A former jihadi, who has previously been convicted of terror offences in Yemen, has announced he is running as an independent for a seat on Birmingham City Council.
Shahid Butt, who only two months ago called on “all Muslims” to descend on Villa Park to protest the side’s game against Maccabi Tel Aviv, will contest Sparkhill ward as part of an electoral alliance of pro-Palestine activists.
Now an anti-radicalisation campaigner, Butt was convicted in 1999 and served five years in prison over his alleged participation in a plot to bomb the British consulate in Yemen.
He maintains his innocence and insists the conviction was based on a confession extracted through torture.
Butt has also been outspoken on the tensions amongst communities in Birmingham and has called for Muslim youths in the city to “learn to fight”.
He has advocated for Muslims to knock out “people’s teeth” if they “come into your face”, and spoke of the need to make sure the Maccabi fans don’t come to Birmingham as they would “dirty” the city.
However, Butt claims he is the “ideal candidate” to represent his ward.
The population of Sparkhill, which is five miles away from Aston Villa’s home ground, is 84 per cent Muslim as of 2021.
Prior to his days as a jihadi, he had been jailed in Birmingham for violence in the 1980s linked to his role in the notorious Lynx gang, a group largely made up of British-Pakistani which fought against the far-right.
In a video for his campaign, he said of his past: "I am not a pacifist. If someone attacks me... I am not just going to turn the other cheek, I am going to defend myself.
"I will [also] be pre-emptive, as the law advises me. If I feel like my life is threatened, or my family, I will do a pre-emptive strike.
"But does that mean I go around oppressing or bullying people, no, I think that is disgusting."
He continued: "I'm not saying that I'm perfect. I can make mistakes as well. Sometimes in the heat of the moment, I say something that I may later regret... but I'm not an AI robot, I'm a real person, I have had a very colourful life and had my ups and downs... that's what gives me credibility in my community.
"People see me as a real person, with all my faults and shortcomings."
Butt went on to say that he will “unify” the city and how he will earn the respect of the “enemy”.
"I believe strongly I can bring people together. I don't have a degree from a university but I do have a phD in life,” he said.
Butt said he is not antisemitic, as Jewish people are his “cousins” whom he would “break bread” with, but has also said he has “no love” for Zionism.
He also confirmed that, if he gains his seat in the council chamber, he will “not be implementing Shariah law”. “I have to abide by British law,” he said.
The local elections are just over three months away, and Butt said that he will be relying on the “support of Allah” to win his seat for Sparkhill.
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