Former Terror Convict's Council Candidacy Draws Fierce Opposition
A British man who survived a harrowing kidnapping by Islamist militants demanding the release of convicted terrorist Shahid Butt has declared Butt unfit to serve as a councillor in Birmingham. Butt, who will stand as an independent candidate in May's local elections, was imprisoned for five years in 1999 for conspiring to bomb the British consulate and other Western targets in Yemen.
Kidnapping Ordeal and Terrorist Demands
During Butt's trial, Eric Firkins was among sixteen Western tourists abducted by an Islamist terror gang. The kidnappers explicitly demanded Butt's freedom, along with that of his co-accused, in exchange for the hostages' release. Tragically, four of the captured tourists were murdered during a rescue attempt by Yemeni security forces.
Mr Firkins recounted the terrifying experience, stating he was 'very lucky to escape with my life'. He described a moment when 'a terrorist point[ed] a Kalashnikov at my chest'. This brutal episode was directly linked to the militant activities for which Butt was convicted.
Butt's Controversial Past and Present Campaign
Shahid Butt, now seeking election in the inner-city Sparkhill ward—an area with a 91 percent ethnic minority population and nearly 70 percent Muslim residents—claims to have renounced jihad. He asserts he has spent over two decades guiding young people away from extremism since his release and return to the UK in 2003.
However, Eric Firkins, a former chemistry teacher, remains deeply sceptical. 'I don't think Shahid Butt is fit to be an elected representative in a democracy,' he told The Telegraph. 'He doesn't sound genuine or consistent in what he says about putting terrorism behind him.'
Firkins highlighted Butt's continued proclamation of innocence and his historical ties to notorious hate preacher Abu Hamza. The hook-handed cleric, now serving a life sentence in the USA, sent Butt to Yemen for terror training. Firkins also expressed concern over Butt's campaign activities, including supporting protests against Israeli football club Maccabi Tel Aviv during their match in Birmingham last November.
Detailed History of Militant Activities
Butt's 1999 conviction by a Yemeni court was for associating with armed groups, plotting murder and destruction, and possessing weapons. Prosecutors detailed plans to attack the British consulate in Aden, an Anglican church, and a Swiss-owned hotel. The case involved eight Britons and two Algerians linked to Islamist militants in Yemen.
The court heard that Butt and his co-defendants trained at a camp run by Zein al-Abidine al-Mihdar, later sentenced to death for his role in the tourist kidnappings. Butt served his full five-year sentence, returning to the UK under consular escort in December 2003. There is no public record of his conviction being overturned.
From Street Gangs to Jihadist Networks
Butt's background includes membership in the Asian street gang Lynx in Sparkhill, for which he was previously jailed. He says he found Islam after attending protests against Salman Rushdie's The Satanic Verses in the late 1980s. In the mid-1990s, he provided aid to Bosnian Muslims before joining jihadi fighters, claiming to have fought in Afghanistan and Kashmir and serving as a lieutenant to Abu Hamza.
Since his return, Butt has given talks in schools and public meetings about radicalisation, presenting his past as a cautionary tale. He is a father of five and grandfather of two, standing with the Independent Candidate Alliance, backed by Birmingham solicitor Akhmed Yakoob and activist Shakeel Afsar.
Defiant Response to Criticism
Responding to concerns about his candidacy, Butt dismissed the criticism. 'To be honest, all this has been said before and more,' he stated. 'The far Right and those that don’t want to see Muslims who have integrated into British society and still hold firmly to their faith, will never be happy with anything we do.'
He added that he has addressed these points repeatedly through interviews and social media, asserting that the opposition 'makes no difference to me and the many people that support me.' Despite his claims of rehabilitation, the shadow of his terrorist past and its violent consequences continues to fuel significant controversy around his political aspirations.
