The British Muslim Initiative (BMI) is appalled and deeply offended by the David Cameron's call for a ban on Dr. Yusuf Al Qaradawi, the most prominent Muslim scholar and Chair of the International Union of Muslim Scholars.
During Prime Minister’s question time yesterday, 30 January 2008, Mr Cameron said ‘This is not about expelling someone. This guy wants to come to our country, and we do not think that he should be allowed in. He was banned by a former Conservative Home Secretary, so why will the Government not ban him?
Mohammad Sawalha President of the BMI said, ‘We are truly astounded by this erroneous remark. Dr Al Qaradawi was never banned from entering the United Kingdom. In fact Dr Al Qaradawi visited the UK five times between the 1995 and 1997, under a Conservative government while Michael Howard was the Home Secretary.’ Qaradawi visited the country at least seventeen times in the last thirty years.
Mr Cameron's ignorant statements on Dr. Qaradawi are surely the result of mis-briefing by his neo-Conservative aides - foremost among them being Michael Gove. Curiously, the right-wing think tank Policy Exchange of which Gove is a Patron, has been at the forefront in promoting the notorious neo-con agenda of stigmatising Muslims. It was recently exposed for fabricating evidence in order to smear the Muslim community and its places of worship.
These are grossly offensive remarks and only someone who is misguided and ill-informed could utter such claims against Dr. Qaradawi’, said Muhammad Sawalha BMI president. ‘Dr. Qaradawi's own writings and track record are impeccable.’ He has been a prominent and staunch critic of terrorism, condemning the attacks of September 11 2001 as "a grave sin" and was a leading member of the panel of prominent Muslim scholars which issued a fatwa deploring the attacks and stating that it was the duty of all Muslims to attempt to bring the terrorists to justice".
Ends,
British Muslim Initiative
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