Islamist YouTuber Mohammed Hijab Loses Defamation Case In UK Court; Judge Rules He Targeted Hindus, Not Just ‘Hindutva’ In Leicester Speech

In a significant legal victory for The Spectator and columnist Douglas Murray, a British court has dismissed a defamation lawsuit brought by YouTuber Mohammed Hegab, also known online as Mohammed Hijab.

The court concluded that Hijab “lied on significant issues” and gave testimony that was “overall, worthless.”

The case stemmed from a Spectator article published in September 2022 that reported on Hijab’s involvement in the Leicester riots, a series of communal clashes between Hindu and Muslim communities.

Hijab had travelled to Leicester and delivered a charged speech to a group of Muslim men, many of whom were masked or hooded.

In the speech, he ridiculed Hindus, saying, “what a humiliation and pathetic thing for them to be reincarnated into some pathetic weak cowardly people like that.”

He later claimed the remark was aimed at “Hindutva” nationalists, not Hindus broadly.

However, the judge found it “substantially true” that he was mocking Hindus, stating, “It was them that he was ridiculing.”

Hijab argued that the article damaged his reputation and led to loss of income from brand partnerships and charitable engagements. These included supposed deals with organisations like One Ummah and Salam.

But according to The Telegraph, the court found the evidence supporting these claims “contrived”.

The presiding Judge, Justice Johnson further lambasted Hijab’s courtroom conduct, calling him “combative” and “constantly argumentative.”

He added that it was “substantially true” to say that he was referring to Hindus, “It was them that he was ridiculing.”

He dismissed Hijab’s assertion that his remarks were solely directed at Hindutva supporters as “nonsensical.”

The judge also stated that Hijab’s denial of vigilantism in connection with his actions in Leicester was “untenable.”

In his judgment, Justice Johnson concluded that Hijab had been dishonest on key matters, rendering his testimony entirely unreliable.

In the end, he agreed with Murray’s characterization of Hijab, affirming that describing him as “a street agitator who has incited crowds on the streets of London” was accurate.

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