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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1783818/posts

Visting Muslim clerics 'preached hate'
Stuff.Co.Nz ^ | 2/13/07 | COLIN ESPINER and IAN STEWARD - The Press

Posted on 02/12/2007 9:47:55 PM PST by Pikamax

Two Muslim clerics who visited New Zealand at the invitation of local groups have been accused of promoting hate speech against gays, women and other religions.

Sheikh Khalid Yasin and Islamic scholar Bilal Phillips were shown in an undercover documentary screened on Britain's Channel 4 last month allegedly inciting hatred at a British mosque.

Yasin was invited to speak in Christchurch in May 2005 as a guest of the Muslim Association of Canterbury and Phillips toured the country last year giving lectures as a guest of the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand (Fianz).

He also spoke in Christchurch.

Last night there appeared to be conflict between the national body, which said it would not invite such clerics in future, and the Canterbury association, which said Yasin was a kind, tolerant person who it would have back.

In the British documentary, Yasin predicts that Jews will be exterminated on the Day of Judgment, advocates a subordinate role for women and claims Christian missionaries spread Aids by putting the virus in vaccines for tropical diseases such as malaria and yellow fever.

DVDs of American-born Yasin's speeches sold at Birmingham's Green Lane Mosque include the cleric urging his followers to stop mixing with Christians and Jews because they were being defiled and polluted by Western culture.

Yasin told Australian Nine Network's Sunday programme last month that gays and lesbians should be put on trial for immorality, "and if they are tried, convicted, they are punishable by death".

Phillips, who also preaches at the Birmingham mosque, was shown arguing it was permissible to marry off a nine-year-old girl because the Prophet Muhammad had done so.

He is also reported to have said that Western culture, led by the United States, was the enemy of Islam.

Details of the pair's New Zealand visits were revealed yesterday by Investigate magazine, which claimed the clerics also had links with al-Qaeda.

Fianz described the visit of Phillips to New Zealand in its newsletter as "very successful" and said it hoped to continue in the tradition of welcoming respected overseas Islamic scholars and speakers.

But Fianz president Javed Khan told The Press Fianz had had a rethink since Phillips's visit and would not be inviting him again.

"Hindsight is a good thing. We have become wiser in that regard and we have made a policy that if we are going to get somebody here we have to check on that person more closely before we invite them to come here," he said.

"We have decided to use our local talents rather than getting people from outside who may not have a proper understanding of the situation here."

Khan said Fianz was not aware of the background of the two scholars when they were invited to New Zealand.

He said the pair had not said anything controversial while in New Zealand.

"They came here and never said anything like they have been reported to have said previously."

Khan said Phillips's views on marriage to girls were "preposterous".

"I would not agree with him at all. I can't understand why he would approve of a nine-year-old girl getting married. In this day and age, that's just ridiculous," he said.

Yasin's promotion of the hatred of other races was also difficult to comprehend, since Muhammad had a treaty with the Jews and lived side by side with them.

"I would condemn what he says – that you should hate a person because of his faith or his race. There is no room for it," Khan said.

Muslim Association of Canterbury president Khalifa Alhasi said last night that the association had invited Yasin to speak and would gladly have him back because he was "a very kind, tolerant person".

"He was just speaking generally, explaining Islam and his experience of Islam," he said.

Alhasi said Yasin's alleged comments were surprising and were perhaps the product of the media.

Immigration Minister David Cunliffe said he would make inquiries into the allegations raised by Investigate, although he took anything written by the magazine "with a large grain of salt".