UK commentator who called to “celebrate the victory” of 7 October has US visa cancelled
On 18 October, Sami Hamdi asked a crowd in a London mosque: 'How many of you felt it in your hearts, when you got the news that it happened? How many of you felt the euphoria?'
A British citizen who asked people to “celebrate the victory” of the 7 October mass-terror attacks has had his American visa revoked in the middle of a US speaking tour, and now faces deportation from the country.
Sami Hamdi, a UK-based political commentator who has been described by outlets such as The Guardian and ITV as a journalist, was reportedly detained by federal authorities at San Francisco international airport on Sunday. CAIR (the Council on American-Islamic Relations) claimed the arrest was down to Hamdi’s criticism of Israel.
However, MEMRI (the Middle East Media Research Institute) published video footage of Hamdi addressing an audience at the Al-Muzzamil Masjid and Community Centre in South West London on 18 October 2023. Hamdi spoke about the events which had taken place 11 days earlier, telling the crowd “We are pitying a people that brought a huge victory since 1948. Don’t pity them – they don’t want your pity, celebrate the victory. Allah has shown the world that no normalisation can erase the Palestinian cause.”
Hamas advanced into Israel on 7 October, murdering 1,200 men, women and children and taking more than 250 people captive.
Later in the same talk, Hamdi asked the audience: “How many of you felt it in your hearts, when you got the news that it happened? How many of you felt the euphoria? Allahu Akbar, how many of you felt it? Why did you feel it? Because the despair vanished, you said ‘this ummah is alive’”.
In a social media post from Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary at the US Department of Homeland Security, confirmed that “this individual’s visa was revoked and he is in ICE custody pending removal.
“Under President Trump, those who support terrorism and undermine American national security will not be allowed to work or visit this country. It’s commonsense.”
The Muslim Council of Britain urged the British government to take “urgent diplomatic action” and “to come to the defence of its citizens being detained in this manner”.