An Islamic training camp blending religious indoctrination with combat-style fitness drills concluded Sunday in the quiet English countryside, despite warnings from Jewish watchdogs and alarm over its leader’s documented support for terrorist groups.

The “Spiritual Warrior” camp, held July 30 to August 3 at Darwin Lake in Derbyshire, advertised itself as a program focused on “God-centric masculinity and brotherhood.” Attendees were offered wrestling sessions, striking lessons, business coaching, and Islamic theological lectures. But critics say the serene setting masked a dangerous agenda.

At the center of the firestorm is Sayed Hussain Makke, a Shia cleric and head of the Spiritual Warrior Project, who has openly praised Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, referred to Israel’s enemies as “freedom fighters,” and maintained a record of inflammatory, antisemitic rhetoric.

Makke’s known affiliations and rhetoric have triggered national concern. The Community Security Trust (CST) and the Derbyshire Jewish Community flagged the event well before it began, warning that it offered a platform to a figure who supports proscribed terrorist groups.

Makke attended Nasrallah’s funeral in Beirut and previously called him “one of the world’s greatest freedom fighters,” celebrating what he called the “resistance” movement. Hezbollah is classified as a terrorist organization by the United Kingdom, United States, Israel, and Australia.

Earlier this year, Makke was barred from entering Australia when authorities discovered his connection to Nasrallah’s funeral just ten days before his planned visit. Australia’s Home Affairs Ministry revoked his visa, citing national security concerns.

Despite these associations, lawyers representing Makke maintain that he is not affiliated with any banned group and has not offered material support to any such organization.

Makke, however, has taken an openly hostile stance against his critics. In public posts and responses to The Telegraph and Jewish Chronicle, Makke lashed out at Jewish institutions and media outlets, accusing them of waging a Zionist-led smear campaign.

“This attempt to stir up hatred against our camp attendees originates from the infamous Zionist lobby group, United Against a Nuclear Iran (UANI), which until recently had two Mossad terror chiefs on its advisory board,” he wrote.

He further accused The Telegraph of serving as a “laundering service for the State of Israel,” and called the Jewish Chronicle a “propaganda outlet” used by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to radicalize British Jewry and promote “genocide in the Levant.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)