“Islamic leaders have commendably called on British Muslims to assist the police in exposing those who plan and commit such outrages. It is now incumbent on ordinary Muslims to follow their leaders’ commands. They should also deny a welcome to the likes of Tariq Ramadan, the Islamist ‘academic’ and supporter of suicide bombing who has been invited – by the Metropolitan Police, no less – to address young Muslims later this month.”

Condescending editorial advice for British Muslims from the Torygraph. Note the contemptuous use of quotation marks around “academic”.

As for the proposal that Muslims should boycott a man who is recognised as one of the leading Islamic thinkers in Europe today, do Telegraph leader writers actually get paid to think up this crap?

Daily Telegraph, 13 July 2005

“When events such as last Thursday’s occur, two things happen, usually within hours if not minutes: first, spokespersons for Islamic lobby groups issue warnings about an imminent backlash against Muslims…. In most circumstances it would be regarded as appallingly bad taste to deflect attention from an actual ‘hate crime’ by scaremongering about a non-existent one. But it seems the real tragedy of every act of ‘intolerance’ by Islamist bigots is that it might hypothetically provoke even more intolerance from us irredeemable white imperialist racists. My colleague Peter Simple must surely marvel at how the identity-group grievance industry has effortlessly diversified into pre-emptively complaining about acts of prejudice that have not yet occurred.

“Among those of us who aren’t Muslim, meanwhile, there’s a stampede to be first to the microphone to say that ‘of course’ we all know that ‘the vast majority of Muslims’ are not terrorists but law-abiding peace-loving people who share our revulsion at these appalling events, etc. Mr Blair won that contest on Thursday, followed closely by Brian Paddick and full supporting cast. If ‘of course’ Mr Blair and Mr Paddick and the rest do indeed know that ‘the vast majority of Muslims’ do not favour terrorism, is that because they’ve run the numbers and have a ballpark figure on the very very very slim minority of Muslims who do? And, if so, what is it? 0.02 per cent? Or two per cent? Or 20 per cent?”

Mark Steyn in the Daily Telegraph, 12 July 2005

He Supports Suicide Bombers, is banned in the US and is now on his way here

By Ben Leapman

Evening Standard, 12 July 2005

A row broke out today over a visit to London by an Islamic academic who claims terrorism is sometimes justified. His visit is being funded in part by the Metropolitan Police in a bid to build community relations.

Egyptian-born Tariq Ramadan, a Swiss citizen, is banned from entering the US. He has said that attacks by Muslims are justified in Iraq and Palestine. He has also publicly condemned the legalisation of homosexuality. But despite his views, Professor Ramadan is seen as a relative moderate. Speaking out against the London bombings, he said: ‘We must condemn these attacks with the strongest energy.’

Professor Ramadan will speak to young British Muslims at a conference in London on 24 July. The Met and the Association of Chief Police Officers have contributed £7,500 towards the event. It is being organised by the Da’watul Islam charity, which last year brought anti-gay cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi to Britain – sparking a political row when Mayor Ken Livingstone invited the preacher to County Hall…..

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The Sun launches a lying attack on respected Muslim scholar Tariq Ramadan.

The accusations against Profesor Ramadan in the main article, by Anthony France, are mainly lifted (without acknowledgement) from a piece by Daniel Pipes written to justify Ramadan’s exclusion from the US in 2004 (see here). Pipes’ accusations were systematically demolished by Ramadan himself at the time (see here). The other accusations in the Sun article are taken from the discredited Steve Emerson (see here) – the “terrorism expert” who assured everyone that the 1995 Oklahoma bombing was carried out by Muslims.

Why Here? Why Now?

By Anthony France

Sun, 12 July 2005

A decision to invite an Islamic academic who justifies terrorism to a London conference provoked disbelief and dismay last night.

Professor Tariq Ramadan, an Egyptian-born Swiss citizen, will preach to young Muslims on July 24 – 17 days after the 7/7 outrage.

The visit by Ramadan – who has been banned from entering the US and France – is backed by £7,500-worth of funding from British taxpayers via the Metropolitan Police and the Association of Chief Police Officers.

But serving cop Norman Brennan, head of the Victims of Crime Trust, said: “Many will be horrified to learn that the Met and ACPO are funding an event where the speaker will be a man who believes suicide bombings are justified. The timing of this could not have been worse. Officers have spent the last five days picking up human remains with their bare hands.”

Security chiefs across the world have built up dossiers on Ramadan, 44.

Last year he was banned from entering the US after America’s Homeland Security Department said he had “endorsed terrorist activity”. In 1996 he was barred from France on suspicion of having links with an Algerian behind a terror campaign in Paris. In 1999 a Spanish judge declared that he had “routine contacts” with an Algerian al-Qaeda disciple.

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