Pair accused of chant threatening Jews at London anti-Israel protest appear in court
Hadjer Boumazouna and Fatiha Boumazouna are accused of chanting a notorious slogan seen as referring to the 7th century killing of Jews by Muslims
Two women charged with intending or likely to stir up racial hatred have appeared at Southwark Crown Court, with the prosecution accusing them of a chant that “in effect is a threat that Muslims will again kill Jewish people in the present day or in the new future.”
Hadjer Boumazouna 27, and Fatiha Boumazouna 53, both from Croydon, were arrested on 29 October 2023 after taking part in a march organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign the previous day. They handed themselves in after the Metropolitan police issued an appeal for information about the pair on social media.
As reported by Court News UK, the pair appeared in court on Tuesday, with footage of the march in October 2023 being screened. The footage appears to show Fatiha chanting “Khaybar Khaybar Ya Yahud Jaish Muhammad, sa yahud”. The chant, which translates to “Khaybar Khaybar, oh Jews, the armies of Mohammed are coming”, is a reference to the 7th century battle of Khaybar, when Jewish tribes in Arabia were slaughtered by forces under Mohammed, the founder of Islam.
Brett Weaver, prosecuting, said the footage showed “these two defendants together in amongst protestors at the demonstration.
“Fatiha can be seen holding a megaphone and engaged in chanting, with her daughter behind her joining in.”
Weaver described the chant as being “in effect a threat that Muslims will again kill Jewish people in the present day or in the new future.”
Further footage screened in court, filmed by Hadjer, is believed to show her laughing while her mother chants.
As described by the ADL, America’s most prominent organisation combating antisemitism, the Khaybar chant “has been heard at numerous anti-Israel demonstrations around the world…Invoking this slogan today at such a demonstration problematically shifts the complex Israeli-Palestinian conflict into a religious battle between Islam and Judaism. Moreover, in celebrating a past military defeat of Jews, this chant can be perceived as a threat of armed violence or forcible expulsion against Jews today.”
Jurors heard that the video was posted to a family Whatsapp group, leading other members of the family messaging Fatiha, warning her to “be careful”.
Both of the accused deny using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour intending to stir up racial hatred or engaging in behaviour likely to do so under the Public Order Act.
In their initial statements to the police the mother and daughter said that while they both speak Darja, an Algerian dialect which blends Arabic, Amazigh, French and Spanish, they do not speak Arabic. They said they had taken part in “a peaceful march”, describing it as “a sombre occasion”, and claiming that they “joined in with singing and dancing in solidarity with…fellow marchers”.
The trial continues.
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