A Muslim activist, previously imprisoned for involvement in a foreign terrorist conspiracy, is now campaigning for a council seat in Birmingham, the UK’s second-largest city, as elections draw near against a backdrop of increased community tensions.
In 1999, a Yemeni court convicted Shahid Butt and handed him a five-year prison term for establishing an armed group and plotting to attack the British consulate in Aden, an Anglican church, and a Swiss-owned hotel in Yemen. Yemeni prosecutors stated at the time that the cell had been dispatched by the extremist preacher Abu Hamza, who was the father of one of the other convicted individuals.
He is now a candidate for the recently established Independent Candidates Alliance in the Birmingham City Council elections scheduled for May 7.
Butt asserts his innocence, alleging that his confession was extracted under torture and that incriminating evidence was fabricated, as reported by The Daily Telegraph.
He is running in the Sparkhill ward, a district where close to two-thirds of the population is of Pakistani heritage, according to census data.
His decision to stand for election occurs as Birmingham, which hosts one of Britain’s biggest Muslim communities, experiences renewed friction concerning the Gaza conflict, identity politics, and public safety. These strains were highlighted last November during a Europa Conference League match between Aston Villa and the Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Prior to the game, Butt appealed on social media for Muslims nationwide to converge on Birmingham to demonstrate solidarity and to stop, in his words, the Israeli team’s supporters from “desecrating” and “dirtying” the city. In one social media post, he labeled the visiting fans “IDF babykillers,” according to media reports.
Citing security risks following the organization of large protests, authorities ultimately barred the Israeli club’s supporters from attending the match.
In a video from a protest related to the game, Butt made remarks that critics argue went beyond political discourse to advocate violence. “Muslims are not pacifists,” Butt stated. “If somebody comes into your face, you knock his teeth out — that’s my message to the youth.”
Emma Schubart, a researcher at the Henry Jackson Society, said these events point to more profound divisions in British society. “Shahid Butt, a convicted terrorist, is standing for election in a ward that is around 80% Muslim. Maccabi Tel Aviv fans were banned from the second-largest city in the U.K. which is now nearly a third Muslim,” Schubart noted.
“Politically,” she continued, “These events foreshadow a likely Muslim sectarian sweep in the local elections, since candidates like Butt are poised to erode Labour’s hold on seats throughout Birmingham.”
The Independent Candidates Alliance was established by activists Akhmed Yakoob and Shakeel Afsar, who both campaigned unsuccessfully in Birmingham constituencies during the 2024 general election, focusing on a pro-Gaza agenda. The alliance plans to run candidates in approximately 20 wards across Birmingham.