al Fidai Media
6. Alkarama Palestinian Women’s Mobilization
7. City Action for Palestine
8. Student Federation for a Liberated Palestine
9. Anti Imperialist Front – London
10. Birmingham Liberated Zone
11. QMUL Action For Palestine
12. LSE Liberated Zone
13. Lincoln Students For A Free Palestine
14. Middlesex Palestine Solidarity Society
15. Parents For Palestine
16. Portsmouth Encampment
17. Caerdydd Students For Palestine
18. Nottingham Camp for the Liberation of Palestine
19. Social Rights Ireland
20. Edinburgh University Justice for Palestine Society
21. Greenwich Palestine Action
22. University of the West of England Islamic Society
23. Tariq El-Tahrir Youth and Student Network
24. York Palestine Encampment
25. Thanet 4 Palestine
26. The Preston People’s Collective
27. Chorley 4 Palestine
28. University of Aberdeen Palestinian Solidarity Society
29. Sheffield Campus Coalition for Palestine
30. Islamic Human Rights Commission
31. Goldsmiths for Palestine
32. XR4Pal
33. We Are The People Liverpool
34. Unis Resist Border Controls
35. Bangor Collective For Liberation (BCL)
36. Oxford Against Genocide
37. Oxford Schools Palestine Solidarity
38. Huddersfield Freedom For Palestine
39. Peterborough PSC
