Mullah who’s not mad enough

By Stephen Rigley

Daily Star, 13 July 2005

A fiery Islamic cleric due to preach in London 17 days after the terror attacks has been blasted by Muslims for being “too liberal.”

But Professor Tariq Ramadan’s views are nothing compared to the hate-fulled rants of a string of mad mullahs already in our midst.

Yesterday a row erupted after it emerged Prof Ramadan will preach to young Muslims later this month at taxpayers’ expense.

The Egyptian-born Swiss citizen, 44, has been banned from entering the US and France for allegedly backing terrorism.

But his £9,000 visit to the capital’s Islamic’s Cultural Centre on July 24 is being funded through Scotland Yard and the Association of Chief Police Officers.

Last night the centre’s publication manager Abdul Haq al-Ashanti, 28, said: “Professor Ramadan is not an extremist or militant at all, in fact he’s the complete opposite. He is a real liberal, in fact he is too liberal and I don’t agree with him.”

But there still are plenty of vicious mullahs in our country. They include:

ABU QATADA – accused of being Osama bin Laden’s “spiritual ambassador” to Europe. The Jordanian cleric, 44, arrived in Britain in 1993 and claimed asylum. He was arrested in 2001. Videos of his inflammatory speeches were found in the Hamburg flat of Mohamed Atta, leader of the 9/11 hijackers.

SHEIKH OMAR BAKRI MOHAMMED – The Syrian-born 46-year-old caused outrage by urging young British Muslims to become terrorists.

ABU DOHA – Algerian who has been accused of conspiring with Osama bin Laden to blow up Los Angeles airport on Millennium Eve.

ABDULLAH EL-FAISAL – 39-year-old toured UK urging followers to kill Jews, Hindus, non-believers and Americans.