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Islam4UK

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Islam4UK is a British Islamist group led by Anjem Choudary, membership of which is to be banned under the Terrorism Act 2000 from 14 January 2010[1]. It declares itself to have "been established by sincere Muslims as a platform to propagate the supreme Islamic ideology within the United Kingdom as a divine alternative to man-made law" and "convince the British public about the superiority of Islam [...] thereby changing public opinion in favour of Islam in order to transfer the authority and power [...] to the Muslims in order to implement the Sharee’ah (here in Britain)".[2][dead link]

On 12 January 2010 the BBC reported that the British home secretary Alan Johnson had decided to ban Islam4UK under the UK terror laws. Mr Johnson said: "I have today laid an order which will proscribe Al Muhajiroun, Islam4UK, and a number of the other names the organization goes by."It is already proscribed under two other names - Al Ghurabaa and The Saved Sect. The ban will come into effect on 14 January 2010 and make it a criminal offence to be a member, punishable by up to 10 years in prison .[3]

It is linked to preacher Omar Bakri Mohammed and his organization Al-Muhajiroun, which also included Choudary, and which was banned under the British Terrorism Act 2006.[4]

On 16 October 2009, members of the organization protested against the visit to Britain by Dutch MP Geert Wilders. They carried banners with slogans such as "Shariah is the solution, freedom go to hell" and "Geert Wilders deserves Islamic punishment".[5]

During Prime Minister's Questions on 25 November 2009, the Leader of the Opposition David Cameron challenged the Prime Minister Gordon Brown as to why the group had not been banned by the Government.[6]

The Muslim Council of Great Britain (MCB) has condemned the group's marches, stating that "[it] is very irresponsible as it is bound to create further tension; it risks fuelling Islamophobia which has resulted in increased attacks on British Muslims and their institutions and properties".[7] The MCB has also said that "It is very well known that these extremist groups are a handful of people and do not represent the views of mainstream Muslim public.[8]

Proposed Wootton Bassett march

You may see one or two coffins being returned to the UK every other day, but when you think about the people of Afghanistan its a huge number (being killed) in comparison [...] I intend to write a letter to the parents of British soldiers telling them the reality of what they died for.

Anjem Choudary (January 2010)[9]

In January 2010 the group announced plans to hold a protest march through Wooton Bassett, a town where informal public mourning takes place to honour the corteges of service personnel killed on active service, as they make their way from RAF Lyneham to Oxford. Reports that the group planned to carry empty coffins to "represent the thousands of Muslims who have died" were denied by the group.".[10] Choudary announced that the event would be peaceful, and that it was not timed to coincide with any mourning processions.[9] The announcement was condemned by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who said "plans for the march were "disgusting" and that "to offend the families of dead or wounded troops would be "completely inappropriate".[11] The Home Secretary, Alan Johnson, indicated he would agree to any request from the Wiltshire Police or local government to ban the march under Section 13 of the Public Order Act 1986.[12]

Choudary has said he chose Wootton Bassett to attract maximum attention, and, he asserted that 500 members of Islam4UK would carry 'symbolic coffins' in memory of the Muslim civilians 'murdered by merciless' coalition forces.[13] By 5 January 2010, over 400,000 people had joined a Facebook group opposing the march.[14]

The Muslim Council of Britain said that it "condemns the call by the fringe extremist group Islam4UK for their proposed march in Wootton Bassett", and continues, "The overwhelming majority of British Muslims want nothing to do with such extremists. Like other Britons, Muslims are not opposed to Britain’s Armed Forces."[15] The Wiltshire Islamic Cultural Centre stated "We, along with all other Muslim community groups in Wiltshire and the surrounding area, including Bath Islamic Society and Swindon Thamesdown Islamic Association, unreservedly condemn this march," adding, "Therefore we are putting the record straight and letting the media and general public know that the vast majority of Muslims have nothing to do with this group", and asking that Wiltshire Police ban the march. They stated that they, along with Call to Islam Centre and Masjid Al-Ghurabah, would counter demonstrate against "Islam4UK/Al-Muhajiroon".[16]

The planned march was cancelled by the group, on 10 January 2010. The police never received a request for permission for the march.[17]

References

  1. ^ "Government to ban Islam4UK under terror laws". The BBC. January 12th, 2010. Retrieved January 12th, 2010. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
  2. ^ Islam4UK, "About Us"
  3. ^ "Government to ban Islam4UK under terror laws". The BBC. January 12th, 2010. Retrieved January 12th, 2010. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
  4. ^ Guardian.co.uk, "Far-right MP basks in limelight after overturning ban to enter Britain"
  5. ^ Mirror.co.uk, "Protesters greet Dutch far-right MP"
  6. ^ Prime Minister's Questions 25 November 2009, Hansard, 25 November 2009, retrieved January 12th 2010 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  7. ^ MCB Deplores Islam4UK Proposed March, mcb.org.uk, 2009-10-15, retrieved 2010-01-03
  8. ^ http://www.mcb.org.uk/media/presstext.php?ann_id=367
  9. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Timeswootonbassett was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ DECLARATION ON WOOTTON BASSETT PROCESSION, islam4uk, 10 January 2010, retrieved 12 January 2010
  11. ^ Brown warns against 'offensive' Wootton Bassett parade, bbc.co.uk, 2010-01-04, retrieved 2010-01-04
  12. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wiltshire/8440408.stm
  13. ^ Muslim cleric Anjem Choudary admits Wootton Bassett march is publicity stunt, www.telegraph.co.uk, 4 January 2010, retrieved 4 January 2010 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  14. ^ Top officer says Muslim hate preacher 'DOES have right to march' as 400,000 join Facebook group against Wootton Bassett protest, dailymail.co.uk, 5 January 2010, retrieved 6 January 2010
  15. ^ http://www.mcb.org.uk/article_detail.php?article=announcement-853
  16. ^ "WICC calls for ban on Wootton Bassett March". Wiltshire Islamic Cultural Centre. 3 January 2010. Retrieved 11 January 2010.
  17. ^ Islamists cancel Wootton Bassett protest plans, news.bbc.co.uk, 2010-01-10, retrieved 2010-01-10

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