Yes, it’s Taj Hargey – just the sort of “Muslim cleric” who finds favour with the Daily Mail, which devotes a major puff-piece to him. Regarding representative Muslim organisations, Hargey assures his interviewer: “These people are religious fascists. The view that Islam is incompatible with British society is something that the Muslim Council of Britain and their hangers-on have promulgated.”

No doubt Hazel Blears will approve of this too. Surely it can only be a matter of time before Hargey finds himself the recipient of the sort of government largesse presently enjoyed by the Quilliam Foundation.

Speaking of whom, the latest witch-hunting “media alert” from Ed Husain and Maajid Nawaz is directed against the Islam Channel, which the Quilliam Foundation accuses of promoting extremism. Among the “extremists” Quilliam objects to this popular TV station giving a platform to is Inayat Bunglawala! Perhaps the next Quilliam press release will be headed “Comment is Free and the promotion of extremism”.

It really is a disgrace that this unpleasant sect, headed by a couple of embittered and and malicious ex-HTers, is supplied with large sums of taxpayers’ money – £1 million according to one estimate – to pursue its vindictive, divisive campaign against mainstream Muslim organisations and individuals.

Update:  See also “Quilliam stooges target the Islam Channel” at Engage, 30 April 2009