Ultra-conservative Branch of Islam Growing in Popularity in Wales

Screengrab taken from YouTube of a video showing
Islamist fighters appearing in a recruitment video

WALES ONLINE: Up to six Welsh mosques are now part of the Islamic movement known as Salafism, including Cardiff’s Al-Manar centre

The ultra-conservative strand of Islam followed by two young Cardiff men seen on a jihad-recruiting video from Syria has been growing in popularity in Wales.

Up to six Welsh mosques are now part of the Islamic movement known as Salafism, including Cardiff’s Al-Manar centre, where Nasser Muthana, 20, younger brother Aseel Muthana, 17, and Reyaad Khan, 20, are said to have worshipped.

Nasser and Reyaad appeared in the video by Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), which now controls huge swathes of territory in the two countries.

Aseel is understood to have travelled to the region after his elder brother.

There is disagreement within Islamic communities in the UK as to the extent to which the growth of Salafism is a concern.

The teachings of Salafism are conservative and impose severe restrictions on everything from women’s rights to music. » | Darren Devine | Thursday, June 26, 2014