Britain Bars Militant Muslim Cleric From Returning (NYT)

NYT ^ | Aug 12, 2005 | Sarah Lyall

[summer]

Sheik Mohammed has been portrayed in British newspapers as an incarnation of malice, suggesting he fled Britain in haste as the new restrictions closed in on him.

LONDON, Aug. 12 - Britain said today that it would bar Sheik Omar Bakri Mohammed, a London-based Syrian cleric, from returning to the country from Lebanon. Sheik Mohammed, known for his incendiary anti-Western views, was granted asylum by Britain some 20 years ago and has lived here ever since....

Human-rights groups and British Muslims have attacked the move to deport the 10 foreigners, saying they feared they would be sent to countries where they faced abuse, torture and death sentences, in contravention of European human-rights laws. But today, Lord Falconer, the lord chancellor and Britain's highest judicial official, defended the planned deportations, saying that the risk of deportees' being abused abroad had to be weighed against the possible threat they posed to Britain....

Sheik Mohammed, the founder and vociferous leader of the British branch of the radical group Al Muhajiroun, drew the attention of the British authorities after delivering sermons praising the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States and calling for British Muslims to join an anti-West Islamic jihad....

A spokesman for Sheik Mohammed said the British move was "completely outrageous" and a violation of free speech. But Inayat Bunglawala, a spokesman for the Muslim Council of Britain, said Sheik Mohammed was "unlikely to be missed by the vast majority of British Muslims."

"He is someone who for 20 years was given shelter by this country and he has spent almost all that time vilifying this country and its values," Mr. Bungalawala told the BBC. "With his often very offensive remarks, he has contributed toward the demonization of British Muslims."

[johnnyBbad]

The Syrians, Saudis and Jordanians don't want him but the Brits take him in. Unbelievable! And then they wonder how they got to where they are today....

Socialism and political correctness will be the death of the West.

[summer]

Bastard's on welfare and his supporters regularly refer to his "free speech" rights.

Yeah, I was amazed to learn he was getting money from UK welfare, while he spewed all his hate against the UK. And, would even get paid while in Lebanon! Some deal he was getting there from the UK.

[BunnySlippers]

I did read that. But I think barring him from the country stops his checks.

[America's Resolve]

Maybe I missed it, but where did he go?

The Brits started talking about deporting pigs like him to arab countries including jordan, where he's under a death sentence, so he beat feet to Lebanon.

They don't like him either, so they've arrested him :)

[America's Resolve]

Oh. PS. His mum lives in Lebanon, thats why.

Funny, I never think about these bas***** having mums. She ought to be throttled for raising a monster like this.

[summer]

Lebanon arrested him, but I think today it was reported they let him go (for now at least).

[Blind Eye Jones]

I think they should tempt Osama Bin Laden with welfare from England. Laden could move from Pakistan to England and finance the world jihad with welfare checks! The fighters in Iraq will be cashing their welfare checks and, my God, they do look tough standing in line!

[Ronin]

It's taken the Brits a lot longer than I expected to get off the dime here, but now that they have, I am very pleasantly surprised.