Dark Secrets: Life Inside England’s Doomsday Cult

Be Scofield is a prominent cult reporter who exposed Love Has Won, which led to the hit HBO series. She is the author of Hunting Lucifer: One Reporter's Search for Cults and Demons. Her work is cited by the NY Times, Rolling Stone, People, and more. It was also turned into an episode of "Unwell" on Netflix.

Poison Tests of Faith

Perhaps the most startling revelation concerns Hashem’s use of Jonestown-style “poison tests” to measure loyalty.

“Hashem subjected his closest followers—including Ali Muhammad and Hadil El Khouly—to what he called a ‘test of faith,’” Evan said. “He claimed to have put poison in glasses to see if his followers would be willing to die for him. Although it was reportedly not real poison, most drank it. Hashem interpreted this as proof of absolute devotion.”

Other “tests” went even further. “What would you do if one day I take your children and throw them into the fire?” Hashem asked his followers on several occasions. He also pressed them to consider what they would do if he declared himself Satan. In both cases, members responded that they would still follow him.

Followers are also expected to submit sexually. "One of his 'teachings' was that, during sexual rituals, the Imam [Abdullah] must penetrate both the man and the woman in order to 'cleanse them of sins,'" Evan explained. In another case, a female devotee very close to Hashem was allegedly sexually abused in front of her husband while Hashem watched—and a similar incident occurred when a former male member was sexually abused as part of a ‘test of faith’ by one of Hashem’s closest Iranian followers, again with Hashem observing.

Evan says that many similar cases remain unreported because victims fear they will be cursed or lose their so-called “pure souls” if they speak out.

“His closest followers are put through severe trauma to break them psychologically and force loyalty,” Evan said.

Evan recounted the case of Lisa Wiese, a member who he alleges had sexual relations with Hashem and “possessed valuable information.” She was sent to India with Ali Muhammad, Hashem’s right-hand man, and never returned.

"He claimed to have put poison in glasses to see if his followers would be willing to die for him."

“When Ali came back, he was traumatized and locked himself in his room for two months,” Evan said. In The Goal of the Wise, Hashem later wrote that Ali Mohamed had “thrown himself into the fire,” presenting it as a noble act.

Other former members corroborate disturbing accounts. A follower from France told Evan that Hashem tested him by asking whether he would continue to believe even if ordered to commit sexual acts with children. That man left the sect soon afterward, deeply traumatized.

Controlled and Surveilled

Every corner of the compound is under watch, including offices, Evan said—except Hashem’s private office. “There is an internal and external surveillance system that records high-quality images and sound, including gardens and the studio where content is produced for YouTube and TikTok,” he explained. Cameras were managed by Onor, head of security and Caroline, a close aide of Hashem.

While bedrooms had no cameras inside, audio equipment was so powerful it could pick up conversations behind closed doors. Children’s dormitories, Evan said, were monitored directly with cameras.

Phones and computers were routinely confiscated. "Very often, the group also collects the phones and computers of the members, deletes their photos, and installs applications to monitor them," Evan stated. Young members are sent to rummage through the belongings of those under suspicion.

According to Evan, members were also forced to sign three types of agreements: an NDA imposing a $100,000 penalty for revealing information, another consenting to 24/7 recording, and a third obligating unpaid labor. Evan emphasized that all these documents were signed under religious manipulation and psychological pressure, since no one could refuse without being branded a hypocrite.

Life Inside the Compound

About 200 people live with Hashem in dozens of rooms throughout the compound, plus over 150 more in surrounding houses. Most work for the sect—producing videos, handling administration, cleaning, cooking and running a “nursery” so parents can work without rest for Hashem. When new members join, they are pressured to sell all possessions and turn the proceeds over to Hashem personally—despite him citing Jesus' ethic of giving your things to the poor.

At the entrance, members pass through a metal detector and bag checks. “If someone brings Abdullah a food gift, he never eats it himself,” Evan said. “He gives it to others to appear selfless, but the truth is that Hashem does not trust anyone—not even his closest, those who would give their lives for him and have sacrificed everything for him."

Meals are served twice daily in two large dining halls on a big terrace near the gardens and sometimes in the gym because of the growing crowd. Currently the kitchen is run by Mishel and her daughters and other sect members. Visitors, even relatives, are rarely permitted inside the compound—sometimes only allowed a brief glimpse under special circumstances. "All packages and mail received by sect members are inspected by security before being handed over and logged on sheets to maintain complete control," Evan said.

“Families inhabit tiny, filthy rooms,” Evan explained. “Believers have no time for themselves or to care for their children, being completely focused on Abdullah Hashem, whom they place above their own children and themselves.”

On the upper floor, the compound divides into corridors lined with private rooms of Hashem’s closest associates, plus three more corridors for other sect members.

The left corridor begins with Abdullah Hashem’s quarters, where he lives with his two sons, Haron and Israel. Next is the room of Onor, his head of security, followed by Nima, a follower of ten years and former rapper.

The right corridor starts with Alireza, regarded as Hashem’s chosen successor and “one of the twelve Mahdis.” Next is the room of Taymour Elalfy, a journalist and media expert, and Tiffany, who appears frequently on camera. The third room is that of Ali Mohammed, Hashem’s “henchman,” and his wife, Maryam.

In the right corridor and other halls, there are four large dormitory-style rooms with many bunk beds housing boys and girls.

Hashem’s longtime co-conspirator, Joseph McGowen, lives in the center wing of the upper floor of the complex with his second wife Noor and their small daughter. One of his other wives, Sabah, occupies the fourth room of the right corridor. Sabah is the mother of two of Hashem’s adopted daughters: Eman, married to Onor, and Tahani, married to Ardijan Malkobich.

Opposite the entrance of the compound stands the basilica, where Hashem preaches fiery sermons beneath painted portraits of prophets and saints. Followers raise their hands in unison as his words echo off red-carpeted floors and angel statues.

“He often sent messages to residents instructing everyone to stay in their rooms after 10 p.m., while we who are housed outside are ordered back to our houses by 9 p.m.,” Evan stated. “According to testimonies, he sexually abused men and women, while their spouses were led to believe they were on important missions for the leader.”

Evan adds that many former female members—most of them Egyptian—were accustomed to these sexual abuses by Hashem and his inner circle, seeing it as a “blessing” to receive light from him, while their husbands were completely unaware of this part of the story.

For many, the compound at first felt like paradise. “We were convinced we were among the most blessed and chosen people on earth,” Evan recalled. Members worked “day and night” to spread Hashem’s teachings.

But that illusion quickly eroded. Evan said life turned into a nightmare, citing the "absolute lack of freedom" and surveillance. He noted that children were neglected—sometimes going weeks without bathing, placed in the nursery watching a screen constantly, subjected to indoctrination by sect members, rewarded with candy only once a week, and taught to worship Hashem as a god, thanking him for the candy.

“Members work tirelessly without pay, under constant pressure and the threat of humiliation,” Evan said. "Faces showed exhaustion, frustration, and despair. Life in the compound is an environment of oppression and exploitation."

The Matriarch: Lady Layla

At the compound’s main entrance, behind a metal lattice gate, sits a modest three-room house. Lady Layla, a prominent figure within the movement, lives there with her two daughters, their husbands Naseem and Vaseem Waqar, and their children.

Evan explained that Lady Layla is regarded as the matriarch of the Waqar family, a large clan of Pakistani origin with British nationality that dominates life inside the sect. He says members of her extended family make up roughly "70 percent of the adult population" in the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light. Hashem also claims to have cured Layla's deadly kidney cancer and says she is the "mother of Jesus" in the soul world.

He stated that many followers are there largely because of Layla’s influence and her shared conviction with her son Waqar that Abdullah Hashem descends from the family of the Prophet Muhammad. Insiders say the group’s cohesion is tied closely to their loyalty. “As long as they remain believers, most of the family will stay; if they ever lose faith, a large part of that family will leave the group," Evan explained. "That is why Hashem places Lady Layla on a pedestal, to never lose the support of the Waqar family."

Indoctrinated Behind the Gate

Inside the compound, Abdullah Hashem preaches a theology that places him above all earthly authority. "He claims that only his rules are valid and that the democratic system is illegitimate," Evan stated. "Abdullah Hashem teaches that he is 'God in creation,' above any law." Hashem writes in Goal of the Wise of his understanding: "The Divine Just State will never be established through democratic elections rooted in selfishness and what the ignorant masses choose."

Central to his doctrine is a stark division of humanity. Hashem teaches that non-believers are the descendants of Cain— “Cainites”—and therefore outside the bounds of morality. "He teaches that it is not a sin to steal from or even eliminate non-believers," Evan explained.

By contrast, true believers are described as the descendants of Adam, or “Adamites.” Anyone who hears Hashem’s call and accepts him is considered an Adamite; those who hear but reject the call are condemned as Cainites.

In this worldview, Adamites hold dominion over all others. Hashem has told his followers that the world was created for them alone and that Cainites are destined to serve as their slaves.

Building a Cult State

Hashem’s ambition goes beyond Crewe. He envisions creating his own state for Adamites, populated by asylum seekers drawn from around the world. Once under his authority, he plans to indoctrinate them and deploy them for global expansion.

“Abdullah is obsessed with Romulus and the founding of Rome,” Evan said. “He taught that once he gathered 10,313 believers, he and his followers would march to expand across the world.”

At the center of this plan is a core group of 313 “chosen ones.” Inside the compound, Hashem identifies his own followers as these select disciples, destined, he says, to punish Muslims for rejecting the family of the Prophet Muhammad. "In his speeches, he declares that these 313 'angels' will eliminate many Islamic scholars and anyone who stands in their way, as they consider all others to be evil," Evan explained.

"This ideology is not mere rhetoric," he stated. It runs through Hashem’s speeches, his videos, and his book, The Goal of the Wise. “It represents a serious threat to international society."

The group is preparing to expand beyond their compound. "They were also planning to establish two bases, one in the United States and one in the UK," he explained.

Evan said Hashem had found a place about 2.5 hours east of Crewe, a few miles outside of any cities, which would provide more privacy for the sect. "They wanted to move and went to visit the place and showed it to us and said that in this way the believers would no longer be separated in external houses," he recalled. "They said they would spend almost a year preparing that new place, fixing it up and painting parts of it, although they also said another part was clean and ready to be inhabited." Evan supposes it was to consolidate control over his followers.

In March 2024, a former member named Yasir (a pseudonym) saw a detailed PowerPoint presentation in the U.K. compound that laid out the group's plans to build a commune in Nevada. "We will have our own police, laws, and guns; we will be like an Osho-type of community," the members said.

"Hashem was already sending groups to the United States to get their visas, for example Taymour and his wife Tiffany, who went and came back," Evan stated.

Hashem told his followers that American law would make it easy for them to secure permanent residency or even citizenship. He claimed there was a statute that automatically granted nationality to members of religious groups or employees of religious organizations. “I don’t know if that’s true, but I remember him saying it,” Evan recalled. The plan, he said, was to use this supposed loophole to ensure the cult’s members could establish legal footing in the United States.

Gaming the System

As the group strengthened its base in Crewe, its leaders sought to manipulate immigration and residency systems, Evan said. He described Aminah Alamgir—whom he characterizes as a lawyer for the group—and her husband, Dr. Irfan, as key facilitators. “When they traveled to the U.K., she brought many believers with her, manipulating and lying in legal processes, and managed to arrange numerous political asylum and residence permits,” he said. Evan added that she is the daughter of an American mother and an Iraqi father.

He also alleged a coordinated effort to exploit Brexit rules. “They brought many Europeans claiming there was a law benefiting those who had lived in the U.K. before a certain cut-off date,” Evan said. “But many had never actually resided there. To obtain residence permits, they falsified evidence and documents and moved them through different entry routes.”

Another former member, Yasir, echoed this, saying he was brought from Dubai under the false pretense that he’d be working in the media department.

Evan described a parallel cash pipeline centered on Dubai. “Every month they sent between three and five people to bring money,” he said. “Each courier carried about $10,000 in small bills, because they had believers in Dubai who specialized in arranging residence permits for others.” According to him, the flow of cash wasn’t limited to Dubai, with members “also bringing money from different countries, making it a constant and organized practice.”

He further alleged property seizures. “At the same time, the sect takes over houses and land from vulnerable people,” Evan said, “exploiting their trust or manipulating them in order to dispossess them of their property.”

"I Fear for the Children"

According to Evan, more than 190 children are being raised inside the sect, spread between the compound’s main base and as many as 30 nearby houses. "These children do not attend public schools; instead, they are indoctrinated daily in internal schools inside," he stated. "They are taught anti-democratic doctrines, subjected to manipulation and mind control, and prepared for something dark and twisted."

"Some are secretly married off before the age of 16," Evan said. Others are at risk of sexual abuse within the "State of Divine Justice," the sect’s internal system. “I fear for them every day,” Evan said. “Their minds, their bodies, and their futures are being destroyed.”

If you are a current or former member and would like to speak out please contact bescofieldreporter @ gmail.com.

Addendum

Evan has supplied these citations from Goal of the Wise that Hashem uses to enable his cultic control.

Referencing Ali Muhammad and Lisa Wiese

“The Imam (From Him is Peace) said, ‘Now go into it, you and your companions.’
I was shocked and I looked at the fire as it was burning. I knew that this was it, unless a miracle happened, it would be instant death. I shut my eyes and said: ‘Yes Father, your will shall be done.’ Me and my companions dashed forward into the flames and reached the center of the fire. We were in shock, but we did not feel any heat. It was cool and calm. We were not burning. We were not dead…”

Hashem is above all earthly authority

“The Divine Just State will never be established through democratic elections rooted in selfishness and what the ignorant masses choose.
History has shown how the corrupt elite use democracy to advance their evil interests at the expense of the people they claim to be serving.”
(The Goal of the Wise, p.436)

“The main difference between the state of Israel and the Divine Just State is that the so-called state of Israel is a democratic state in which its rulers are elected and are not appointed by God. … The laws of the Divine Just State are established by God through His divinely appointed King and not through the Knesset.”
(The Goal of the Wise, p.446)

“In all three countries [Israel, the Vatican, Iran] … God did not appoint any of them, the people did. So, their appointment is invalid, and their rule is illegitimate.”
(The Goal of the Wise, p.447)

Hashem's chosen people, the Adamites

“As we have demonstrated in the past six Covenants in the Book, humanity was created in the image of God, and our father Adam (PBUH) was appointed King over creation. The sons and daughters of Adam were the royal heirs of the Earth and all that is on it.”
(The Goal of the Wise, p.100–101)

“We established in the previous six Doors that the children of Cain by nature were savages, criminals, and evil-doers who would constantly be corrupting in the land.
God gave them many opportunities and repeatedly had to wipe them out through punishments after they murdered every son of the light that was sent to them.”
(The Goal of the Wise, p.100 approx.)

On the lack of Democracy

Evan notes that Hashem’s book includes disturbing key points that he now sees unfolding:

“We established through David (PBUH) that the ruler appointed by God is immune from prosecution and is above the law.”
(The Goal of the Wise, p.100)

“And although we are not promoting anarchy or the breaking of laws, **we must say that the so-called criminals of society will have a very important role to play in the religion of Imam Mahdi (PBUH & His Family).

One day I was talking to Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan (From Him is Peace) and I said to him, ‘As such are my people, many are former drug addicts, people that have done strange and bad things…’

The Imam (From Him is Peace) said, ‘All of them are welcome, and I did not come for those who grow their beards long and prostrate at length and pray all night and fast all day and make tasbeeh [glorify God].

I came for the drunkards and fornicators and for the killers and criminals. It is through them that I shall raise the religion.’”
(The Goal of the Wise, p.198)

“On the authority of Abu Baseer, on the authority of Abu Ja’far (PBUH), he said:
‘The Qaim goes forth judging cases which some of his companions who fought ahead of him in battle reject, and it is the judgment of Adam (PBUH), so the Riser/Qaim brings forth the men who objected and strikes their necks, then he judges the second case and another people who fought with him in battle shall reject it, and it is the judgment of David (PBUH), so he brings them forth and strikes their necks, and then he judges a third case, and another people who fought alongside him in battle shall reject, and it is the judgment of Abraham (PBUH), so he brings them forth and strikes their necks, then he judges a fourth case and it is by the judgment of Mohammed (PBUH & His Family) and none shall reject it.’”
(Bihar Al-Anwar, Al-Allamah Al-Majlisi, Vol. 52, p.389 — quoted in The Goal of the Wise, p.437)