Support for two extremist groups - Minbar Ansar Deen and Boko Haram - is to be made a criminal offence in the UK.

Home Secretary Theresa May has asked for the two radical Islamist organisations to be banned under terrorism laws.

If approved by parliament, both will be banned from operating in the UK from Friday, the Home Office said.

Minbar Ansar Deen is based in the UK, while Boko Haram operates from Nigeria.

Minbar Ansar Deen - also known as Ansar al-Sharia UK - promotes terrorism by distributing content through a forum on its website, which encourages individuals to travel overseas to engage in extremist activity, specifically fighting, according to the Home Office.

Boko Haram is a militant Islamist group based in Nigeria. Its name means "Western education is forbidden" and it has waged an insurgency for more than a decade.

If the groups are banned, it will be illegal to support or become a member of either group, to arrange meetings or wear clothing in support of them.

Offenders could face fines of up to £5,000 or up to 10 years in prison.

The move would also give the police powers to tackle any UK-based support for Boko Haram.

There are 49 international terror organisations proscribed under the Terrorism Act 2000, including al-Qaeda, al-Shabab and Islam4UK.

The latter, previously led by the radical Islamist preacher Anjem Choudary, was banned in 2010.

In Northern Ireland, 14 organisations were proscribed under previous

Source
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23228908