As a pious man, Muhammad Masood Qadiri knows that when the duty to defend religious murder calls he must answer.
Here’s the Bradford imam’s first reaction to the execution of Mumtaz Qadri, the murderer of Pakistani liberal Salman Taseer:
The Great Hero of Islam Ghazi Mumtaz Hussain Qadiri has been martyred
Rejoice, though, for eternal life is the reward for defence of the “honour” of the prophet.
Indeed, Qadiri was so moved by the death of his hero that he went to the funeral in Rawalpindi. Rose petals flying, time for another salute.
In another post on the funeral, Qadiri says he is raising money for Mumtaz Qadri’s family. Religious murder must be rewarded in every way, including here on earth.
Finally, a British politician has commented on all the fervour for religious murder seen in recent days. It’s Conservative MEP for the North West Sajjad Karim:
Lending support to somebody who has killed based on their extremist beliefs is not a message that should be approved of and having people who preach from pulpits with this view is not good for harmony and coexistence.
Did this lead to any second thoughts? Of course not. All of this, you see, is nothing less than duty.
Elements in the British media as well as a certain MEP (who should have more pressing things to worry about such as his job following the upcoming EU referendum) has attempted to villify and intimidate me because of my expression of support for Gazi Mumtaz Qadri. It is not only my human right, but also my democratic right of freedom of expression, both as a British and Pakistani national, to be able to express my feelings. This does not make me a terrorist sympathiser as i, along with millions of fellow Muslims do not accept that Gazi Mumtaz Qadri was a terrorist in the least. I have always been the first to condemn terrorism wherever in the world it takes place. I am also an Islamic religious minister. I therefore have a duty to express an opinion on fundamental matters concerning Islam and on this occasion, the crime of blasphemy.
Qadiri is a presenter on the Ummah Channel, which says “Our purpose is to spread peace, love and harmony across the globe”. So will it cast a supporter of religious murder out? I rather doubt it, though naturally I hope to be proved wrong.
Qadiri is also an imam at the Madni Jamia mosque in Bradford. It is a registered charity. Will the Charity Commission step in and show that its guidance on extremism has any real significance at all? Here too one must be quite doubtful.
Moreover, as readers know, Qadiri is one of a number of open supporters of religious murder. His fellow Bradford imam Asim Hussain laments his “lion” Mumtaz Qadri. The Al Aqsa mosque in Bolton has hailed Mumtaz Qadri as a “martyr”. Mohammed Shafiq, imam Qasim Ahmad, and the Ghamkol Sharif mosque in Birmingham are also in mourning. There are still more out there.
So, will all of this pass with political consequences no greater than a rather bland comment from Conservative MEP Sajjad Karim, and no official consequences at all? It looks that way right now.
If that is what happens, murderous religious hatred will be more deeply entrenched in this country than ever before.