BT website: A prominent Islamist from Hizb ut-Tahrir holds a sensitive position in the state that could be misused

The BT newspaper website published an article this morning, Tuesday, about a prominent figure from Hizb ut-Tahrir who was recently criticized for urging Muslims in Denmark not to participate in the high school graduation ceremony on buses, a well-known Danish tradition, describing it as “haram.” The BT website published an article about his statements, which commentators considered not to represent Danish values and not to be part of Danish society. This morning, the website published another article about the same person, which included the following to the end of the article.

Aqil Abu Usama became known as a prominent member of the Islamic Liberation Party, which works to establish a caliphate according to Islamic law, but the newspaper can now reveal that the top Islamic leader is living a double life.

In fact, his name is Sebastian Østerfelt, and BT research showed that Sebastian Østerfelt converted to Islam, has been active in Hizb ut-Tahrir for more than ten years, and works under the name Aqil Abu Usama as a high-voltage engineer and project manager at the state-owned company Energinet.

According to the source, he is the new face of Islamists. Aqeel is achieving great “worrying” success on TikTok, and the company he works for forms the backbone of electricity and gas supplies in Denmark, and also operates the Danish electricity grid. Therefore, the company is concerned with vital infrastructure, and this is what prompted experts to sound the alarm.

Experts are concerned that Sebastian Osterfeldt, through his position at Energinet, has access to knowledge that could be misused.

Security and intelligence expert Stiig Wæver told BT: “Infrastructure as critical as Energinet is a highly sensitive target, a place that must always be protected, so I find it worrying that a member of Hizb ut-Tahrir could gain access to it. We’re not talking about him being a kindergarten teaching assistant, but about critical infrastructure that gives him access to information that could be misused if it falls into the wrong hands. That’s why I think it’s extremely serious.” He added: “He may be the most talented high-voltage engineer in Denmark, I won’t deny that, but I don’t think he’s capable of holding this particular position in a company where we’re talking about critical infrastructure.”

Stig Weaver was an agent of the Danish Security and Intelligence Service (PET) and currently runs a private security and intelligence company.

Facts about Hizb ut-Tahrir as reported by the source

• Hizb ut-Tahrir is originally an Islamic political party that originated in Jerusalem in the mid-20th century and has since spread to many countries.
• The organization, which seeks to establish a caliphate and implement Islamic law throughout the world, is banned in many Middle Eastern countries as well as in Germany and the United Kingdom.
• Hizb ut-Tahrir came to Denmark in the 1990s, and in the first two decades of the 21st century, the party announced that its membership in the country ranged between 100 and 150 members.
• Over time, several spokespeople for Hizb ut-Tahrir in Denmark have been convicted, among other things, of inciting the murder of Jews.

In recent years in particular, Aqeel Abu Usama has become the public face of the organization, and on the social media platform TikTok alone he has gained more than 13,000 followers.

Swedish expert on Islam and terrorism, Magnus Ranstorb, believes that the hiring of Sebastian Osterfelt by Energene should raise concerns, according to BT: “You wouldn’t hire someone from Russia, China, or Iran for a position like this. Why? Because there’s a risk that he’s acting on behalf of a foreign power.” He added: “The same concerns can be raised in his case given the international presence of Hizb ut-Tahrir and its goal of establishing a caliphate,” according to BT.

Under his Islamic name Aqeel Abu Usama, Sebastian Osterfeldt became famous on TikTok

Under his Islamic name, Aqeel Abu Usama, Sebastian Osterfeldt became a well-known figure on the social media platform TikTok. According to Magnus Ranstorp, the case raises “a long list of questions that Parliament should seek to answer.” He told BT: “The question of whether this man should be working in critical infrastructure is a legitimate one. It is also legitimate to raise this issue in Parliament, because in such cases there are things that journalists cannot access, but members of Parliament can.”.

According to the newspaper, BT also contacted Hans-Jürgen Bonnissen, former head of operations at PET, who does not share the same concerns as the other two experts: “I assume that the utility company, in accordance with the applicable regulations, required that the person in question have security clearance. It then took a position on any concerns,” according to his written response.

According to the newspaper, BT repeatedly attempted to interview Sebastian Osterfeldt. They also presented him and Hizb ut-Tahrir with the data contained in this article, but neither Sebastian Osterfeldt nor Hizb ut-Tahrir responded to their inquiries.

BT also posed a number of questions to Energinet, but was unable to obtain answers to all of them. Stina Willumsen, Energinet's Director of Human Resources, Strategy and Communications, declined to comment on specific HR matters in the media. However, she added, "Generally speaking, I would say that some employees work on tasks that require special confidentiality, special security measures, personal approvals, or the like – and others do not. If you are working on highly sensitive matters, you should have security clearance. We are fully aware that tasks requiring special confidentiality or approvals are managed properly and responsibly. I can also say that we have good cooperation with all relevant parties on matters relating to security, threats, etc." This was her written response to BT.

Here are some questions that BT sent to Energinet that have not been answered:

• How long has Sebastian Osterfeldt worked for the company?
• What exactly is he working on today?
• Has it received security clearance?
• Are you aware of Sebastian Osterfeldt's Islamic name, Aqil Abu Usama?
• Does Energinet know that Sebastian Osterfeldt is a prominent member of Hizb ut-Tahrir and has been active in the organization for at least 10 years?
• Is being a prominent member of Hizb ut-Tahrir compatible with working for you?
• Can you guarantee that Sebastian Osterfeldt is working with critical infrastructure?
• Can Energinet guarantee that he has not and will never share the information he obtained in connection with his work at Energinet with other members of Hizb ut-Tahrir, both inside and outside the country?
• Can you guarantee that he has not exploited and will not exploit his access to critical infrastructure to further the goals of Hizb ut-Tahrir or to harm Denmark’s interests in any way?
• Will Sebastian Osterfeldt continue to work for you?

The article ended as it appeared in the source.

Aqeel Abu Osama's comment

According to a search by Denmark 24, Aqeel Abu Osama's Facebook page shows a post in which he commented on a BT article: “If you are not working, they will come after you. If you are working, they will come after you. Haters will spread hatred, no matter what you do. It is not about me or you as individuals, but about the beliefs you hold and live by. Never be fooled, and stand firm! Video(s) coming soon 🙏,” as shown in the screenshot below.