Posted on 01/16/2005 5:15:33 PM PST by HAL9000
Omar Bakri Mohammed, banned from many British mosques, is issuing a call to arms to a committed audienceAN EXTREMIST London cleric is using live broadcasts on the internet to urge young British Muslims to join al- Qaeda and has condoned suicide terrorist attacks Omar Bakri Mohammed, who has lived in the UK for 18 years on social security benefits, pledged allegiance to Osama bin Laden and told his followers that they were in a state of war with Britain.
The Times monitored Mr Bakri Mohammed’s nightly webcasts in which he declared that the “covenant of security” under which Muslims live peacefully in the UK had been “violated” by the Government’s tough anti-terrorist legislation, The Syrian-born radical said: “I believe the whole of Britain has become Dar ul-Harb (land of war). In such a state, he added, “the kuffar (non-believer) has no sanctity for their own life or property.”
In his broadcasts, conducted through an internet chatroom, Mr Bakri Mohammed stopped short of calling for terrorist attacks in Britain. But he said that Muslims should join the jihad “wherever you are” and told one woman that she was permitted to become a suicide bomber.
Mr Bakri Mohammed, 46, has indefinite leave to remain in the UK but could be detained without trial under the Anti-Terrorism Crime and Security Act if the Home Secretary were to decide he is a terrorist associate.
Last Monday he told his listeners: “Al-Qaeda and all its branches and organisations of the world, that is the victorious group and they have the emir and you are obliged to join. There is no need . . . to mess about.” Two nights later he said that the voices of dead Mujahidin were calling young Britons to fight. “These people are calling you and shouting to you from far distant places: al jihad, al jihad. They say to you my dear Muslim brothers, ‘Where is your weapon, where is your weapon?’ Come on to the jihad,” he said.
The cleric is regarded as a fringe extremist by mainstream Muslims and is banned from preaching at many mosques. But every night he is using internet forums to reach an audience of between 60 and 70 committed listeners, most of whom are under 30.
He lectures for 90 minutes and his audience responds enthusiastically, typing questions about jihad and suicide bombing which are answered verbally. An announcement last October that Mr Bakri Mohammed had disbanded his al-Muhajiroun movement was welcomed. But it appears that he has regrouped and is delivering a more hardline message through the internet and at secretive meetings.
Speaking directly to The Times, Mr Bakri Mohammed denied that he was calling for violent action in the UK. He said his definition of Britain as Dar ul-Harb was “theoretical”.
He added: “It means that Muslims can no longer be considered to have sanctity and security here, therefore they should consider leaving this country and going back to their homelands. Otherwise they are under siege and obviously we do not want to see that we are living under siege.”
The alternative to leaving was to put pressure on the Government to review its anti-terrorist laws, he said, and that the definition of jihad took many forms and not simply military activity. He also denied that he was inciting others to commit acts of violence.
Andrew Dismore, a Labour MP who has long campaigned against Mr Bakri Mohammad’s extremism, said: “With these words he may well be committing offences under the Terrorism Act and other legislation. I will be raising this immediately with the Home Secretary and the Metropolitan Police.”
WAR OF WORDS
“If I am living under a system, Islam allows me to take the benefit that system offers.”
August 1998 on accepting social security benefits
“What happened was a direct consequence of the evil foreign policy of the USA. This is compensation and payback for its own atrocities against Muslims.”
September 2001 on 9/11 attacks
“I am very happy today. As much as I regret the innocent people who passed away, with the USA you must pay.”
September 2001 on 9/11 attacks
“We don’t want to see a September 11 in the UK and I think the British public should take these threats very seriously.”
February 2003 on danger of terror attacks in Britain
“I can sense there is frustration in the hearts of the youth and they want action. I can see from debates and talking to people on the internet that there are many people abroad wanting to attack Britain.”
February 2003 on anger among Muslim youth
“You must fight for the way of Allah, for the sake of Allah, to kill first and to be killed.”
March 2004 address to followers in Derby
“What happened in Madrid is all revenge. Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, life for life.”
March 2004 referring to the Madrid train bombings
“Martyrdom is what you want. Do the effort. Clear your intention. Go forward, never look backwards. Make sure you have nothing left behind you to think about or cry for and fight in the name of Allah.”
April 2004 addressing followers in East London
How long can incitement to commit mass murder go unchecked?
The Brits will surrender.
Yes, I'm wondering at what point guys like this just start disappearing. Why do we fund the CIA, again?
Agreed.
Hey Britain! .308
What a nice fellow. Hope he gets rubber poisoning from a passing bus very soon.
Isn't that special! They ought to let the monarchy run the place the way things are going. At least it would be England again.
If the Islamicist has its terrorist, maybe the decent, law abiding members of peaceful society needs its vigilante.
Many a peaceful citizen of Western society has felt the fear of terrorism. Maybe it's time for the terrorist to fear the Western society's citizen response.
We are not sheep. We are simply outraged. If the terrorist is willing to die for its beliefs, we are willing to kill that terrorist. No one else needs to die.
I like it! I think the Queen should step up and take over the Government. Then I think she ought to put Prince Phillip the Royal Consort over the Army. He's been waiting his whole life to kick... some... ass.
I am not philosophically opposed to vigilantism. But this is dangerous talk... you know that, don't you?
Oh... as long as genocidal maniacs are protected by liberals.
Obviously, you are not a student of history.
If anyone is going to lead the global fight against Islamic terrorism - it will be the Brits or Israel in first / second place.
America will have to suffer through another tragedy or two before mainstream Joe and Jane have had enough - and tell the liberals / DemoRats to shut the hell up.
America will be in third place in the global war, coming to a theater near you - soon, on Islam-O-Extremism.
Third place or better?
Depends on how the next election or two go.
LVM
It's just that people like the Iman feel free to spout off and say any incindiary thing they want to without fear of consequence. They operate below the bounds of society with its rules and regulations. They feel free to threaten without fear of being threatened.
Peaceful, official Western society has its official ways to deal with people like the Iman, but then there's the rest of us...the people who actually take the hits, are blown up by car bombs, truck bombs, etc. We are the ones who are being threatened and since we end up being the victims of these threats, sometimes I think it's best to remind the good Iman who he's messing with.
We are the majority and we really don't have to put up with crap like that.
'I don't want you to join me, I want you to join bin Laden'
Hmmm...I guess I should have said "cleric" rather than "Iman". A "terrorist" is a "terrorist" is a "terrorist"...
Omar Bakri Mohammed, who has lived in the UK for 18 years on social security benefits.....
Ah, the wonders of the welfare state...
Yea, the answer to the the Brits problem of Islamic immigration is to disarm native population and make sure only the criminals have guns ...
,,, like history's got total franchise on predictability. Britain's paying someone welfare to effectively commit treason and they're at the cutting edge of fighting terrorism? I'll put my money on Israel to coax this guy's brains out of his head with an Uzi and leave them all over a lane in suburban London before I finish this paragraph.
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