Have a look at this statement, issued in the aftermath of the jihadist murder of Drummer Lee Rigby:
Joint Statement from Mayor of Tower Hamlets, community and faith leaders following Woolwich attack
“Following yesterday’s appalling murder in our neighbouring borough of Greenwich, we have today met with police chiefs, senior local authority staff and community and faith leaders to discuss their concerns and re-double our efforts to work together to ensure community cohesion across our borough.
Obviously we are all as deeply shocked as everyone else and hope that we shall never again witness such terrible scenes in our country.
We are all deeply concerned that far Right extremists in the English Defence League may seek to exploit the situation further. The Mayor has written to both the Home Secretary and the Chief of the Metropolitan Police, setting out our concerns, and reminding them when the EDL last attempted to march through our borough, they were prevented from doing so.
The Police Borough Commander has assured us that there will be an increased police presence across the borough and around key institutions.
The attack carried out near Woolwich Barracks has shocked us all, and we are determined that this senseless act is not used by others as an excuse to ferment trouble elsewhere.
Clearly the perpetrators have since been arrested and the matter is now under police investigation.
We would urge calm and reassure all residents that maintaining harmony in our diverse communities is our top priority.
Once again, our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the victim of this shocking act.”
Lutfur Rahman, Mayor of Tower Hamlets
Father Alan Green, Chair, Interfaith Forum, and No Place for Hate, Tower Hamlets
Shamsul Hoque, Chair, Council of Mosques, Tower Hamlets
Shaun De Souza Brady, Acting Borough Commander, Metropolitan Police
Neil Jameson, Director, London Citizens
Dilowar Khan, Director, London Muslim Centre
Glyn Robbins, Chair, United East End
Jack Gilbert, Chair, Rainbow Hamlets
Leon Silver, President, East London Central Synagogue
Shaynul Khan, CVS Tower Hamlets
Abu Bakr, Al-Huda Somali Centre
You will note that the statement is signed by the Great and Good of Tower Hamlets, including Dilowar Khan, the Director of the London Muslim Centre.
Three days after the statement was published, the London Muslim Centre hosted a large event, entitled The Great Messengers: with speakers associated with Al Muntada, an organisation which works closely with the East London Mosque/London Muslim Centre.
Let’s have a look at the views of one of these speakers: Abu Abdissalam. You can read more about him in these Harry’s Place posts, in particular this one: Abu Abdissalam and “War On Islam”.
Abu Abdissalam has been banned by Tower Hamlets from appearing on its premises.
Opposing the preacher Tawfique Chowdhury, who argued that Imams should work with the authorities to prevent terrorism, Abu Abdissalam argued that the police and security officers are waging war on Islam:
Anybody who works with the Muslim communities knows that these same anti-terrorism personnel that you addressed are abusing our religion and brutalising our youth. Look how they assaulted people like Babar Ahmad, the Forest Gate brothers, among others. Therefore, the perception is that this is not a war against terrorism but a war against Islam itself. We can never work with people who are at war with Islam.
Abu Abdissalam is a strong supporter of Ali al Timimi who was convicted of recruiting (pdf) young men for jihad against America in the aftermath of September 11. Timimi also called for the decapitation of Shia Muslims, and promoted hatred of Jews. Naturally, Abu Abdissalam believes that Timimi has been unjustly persecuted:
They have defined extremism as Islam and therefore they harm the preachers of this true Islam. Again, I would refer you to the many cases that are going on in the US and the UK which illustrate this point. I know you don’t believe that Sh. Ali Timimi was an extremist. They do and that is why they harmed him. There are countless cases like this and aiding them and allying with them in this war on terror is aiding them against more and more Ali Timimis.
It sticks in the craw to hear the East London Mosque/London Muslim Centre condemn terrorism and gripe about the obnoxious English Defence League, when at the very same time it is hosting pro-terrorist preachers like Abu Abdissalam.
I hope very much that some of those who co-signed this public statement will take the ELM/LMC to task for its continued, unabated promotion of hate preachers. Perhaps some of them can sign a statement calling on this institution to cease its relentless pouring of poison into the East End of London.
