The chant “Khaybar, Khaybar, O Jews, the army of Muhammad will return” invokes the 628 CE Muslim victory over the Jewish community of Khaybar as a threat against Jews today. It is widely regarded as antisemitic because it explicitly addresses “Jews” (ya Yahud) rather than ‘Israelis’ or ‘Zionists’, framing them as the target of renewed violence or subjugation by Islam. It is hard to think of a situation where this historical reference would be chosen without for chanting in public today except as an intimidation slogan, implying that the fate of Khaybar should be repeated against Jews in the present.
It is therefore baffling how two women filmed chanting the slogan were unanimously cleared by a jury of using threatening, abusive, or insulting words or behaviour intending to stir up racial hatred, at Southwark Crown Court.
According to Court News UK:
“A mother and daughter accused of making threats against Jewish people at a march organised by the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign have been were cleared by a jury. Fatiah Boumazouna, 55, and Hadjer Boumazouna, 28, were arrested the day after the demo near Trafalgar Square on 28 October 2023 — three weeks after Hamas attacked Israel. They both released a statement following their rest apologising for any offence caused but insisted they had ‘no intention to recite racial or religious hatred’”
The jury is reported to have taken just 28 minutes before reaching their decision to acquit the two women.
