UK Muslim issues call to jihad
2005-01-17 14:56
London - An extremist London cleric is appealing to young British Muslims to join al-Qaeda in live broadcasts on the Internet, the Times reported on Monday.
The Times said cleric Omar Bakri Mohammed, who is banned from many British mosques, says a "covenant of security" allowing Muslims to live peacefully in Britain had been "violated" by anti-terrorist legislation enacted after the September 11, 2001 attacks.
"I believe the whole of Britain has become Dar ul Harb (land of war)," he says in one of daily two-hour Internet broadcasts, which the Times said it had monitored three days in a row from January 10 to 12.
He said in such a place "the kuffar (non-believer) has no sanctity for their own life or property".
"Al-Qaeda and all its branches and organisations of the world, that is the victorious group and they have the emir and you are obliged to join".
The Times said the 46-year-old Syrian-born cleric stopped short during his broadcasts on an Internet chat-room of calling for attacks on Britain but said Muslims should join the jihad (holy war) "wherever you are".
He told one woman she was allowed to become a suicide bomber.
"It happened many times in Palestine, in Chechnya, in Russia... this is no problem, there is no restriction," he said
He said the voices of dead fighters were calling on British Muslims to fight.
"These people are calling you and shouting to you from far distant places: al jihad, al jihad. They say to you my dear Muslim brothers, 'Where is your weapon, where is your weapon?'. Come on to the jihad".
Bakri Mohammed, who has lived in Britain for 18 years since being thrown out of Saudi Arabia and has indefinite leave to remain, disbanded his al-Muhajiroun movement last October.
The Times said he was believed to reach an audience of between 60 and 70 committed listeners, most of whom were under 30, through his web broadcasts.
Bakri Mohammed denied when questioned by the Times that he was calling for violent action and said his definition of Britain as Dar ul-Harb was "theoretical".
He added: "It means that Muslims can no longer be considered to have sanctity and security here, therefore they should consider leaving this country and going back to their homelands.
"Otherwise they are under siege and obviously we do not want to see that we are living under siege."