This should be interesting. Abu Hamza is a radical imam that had more than 2700 audio tapes and about 570 video tapes of himself extolling the “virtues” of Hitlers actions against the Jews, that it is the duty of his followers to fight for Allah and that fighting involved a religious obligation to murder Jews, kuffars (non-believers), and apostates. The British are putting him on trial:
The radical imam of the Finsbury Park Mosque, Abu Hamza al-Masri, went on trial at the Old Bailey yesterday accused of being a hate-filled bigot who encouraged his congregation to murder non-Muslims.
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David Perry, for the prosecution, told the court that Abu Hamza’s exhortation of murder and celebration of hatred were an affront to and an offence against Britain’s traditions of freedom of expression. His crimes were committed out of his mouth in the form of utterances that were “destructive and corrosive” of a free society.
Mr Perry said: “The plain, unambiguous meaning of these words — such as ‘every last Jew is going to be buried in Palestine’ — is obvious. He says jihad is obligatory, jihad involves the death of the kuffar, Jews are detestable, to be reviled and to be killed. This is what the defendant intended to be heard.
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The talks are not solely about violence, murder and holy war. The cleric’s speeches also contain diatribes about Britain’s licensing laws, the use of additives in food, adultery, the role of women and the evils of democracy.
Mr Perry said Abu Hamza sought to create “a blueprint for living” for his followers and impose his view of Islam on every aspect of their lives.
Central to that was his message that jihad, or holy war in the cause of Allah, was a religious obligation and that killing non-believers — especially Jews — was an essential component of jihad.
“The prosecution case is that Sheikh Abu Hamza was expressing hatred and contempt for kuffars, in particular Jews,” Mr Perry said.
“But what he had to say did not stop with hate-mongering. He was exhorting his listeners to kill and making it clear, as a religious leader, that that was a religious duty and not a matter of choice.”
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“He accused the Jews of being blasphemers, traitors and dirty. This, because of their blasphemy, and because of their filth, was why Hitler was sent into the world. He also tells his audience that the Jews control the West, by which he means western liberal democracies such as this country.
“He says the Jews control the West and must be removed from the earth.”
Here is an overview of a two of the tapes to be played at his trial:
Tape Two
A video entitled “Adherence to Islam in the western world”. believed to have been recorded in September 1999. Abu Hamza tells his listeners that Britain is “a kuffar country which is at war with Islam”. He says that killing kuffars is allowed in Islam and singles out people who sell alcohol as legitimate targets.Tape Seven
“How to Survive in the land of Kuffar”, recorded in September 1999; a lecture in Arabic aimed at youth and families. Abu Hamza criticises “corrupt scholars” and disbelievers who do not deserve anything except the sword, reiterates that jihad is compulsory. Attacks the UN and atheist nations that preserve the “Zionist existence”. He described Britain as “a land of war” that will only be peaceful when it surrenders to Allah.
Ahh… yes. This is the peace of Islam. The same peace that Hitler sought for the Jews of Europe.
I wonder if this trial will make any difference to those in Britain opposed to the war in Iraq. Will they realize this is why their soldiers are fighting in the Mid-East. It is to keep this sort of hate filled bigot and his murderous followers from realizing their ambitions.