But Makke, as the JC revealed, has previously mourned members of Hezbollah – including a British friend who died fighting for the terror group. He also said after the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah that he would have “undoubtedly chosen” Nasrallah “over my own daughter”.
As a result, the local Jewish community have expressed their “deep alarm” over the camp.
Makke and (above him) his admiring post about Hassan Nasrallah. Other images show scenes from his combat camp (Images: Instagram / YouTube screenshots)[Missing Credit]
Derbyshire Jewish Community said: “We are concerned to hear about the upcoming Spiritual Warrior event taking place in our area.”
While the community said they were “committed to building bridges of understanding and promoting peace in Derbyshire,” they stated, “some of the messaging associated with this event appears to promote a blend of toxic masculinity and rhetoric sympathetic to extremist groups such as Hezbollah.
“This is deeply alarming to us and poses a serious threat to the safety and wellbeing of our peaceful community.”
The community called on relevant authorities to “monitor this event closely to ensure that it does not incite hatred, promote extremism or undermine community cohesion”.
And, commenting on the JC’s story, the CST called on the police to “take a close interest” in the camp.
A spokesperson said: "It is deeply concerning that a preacher who has expressed such strong sympathy for Hezbollah leaders and fighters should have any role in a camp of this nature. There is a clear risk of extremism and radicalisation, and we would encourage the police to take a close interest in what is taught at the camp."
Likewise, Kasra Aarabi, director of IRGC research at United Against Nuclear Iran (Uani), who assisted with the JC investigation into the camp, said it “represents a serious failure by UK regulatory and security bodies”.
“How is it that a cleric with publicly documented associations to Hezbollah – a proscribed terrorist organisation in the UK – is able to host so-called ‘warrior camps’ for young British Muslim men, with no evident oversight?
“These activities are taking place as the Iranian regime and its proxies intensify efforts to nurture homegrown radicalisation and antisemitism in the UK. The authorities must intervene and take robust action where necessary. But sadly, this is just the tip of the iceberg.
“Iranian regime-linked extremism in the UK remains a glaring blind spot for the regulatory bodies. Parliament must now intervene and hold those responsible to account. This oversight has been going on for far too long.”
In response to the JC’s story, the legal group representing Makke issued a statement on his behalf calling for British authorities to focus on “tracking, capturing and imprisoning homegrown Jewish extremists who have served, or continue to serve, in the genocidal Israeli military”.
Makke added, through his lawyers: “The Jewish Chronicle is an asset of a hostile foreign regime. Neither I nor anyone else involved in the Spiritual Warrior Project will take lectures from an institution whose purpose is to radicalise British Jewry to facilitate genocide in the Levant.”
The legal group also shared a comment from the Spiritual Warrior Project: “The intelligent and sophisticated young men who attend Spiritual Warrior learn to develop God-centric masculinity through a holistic curriculum that combines physical training, business coaching and Islamic scholarship, strengthening brotherhood, faith and resilience.”
