Ken Livingstone yesterday blamed western policies for contributing to the spread of the extremist beliefs that inspired the London bombers. The mayor of London highlighted the West’s role in the creation of al-Qa’eda by saying: “We created these people. We built them up. We funded them.”

Mr Livingstone has condemned the London bombings in the strongest terms, and immediately after the attack he was widely praised for the way he spoke up on behalf of all Londoners.

But yesterday he abandoned his consensual approach when he claimed that western policies in the Middle East, Afghanistan and Iraq may have influenced the bombers.

Mr Livingstone said: “This particular strand of extremism was funded by the West in Afghanistan. Osama bin Laden was just another businessman until he was recruited by the CIA.

“I suspect the real problem was that we funded these people, as long as they were killing Russians. We gave no thought to the fact that when they stopped killing Russians they might start killing us.”

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“Those who insist on attacking leading Muslim figures such as Al-Qaradawi, who by the way is not visiting London this summer – though he should be made welcome in the country at anytime for it would be an honour to have him – only play into the hands of the terrorists whose recruiting powers are enhanced by the discrediting of mainstream authoritative scholars and thinkers.

“During his visit to the UK last summer, Sheikh Al-Qaradawi told the Muslim youth in this country that they had only one option and that is to integrate into society, engage in the political process and be law-abiding citizens. He has always insisted that there is no contradiction between being loyal to Islam and to the UK or between an Islamic religio-cultural identity and a British national identity.”

MAB news release, 19 July 2005

Muslim leaders defend Al-Qaradawi visit

By Hugo Duncan

Press Association, 19 July 2005

Muslim leaders have defended the forthcoming visit of a controversial cleric who praised suicide bombings by Palestinians. Egyptian-born scholar Yusuf al-Qaradawi, 79, who is banned from entering the United States, has been asked to speak at a conference in Manchester just weeks after the London bombings. Al-Qaradawi, who is head of an Islamic research centre in Qatar, visited Britain last year as a guest of Mayor of London Ken Livingstone. The visit sparked protests from Jewish groups and gay people, who al-Qaradawi also criticised.

Although he distanced himself from suicide attacks in the West he defended suicide attacks against Israelis. He is expected to speak at the Muslim Unity Convention at Bridgewater Hall in Manchester on August 7. Mohammed Shafiq, of the Ramadhan Foundation, which organised the event, said: “I do not think that it is a problem. He is a moderate and he says what he has said has been taken out of context and we take his word on that. He is a respected figure in the Muslim community and that is why he has been invited, to help promote cultural and religious diversity.”

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Ken: Why West must take share of the blame

Evening Standard, 19 July 2005

Ken Livingstone today suggested that decades of western intervention in the Middle East and the Iraq war may have an impact on the bombers. The Mayor pointed to abuses of captured Iraqi prisoners at the notorious Abu Ghraib prison and of detainees at Guantanamo Bay by American forces. He said the ban on moderate Muslims, such as former singer Cat Stevens, from entering the United States would also have contributed. He said the war on Iraq ‘wouldn’t have helped’ and said the CIA had funded Osama bin Laden to fight against Soviet forces only for him to turn against the West.

Giving his first City Hall press conference since the London bombings, Mr Livingstone said: “We created these people. We built them up. We funded them. This has been a terrible legacy. This will all have some impact on how these young men’s minds were formed. This particular strand of extremism was funded by the West in Afghanistan. Osama bin Laden was just another businessman until he was recruited by the CIA. I suspect the real problem was that we funded these people, as long as they were killing Russians. We gave no thought to the fact that when they stopped killing Russians they might start killing us.”

He also revealed that controversial Muslim preacher Yusuf al-Qaradawi, who was banned from entering the US and who was reported to be attending a conference in Manchester next month, was in fact not going to attend. The Mayor’s office recruited an Arabic speaker to contact Al-Qaradawi’s office and was told that the sheikh was “unaware of any invitation to come to Britain”.

Mr Livingstone, who met Al-Qaradawi at City Hall last year, also said academics described him as a “leading progressive Muslim”.

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Mohammed Umer, of the Ramadhan Foundation, said the invitation to Dr Qaradawi had been sent in January and there was no reason to rescind it following the London bombings. “What’s actually happened in London, we condemn it, yet the reality of Youssef al Qaradawi is that he is the flag bearer of moderation in the Muslim world,” he said. “We agree with people and we disagree with people. For example, Nelson Mandela, when he was in prison, he was labelled as a terrorist but when he came out he became a freedom fighter. Youssef al Qaradawi is the same person who, after the London events, came out and clearly stated that it was un-Islamic.”

BBC News, 18 July 2005