Posted by NEWS on 15/7/2005, 21:35:02 Vikram Dodd Tony Blair's pledge to crack down on groups and clerics who foment support for terrorism prompts one obvious question. How many groups and individuals are there who set the ideological conditions that lead to attacks such as those in London? The answer is that the authorities do not know. One plan the government is considering is to make it easier to deport foreign-born people who preach hate or eulogise terrorist acts. Article continues Mr Bakri Mohammed has made statements praising martyrdom and once called for the death of the former prime minister, John Major. His radical group, al-Muhajiroun, held a meeting "in memory" of the 9/11 hijackers. Evan F Kohlman, a consultant to the US government on the terror threat in Europe, says deporting Mr Bakri Mohammed would not alone tackle the "extremism" he is alleged to have incited. He says the cleric's supporters would be capable of carrying on. "His hate has become self-propagating," he said. "If he's removed, his followers have generated networks and can hold their own meetings. He is an important symbol to them." There has been much debate about the role of al-Muhajiroun in recruiting British Muslims for violent jihad, an allegation he denies. Mike Whine, spokesman for the Community Safety Trust, a British Jewish group monitoring Islamic extremism, said: "There is no evidence of involvement in terrorism, but what they do is act as a conveyor belt, to radicalise young people, and if they want to do something real, they are put in contact with real terrorists." Mr Kohlman, who has spent time with Mr Bakri Mohammed and his supporters, claims they even tried to recruit him. "He's recruited a lot of people who were English speakers," he said. Al-Muhajiroun recently announced that it had disbanded; a new group has emerged, the Saviour Sect, which contains some of its members. Mr Whine said the split in the UK group mirrored the schism in the Pakistan branch, over whether to take a course guided more by violence or politics. Another cleric who could be a target is Jordanian-born Abu Qatada, who fled to Britain claiming persecution. He was held in Belmarsh without charge or trial after the government's post-9/11 crackdown, and is now subject to a control order. Qatada has been dubbed "Bin Laden's right-hand man in Europe". Tapes of his sermons were found in the Hamburg flat used by some of the 9/11 hijackers. He has been convicted of terrorism in his absence in Jordan and several European countries are believed to be trying to extradite him. An Italian magazine ran statements in which Qatada is alleged to have called for an attack on Rome: "Rome is a cross. The west is a cross and Romans are the owners of the cross. Muslims' target is the west." "We will split Rome open," he is reported as saying. "The destruction must be carried out by sword. Those who will destroy Rome are already preparing the swords." A measure being considered is making it an offence to glorify terrorism. Mr Kohlman said such a law could be used against hundreds of people. Abu Musa, a spokesman for the radical group Supporters of Sharea, says there are five to 10 clerics who would publicly espouse views the government considers as praising terrorist acts. He estimates that a third of clerics share these views in private. Another proposal is to make it harder for alleged radicals banned by Britain's allies to enter the country. There was controversy this week over the decision to admit the Egyptian-born scholar Tariq Ramadan for a conference; he was banned in France. Recently, a senior leader of the Lebanon-based radical group Hizbullah was allowed into Britain. The US views it as a terrorist organisation. Another group that could be targeted is Hizb-ut-Tahrir, led until nine years ago by Mr Bakri Mohammed, who was ousted for being too extreme. It is banned in Germany but denies any involvement in violence. Imran Waheed, a spokesman for the group, said the proposed tough measures could stifle freedom of speech. "They are moving to blur the margin between political Islam and violence," he said.
Crackdown on elusive extremists
Even with new measures, it will not be easy to root out those who back terrorism
Friday July 15, 2005
The Guardian
A possible target is Omar Bakri Mohammed, a Syrian-born cleric granted asylum in Britain. He claims to have given religious instruction to two Britons who went to Israel on a suicide bombing mission that killed four and is alleged to have said afterwards that they "died on the battlefield and will now go to paradise".
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