Muslims today when the Palestinian Muslims want to defend
themselves when the Chechen muslims want to defend
themselves when the Kashmir Muslims want to defend
themselves with the Iraqi muslims want to defend themselves
why do we say that this is terrorism? No this is not terrorism.
This is courage this is good the person is defending himself
and his family and his womenfolk and his land and his deen
this is something which is good. So a characteristic of the
muslims should be strength.
Be strong in your deen, Be strong in your deen be steadfast in
your deen, Be firm in your deen because at the end of the day
everyone of us has to die. As Allah (SAW) tells us you may die
you will perish every soul will taste death then you will meet
allah and if you have turned away from the deen of islam and
you have become weak and you become weak minded and you
weren’t steadfast you will have to account to Allah for this. But
if you are steadfast and you are firm and even if you face trials
and tribulations, how long is it for, how long is life for?”
140.
In the last section of his talk, the Claimant turned to the characteristics of brotherhood
in the deen (belief) of Islam:
“We have lost our practicality of Islam. A person will scream
about Jihad. A person will scream and shout yes we need to
fight. But where is the practicality about doing something for
islam? You want to make jihad? Very good. Don’t shout and
scream and fight with your Muslim brother who is doing
something else for the deen. Take some money and go to
Palestine and fight, fight the terrorists, fight the Zionists in
Palestine if you want to do this. But Muslims have the lost
the practicalities of the deen of Islam.”
141.
During the question and answer section which followed, the Claimant was recorded as
saying women could not play musical instruments except a small drum, and men
could not play instruments and only listen to religious music or take photos if
absolutely necessary.
“The Sunday Times” article
142.
On 12th November 2006, “The Sunday Times” published an article “Islamists
infiltrate four universities” co-authored by Mr Taher which referred to the Claimant
as a “radical cleric” who had recently urged students at Kingston University to “wage
Jihad” in Palestine. In a press statement responding to the article, the university said
that it had no record of the talk and Brother Tanveer, a past president of the university
Islamic Society, had left the university. The Federation of Student Islamic Societies
(“FSIC”) issued a press statement on 14th November 2006, to which the Claimant
contributed, stating that the Claimant had been taken out of context and misquoted
and that he was actually delivering a talk on the “illegitimate” nature of terrorist
activities.
BBC’s submissions
31