The Daily Telegraph reports on the source of Osama Saeed’s current paypacket (alongside Nicola Sturgeon’s stunning lack of self-awareness), which I will come onto later.
I am not entirely convinced he is a bona fide Islamist (as in, say, Hizb ut Tahrir which really does want a return to the Caliphate), despite his formerly being a regional director for the Salifist Muslim Association of Britain, aligned with the international Muslim Brotherhood; and inviting fugitive Hamas commanders or the headof the Libyan branch of the Muslim Brotherhood to events run by his vanity project, the Scottish-Islamic Foundation and/or facilitating meetings with Scottish Executive ministers such as Linda Fabiani.
Recently, he expressed hope that the abuse of international jurisdiction legislation could continue in Scotland. This is unlikely to include advocates of killing Israeli children as young as three, such as Kemal El-Helbawy whom the SIF referred to as a Dear Beloved Son, and funnily removed from their blog archives shortly after Saeed was confirmed PPC for Glasgow Central.
Instead, I view him as a religious and political sectarian, which allows him to fit in perfectly with the immaturity of domestic politics which continues to pervade the Calvinist Republic of North Brytain. A suave and erudite sectarian, who has likely traveled more than many of the medium SNP cheeses combined and lacks the boorish and parochial anti-Englishness in the Party, but a sectarian rolled-up trouser snake all the same.
This attitude recently was on display in an open letter to Jeff at SNP Tactical Voting, in which like a dredger on the Thames he carried on asserting that all criticism is born out of jealousy from Labour. No, Osama, I am not and never have been a member of the Labour Party (or even ever voted Labour), and I am far from alone in being a non-Labourite who thinks this way.
(There was also the rather grandiose claim that the SIF had “exposed the man that threatened to blow up Glasgow Central Mosque”. As I discussed at the time, Neil McGregor was a washed-out rentagob who was convicted for breach of peace on account of no terrorist offense having been committed: and did not require any ‘exposure’ as he provided the Police with his contact details.)
I am prepared to put the much publicized remark from Saeed calling for a return to the Caliphate down to youthful exuberance: just as John Reid, or so he tells us, no longer believes in Father Christmas. What is clear from that article is his loathing of the Sykes-Picot Plan which was defined much of the current borders in the Middle East (although Saeed displays a possible misunderstanding where he implies that this is linked to the greater part of Muslim-majority countries.
It would be reasonable to conclude that he views Westminster as and the British state to be the inheritors of at least one of those responsible, and to be punished accordingly. Maybe in France he would be supporting Corsican or Breton separatism.
And his self-confidence has to be admired. The SIF received a massive grant of UK taxpayers’ money before it was formerly launched in early 2008, at a time when little or no support amongst Scottish Muslims for the Saeed family (which, along with SNP staffers, dominate the SIF).
Despite his insistence at SNP Tactical Voting that intended planning for cultural events had to be shelved due to the global credit crunch, there is little to no evidence of any events being planned beyond social dinners. The £400,000 provided was not part of venture capitalism, and should have been ample to start, instead of going cap-in-hand for Arab petro-dollars as my comrade and principled blogger Dhaibhidh C Mhac Dhuihdhlheigh discussed.
In case Saeed fails to secure a £65,000 per annum job (plus expenses) at the Parliament he wishes to dismember, he would still have the £40,000 which it has now been revealed he is paid for his heading of the SIF.
Scotland, wha’ like us? None, thank fuck.
