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Somewhat relevant: ICE detains British journalist after criticism of Israel on US tour https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/26/ice-detains-british-musl

Somewhat relevant: ICE detains British journalist after criticism of Israel on US tour https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/26/ice-detains-british-muslim-journalist-laura-loomer https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/26/ice-detains-...

FridayoLeary 1y ago
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ilikehurdles 1y ago
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- buyucu 1y ago
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- 317070 1y ago
  Do you have some primary sources for the statement that he is a jihadi? Do you have any primary source for the statement that he cheered ethnic cleansing? I've been looking, but all I find is that: > Mr Hamdi has previously denied accusations that he celebrated October 7, instead claiming he was "illustrating the international recognition that efforts to normalise relations in the Middle East must include Palestinian people." > He told the National Post: "The October 7 events underscore the failure of any approach that seeks normalisation at the expense of the Palestinian people." https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/uk-citizen-who-encouraged-others-to-celebrate-october-7-detained-in-us-for-supporting-terrorism/ar-AA1Pffv3 https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/uk-citizen-who-encourag...
- HaZeust 1y ago
  I actually can't find any public statements of him saying this. It's referenced in "Times of Israel" [1] that, "According to MEMRI, in December 2023, Hamdi called to “celebrate the victory” of October 7 and asked his audience “how many of you felt euphoria” when they heard of the Hamas onslaught in which terrorists killed some 1,200 people and took 251 hostages." However, their hyperlink in the word "called" points to a MEMRI report that requires a request to view [2]. Do you happen to have any easily-accessible, non-walled content or reporting of Hamdi saying those things? [1] - https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-detains-british-commentator-during-speaking-tour-apparently-over-anti-israel-comments/ https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-detains-british-commentator... [2] - https://www.memri.org/reports/british-political-commentator-sami-hamdi-speaking-london-mosque-dont-pity-palestinians-%E2%80%93 https://www.memri.org/reports/british-political-commentator-...
  - dlubarov 1y ago
    The second link works for me, and indeed shows him saying "celebrate the victory" etc about Oct 7.
- CommanderData 1y ago
  Lovely words straight out of Israel's fan fiction. It's as if all pro-Israel bots and fan accounts are reading the exact same guide. I should write an AI to find them all.
  - C6JEsQeQa5fCjE 1y ago
    > It's as if all pro-Israel bots and fan accounts are reading the exact same guide. Historically, many pro-Israel talking point guides/handbooks have been created and used, yes [1][2][3][4]. It would thus be unreasonable to assume that they are not currently being coordinated. [1] http://www.middle-east-info.org/take/wujshasbara.pdf http://www.middle-east-info.org/take/wujshasbara.pdf [2] https://rac.org/sites/default/files/2024-12/Israel_Talking_Points_24-25.pdf https://rac.org/sites/default/files/2024-12/Israel_Talking_P... [3] https://www.scribd.com/document/77298173/Israel-s-Hasbara-Toolkit https://www.scribd.com/document/77298173/Israel-s-Hasbara-To... [4] https://i-gnite.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/hadassah-talking-points-on-israel-war-11-6.pdf https://i-gnite.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/hadassah-talk...
    - deleted 1y ago
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locallost 1y ago
Like, just don't go to the US right now. What is wrong with people. If someone payed me money to go there right now I wouldn't do it.
- bestouff 1y ago
  Some journalists's job is to risk their life going to dangerous places. Going to the US is not yet being a war reporter but it's more risky than before.
  - isolay 1y ago
    [flagged]
    - mnky9800n 1y ago
      Ukraine, Syria, Afghanistan, United States of America. These are the warzones of today.
    - hermannj314 1y ago
      "A thing is X if you don't use the definition of X" isn't incredibly helpful information.
      - lesuorac 1y ago
        It might as well be a warzone .... > https://www.google.com/search?q=california+declares+war+on+texas https://www.google.com/search?q=california+declares+war+on+t... > California has not declared war on Texas, but the states are engaged in a "redistricting war," a political struggle over drawing new congressional maps. This "war" is a symbolic conflict between the states' differing political parties and aims to gain an advantage in the U.S. House of Representatives, with California attempting to counterbalance Texas's Republican-drawn map. If numerous publications are referring to your country having a war, then it might as well be ok for a lay-person to use the word.
        1y ago
spwa4 1y ago
Whilst I don't support any of ICE's efforts but ... CAIR and this journalist complain about this on the grounds of free speech? Are these people serious? Has anyone thought about their position for 5 seconds? There is NO islamic country with a right to free speech. Zero. Not even countries like Morocco or Turkey have anything remotely like free speech, and they're the most open Islamic countries imaginable. There are dozens of islamic countries with death penalties for criticism of islam or government (and even Morocco and Turkey have prison sentences for that). CAIR is representing these countries' interests in the US, and they are arguing for free speech protection ... in the US. Not in the over 200 countries where muslims use state violence to control speech. In the US. They are making zero efforts to protect free speech anywhere else. Obviously no sane person can reasonably consider these people to be either engaging in free speech or protecting free speech, can they?
- Arnt 1y ago
  It sounds as if you are suggesting that if some country bans an activity x, then the US ought to ban f(x) for some function f.
  - mlrtime 1y ago
    .
    - hypeatei 1y ago
      > if someone is seen promoting Hamas and celebrating what happened on Dec 7th, their visa should be removed. I, too, love taking someones papers and removing them from the country over their speech. I cheer on the army of government agents scanning social media for wrongthink so that we can rid the country of anti-Israel sentiment.
      - ratelimitsteve 1y ago
        it's important to remember that having a right does not mean having the right to use that right wrong. you have to use your rights right, or the government will step in and right the wrong of you wrongly exercising rights with its right to wrong you. this way our rights are preserved equally: i have the right to say what I want, and you have that very same right (the right to say what i want). It's only fair. Hell, it's only right.
dlubarov 1y ago
While others have pointed out his pro-Hamas rhetoric, I would also point out that we don't actually know why he was detained. The Guardian is just citing speculation from an advocacy group friendly to him. The headline is technically accurate, but it could just as well read "journalist detained after eating cheerios for breakfast". (ICE's lack of transparency is a valid, but separate, concern, and The Guardian could have at least attempted to contact them before publishing speculation.)
- ajross 1y ago
  > I would also point out that we don't actually know why he was detained That's always the way it works with secret police. The idea of due process of law and norm following is (1) expressly designed to provide assurances in cases like this and (2) being deliberately degraded and evaded by ICE and DHS at all levels. Trying to make the story actually about bland journalism criticism is doing their jobs for them. To borrow your framing: your critique is technically accurate, but...
  - dlubarov 1y ago
    That's a separate issue though - intransparent law enforcement is bad, but that doesn't justify making assumptions. Or if it did, then why this particular assumption? Why not assume that Hamdi was arrested because of his hair style or something?
    - bigyabai 1y ago
      > Why not assume that Hamdi was arrested because of his hair style, for example? Because he was arrested in the US?
    - ajross 1y ago
      > That's a separate issue though Right, which is why I called you out for bringing it up. Make your bland criticism of the Guardian in a journalism forum. If the standard for criticizing clear ICE overreach (and yes, an unexplained detainment is very clear overreach for a department who are statutorily just supposed to be checking visas) becomes "You have to be able to prove that ICE was wrong before saying anything", then that simply makes them the secret police.

FridayoLeary 1y ago

[flagged]

ilikehurdles 1y ago

[flagged]

buyucu 1y ago
[flagged]
317070 1y ago
Do you have some primary sources for the statement that he is a jihadi? Do you have any primary source for the statement that he cheered ethnic cleansing? I've been looking, but all I find is that: > Mr Hamdi has previously denied accusations that he celebrated October 7, instead claiming he was "illustrating the international recognition that efforts to normalise relations in the Middle East must include Palestinian people." > He told the National Post: "The October 7 events underscore the failure of any approach that seeks normalisation at the expense of the Palestinian people." https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/uk-citizen-who-encouraged-others-to-celebrate-october-7-detained-in-us-for-supporting-terrorism/ar-AA1Pffv3 https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/uk-citizen-who-encourag...
HaZeust 1y ago
I actually can't find any public statements of him saying this. It's referenced in "Times of Israel" [1] that, "According to MEMRI, in December 2023, Hamdi called to “celebrate the victory” of October 7 and asked his audience “how many of you felt euphoria” when they heard of the Hamas onslaught in which terrorists killed some 1,200 people and took 251 hostages." However, their hyperlink in the word "called" points to a MEMRI report that requires a request to view [2]. Do you happen to have any easily-accessible, non-walled content or reporting of Hamdi saying those things? [1] - https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-detains-british-commentator-during-speaking-tour-apparently-over-anti-israel-comments/ https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-detains-british-commentator... [2] - https://www.memri.org/reports/british-political-commentator-sami-hamdi-speaking-london-mosque-dont-pity-palestinians-%E2%80%93 https://www.memri.org/reports/british-political-commentator-...
- dlubarov 1y ago
  The second link works for me, and indeed shows him saying "celebrate the victory" etc about Oct 7.
CommanderData 1y ago
Lovely words straight out of Israel's fan fiction. It's as if all pro-Israel bots and fan accounts are reading the exact same guide. I should write an AI to find them all.
- C6JEsQeQa5fCjE 1y ago
  > It's as if all pro-Israel bots and fan accounts are reading the exact same guide. Historically, many pro-Israel talking point guides/handbooks have been created and used, yes [1][2][3][4]. It would thus be unreasonable to assume that they are not currently being coordinated. [1] http://www.middle-east-info.org/take/wujshasbara.pdf http://www.middle-east-info.org/take/wujshasbara.pdf [2] https://rac.org/sites/default/files/2024-12/Israel_Talking_Points_24-25.pdf https://rac.org/sites/default/files/2024-12/Israel_Talking_P... [3] https://www.scribd.com/document/77298173/Israel-s-Hasbara-Toolkit https://www.scribd.com/document/77298173/Israel-s-Hasbara-To... [4] https://i-gnite.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/hadassah-talking-points-on-israel-war-11-6.pdf https://i-gnite.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/hadassah-talk...
  - deleted 1y ago
    [deleted]

locallost 1y ago

Like, just don't go to the US right now. What is wrong with people. If someone payed me money to go there right now I wouldn't do it.

bestouff 1y ago
Some journalists's job is to risk their life going to dangerous places. Going to the US is not yet being a war reporter but it's more risky than before.
- isolay 1y ago
  [flagged]
  - mnky9800n 1y ago
    Ukraine, Syria, Afghanistan, United States of America. These are the warzones of today.
  - hermannj314 1y ago
    "A thing is X if you don't use the definition of X" isn't incredibly helpful information.
    - lesuorac 1y ago
      It might as well be a warzone .... > https://www.google.com/search?q=california+declares+war+on+texas https://www.google.com/search?q=california+declares+war+on+t... > California has not declared war on Texas, but the states are engaged in a "redistricting war," a political struggle over drawing new congressional maps. This "war" is a symbolic conflict between the states' differing political parties and aims to gain an advantage in the U.S. House of Representatives, with California attempting to counterbalance Texas's Republican-drawn map. If numerous publications are referring to your country having a war, then it might as well be ok for a lay-person to use the word.
      - 1y ago

spwa4 1y ago

Whilst I don't support any of ICE's efforts but ... CAIR and this journalist complain about this on the grounds of free speech? Are these people serious? Has anyone thought about their position for 5 seconds? There is NO islamic country with a right to free speech. Zero. Not even countries like Morocco or Turkey have anything remotely like free speech, and they're the most open Islamic countries imaginable. There are dozens of islamic countries with death penalties for criticism of islam or government (and even Morocco and Turkey have prison sentences for that). CAIR is representing these countries' interests in the US, and they are arguing for free speech protection ... in the US. Not in the over 200 countries where muslims use state violence to control speech. In the US. They are making zero efforts to protect free speech anywhere else. Obviously no sane person can reasonably consider these people to be either engaging in free speech or protecting free speech, can they?

Arnt 1y ago
It sounds as if you are suggesting that if some country bans an activity x, then the US ought to ban f(x) for some function f.
- mlrtime 1y ago
  .
  - hypeatei 1y ago
    > if someone is seen promoting Hamas and celebrating what happened on Dec 7th, their visa should be removed. I, too, love taking someones papers and removing them from the country over their speech. I cheer on the army of government agents scanning social media for wrongthink so that we can rid the country of anti-Israel sentiment.
    - ratelimitsteve 1y ago
      it's important to remember that having a right does not mean having the right to use that right wrong. you have to use your rights right, or the government will step in and right the wrong of you wrongly exercising rights with its right to wrong you. this way our rights are preserved equally: i have the right to say what I want, and you have that very same right (the right to say what i want). It's only fair. Hell, it's only right.

dlubarov 1y ago

While others have pointed out his pro-Hamas rhetoric, I would also point out that we don't actually know why he was detained. The Guardian is just citing speculation from an advocacy group friendly to him. The headline is technically accurate, but it could just as well read "journalist detained after eating cheerios for breakfast". (ICE's lack of transparency is a valid, but separate, concern, and The Guardian could have at least attempted to contact them before publishing speculation.)

ajross 1y ago
> I would also point out that we don't actually know why he was detained That's always the way it works with secret police. The idea of due process of law and norm following is (1) expressly designed to provide assurances in cases like this and (2) being deliberately degraded and evaded by ICE and DHS at all levels. Trying to make the story actually about bland journalism criticism is doing their jobs for them. To borrow your framing: your critique is technically accurate, but...
- dlubarov 1y ago
  That's a separate issue though - intransparent law enforcement is bad, but that doesn't justify making assumptions. Or if it did, then why this particular assumption? Why not assume that Hamdi was arrested because of his hair style or something?
  - bigyabai 1y ago
    > Why not assume that Hamdi was arrested because of his hair style, for example? Because he was arrested in the US?
  - ajross 1y ago
    > That's a separate issue though Right, which is why I called you out for bringing it up. Make your bland criticism of the Guardian in a journalism forum. If the standard for criticizing clear ICE overreach (and yes, an unexplained detainment is very clear overreach for a department who are statutorily just supposed to be checking visas) becomes "You have to be able to prove that ICE was wrong before saying anything", then that simply makes them the secret police.