MP Khalid Mahmood calls for tougher controls on Muslim schools and security checks on imams

The number of extremists known to the security forces is only "the tip of the iceberg", Birmingham MP Khalid Mahmood has warned.

He called for tougher controls on Islamic schools known as madrassahs, to ensure they are not promoting extremist beliefs, and said teachers of Islam, known as imams, should be subject to security checks.

Mr Mahmood, the Labour MP for Perry Barr, was speaking as MPs debated changing the law to prevent people convicted of terrorism offences being released from jail half-way through their sentence.

It follows a terrorist incident near London Bridge last year in which two people were killed, an an attack in Streatham on February 2. In both cases, the perpetrators had been automatically released from jail part way through serving a sentence.

Mr Mahmood said some violent extremists might consider themselves Muslims but they practiced a "misguided version of Islam". He said: "They do not practise Islam; they practise what they believe is Islam. Islam in itself is a peaceful religion." [Birmingham Mail] Read more

Preacher who inspired Streatham terror attack peddling jihad from behind bars

Hundreds of sermons preached by the Islamist cleric who inspired the men who carried out the terrorist attacks in Streatham and on London Bridge in November are available on a website that allows his followers to communicate in private chatrooms, the Observer has established.

Abdullah al-Faisal, who was born into an evangelical Christian family in Jamaica and spent many years in Britain, has become one of the most successful propagandists for al-Qaida and Islamic State.

Sudesh Amman, 20, who was shot dead by police last week after coming out of prison for terrorism offences, had copies of Faisal’s speeches, the Times reported.

The newspaper also said that Usman Khan, 28, who fatally stabbed two Cambridge graduates near London Bridge last November, had the cleric’s number in his mobile phone when he was arrested over his links to a plot to bomb the London Stock Exchange in December 2010. [The Guardian] Read more

Tory inquiry imam in free-speech row

A leading imam appointed by Theresa May to conduct a government inquiry into Islamophobia faced calls to stand down last night after he was accused of questioning free speech.

Qari Asim, the imam at the Makkah mosque in Leeds, was appointed to the government’s Islamophobia panel last July to help create a definition of anti-Muslim hatred.

However, a tape has emerged in which Asim told an interfaith workshop in September 2018 that, while Muslims “cherish free speech”, some want exceptions in instances where something is “distasteful to Muslims or they find it offensive”, particularly where it concerns the prophet Muhammad.

In his presentation, Asim suggested that some Muslims argue “we can have exceptions to the freedom of speech, on the basis of their being some words or some actions being offensive or distasteful”. [The Times (£)] Read more

Streatham terror attacker devoted to ‘sheikh’ who inspired London Bridge killer

The jihadist who stabbed two shoppers had boasted of trying to join Islamic State and was devoted to a notorious preacher who inspired another convicted terrorist behind a similar knife attack.

Sudesh Amman was shot dead by police on Sunday after going on the rampage in Streatham, south London, ten days after being released from prison.

The attack had remarkable similarities to that carried out by Usman Khan, 28, another former prisoner who fatally stabbed two Cambridge graduates at London Bridge last November before he was shot by police.

Both men are linked to Sheikh Abdullah el-Faisal, who has been accused of inspiring hundreds of jihadists, including the 7/7 bombers who killed 52 people in London in 2005. [The Times (£)] Read more

Afghan religious clerk warns to punish women who disregard Islamic Hijab

An Afghan religious clerk in western Herat province has started a widespread campaign, urging women to wear Islamic Hijab – a large headscarf – and has ordered his followers to punish those who disregard it.

Mujeeb Rahman Ansari, a popular Islamic extremist and a religious clerk in the western Herat province installed dozens of billboards and signboards around the city, targeting Afghan women, urging them to wear Islamic Hijab.

During several public speeches, Ansari called on his followers to apply Sharia rules on anyone who disregards the rules determined by him and his followers and ‘not to wait for the government’ in such instances.

Abdul Qayoum Rahimi, the governor of Herat was earlier questioned by a local media outlet about Ansari’s movement in Herat province, wherein Rahimi said he is not going to confront Mawlavi Mujeeb Rahman Ansari as they are being good friends. [Khaama Press News Agency] Read more

This is why they killed them

Archaeologists have yet to uncover the mosques used by Native Americans. Perhaps the Zionists destroyed them before they could be found. One day though, Allah willing, the truth will emerge...

Sheikh Salem Salameh, member of Hamas Legislative Council and Deputy Head of the Palestine Islamic Scholars Association [!] on Lebanese TV:

"We warn the Muslims of what U.S. President Washington himself warned. [Washington] killed the Indians and the Muslims, because the Indians and the owners of that land were Muslims. It has been proven that they were Muslims, and that they had mosques. This is why they killed them... The [U.S.] is a murderous state that assists murderers. It helps those who have killed the prophets, the holy men, the women and the innocent children. The [Americans] give them rulings permitting them to kill the [Palestinians]." [Mick Hartley] Read more

Brit Imam says Muslims should 'aspire to be like' Qassem Soleimani at London memorial

A British Imam told Muslims to 'aspire to be like Qassem Soleimani' at a memorial in London for the top Iranian general.

Trump ordered the killing of Soleimani, head of the elite Quds Force and architect of Iran's spreading military influence in the Middle East, in an air strike on Friday at Baghdad airport.

Hundreds of thousands of Iranians gathered in Tehran's streets for the funeral and footage has shown a large crowd in London also mourning the death over the weekend.

The footage, which according to the Daily Star was taken outside the Islamic Centre of England in Maida Vale on January 3, shows an Imam labelling Soleimani a 'martyr' as supporters gather around with pictures of him. [Daily Mirror] Read more

Switzerland investigates Muslim preacher over welfare fraud

Switzerland-based Muslim preacher Abu Ramadan is under investigation for allegedly committing welfare fraud. He has also been investigated over hate speech.

.... The media reports say the former agronomist received more than CHF590,000 ($598,317) in social assistance between 2003 and 2017. He is accused of concealing income worth tens of thousands of francs that could have led to a lower allocation of welfare benefits. The sums relate to pilgrimages to Saudi Arabia that the preacher accompanied.

Ramadan is reportedly in contact with authorities to “clarify any misunderstandings” but declined making a comment to the press.

It is not the first time that the preacher of the Ar’Rahman Mosque in the western Swiss city of Biel has caused controversy.

The imam, originally from Libya, was investigated over hateful statements he allegedly made against Jews, Christians, Buddhists and Muslim Shiites while preaching. [swissinfo.ch] Read more

France Shuts Down Mosques and Schools Linked to Islamism in 15 Neighbourhoods

The French government has shut down mosques, schools, and associations linked to the spread of Islamist ideology in fifteen neighbourhoods across the country.

French Secretary of State for the Interior Laurent Nuñez announced the closure of 130 drinking establishments, 12 places of worship, three schools, and nine associations linked to radical Islamism on Friday, Le Parisien reports.

“We fight against political Islamism that suggests that the law of God is superior to that of the Republic,” he told French media. He added that in his view political Islamism should not be conflated with the religion of Islam more generally.

While Nuñez noted that the closures occurred in fifteen different neighbourhoods, he did not identify which specific neighbourhoods were affected by the closures. The closures come as part of the National Plan for the Prevention of Radicalization (PNPR). [Breitbart London] Read more

Support your local ruler

Political philosophy, Saudi style. Islamic scholar and university lecturer Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Rays argues that a ruler should always be obeyed, no matter how evil he may be. Even if he abuses his power, steals money, commits adultery, drinks alcohol, and engages in homosexual acts. Because - you know - he's a ruler. That's how society works.

But what if the ruler, say, arranges for a critic of his rule to be slaughtered and dismembered in an embassy in a foreign country?

Not a problem. [Mick Hartley] Read more

Germany: Imams will have to prove they speak the language

The German Cabinet has introduced a draft of a bill that would require clergy from countries outside the EU to prove their knowledge of German in order to reside in the country, .

Although the law would apply to clerics from all religions, the coalition treaty signed by the German government specifically refers to Muslim preachers.

"We expect foreign imams to be able to speak German," an Interior Ministry spokesperson confirmed on Wednesday.

The bill would change current residency and labor ordinances by requiring foreign clerics to prove within a year of arriving in Germany that they understand enough German to discuss key topics such as family, shopping, work, and their immediate surroundings. Prior to that, proof of a basic understanding of German would suffice.

The draft states that "for religious reasons, clerics often take on an influential role in their communities" that requires them to act as models and counselors in a way that facilitates peaceful cooperation between different cultures and religions as well as a successful integration of immigrants to Germany. [Deutsche Welle] Read more

Muslim preachers must speak German to work in the country under proposed law

All imams who work in Germany will in future have to prove they can speak the German language, under a draft law for religious leaders introduced by the government.

The bill, which passed cabinet on Wednesday, means that foreign preachers will only be granted work visas if they can demonstrate basic German. They would then need to show improvements in their language skills after a year in order to prolong their stay.

Although it applies to all religious preachers, the coalition treaty signed by the German government - which includes the rule - specifically refers to imams.

Interior Minister Horst Seehofer hailed it as “a vital contribution for successful integration in Germany.” The government justified the move by saying that imams have a central role to play as models of integration for other immigrants, who often turn to mosques for help when they first arrive. [The Telegraph] Read more

Sweden expels imams and associates, citing radicalisation concerns

Sweden has decided to expel six detained Muslim extremists from the Scandinavian country who “contribute to Islamist radicalisation and pose threats to the security of the kingdom”.

The six men, who are described by the government as central figures in the radical Islamist environment, were taken into custody during the Security Police offensive last spring.

They include Gävle mosque’s imam Abo Raad and his 34-year-old son Raad Al-Duhan, as well as four others with connection to the imam have been detained for six months. Both are Iraqi and immigrated to Sweden 1997 and 1998 respectively.

They also include an Iraqi Imam in the eastern city of Umeå, who immigrated to Sweden in 1998 and a Russian resident of Gävle, who according to his own information, was former imam in his home country before he immigrated to Sweden in 2011.

Among the expelled included an Imam in Västerås city, who is stateless amd immigrated to Sweden in 2001 and a school leader in Western Sweden, an Egyptian citizen who immigrated to the country in 1998. [The National] Read more

LGBT lessons protester 'inflamed tensions' by inviting imam, court hears

The lead protester in the row over LGBT equality teaching has been accused of “inflaming tensions” by inviting a controversial imam who claimed anal sex, paedophilia and transgenderism were being taught in schools to a demonstration.

Shakeel Afsar, who has led a long campaign to halt the lessons, was questioned on the third day of a high court hearing to rule on whether an exclusion zone banning protests around Anderton Park primary school in Birmingham should be made permanent.

Video footage of the largest protest, when more than 300 people, including young children, gathered outside the Sparkhill school, showed the imam Mullah Bahm holding up an image of a gingerbread man with genitals.

Bahm shouted allegations that schools had an anal sex and paedophilia “agenda” and called for mass protests, saying there was a need to show “Muslims are not asleep” on this issue.

Jonathan Manning QC, representing Birmingham city council, highlighted other comments made by the imam, from Batley in West Yorkshire, including his description of Sarah Hewitt-Clarkson, the school’s headteacher, as “shatani” (devilish) saying: “That woman needs to be broken.” [The Guardian] Read more

Russian Muslim leaders encourage polygamy ‘to help women’

Muslim leaders in Russia have appealed for men to be allowed to have more than one wife to stop the spread of “sinfulness and fornication”.

Polygamy is illegal in Russia but Ildar Alyautdinov, the mufti of Moscow, said that allowing the custom in Muslim regions would help to tackle social problems. Polygamy is a broad term, however, also allowing women to have more than one husband. The mufti insisted that he was advocating polygyny, under which only husbands can have more than one spouse.

A state news agency reported that he said: “Legalising polygyny would guarantee women’s rights.” [The Times (£)] Read more

Legalizing Polygamy Will ‘Guarantee’ Women’s Rights in Russia, Moscow’s Muslim Leader Says

Russia can overcome its gender-related issues by legalizing polygamy, the leader of Moscow’s Muslims has said.

Polygamy, the practice of taking more than one spouse, is frowned upon by an overwhelming majority of Russians. While polygamy is not permitted under Russian law, it remains commonplace in the country’s predominantly Muslim republics of the North Caucasus.

“Legalizing polygamy would guarantee women’s rights,” Ildar Alyautdinov, the mufti of Moscow, was quoted as saying by the state-run RIA Novosti news agency Wednesday.

Pointing to official data that shows women outnumbering men by 10 million in Russia, he stressed the importance of a “legislative-level protective mechanism for women to become full-fledged second wives.”

“[Polygamy] will help solve many social woes. Additionally, there’d be much less sinfulness and fornication that’s spreading so rapidly,” Alyautdinov was quoted as saying. [The Moscow Times] Read more

London mosque where children groomed for terrorism gets interim manager

The Charity Commission has appointed at interim manager at an east London mosque where children were trained by a man convicted of terrorism offences.

Emergency measures were deemed necessary after court evidence revealed young people at the Ripple Road mosque in Barking were shown Isis videos by convicted extremist Umar Haque.

Boys at the mosque were said to ”traumatised” by the violent propaganda and role-playing training exercises.

Social services and police discovered Mr Haque had attempted to radicalise 55 children between the ages of 11 and 14 at after-school classes.

Mr Haque was jailed for life with a minimum of 25 years at the Old Bailey in March this year.

He was found to have planned gun and car bomb attacks designed to strike 30 high-profile targets in the capital - including Big Ben, the Queen’s Guard and Westfield shopping centre. [The Independent] Read more

Apple offers Muslim Brotherhood ‘radicalisation app’

Apple’s App Store is hosting an app linked to the Muslim Brotherhood despite experts’ concerns that it is a tool for radicalisation.

The Euro Fatwa app was created by the European Council for Fatwa and Research, an organisation founded by Yusuf al-Qaradawi, who is regarded as the unofficial chief ideologue of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Qaradawi, 92, has been banned from Britain, France and the US due to his extremist views, which have included expressing support for suicide bombers in Israel and regarding the Holocaust as “divine punishment” on the Jews.

The deliberations of his Dublin-based European council have included a reference to the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, a notorious antisemitic forgery.

According to The Media Line, a news agency, the introduction to the app included comments from Qaradawi saying: “Muslims became a disgrace to Islam and have acted similarly to the Jews who decreed it was correct to steal.” [The Times (£)] Read more

British Muslims like me have had enough of 'Abdullah from Bristols' speaking for us

I am tired of men like "Abdullah from Bristol" – the sexist so-called imam who appeared on the BBC televised leadership debate on Tuesday evening to raise the topic of Islamophobia, and asked the candidates whether they recognised that “words have consequences”. It was a thinly-veiled swipe at Boris Johnson, who has been widely condemned for a column in this newspaper in which he likened the appearance of women who wear the burqa to letterboxes.

Yet it has since transpired that Abdullah Patel's now-deleted Twitter account includes such unenlightened comments as: “Generally, men are the predators, but women need to realise this and be smarter. It takes 2 to tango and if you put yourself in that position, don’t expect every man to pass up the opportunity to take advantage of you”.

.... As a British Muslim, I cannot help but feel that rising hate crime is partly down to the fact that many Muslims – and particularly women – have been left isolated and unable to communicate in pockets of the country, as a direct result of the attitudes and influence of people like 'Abdullah from Bristol'.

The men who seek to uphold the burqa as something Islamic are not doing it for my faith but for power: power over women and girls, and power with which they can divide and rule their communities. We need to keep questioning and challenging men like Abdullah and we must be wary of those who use " Islamophobia" as a means to shut down much-needed conversations. [The Telegraph] Read more

Everything you need to know about row over Gloucestershire Imam who quizzed Boris Johnson and other Tory candidates on live TV

A Gloucestershire Iman sparked a major row after attacking Boris Johnson on TV on Tuesday night.

Reporters descended on Gloucester after it emerged that one of those chosen to question the five candidates competing to be the next Prime Minister had a history of controversial tweets.

This all you need to know about the row.

.... Mr Abdullah Patel appeared from the Bristol studios to ask the sixth question which was about Islamophobia.

He said anti-Islamic political rhetoric caused problems for his community and asked the candidates directly if he believed words had consequences.

.... Radio 5 Live host Nicky Campbell tweeted: “I would like to apologise. We had the imam from the BBC Tory leadership debate on our programme this morning. His social media comments have been extremely disturbing. We should have checked. We didn’t. I’m sorry.”

A BBC statement said: "We carried out background research into the online and social media profiles of all our questioners for last night's debate.

"Following the debate one individual reactivated a public Twitter account he had previously deactivated, whose tweets were not visible during our research period. [Gloucestershire Live] Read more