Posted by NEWS on 13/9/2004, 19:13:59 November 29, 2001 Here is an edited transcript of that interview, which took place in November 2001 in London: A: The Jordanian government has a habit of lying, and its intelligence service provides the accusations. At the beginning of the new millennium, when they said I had a relationship with bin Laden and uncovered an organization they claimed had connections with Osama bin Laden, the media was full of it. Afterwards, a list of accusations was presented to court and none of those accused had any connection with bin Laden. When it came to trial, it transpired that it wasn't really an organization, and as such, it's a lie perpetuated by the Jordanian government. Q: Have you ever met Osama bin Laden? A. I have never met him. I went to Pakistan in 1990, and Osama bin Laden left before that time to Sudan. So I haven't met him. This is not an attempt to escape the question, for if I had met him I would have been proud of it. Q: Have you been to Afghanistan? A: I went to Peshawar (in Pakistan) in 1990 and I was there as a professor of Sharia sciences (Islamic jurisprudence) and I didn't enter Afghanistan. ... I entered Afghanistan to visit some scholars after the fighting ended and Kabul was opened. Q: Jordan has sentenced you in absentia for charges where they said you were involved in explosions -- bombings -- in Jordan, including plots against American tourists; that was around, as you know, the millennium celebrations. A. Jordan. The whole world discovers petroleum and uranium, and Jordan discovers every year or two nothing but organizations claiming that they wanted to cause explosions and destruction. It was proven later that the explosions inside the cinema were unfortunately the work of some intelligence officers to cause confusion. Q: You've heard of Djamel Beghal? A: This name was mentioned a lot in the press and in their questions to me, but I don't know this name, and I don't remember if it was mentioned before these latest events or before the press mentioned it. Q: Well he has said in his confessions that he learned all about Jihad from you and your teachings when he was here in London. And that he was at your sermons at the Baker Street mosque, and also here at your home. Why would he say that if you've never met him before? A: I have been teaching in London for eight years, so for him to have come across me and learned about Sharia or asked something, it's not something I can confirm or deny because many like him pass by me and learn and ask me legitimate religious questions. Q: People who know your teachings say that they are quite militant, that you do preach an anti-Western message, an anti-American message. Why do you do that? A: I believe that the West has greatly oppressed our nation and now it's trying not only to pillage our wealth and waste our resources but also to change the way we live, and consequently I have attempted to uncover these plots and tried to strengthen the roots of religion in our nation to reject the Western ideology. I believe this is part of the religion I practice, and it's nothing that I would deny but rather I am proud of it. Q: And what do you say to your students? A: I have no students, but I teach all Muslim people. I teach them this religion which should protect them against any other methods or ways, and teach them how to protect themselves against attacks by others. I teach them how to worship God and how to follow the ethics of Islam. Q: Djamel Beghal and other people, including Nizar Trabelsi, Kamel Daoudi, Zacharias Moussaoui, they all say that they learned from you religious training and encouragement to go to Afghanistan to get trained and also encouragement to wage Jihad from Afghanistan. They said that. A: I teach people religion but as to where they go to apply this religion, I have means of asking them where they go to apply the religion. This is not true in the precise sense of what was mentioned in the question. I don't tell people to go to Afghanistan or Palestine. I am not a Ministry of Defence to tell people where to go, but I ask all Muslims to defend this religion. Q: Why do you think that they would say that you and your fellow teachers here tell people they have to go and prepare for Jihad in Afghanistan? A: To prepare for Jihad is a matter that is mentioned in the Koran, so if they heard me say that people have to go and prepare for Jihad for sake of Allah, this is something that is written in the Koran. "Prepare for them all what you can in the way of force and horses." As to where they go, it's not my concern and I don't undertake this task. Q: Do you know Mohammed Atta? A: I have heard this name through your media, and I have not heard this name before (September 11). Q: Police documents from Germany say that your sermons and your teachings, recordings of these teachings, were found in his apartment in Hamburg. Why do you think that he would have your teachings? This is a man who is being accused of flying one of the hijacked planes into the World Trade Center buildings. A: My tapes are distributed worldwide, in Germany, Europe and in Arab countries, so if the presence of one my tapes in somebody's house who had done something is an absolute proof of accusation is ridiculous. The question is what is on that tape and its relationship with what Mohammed Atta had done, if he had done this act that took place in New York. The question is what is the relationship between that tape of mine that he heard and his act, if it were he that had done it. Q: The question also is, several of the men who have been detained in Europe with suspected links to the al Qaeda organisation are also claiming to be your followers. A: I belong to no organization, neither al Qaeda nor any other organization. But being a scholar and teaching people about religion, there is nothing to stop anyone who belongs to al Qaeda or any other organization to listen to me, ask my opinion or learn from me. This is a normal relationship within Muslim communities. Q: Maybe you misheard me, I am not suggesting that you are a member of al Qaeda. According to police documents your followers include several men who are in jail, in detention now in Europe, because of suspected links with al Qaeda. A: I repeat once more, I don't belong to any organization and I repeat that there are no Muslims that belong to an organization of mine. For people to listen to me, come to me and listen to my sermons or take my tapes and listen to my lessons, this has no connection with what someone does in terms of an act related or has a connection with organizations. Attention must be paid to this. The Muslim world has scholars and religious leaders; listening to them doesn't mean that one is a follower or carrying out their instructions. If you look, you will find that (one) might have tapes of the Koran and tapes of many other sheiks, not only myself. This is what I would expect.
Q&A with Muslim cleric Abu Qatada
LONDON, England (CNN) -- London Muslim cleric Abu Qatada has been convicted in Jordan for inciting terrorist acts and has been linked by Spanish authorities to people with alleged ties to Osama bin Laden. In his first TV interview with Western media since September 11, he spoke with CNN Chief International Correspondent Christiane Amanpour.
Q: The Jordanian authorities, intelligence and police say that you are the right-hand man of Osama bin Laden.
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