Muslims react to Hamza conviction - BBC Tuesday, 7 February 2006

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Muslims react to Hamza conviction

Tuesday, 7 February 2006

 

Muslim leaders have welcomed the conviction of controversial cleric

Abu Hamza al-Masri for inciting murder and stirring up racial

hatred.

 

Dr Ghayasuddin Siddiqui, leader of the Muslim Parliament of Great

Britain, said Abu Hamza was " an embarrassment to the Muslim

community " .

 

He was an " arrogant, illiterate person, with no knowledge of Islam " ,

he said.

 

But the chairman of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, Massoud

Shadjareh, said Abu Hamza had been " demonised " .

 

He said: " We are not surprised by the verdict. We were quite

concerned that it would be difficult to get a different verdict

because of the demonisation that took place before the hearing.

 

" He was demonised as the man with a hook or with one eye in a

pantomime-like fashion. "

 

Mr Shadjareh said the conviction of Abu Hamza, coming as it did only

days after BNP leader Nick Griffin was acquitted of two charges of

using words intended to stir up racial hatred, might increase the

perception in the Muslim community that freedom of speech was

selective.

 

" This is not to say that Abu Hamza was not a controversial figure

within the Muslim community but it does suggest that controversial

figures in one community might get treated differently than others, "

he added.

 

'Justice has been done'

 

But Imam Sajid, formerly of the Brighton Mosque, said justice had

been done and a criminal had been exposed.

 

Imam Sajid, who knows Abu Hamza, told the BBC the conviction sent a

clear signal.

 

" We don't want hate preachers on our soil in Britain, we want to

deal with them robustly, " he said.

 

" He has nothing to do with the majority of British Muslims who are

not only law abiding but also peaceful-loving Muslims, " he said.

 

The trustees of the Finsbury Park Mosque, where Abu Hamza preached

until 2003, said they could not comment on the case.

 

But Mohammed Kozbar, secretary of the trustees, said the

congregation had grown since Abu Hamza had left and they often had

meetings with other faiths.

 

Asmahl Masoor, from the Islamic Society of Britain, who works at the

north London mosque said it was a better place without Abu Hamza.

 

'Speaking up for oppressed'

 

" That mosque - where I also lead prayer now once a month - has

become a more inspiring and more inclusive community centre than

ever before.

 

" More people are coming in, they feel more confident. What we are

seeing very clearly is we will not tolerate Muslims or non-Muslims -

anyone creating division or racial hatred between ourselves. "

 

But a worshipper at the Finsbury Park Mosque, Omar Faruk, said Islam

allowed for people to fight against foreign oppression in Muslim

countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan and he defended Abu Hamza's

right to speak up on behalf of oppressed Muslims.

 

" People like Abu Hamza, they don't mess about, they tell you what's

in the Koran. He's been held accountable for what's in the Koran, "

he said.

 

But Muslim Labour MP Shahid Malik said it was a " great day for

British justice " .

 

" But we've got to ask ourselves, we've got a legal system that has

allowed this man to say what he's been saying for the best part of

10 years.

 

" One thing is clear, we need tougher legislation, that will enable

the police to work quicker. "

 

Muslims react to Hamza conviction

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4690132.stm