Muslim preacher who 'whipped up mob' online loses court battle

A leading online Muslim preacher lost a libel case after a judge ruled that an article portraying him as an "agitator" who "whips up mobs" was substantially true.

Mohammed Hegab, a YouTuber with 1.3 million subscribers, initiated legal action over an article in The Spectator, titled "Leicester and the downside with diversity", which opened with "if you import the world's people you import the world's problems". The article referred to his content online, including a video where he deemed a Hindu belief "pathetic", and gave speeches at anti-Israel protests. At the High Court yesterday, Mr Justice Johnson ruled that although the article was defamatory, content published by Hegab, "in particular the video of his speech in Leicester, is at least as reputationally damaging to him as the article".

In the video in question, Hegab was heard preaching largely to a crowd of men in Leicester, where he criticised Hindu beliefs.

He said: "If they believe in reincarnation, what a humiliation and pathetic thing for them to be reincarnated into some pathetic, weak, cowardly people like that. I'd rather be an animal. I'd rather be reincarnated as a grasshopper." He warned Hindus: "don't ever come out like that again, do you understand?".

Judge Johnson ruled the intended meaning of the article was that Hegab "is a street agitator who has whipped up a mob" on the streets and "addressed an anti-Israeli protest in inflammatory terms".

He declared that the video showed Hegab "far more vividly than is conveyed by the words of the article, directly whipping up a large group of masked men and ridiculing a central tenet of Hinduism." He said that as a result, the article was unlikely to cause "additional serious reputational harm".

Johnson added that the article meant Hegab "exacerbated frayed tensions which had already spilt over into public disorder between Muslim and Hindu communities in Leicester by whipping up his Muslim followers, including by ridiculing Hindus for their belief in reincarnation".

Hegab claimed that the Spectator article resulted in the loss of several lucrative partnerships, including a £3,500-per-month ambassador role with the One Ummah aid organisation, a £1,500 deal and 25% commission from the health food company Nature's Blends, and a £30,000 Ramadan fundraising campaign with the Islamic charity Salam.

Johnson ruled that the preacher "lied on significant issues", including "his repudiation of vigilantism" and "evidence in support of his claim for financial losses".

He described Hegab as having "positively revelled in any form of publicity", and that the controversy, up to a point, "increased the number of people who viewed his material and hence the value that could be realised from that".

Hegab posted on his website after the event in Leicester: "My public work is very clear. I do not condone or advocate for any violence and disharmony between any members or groups of the British public. I will continue to work to ensure the harmony and wellbeing for all, including the Hindu and Muslim communities."

The Express has contacted Hegab for comment.