Last Sunday, the Centre for Social Cohesion (CSC) revealed<\/a> the relationship between the London Mayor\u2019s office and Mohamed Ali Harrath, who the Times<\/em> exposed last year as being the subject of an Interpol Red Notice<\/a> for \u201cterrorism\u201d, \u201ccounterfeiting\u201d and \u201ccrimes involving the use of weapons\/explosives.\u201d\u00a0 The main purpose of our investigation was to show that there are clear inconsistencies within the Conservative party in how they propose to deal with Islamism.<\/p>\n Our press release<\/a> was re published on Conservative Home<\/a> and was met with some criticism in the comments section, in particular from London Assemby Member Andrew Boff, who took issue with our criticism of the East London Mosque (ELM).\u00a0 In one section of our investigation, we highlighted that although Chris Grayling recently pledged to clamp down on groups which use \u201cvideo links to hold meetings with banned preachers of hate from overseas who urge violence against our society\u201d, the Conservative Mayor\u2019s office continues to support the ELM, which recently broadcast<\/a> a video of pro al-Qaeda hate preacher Anwar al-Awlaki.\u00a0 Mr. Boff\u2019s defense in the comments section reads:<\/p>\n The Mosque hires out its facilities to all users regardless of faith, creed or colour. The event was organised by an external organisation which discussed the Islamic concepts on Judgement Day and the Afterlife. These concepts are also prevalent in other faiths including the Christian and Jewish faiths.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n None of the speakers that were involved with the event were banned from entering the UK or are convicted of any hate crimes. The event passed without anything controversial or extreme being said or done by anyone at the event or by any live video or audio link.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Conservative Home were kind enough to allow me to write a response<\/a> to Mr. Boff, which is reproduced below in full:<\/p>\n Yesterday, Conservative Home published my report<\/a> on our investigation into the Mayor of London\u2019s links with Islamists.\u00a0 We revealed that, despite pre election promises to move away from Ken Livingstone\u2019s pro Islamist approach, there is still co operation between the Mayor\u2019s office and leading UK Islamists.<\/p>\n Among other things, we highlighted how Boris Johnson\u2019s support for the East London Mosque<\/a> (ELM) contradicts the tough rhetoric of Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling, who at the party conference pledged to take a hard line on groups that broadcast videos of hate preachers.\u00a0 On New Year\u2019s Day, an event at the ELM called \u2018The End of Time\u2019 streamed a video sermon of pro al-Qaeda hate preacher Anwar al Awlaki.<\/p>\n As I sifted through the Conservative Home comments section, I saw a long defence of the Mayor\u2019s office by London Assembly Member Andrew Boff.\u00a0 Responding to our criticism of Boris\u2019 support for the ELM, Andrew writes:<\/p>\n The Mosque hires out its facilities to all users regardless of faith, creed or colour. The event was organised by an external organisation which discussed the Islamic concepts on Judgement Day and the Afterlife. These concepts are also prevalent in other faiths including the Christian and Jewish faiths. None of the speakers that were involved with the event were banned from entering the UK or are convicted of any hate crimes.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Like the ELM\u2019s defence<\/a> at the time, which is copied almost word for word by Mr. Boff, this is not an adequate explanation.\u00a0 First of all, the event had a very sinister tone, epitomised by its promotional poster, which depicted<\/a> New York City in fiery ruins.\u00a0 Furthermore, the London Assembly\u2019s bar for acceptable speakers needs to be set a little higher than just anyone who has not been convicted of a hate crime. Awlaki has been identified<\/a> by the US Department of Homeland Security as a \u2018spiritual advisor\u2019 for 3 of the 9\/11 hijackers, and his sermons have been directly linked<\/a> with the recruitment of American Muslims to the\u00a0 al-Qaeda affiliated Somali terrorist group al-Shabaab.\u00a0 Joining Awlaki at the ELM event was hardcore Wahhabi hate preacher Khalid Yasin, whose DVD sermons explain that the concept of women\u2019s rights is a \u2018delusion\u2019 and that AIDS is a western conspiracy.\u00a0 <\/p>\n Defending this event \u2013 as Boff does in his comment \u2013 on the basis that it \u2018passed without anything controversial or extreme being said\u2019, is quite simply not good enough.\u00a0 Would he similarly defend and support an event addressed by a neo Nazi who just happened not to say anything at the actual event?<\/p>\n In the past, Mr. Boff has spoken out about prejudices against homosexuals, and I would like to ask him how he squares this with his support for the ELM, which hosts preachers with extreme homophobic views.\u00a0 We are not talking simply about people opposed to civil partnerships here: Khalid Yasin advocates the death penalty for homosexuality; and his fellow Wahhabi preacher Bilal Phillips, whose last appearance at the ELM was in June, teaches that AIDS is a \u2018divine retribution\u2019 for the practice of homosexuality.<\/p>\n This debate is not about whether or not people like Awlaki, Yasin or Phillips should be allowed to address Muslims in the ELM \u2013 let them peddle extremists if they like. The problem arises when government institutions like the London Assembly and the Mayor\u2019s office partner with, and therefore lend legitimacy to, people who promote views that are in stark contrast with the most basic values of our society.\u00a0\u00a0 One of the many reasons for the Livingstone administration\u2019s downfall was their extensive partnerships with Islamists, the current Mayor\u2019s office must learn from those mistakes.<\/p>\n UPDATE 8\/4\/2010 <\/strong><\/p>\n According to news reports<\/a>, Harrath has now been removed from the Interpol Red Notice list. <\/p>\n focusonislamism@standpointmag.co.uk\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n <\/i><\/a><\/i><\/a><\/i><\/a><\/i><\/a><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n\n
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Extremism gives us little reason to laugh<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"