Emel has published an uncritical article on the East London Mosque, which simply reproduces their lies unchallenged:
Critics of the mosque say it has invited extremist speakers and question its close ties with a grassroots group called Islamic Forum Europe (IFE), which some accuse of being “fundamentalist,” and Jamaat e-Islami, an Islamic political party in Bangladesh. “Despite all the attempts to smear us, there has never been a single example of extremist talk from the mosque itself,” says Khan. “On rare occasions it may be that someone speaking at an event for which a room or hall has been hired says something we neither agree with nor approve of.” To stop this, the mosque now takes a more stringent approach to vetting speakers and materials when third parties use its facilities. On the IFE, Khan says the group provides voluntary help to the mosque and is a tenant, with many others, in the business wing of the LMC – the IFE itself denies the “fundamentalist” tag and points out its many partnerships with non-Muslim groups. “There is no organisational or structural link with the Jamaat-e-Islami,” adds Khan.
Neil Jameson from London Citizens says he has been working with the mosque for 15 years and accusations of it being “extreme” are “completely foreign” to him. “Absolutely, they are moderate. They are interested in community life and are very committed to it,” he says, adding that criticism of the mosque tends to come from outsiders.
The mosque hopes increased transparency will help dispel some of the negative views. Sermons are now available online and visitors are free to tour the mosque and talk about their concerns, even the media. “Fortunately, people who come into regular contact with us, who work with us, know what we are really like,” says Khan. “We want to make our community and society a better place by providing wider services and working with others. We are determined to do that.”
Right.
Let’s take these in turn:
“Despite all the attempts to smear us, there has never been a single example of extremist talk from the mosque itself,” says Khan
Lies.
Khan wishes us to believe that the Friday Sermon, given in 2003 by the Al Qaeda aligned preacher Anwar Al Awlaki was not extremist. In that sermon, which was promoted by the Islamic Forum Europe, Awlaki told the worshippers:
A Muslim is a brother of a Muslim, he does not oppress him and he does not hand him over. You don’t hand over a Muslim to the enemies of Allah.
He made it clear in that sermon that he was talking about those accused of terrorism. This sermon followed on from the Stop Police Terror event, which was backed by Awlaki and by the East London Mosque, and which threatened:
We have come together to say that enough is enough and that Britain’s Muslims, as a community, will refuse to cooperate with the law enforcement authorities if this abuse continues.
No extremist talk from the Mosque? How much more extreme can you get than this sermon from Awlaki?
In fact, Awlaki isn’t the only hate preacher to have been afforded the great honour of delivering the Friday sermon at the East London Mosque. How about Muhammad Alshareef? Hussein Yee? Yasir Qadhi? Or the now-banned Bilal Philips?
Then there’s this:
“On rare occasions it may be that someone speaking at an event for which a room or hall has been hired says something we neither agree with nor approve of.” To stop this, the mosque now takes a more stringent approach to vetting speakers and materials when third parties use its facilities.
Again, lies.
The ELM has recently hosted Yvonne Ridley and Asim “it is incumbent upon all of us to support the jihad” Qureshi. Next weekend it will welcome Haitham Al Haddad. There will be more.
the IFE itself denies the “fundamentalist” tag
This, from an organisation whose “community affairs coordinator”, Azad Ali, has said “democracy, if it means at the expense of not implementing the sharia of course no one agrees with that”. And who lost his libel bid, when he sued the Mail for reporting on an article he had written supporting the killing of British troops.
“There is no organisational or structural link with the Jamaat-e-Islami,” adds Khan.
Uh huh. According to a pamphlet published by the Department of Communities and Local Government explains, the East London Mosque is “the key institution for the Bangladeshi wing of [Jamaat-e-Islami] in the UK”. Let us not forget that the Islamic Forum Europe, whose members are represented throughout the East London Mosque’s hierarchy, was founded by Chowdhury Mueen-Uddin. Mueen-Uddin has been accused in a Channel 4 documentary, and in an article in the Guardian, of involvement in genocide in Bangladesh, and was allegedly a member of Jamaat-e-Islami’s Al Badr militia which abducted and murdered prominent Bangladeshi intellectuals during the War of Liberation.
Perhaps Emel might like to print a few of these facts.
Note the political cover given to this bunch of fascists by Neil Jameson from London Citizens. What a scumbag.
