UK bans US Muslim preacher Shadee Elmasry for praising resistance against Israel

The United Kingdom has banned American Muslim preacher Dr. Shadee Elmasry from entering the country due to his social media posts. The ban was issued by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood after pro-Israel activists highlighted Elmasry's posts that praised Palestinian resistance against Israel following the October 7 Hamas attack. In his posts, Elmasry compared the Palestinian actions to Ukrainian resistance against Russia and contextualized the conflict by referencing pre-state Zionist militias. Elmasry responded by stating his message has always been about compassion and connection, and he denied that his posts constituted support for Hamas.