An Extremist Cleric's Attempt to Create a 'Special Island for Shiites' in Britain

British media reported on the efforts of a Shiite cleric residing in the country and his organization, 'Alliance of the Servants of Mahdi', to purchase a small, remote island in Britain and establish a 'homeland' for his followers. Real estate advisors have confirmed that the island of Torsa in western Scotland has not yet been sold to this Shiite cleric. Initial reports about this extremist cleric's efforts seemed somewhat unrealistic and comedic, but the situation is real. The Islamic Center of London, affiliated with Khamenei's office, has been closed 'until further notice'. Sheikh Yasser al-Habib, a 45-year-old extremist cleric originally from Kuwait, has established an organization named 'Alliance of the Servants of Mahdi' in Britain, intending to buy the 270-hectare island of Torsa and turn it into an Islamic country. According to a report by the British newspaper Telegraph, he needed £3.5 million for this goal, of which he had raised nearly £3 million. He began fundraising by filming the island and promoting his project on social media since last autumn. Torsa is actually a peninsula in the western Scottish archipelago, whose remoteness attracted this Shiite cleric's attention. Previously, British military bases were located in this area. The British government has provided over £100,000 to Khamenei's office in London. However, the British company Savills, which has put the island up for sale at £1.5 million, told British media that this cleric has not yet entered advanced negotiation stages for the purchase of the island. A spokesperson for the company stated, 'The owners have always said they hope to find a suitable buyer who will continue to love this peaceful haven, just as their predecessors have maintained this situation for generations.' In addition to promotional videos, the organization managed by Yasser al-Habib announced earlier this year through its digital television channel, 'Fadak Media', that it intends to create a territory for the followers of the Twelfth Imam. This television channel stated that with such a project, Shiites would settle in a specific location in Britain for the first time. In some of the released videos, members of this organization are seen signing documents and showcasing the initial plans for the project. Britain has about 200,000 Shiites, making up 5% of the country's Muslim minority population. The Fadak Media channel, which has previously received warnings from Ofcom, the British media regulator, has audiences both among Shiites in Britain and abroad, especially in the Middle East. Sheikh Yasser al-Habib currently owns property in the suburbs of London, which he has named 'Little Fadak'. Fadak is the name of a village in present-day Saudi Arabia that has historically been a point of contention between Shiites and Sunnis. Followers of this Shiite cleric have stated that they are preparing for the 'appearance' of the Twelfth Imam and striving for what they call the 'dominance of Shiite civilization'. However, reports about this cleric's efforts and his supporters to purchase an island in Scotland are not unprecedented. According to local media, groups of Buddhists and Christians have a long-standing presence on some islands in Scotland.