HSBC employees fired after video shows mock Islamic State-style killing

The video was made by the employees on a team building day and was posted online before deleting it.

The “assassins” laugh and joke as a colleague, who has been named as Saf Ahmed, kneels down to be “executed”.

Sickening footage that emerged Monday showed five HSBC workers in the United Kingdom pretending to decapitate a co-worker while screaming out “Allahu Akbar” – which means “God is greater” in Arabic.

The film was posted on Instagram.

The employees who were involved in the video were fired by HSBC and the company offered an apology, via a statement and tweet, according to CNN Money.

However, a bank spokeswoman declined to respond to a Legal Cheek request that HSBC clarify whether the dismissed six were indeed employed in the legal team – as reported initially by The Sun newspaper – and whether they were lawyers.

One clutched a coat hanger as a fake knife while another held Mr Ahmed by the shoulders. A source said: “It’s shocking they would think this is amusing”. As soon as The Sun brought this video to our attention we took the decision to sack the individuals involved.

On the “Our Values” page of its website, HSBC Chief Executive Stuart Gulliver says: “By setting the highest standards of behavior our aim is that all of our employees and customers can be proud of our business”.