Ex-champion boxer Anthony Small hits out at ‘Israeli influence’

A former British champion boxer has been accused of encouraging people to commit acts of terrorism, while also talking about the worldwide influence of Israel.

Anthony Small, a 36-year-old Muslim convert, posted his Eid message to his YouTube account in September 2016, with the seven-and-a-half minute video beginning him talking about the influence of America and Israel in the world.

Describing himself as “a former professional champion boxer who now works to take mankind out of the oppression of democracy and liberating themselves with Islam/Sharia”, he also spoke of military and commercial influence through “McDonald’s and Cola Cola signs” and former aerospace manufacturer McDonnell Douglas.

He said the choice was to “either accept the flame-grilled burger or we are going to flame grill you from the sky”.

Talking of pilgrims to Mecca being faced with commercialisation by McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Starbucks and the Hilton hotel chain, he said it was an “indication that America and their puppet masters, the Israelis, are in control of them tyrant, sellout, apostate Saudi leaders”.

Calling for their removal, he said: “What is great in number, three million Muslims in one place. Forget Occupy Wall Street, Occupy St Paul’s Cathedral or any of the Arab uprisings.

“Three million Muslims saying we are going nowhere until these tyrant, apostate rulers are removed along with their Starbucks and their McDonald’s, the Hilton hotel as well.”

The defendant spoke about liberating the third holiest mosque, adding: “Not only that, may we see the day when the Muwahideen then go on to conquer the White House all the way in America and 10 Downing Street.”

He concluded: “I am not calling for you to boycott Starbucks or McDonald’s, instead buy Israeli-made Desert Eagles (a type of gun) cock them back and let them go in the sons of monkeys’ peoples.

Small, of south-east London, ended with a disclaimer saying he was “in no way, shape or form” calling for violence or terrorism in what he described as a “little light-hearted poetry”.

But opening his Old Bailey trial, prosecutor Karen Robinson told jurors the defendant knew the meaning of his carefully chosen words.

She said: “The prosecution case is that in September 2016, the defendant published to his own YouTube channel a video, accessible to anyone with access to the internet, in which he spoke to camera and implored Muslims to take violent action against the West.”

The former British and Commonwealth champion, who also found fame in the 2016 BBC Two programme Muslims Like Us, denies encouraging terrorism.