"Controversial" Muslim cleric?

Do read to the end of this piece...


The BBC are reporting that "The controversial Muslim cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi has been refused a visa to visit Britain. The Home Office said the UK would not tolerate the presence of those who seek to justify acts of terrorist violence."

Finally; took the Labour government long enough didn't it...


The report has the usual suspects sounding off:

"Reacting to the decision, the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) called it deplorable, and said the government had caved in to unreasonable demands spearheaded by the leader of the Conservative Party, David Cameron.

Inayat Bunglawala of the MCB said the decision had "worrying implications for freedom of speech". "Whatever one may think of some of Qaradawi's views, the way forward is surely to allow them to be aired and then, if appropriate, to challenge them openly."

"This decision will send the wrong message to Muslims everywhere about the state of British society and culture", said Muhammad Abdul Bari, secretary-general of the Muslim Council. He said Dr Al-Qaradawi was respected as a scholar throughout the Islamic world."

The campaigning group, the British Muslim Initiative described the ban as "disgusting and outrageous" and said it was "an unwarranted insult to British Muslims and all Muslims around the world"."



The Independent, friend of the Muslims and enemy of Israel, has a blog that includes this section "like it or not, Qaradawi isn't really seen to be all that radical by many and has, until now, been allowed into the country a number of times before. Although Qaradawi is very much a conservative jurist, he is also seen to be one of the more progressive conservatives who has shown reformist tendencies and tried to marry traditionalist Islamic ideals with the modern world. He has in the past supported suicide bombings in Israel but has equally been vocal in condemning other terrorist atrocities such as 9/11 and the Madrid bombings."

Let's examine that more closely... Qaradawi is apparently a conservative but a progressive conservative with reformist tendencies - a few examples would be appreciated.

But the piece de resistance is the last sentence "He has in the past supported suicide bombings in Israel but has equally been vocal in condemning other terrorist atrocities such as 9/11 and the Madrid bombings."
I think the point being made here is that as he only supports suicide bombings in Israel, not "the occupied territories" but Israel, then that is OK because Israel and Israelis don't really matter.