Osama Saeed is on the BBC News website this morning, setting out his wares:
“And conceivably there’s only two things that we can do – the first is to make it clear that there’s no theological justification for any of this, and we’ve been doing that for years and will continue to do so.
OK then Osama. You read this blog. Here is your opportunity.
Here is a fatwa issued by the spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, Yusuf Al Qaradawi. The organisation for which you speak, the Muslim Association of Britain, is part of the Muslim Brotherhood, as is Hamas. In this fatwa, Qaradawi provides theological authority for suicide bombing, carried out by unveiled women.
And here is Qaradawi on the website which he runs, Islam Online, arguing with Sheikh Tantawi, of Cairo’s al-Azhar University
Tantawi, you will remember, had declared that Islamic Shari’ah law, “rejects all attempts on human life, and in the name of Shari’ah we condemn all attacks on civilians, whatever the community or state responsible for such an attack.”. Tantawi concluded:
“We disapprove of all whose who justify attacks against children by reasoning that the children will join the army when they grow up.”
These arguments “are odious. I reject them and they are contrary to the recommendations of the prophet Mohamed,”
Qaradawi’s response was as follows:
“How can the head of Al-Azhar incriminate mujahideen [fighters] who fight against aggressors? How can he consider these aggressors as innocent civilians?”
In Israel, “men and women are soldiers,” “They are all occupying soldiers.”
Will you denounce Qaradawi’s theology? Tell us that you think he is wrong. Tell us that you think that Tantawi is right.
Do you unequivocally condemn the targeted murder of civilians in the name of your religion, everywhere?
Or do you only condemn it in Scotland?
There’s more. You say:
“And the second thing is to urge the community that if they do see anything suspicious to report it, and to support the police.”
Do you no longer believe, as you did last November, that muslims should “resist” and “defy” the police?
“My message to the police is ‘lay off,’ but my message to the Muslim community is we have got to be stronger in our defiance of this.”
He continued, “There can be no excuse for being scared of the police. If we look at the history of our faith, what else is there other than the Prophet’s example to stand up to tyranny and stand up to oppression.”
He added, “The police are doing their jobs and their job is to push the boat out and push the limits they can push. Our job is to resist that, and resist that we must.”
It would be helpful to hear to you say, clearly, that you were wrong to encourage resistance against the police, and that you no longer expect the police to “lay off”.
Will you do that?
A little clarity on these matters would be welcome.