Implications of ban on Hamas' political wing in UK

The British Home Department has banned the political wing of the Palestinian movement Hamas.

This came almost 20 years after the department banned the military wing of the movement.

The new decision came as a surprise for some people, given the fact that the Muslim Brotherhood, of which Hamas is a political offshoot, enjoys strong presence in the UK.

The UK is also home to the International Organization of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Internal affair      

British Home Secretary, Priti Patel, justified the measure as being in line with her country's Terrorism Act.

In a statement on Friday, she said Hamas has clear terrorist capabilities, including the possession of advanced weapons.

The movement also, she added, possesses facilities for training terrorists.

She said this was why the British government had taken measures to ban Hamas completely.

Patel explained that the government had banned Hamas under the Terrorism Law.

This means that anybody expressing support for the Palestinian movement, raises its flag, or arranges meetings for it will be subject to punitive measures included in the law.

She confirmed that she would make efforts to classify Hamas as a 'terrorist' group before the British parliament next week.

The UK issued its Terrorism Act last year with the aim of reducing the involvement of individuals and groups in terrorism.

The act also aims to toughen penalties for terrorist crimes and prevent the early release of people involved in these crimes.

The act also expands the powers of intelligence services.

New decision

Britain was among a host of European countries that recognized the political wing of Hamas.

It used to deal with the political wing of the movement. However, the new decision will equate Hamas' political wing with its military wing, for the first time in 20 years.

According to the British newspaper, The Guardian, Hamas' supporters face up to 14 years of imprisonment under the new ban.

Hamas has large financial investments in Britain, in partnership with the Muslim Brotherhood.

It raises a lot of money through its branches across the UK.

These branches are managed by some prominent Palestinian figures, including Hafez al-Karmi, who is responsible for communications between Muslim Brotherhood branches in Europe, on one hand, and those in the Arab world.