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February 7, 2008

UK: Muslim Groups Angered By Qaradawi's Visa Ban

On January 27, 2008, it was revealed that that senior civil servants in the Home Office and the Foreign Office had urged ministers to allow Yusuf al-Qaradawi to come to Britain. 81-year old Qaradawi, spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, has called for Americans in Iraq to be killed, and has given his approval for Israeli civilians to be killed in suicide attacks. Because of his uncompromising views he has been banned from entering the United States since 1999.

On January 30 a heated exchange took place in the House of Commons, where Tory leader David Cameron questioned prime minister Gordon Brown if he would confirm or deny that that Qaradawi would be allowed entry to Britain. Brown was unable to give a clear answer and was subjected to howls of derision from the opposition.

Cameron said: "Keeping our streets safe means tackling terrorism. Now, two months ago I identified and named specifically in this house a number of preachers of hate who should not be allowed into this country. So, will the Prime Minister confirm that the Government has accepted this as well, and he won't be allowing Yusuf al-Qaradawi into Britain. Yes or no?"

Brown answered: "Mr Speaker. An announcement will be made on that very soon. I, I, I have - I have - I have to tell him - I have to tell him that we don't expel people from this country other than through proper judicial processes... We are not slow to expel people who should not be in this country. The fact of the matter - The fact of the matter is - We have got to go through the proper judicial processes and he for one should appreciate that."

Cameron pressed the prime minister, and Brown replied: "Mr Speaker... Mr Speaker - In 2006 a decision was made not to exclude him. We are looking at that again. He has applied to come into this country. A decision will be made in due course. I have to say it's got to go through the proper judicial processes. But he has not been allowed into this country at this stage."

This morning, the Home office announced that Qaradawi, who lives in Qatar and is said to be in need of hospital treatment, would not be allowed into Britain. The news is carried by Reuters, the Times, Guardian, Telegraph, AFP, BBC, In the News and IRNA.

As Iran does not comply with international law, the copyright of its state-sponsored "Islamic Republic News Agency" is not worth observing, so its report is here reproduced in full.

UK Islamic organization condemns ban on Qaradawi

The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has condemned the UK government's decision to refuse a visa to renowned Egyptian scholar Yusuf al-Qaradawi, warning it would send the wrong message about the country's traditional right to free speech.

The MCB, the UK's largest Muslim umbrella group with over 500 affiliates, said it recognized Prime Minister Gordon Brown has been "under immense pressure from the pro-Zionist and neo-conservative lobby in recent weeks to take this decision.

It is regrettable that the government has finally given way to these unreasonable demands spearheaded by the Tory leader (David Cameron) whose government had in fact allowed Dr Qaradawi to visit the UK five times between 1995-97," it said.

MCB secretary general Abdul Bari said that the Islamic scholar, who has been outspoken in support the right of Palestinians to resist Israeli occupation, enjoyed "unparalleled respect and influence throughout the Muslim world."

"I am afraid this decision will send the wrong message to Muslims everywhere about the state of British society and culture. Britain has had a long and established tradition of free speech, debate and intellectual pursuit," Bari said.

He said the principles of free speech were worth defending, especially as British government has claimed, it would like to see them spread throughout the world.

The ban from entering Britain comes after a sustained campaign over several years, led by the Zionist lobby. The sheikh, who lives in Qatar and has written over 50 books, previously has been a frequent visitor.

Muhammad Abdul Bari's blatant hypocrisy is not unexpected. He claims to uphold freedom of speech, but his group, the Muslim Council of Britain, argued against the freedom for Danish cartoons to be published. Bari is chairman of the East London Mosque, and when this building was opened in 2004 he invited Abdurrahman Sudeis, imam of the Grand Mosque at Mecca, to the inauguration. Sudeis has said of Jews that "There should be no peace with the rats of the world.' He has called them the scum of the human race, offspring of apes and pigs.

When questioned about this by John Ware of the BBC in 2005, Bari responded by pretending that Sudeis had never made these statements. He said: "No, I know, you are mentioning... you are saying facts but we have a question whether these are facts."

Another group slammed the decision to deny Qaradawi a visa entry to Britain. This is the British Muslim Initiative (BMI). This group was described by Charles Moore in the Spectator of November 25, 2006 as being "an offshoot of Respect, the party represented in parliament by George Galloway". Moore compared the BMI to the BNP. According to blog Harry's Place, BMI is a "clerical fascist Muslim Brotherhood front group" that broke its British "charity" status conditions by endorsing Ken Livingstone as a candidate for London's mayor.

When David Cameron called for Qaradawi to be banned from Britain, the BMI wrote on its website that his request was "gravely misguided and ill-informed". Now, after the ban has been announced, BMI has issued a statement that includes the following: "The British Muslim Initiative (BMI) regards this decision disgusting and outrageous carried out to appease a few high-ranking pro-Zionists in the Department of Communities and Local Government and right-wing politicians and media."
 
BMI President Muhammad Sawalha said, 'We would have to go as far back as the Medieval Age when scholars were hounded and vilified in order to find a similar retrograde decision.'"

The decision was made, states a Home Office spokesperson, because: "The UK will not tolerate the presence of those who seek to justify any acts of terrorist violence or express views that could foster inter-community violence."

But Sawalha, president of the BMI, is not someone who usually cares about community violence when it concerns Israelis. Investigations by John Ware showed that Sawalha was a former fundraiser for Hamas. He was known on the West Bank by the code name Abu Abada.

In 1992, Sawalha received a Hamas operative into his house and gave him funds to distribute to the terror group in the Palestinian territories. This man, Mohammed Salah, had arrived from the US, and was en route to the Palestinian territories.

According to BBC journalist John Ware (video): "In 1992... With Sawalha's agreement Salah began distributing about a quarter of a million dollars to local Hamas operatives. Some was ear marked for military activities. Some for missionary dawah. More money was in the pipe line from his bank in Chicago." Mohammed Salah was arrested by the Israeli authorities in March 1993 and was jailed. He mentioned Abu Abada in his interrogation.

Hamas is a Muslim Brotherhood-founded group, and Sawalha is a senior member of the Muslim Brotherhood-founded Muslim Association of Britain (MAB). The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), of which Muhammad Abdul Bari is the secretary general, was also co-founded by leading Muslim Brotherhood member Kemal el-Helbawy.

If there is anything "disgusting and outrageous" about the banning of Qaradawi, it is the odious and hypocritical complaints by Britain's senior self-appointed Muslim "representatives". These claim to represent "moderate Islam" when in reality they support Islamism, a political ideology that seeks to undermine the West.

Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at February 7, 2008 9:42 AM

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