Radical Islamic cleric leads Peak District spiritual and fitness camp
Sayed Hussein Makke, a London-born Shia preacher and influencer, has mourned members of the Lebanese terror group – including a British friend who died fighting for Hezbollah – and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Earlier this year, his visa to visit Australia was revoked after Sky News reported that he had allegedly hailed Hassan Nasrallah, a Hezbollah leader killed in an Israeli air strike last year, as one of the world's 'greatest freedom fighters'.
It was claimed that Mr Makke, who attended Nesrallah's funeral, had celebrated the number of mourners as evidence that the 'resistance' was 'alive and well'.
The military wing of Hezbollah has been proscribed in the UK under counter-terror laws since 2008, and its political wing was banned in 2019.
Lawyers for Mr Makke said he was not a member of, and had not provided support to, any proscribed organisation.
The cleric is currently promoting a physical and Islamic training camp for young British men in the Peak District from Wednesday, July 30, to Aug 3.
The camp, known as the Spiritual Warrior Project and held at Darwin Lake in Derbyshire, offers 'Olympic-level wrestling' alongside religious education by a cleric.
The course is described as focusing on 'God-centric masculinity' and 'man psychology'. Applicants are asked how much they value 'discipline' and 'brotherhood'.
Promotional material for the course says: 'Brotherhood is to trust your comrades – to know that you and your mission go further together than you could ever do by yourself. Spiritual Warriors live, eat and breathe brotherhood.'
Speakers at the event include Sheikh Salman Zaarour, a Shia cleric who at a previous course is shown standing above a fire at nightfall guiding young men to 'reflect on our destinies'.
An Instagram post shared by an account named Jafar Hammoud on Oct 7 last year, the first anniversary of the Hamas attacks on Israel, features Mr Zaarour with fellow students at a seminary in Lebanon. The post is captioned 'war nights' and states that 'victory is near'.
In a separate programme called the 'One-on-One King Programme', Mr Makke offers private mentoring to men and is said to explore 'the masculine archetypes – king, warrior, magician, lover,'in a programme tailored to overcome personal weakness and 'maximise potential'.
Mr Makke also sells oil-based products, including a pill to 'boost libido' for customers embarking on the 'spiritual warrior path'.
In a response shared by a legal group on his behalf, Mr Makke claimed media reports about Spiritual Warrior Project were an 'attempt to stir up hatred against our camp attendees'.
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