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July 12, 2006

Lebanon: Views Of An Islamist, Omar Bakri Mohammed

We last detailed the rantings of Omar Bakri Mohammed in any depth in November, after he had fled to Lebanon after leaving Britain. He is no longer able to return to Britain, where his family (including seven children) remain in a large detached house, on welfare payments.

A computer specialist, Bakri had started off by being the first head of Hizb ut-Tahrir in Britain, and had then gone on to found the radical group Al-Muhajiroun, which was disbanded in October 2004. He subsequently took the main members of Al-Muhajiroun under his wing again as they set up new groups, Al Ghurabaa and the Saved/Saviour Sect. He acted as their "spiritual leader."

Following his exile to Lebanon, members of his flock, including Anjem Choudary had followed, and before their deportation from that country, they had tried to help him set up a madrassa.

Though in exile since the start of August 2005, Bakri's words and opinions were still being disseminated via the Al Ghurabaa website, where he would make comments such as "The martyrdom operations in Palestine are so beautiful."

When Bakri spoke in November, the riots were going on in France and had started to spread to adjacent countries. He spoke then that Britain was "missing" him, and warned that there would be Paris-style riots if the UK government's anti-terror laws were brought in.

He said of the detention orders initially envisaged by the bill: "Ninety days is not the right direction and it shows how much decline there has been in Britain for human rights since July. I'm afraid it will happen again and again unless they [the Government] listen. Ninety days will create more hatred and more isolation, so more people will go underground. There could be more acts of terrorism and maybe even an uprising like in France."

"Too much pressure became a revolution in France. This could spread to Britain unless they stop pressuring people. They have said enough is enough. You can't be labelled extremists without this happening. People become angry. Britain should take lessons and not put pressure on the Muslim community. What happened in Birmingham could spread over the UK. White people in the UK should say 'No, not in our name: stop it!'"

Bakri, who previously had described the 9/11 terrorists as "the magnificent 19", had also said in November that the UK authorities had "orchestrated" the deportation from Lebanon of his followers: "They want to isolate me from the whole world, but 'c'est la vie!' I hope I can return to visit my family. I have funds being sent to me thanks to my brothers and sisters in the Muslim community. It doesn't matter how much they have sent, it's the sentiment and values that people care about you. You can't ignore how much I have given to the Muslim community over 20 years. I did my best and people appreciate that."

There was a note of self-pity: "I'm not able to get a job in Lebanon, I'm rejected. Whenever I try to start a business the authorities close it down because the British Government make a noise, but what can I do?"

"I think Britain is missing me already. Maybe I have ideas you don't like, but multi-cultural society needs to have extremes like me. I have to laugh."

"We are on the ground of the youth and we know how they feel. Who else can hold the youth back? Tony Blair is not a chief. Who can hold back the Muslim youth except people like me who can cool the problem. We are the solution, not the problem."

Now, Bakri has given a new interview, to Asharq Al-Aswat. He still dreams of establishing an Islamic state in Britain, a notion which has been kept alive in leaflets and propaganda produced by his former proteges, the Saved/Saviour Sect.

Previously, Bakri had issued a "fatwa", which said that "those who inform (authorities) of the mujahideen are dissidents of Islam."

Asked about this, he responded: "Providing the British or US police or any other security services of nonbelievers with information on Muslims, whether they are mujahideen who fight for the sake of God or ordinary Muslims, is forbidden from the Islamic Shariah perspective. It is a major act of disbelief and he who commits this is considered a dissident of Islam, because it falls within the framework of supporting disbelievers over Muslims."

He said: "It is religiously prohibited for people like me to return to the United Kingdom, because this would fall within the framework of offering oneself as captive. Islam prohibits Muslims from allowing themselves to become captives of nonbelievers."

He spoke about how he is now "closer" the the Islamic trend in the UK, and offered this advice: "I advise the British Muslim youth in general and my dear students in particular not to mix with the ignorant British society and not to isolate themselves from people. They must actively preach the word of God; promote virtue and prevent vice; publicly reveal God's orders; stay away from nonbelievers and their customs, practices, and laws; and adhere to the teachings of the Quran and of Prophet Mohammed by understanding the goodness of our ancestors."

Echoing views expressed before in sermons, and printed in leaflets by the Saved/Saviour Sect, Bakri spoke of the rule of Sharia in Britain: "I believe that one day honest Muslims in the United Kingdom will, God willing, turn it into "Islamistan," like what the first Muslims did in Eritrea and Indonesia. The great dream of Islam will come true. Muslims dream to see flags that read: "There is no god but Allah" fluttering in the wind on top of Big Ben and the House of Commons, God willing."

He says that Islamic preachers and scholars are what prevents Britain from having violence: "There is no doubt that the disappearance, imprisonment, and expulsion of most Muslim scholars and preachers will make the United Kingdom an insecure state that is susceptible to those who believe in the need to fight it, because of its participation with the United States in the international crusade against Islam and the Muslims."

Some of Bakri's views could be considered harmless, but others have created anger. Shortly after Beslan, and before Al-Muhajiroun became disbanded under pressure from the UK government, he justified the act of taking school children hostage in an Islamic siege.

In the Telegraph of 5 September, 2004, he said of such an incident: "If an Iraqi Muslim carried out an attack like that in Britain, it would be justified because Britain has carried out acts of terrorism in Iraq. As long as the Iraqi did not deliberately kill women and children, and they were killed in the crossfire, that would be okay."

Syrian-born Bakri came to Britain from Saudi Arabia in 1985, after he was deported from that country for being a member of a banned group. Britain, then under Mrs Thatcher, allowed him to stay as an asylum seeker, and remained for 20 years. In 2005, Bakri was due to have an angioplasty in St Thomas' hospital, London, but flew to Lebanon, ostensibly to see his mother, who lived there. He was banned from returning, during his absence.

Born in 1958, he had been a member of the Muslim Brotherhood in his youth in Syria. He moved to Saudi Arabia in 1983, where he set up Al-Muhajiroun with others. Al-Muhajiroun was a cover for the group Hizb ut-Tahrir, which is banned in Saudi Arabia and most of the Middle East.

In April, 2004, he said: "We don't make a distinction between civilians and non-civilians, innocents and non-innocents. Only between Muslims and unbelievers. And the life of an unbeliever has no value. It has no sanctity."

Then, he spoke of Britain becoming an Islamist state: "Yes, it's my dream. I believe one day that is going to happen. Because this is my country, I like living here......I've been arrested 16 times. And 16 times freed, because they have nothing against me. These are the contradictions of laws made by man. If they believe in democracy, who are they afraid of? Let Omar Bakri benefit from democracy!"

In the same interview, given to Publica, a Lisbon-based magazine, he said there were several "freelance" militant groups in Europe, such as al-Qaeda London, prepared to launch attacks similar to those carried out by the al-Qaeda network.

15 months later, on 7th July 2005, his prediction was proved right.

Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at July 12, 2006 8:27 PM

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