Mehdi Hasan

Mehdi Hasan’s polemical take on politics, economics and foreign affairs

10 Questions for Anjem Choudary

My challenge to the publicity-seeking, extremist windbag

By Mehdi Hasan Published 04 January 2010 22:52

The leader of Islam4UK has said he will try to persuade people in Wootton Bassett to back an anti-war parade along the main street -- the same route used to bring home the bodies of troops from Afghanistan.

Anjem Choudary, whose group is an offshoot of the radical al-Muhajiroun movement, has caused anger by calling for members to parade through the Wiltshire town carrying up to 500 coffins symbolising the Muslim dead from the invasion and occupation of Afghanistan.

But why do the media give the buffoonish Choudary so much time and attention? And why, when he is interviewed, are the questions so piss-poor and pathetic?

Here are ten questions that I think British journalists should be putting to the leader of "Islam4UK":

1) Do you have any qualifications as an Islamic scholar? If not, on what basis do you call yourself a "sharia judge" and why on earth should anyone take your pronouncements on Islam, Muslims or "the hellfire" seriously?

From Wikipedia: "He is a qualified solicitor and chairman of the Society of Muslim Lawyers, although he was removed from the roll in 2002. He has also claimed to be a "judge" of the "Shari'ah Court of the UK",[4] alongside Omar Bakri;[5] although neither man is an official of the Muslim Arbitration Tribunal, the only legally binding sharia court in the UK."

2) Do you not think it is even slightly hypocritical to live off benefits from the same British state that you revile and reject? Why do you say it's "not of any importance"?

From the London Evening Standard: "Mr Choudary, a father of three, admitted he lived off benefits despite objecting to the British state. He rejected suggestions of hypocrisy, saying: 'I don't think it's of any importance.' "

3) After you've gone to Wootton Bassett, will you take your coffins and go to Kandahar as well, to protest against the killing of innocent Afghans there by the Taliban and al-Qaeda? If not, why not?

From the UN News Centre: "UNAMA [United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan] recorded 1,013 civilian deaths in the first six months of 2009, an increase of 24 per cent as compared to the same period in 2008. Of these, 59 per cent (595 deaths) were due to AGEs [anti-government elements] and 30.5 per cent (310 deaths) to PGFs [pro-government forces]."

4) Why did you call off your "march for sharia" in October 2009? Is it because you couldn't round up enough people to turn out for your "cause"?

From the Guardian: "At the eleventh hour, we heard that Islam4UK were cancelling their demonstration, rumours that were initially dismissed as the Choudary camp's standard tactical manoeuvring. When it later emerged that Islam4UK had indeed sheepishly withdrawn from their own protest, the official reason doing the rounds was that English Defence League members had made death threats towards Anjem Choudary. What an irony. Al-Muhajiroun have repeatedly praised the 9/11 terrorists as 'magnificent' yet they wholly failed to muster up the moral courage to square up to their first challenge from Muslim democrats. They ran scared -- terrified by the prospect of an intellectual duel of conflicting viewpoints, in full view of the media and the public."

5) You have called for people who drink alcohol to be lashed, but how do you square that with your own record of drinking? Do you plan to lash yourself?

From the Telegraph: "Muslim preacher Anjem Choudary has called for people who get drunk to be flogged. The lawyer, who recently praised the Mumbai terror attacks, said anyone becoming intoxicated by alcohol should be given 40 lashes in public. He claimed alcohol was 'the root of all evil'. The 41-year-old made the remarks on his website Islam4UK, which argues that Britain should become an Islamic state ruled by sharia law."

From the Daily Mail: "Photographs obtained by the Mail suggest 'Andy' -- as he was then known -- should be inflicting on himself the 40 lashes he prescribes for drunkenness. As well as downing cider and lager, the cleric is shown playing drinking games with cards, clearly forbidden under his strict Islamic laws, and holding a cannabis joint between his lips before smoking it. And the woman on the cover of the Mayfair pornographic magazine he is looking at is certainly not wearing a burka. On the evidence of friends from his student days, Choudary had sex with numerous white Christian girls."

6) You claim Islam is "not a religion of peace" but a "religion of submission" -- but have you not read the verse in the Quran which says that "there is no compulsion in religion"?

From the Evening Standard: "When a woman in a burkha asked how he could justify this when Islam was supposed to be a religion of peace, the crowd mocked her. But it was Choudary who rose to put her in her place. 'Islam is not a religion of peace,' he said. 'It is a religion of submission. We need to submit to the will of Allah.' "

From the Quran (2:256): "There is no compulsion in religion."

7) You and your allies have described 11 September 2001 as a "towering day" and the 19 hijackers as "magificent". Do you have a fatwa from any reputed Muslim scholar or Islamic seat of learning which supports your view?

From Wikipedia: Abu Hamza al-Masri created the Islamic Council of Britain to "implement sharia law in Britain", in 2002, on the first anniversary of the 11 September 2001 attacks, primarily through funding from al-Muhajiroun. Masri celebrated the establishment of the ICB and the 9/11 attacks by holding a conference at Finsbury Park Mosque in north London entitled "September the 11th 2001: A Towering Day in History". Bakri, who attended the conference, said that the delegates "look at September 11 like a battle, as a great achievement by the mujahideen against the evil superpower. I never praised September 11 after it happened but now I can see why they did it." Flyers distributed at the conference referred to the hijackers as the "Magnificent 19".

8) You say you have "no sympathy whatsoever" with the grieving parents of fallen soldiers, but how do you square that with the Islamic emphasis on mercy and compassion, even towards one's enemies?

From the Sun: "He also told grieving parents of war dead that he had 'no sympathy whatsoever' for fallen troops."

From the Islamic scholar Professor Ali Asghar Engineer: "The very opening of the Qur'an, the holy book of Islam, is with 'Bism Allahir Rahmanir Rahim', ie, I begin in the name of Allah who is Compassionate and Merciful. Thus it will be seen that Compassion is one of the names of Allah and it is among the most popular names of Allah. Muslims always begin their name with this incantation, ie, 'I begin in the name of Allah who is Compassionate and Merciful'. A Muslim who worships Allah has to be compassionate in his own behaviour, else his/her worship would not be complete. There are four key values in Qur'an which are repeatedly emphasised: Justice ('adl), benevolence (ihsan), compassion (rahmah) and wisdom (hikmah) and compassion is one of them."

9) If one of your own four young children had been blown to pieces on 7 July 2005, would you still claim that "oppressed" Muslims had a right to defend themselves using "whatever means"?

From the Sun: "Anjem Choudary also claimed 'oppressed' Muslims had a right to defend themselves using 'whatever means'. Choudary, 38, right-hand man of exiled hate preacher Omar Bakri, repeatedly refused to condemn the 7/7 bombers at a press conference on the eve of the anniversary of the London blasts. But when asked if he would inform the police of another suicide mission he said in Walthamstow, east London: 'No I wouldn't. I don't think Muslims can co-operate with police.' "

From Wikipedia: "Choudary married 22-year-old Rubana Akhtar in 1996, who had recently joined al-Muhajiroun, which he led at the time.[46] They settled in Ilford, London, and had four children: three daughters (Hidayah, born 1999, Hajar, born 2004, and Wafa, born 2008) and one son (Luqman, born 2001)."

10) Why do you continue to reside in a country you hate so much?

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Tags: Anjem Choudary

More from Mehdi Hasan

View the discussion thread.

42 comments

Sun, 2010-07-04 23:22 — TheRationalizer (not verified)

1 Question for Mehdi Hasan.

How do you explain your comments in this video?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhPeyxJ7vGU

Mon, 2010-05-31 17:50 — Sock-Puppet (not verified)

Hmmm, I'm not convinced that Rose ("Sarah") is the same person writing; her dyslexia seems to have suddenly cleared-up over the last couple of posts. A miracle indeed!

Mon, 2010-11-01 22:51 — Ibrahim Khan (not verified)

Mehdi Hassan your a House Negro, Slave minded human piece of garbage.

Mon, 2010-01-04 23:11 — Rose Sarah Tomlin (not verified)

Hello, im trying to coment on the protest march to be led by Anjem Choudrem. i am 16 years old, english and a christian. ignore my spelling, i have dyslexia.
I think Anjem Choudrem should be able to protrest his march through wooden baset.(spelling)
because we live in a contry were we have the righ of freedom of speech, his marching for anit war! nothing more. (well thats what i get from the news) we let the BNP speek, so why shouldn't he 'march'?. His marching for the innocent muslim victims, there innocent, they are victims. as are we.
it shouldn't matter on the religion, people should see his march, the march from the followers of islam, as a march for every other innocent victim of this war.
Thats just what i think...

Tue, 2010-01-05 03:04 — ExplodingBadger

While from Mehdis description the guys seems like a disagreeable person I also agree with Rose Sarah Tomlin. Why shouldn't these people be able to speak their mind like anyone else ? We pride ourselves on freedom of speech if we withdraw it from people with disagree with... it isn't freedom.

I also feel that a protest or ceremony remembering the Afghan and Iraqi dead in some way (they are victims of a war which we and the US starte after all) would be a good idea although this probably shouldn't be held at Wootton Basset and shouldn't have anything to do with Choudary.

Tue, 2010-01-05 04:01 — Andrew Kenning (not verified)

A fantastic article that blows massive holes in the deluded and, it would seem, hypocrtical Choudary.

I watched the interview with him yesterday on Sky and was screaming at the TV for Colin Brazier to ask that last question. It needs an answer.

How about giving him a free flight and a parachute and dropping him off into Helmand province where he can spend his days idly chatting with the Taliban, before accompanying them on the raids that kill more Muslims than they do Allied forces?

Tue, 2010-01-05 10:06 — writeoff (not verified)

We only have official UN figures on civilian deaths, which are almost certainly unreliable if past experience is anything to go by. The government have stopped even mentioning the Afghans that are getting killed, watch the news - they have ceased to exist. I don't have a lot of time for Choudary but there is good reason to remember all the dead of this pointless war of aggression. The Mayor of WB says he is not political, but the soldiers have 'died for our freedom' - a freedom in which the PM swears he'll do all he can to stop this march and shut down dissent. Mehdi, your third question is just silly isn't it? It's not very easy to arrange a march in Kandahar, and I think you'll find there are plenty of people vocalising their concerns there anyway. Are you suggesting we should just forget the dead Afghans (whoever kills them) and keep banging the marching drums?

Tue, 2010-01-05 11:01 — vanrisszcu

Good morning all! Thanks for your comments.

"writeoff" - I think there is a good reason to remember all the dead but I think Choudary, the cynic and bigot, is not the man to be leading that remembrance. Nor do I, like him, pretend that all the dead Afghans died at the hands only of the occupiers and not also at the hands of the insurgents. Hence the UN stats. And, no, I am not suggesting we "should just forget the dead" - see, for example, this blog post from me back in August (and countless others):

http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/mehdi-hasan/2009/08/afghanistan-clinic...

"Peter Buckley" - you seem confused. You are referring to "apostasy", which is a separate issue to what Choudary seems to be suggesting: i.e. forcing people to submit to Islam. My point is that the Quran, 2:256, does not allow Islam to be forced on anyone.

"Daniele" - nice try but I never called you a racist or Islamophobe but I did point out that your views on Muslim women wearing the hijab or niqab seemed to be "driven by prejudice." I asked: "What do you mean by referring to Muslims who "choose to live here"? Some of us were born here." This is a separate issue - the tarring of all Muslims who choose to practise their faith as somehow alien, and the assumption that Muslims are all foreign or immigrants rather than British-born - to the issue of Choudary who, regardless of whether he is born here or not, seems to hate this country so much that I do wonder why he's still here. Does that make sense?

(Oh and you can see the original thread and my comment on your comment, on Sholto's blog, here:

http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/the-god-blog/2009/10/women-wearing-hij...

Tue, 2010-01-05 11:08 — John1111111111222222227

To those defending the right of Islam4UK to protest in WB, are you aware of what this organisation actually is? That it wants to make this country a theocracy in which no one has any freedoms? Also, whatever your view of the war, do you not find the location of the planned protest distatesful and insensitive? This isn't about a protest against the Afghan war, remembering the civillian dead. There would be nothing wrong with such a march. The point is that WB isn't the right place and this disgusting organisation (who remember, hate you and think you will burn in hell for enternity if you aren't Muslim) are not the right ones to be organising it.

Tue, 2010-01-05 11:13 — 2yyiam1

Excellent questions, but perhaps the biggest question of all is why have none of this points been put to him, or if they have why is he allowed to claim "it's not important" and not then pushed further on it?

Once again, as with the BNP, there seems to be a very gentle-gentle approach to these people to allow them to express their vile views without proper interrogation just for some juicy headlines.

No one appears concerned to get to the truth of the matter. As interesting as your questions are, how likely is it that he will ever have to face such questions from the British media??

Tue, 2010-01-05 11:19 — Roshan (not verified)

Mehdi, you are choosing the wrong target. Choudary is undoubtedely a provocative cartoon character without any credibilty but he hasn't harmed anyone. All he's done is wave a few placards around and pissed a few people off. British soldiers, on the other hand, have in the last decade invaded and occupied two sovereign nations, killed and tortured innocent civilians, and have been complicit in secret rendition. I suggest their crimes are real and Choudary's are harmless in comparison. And the points he makes about the British army are valid. So why don't you live up to your hype - Dissident Voice - and stop reflecting mainstream views? And why don't you take on targets which aren't quite so easy to hit?

Tue, 2010-01-05 11:34 — Roshan (not verified)

Your figures about civilian deaths in Afghanistan are highly misleading. First of all they cover a limited period and I seem to remember that studies have been done which prove that most civilian deaths over the 8 yr period are actually the fault of coalition forces. Also, the figures come from the UN which I don't accept as a neutral source in Afghanistan. And they fail to reflect the fact that these killings weren't happenning pre-invasion. The foreign forces have literally unleased the gates of hell in that country and are to blame - directly or indirectly - for all the conflcit deaths post invasion. That said, clearly Taliban violence which has killed civilians is reprehensible but ultimately it is their country and their business, not our's. Please change the title of your blog to "Mainstream Voice".

Tue, 2010-01-05 11:46 — vanrisszcu

Roshan - thanks for your (rather predictable) comments. Talking of dissident voices, I haven't seen Press TV taking a very critical line of the Iranian regime over the recent deaths on Ashura? So I'm not really going to start taking lessons on impartiality or dissidence from you. On bozos like Choudary, I am "mainstream". Happily. Proudly. He is a joke and an embarrassment to the British Muslim community. I agree with you, actually, that the British and American forces destabilised Afghanistan and "unleashed the gates of hell in that country" but, unlike you and Andy Choudary, I have a slightly longer memory. Afghans were killing each other, and the Taliban were murdering innocents, even before the US/UK invasion in October 2001. I don't remember people like you complaining then. In fact, I've yet to hear people like you ever criticise a Muslim government or Muslim group for killing Muslims. These double standards have to stop. I condemn all the civilian deaths in Afghanistan - those inflicted by Nato and the insurgents. As for stats, bring yours to the table. "I seem to remember that studies have been done..." doesn't cut it with me. Cheers.

Tue, 2010-01-05 12:07 — Roshan (not verified)

It's amazing how you can read my mind given the amount of times you call me predictable. What's predictable is your mainstream views parading as "dissident".

Anyway, I'm not here to defend Press TV and that isn't the issue at hand. We can have that discussion sometime else and I'll be happy to.

Regarding Choudary, yes he is a joke but your targeting of him is absurd and - dare I say it - predictable.

Regarding Muslim on Muslim violence, yes it is wrong and reprehensible and I condemn and abhore it. And always have. I'm on the side of right and when Muslims are wrong I'm not on their side.

As for the stats, I'll give some ground on that one because the studies refer to Iraq not Afghanistan. Will have to do some reseacrh there and will get back to you. Wiki has a page on it but it's a long read.

Anyway, I'm off to do some biased journalism now so speak to you later.

Tue, 2010-01-05 12:26 — Roshan (not verified)

Oh before I go, as you know I was in Dubai when the Ashura riots occurred so wasn't even watching the channel. But I have been assured that we did report every single accusation the West made against the Iranian govt (or regime as you pathetically call it) regarding what happenned, AND we reported what the Iranians were saying.

By the way, don't you think it was shameful that the western media failed to report the millions on the streets of Iran demonstrating against the rioters? While a protest by 300 people was top news?

And what about the fact that not one senior British journalist reported on the relase of Faraj Hassan who was detained without charge or trial in the UK for six years - despite my constant reminders! Now that would have been a story worth doing, worthy of a true Dissident Voice - highlighting injustice instead of taking easy pot shots at cartoon characters.

I really am off now. Goodbye.

Tue, 2010-01-05 14:04 — Rose Sarah Tomlin (not verified)

Mac Simon i just want to clarify myself and my point here;
"Then I think we should be allowed to kick his head in... " because this isn't freedom of spech, it takes two people to do wronge, not just one, and if he did this to you, you would be arrested, as would you to him. And its abit sick realy.

"The problem is that sheltered people like you have not really stepped out into the real world" Im the futhvest thing from sheltered and i've been out in the real world every day.
"and just preach about how nice people should be and work together." becasue we should be nice and we SHOULD work together, it only takes one person to start makeing the difference.
"The fact remains is that some people should be kept apart. Period." we are all part of one body, what you do effects others and intern everyone, so we cannot be kept apart. period.
"Just look at all the hardline Islamic countries, do they care if you (a non Muslim) are slain or beheaded in there country..I think not, unless they are told to. " then may God be mercyful, for they are clearly misled. There God doesn't teach to kill, they are tauch to struggle in the name of islam, but its how its interprated that causes the problems. Islam talks about preseving life, and being like stuards to the world. to take care of it and leave it with more than what you came to it with. So murdering is clearly contradicting?

Thats just what i think to what you think.

And erm John guy,
"To those defending the right of Islam4UK to protest in WB, are you aware of what this organisation actually is?" Not a clue!
"That it wants to make this country a theocracy in which no one has any freedoms?" it won't happen. THat isn't possible is it?
"Also, whatever your view of the war, do you not find the location of the planned protest distatesful and insensitive?" no not really, the location is a well know place to remeber the dead of the war, is it not? and its still the dead of the war, the people those coffens wil represent are still someones family, and they are still dead.
"The point is that WB isn't the right place and this disgusting organisation (who remember, hate you and think you will burn in hell for enternity if you aren't Muslim) are not the right ones to be organising it." Every religon believes people with the wronge religion will not go to heaven and will be punished for openingly denying there God, but thats were religion like man finds fault.
And all i get from the news of it i've seen is that it is only a march to remeber the dead, and nothing more, because no one wants to say planly what the problem is.

Tue, 2010-01-05 14:17 — Julie (not verified)

I am sure the people of Wootton Bassett can't wait for their town to be turned into a war zone should this march go ahead. Andy (mine's a pint) C must be lapping up all the attention he is getting - either way, he has won on the media front. I agree wholeheartedly with anyone's wish to demonstrate, but this isn't about the war in Afghanistan, Irag or anywhere else - its about publicity - I guess he is as shallow as the rest of us.

Wed, 2010-04-14 19:40 — Paddy Singh (not verified)

No matter how democratic a country choses to be, there is no justification for people like Anjem Choudary being allowed to live in this country at the cost of totally tolerant tax payers. And there are many others like him. This is a Chrstian country and all of us who have the privilege to live in the UK must respect this fact. It is the fault of a weak govenment - and the Conservatives and Lib Democrats are of the same thought as far as far as people like Choudary are conerned. With the rest of Europe moving to the right, it will not be long before the BNP comes to powere and saves the taxpayer. Why does'nt Choudary move out? He never will because the country is full of spongers like him

Tue, 2010-01-05 14:28 — John1111111111222222227

Sarah, you are as ignorant as I presumed! I suggest you do a little reading on what Islam4uk actually is. And no, Sarah, not all members of all religions actually believe that anyone who doesn't adhere to their faith will go to hell. Those who do are generally extremists or extremely dogmatic. It is not just a march to remember the dead. If it was, do you there would have been this reaction? And if you can't understand why the location is innapropriate or insensitive, then you are probably a rather heartless, uncaring person. Just think about it. Put yourself in the shoes of the troops families.

Tue, 2010-01-05 00:12 — mac simons (not verified)

Then I think we should be allowed to kick his head in...

The problem is that sheltered people like you have not really stepped out into the real world and just preach about how nice people should be and work together. The fact remains is that some people should be kept apart. Period. Islamic Fundamentalists are just one of these people. Just look at all the hardline Islamic countries, do they care if you (a non Muslim) are slain or beheaded in there country..I think not, unless they are told to.

Thats just what i think.

Tue, 2010-01-05 01:05 — Peter Buckley (not verified)

Interesting article,but I'm afraid you are mistaken on the 'no compulsion' claim (quoting 2:256).As you should be aware,all four major sunni schools of jurisprudence,and most Shia,rule that the punishment for apostasy is death.This is based on the interpretation that the verse you quoted was later abrogated by later (Medinan) verses,notably 2:217 and 4:89. This may be an example of 'taqiyya' on your part,but just to clarify this:according to nearly all the schools of jurisprudence(Sharia)apostates are to be put to death,so there IS compulsion.

Tue, 2010-01-05 14:37 — Daniele1

Medhi, you are not being perfectly honest here. I did make clear on a further post that I meant Muslims who hated Western values and who hated living here.I did not mean for one minute that all Muslims wanting to practice their religion should leave. And sorry, you did say I was "prejudiced", not racist.But in my book it means the same. Btw, in a further comment you even admitted you had been carried away in your judgement of my opinions.
Never mind I still like your blog.

Tue, 2010-01-05 01:25 — peter burton (not verified)

I think that the revolting bile spouting hatemonger Anjem Choudary's intention of parading through Wootton Bassett with his equally hatefilled followers should not even be given any consideration and outlawed forthwith.
It is this government that has allowed these people to flourish and gain strength.
The voice of decent English people
has been deliberately ignored. Why?
If your average proud British person were to get on a soapbox and rant as Choudary does but directed at muslim extremists they would probably be arrested for enciting public unrest.
So much for free speech!
If that group of people are permitted to parade through Wootten
Bassett that would be the ultimate insult.
It is high time that some positive action is taken against these people in our midst and to hell with the do gooders and the PC brigade.

Tue, 2010-01-05 01:57 — Daniele1

Medhi, the very last question you ask: "Why do you continue to reside in a country you hate so much?" I asked once in one of my posts about Muslim extremists stating that even though they might have been born here, if they hate Western culture so much then maybe they should go and live in a Muslim country.You called me an Islamophobe and a racist which was completely untrue and unfair because I would say the same thing about some Evangelist Christian bigot who obviously might be happier living among their American cousins in Texas who share the same crazy view of the world.
You are now asking, rightly, the same question about Choudary. Interesting!

Tue, 2010-01-05 01:59 — Iqbal (not verified)

Doesn't represent me!

Tue, 2010-01-05 16:35 — vanrisszcu

Daniele - nice to know we're still friends!

Roshan - predictable, predictable, predictable. I would have blogged about Faraj Hassan but I was away. And I note that you only come and leave comments on posts where you disagree with me. Interesting mindset. You also seem to assume that I think, unlike you, that the press in this country is superb, accurate, impartial, Muslim-friendly, etc, when in fact I wrote this in the Guardian eighteen months ago:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jul/07/channel4.islam

I agree with you on the Iran coverage. It is superficial and one-sided. By the way, when was the last time you wrote or said anything publicly about Muslim-on-Muslim violence? Or torture in Arab countries? Just wondering...

Thanks for stopping by!

Tue, 2010-01-05 17:43 — me2

"And why,when he is interviewed,are the questions so piss-poor and pathetic?"
Will islam be the trigger for nuclear world war 111?

Tue, 2010-01-05 18:23 — Roshan (not verified)

Mehdi, hope you read this.

As I've said to you before I like 70% of what you say so don't comment on it as I'm not into saying: "Great article mate, the ground you walk on is holy." It's only when you say something unbefitting of your "Dissident Voice" that I'm moved to comment. But if you want a pat on the back then, well done!

As for me commenting on Muslim violence etc, I'm not a member of the commentariat like you so I don't have a platform. I do, however, do news reports and a simple google search of my name would suffice to realise that loads of my stuff ain't exactly Taliban or AQ friendly.

Anyway, I don't think the other readers could give a toss about our little spat so let's end it here.

Tue, 2010-01-05 20:58 — Rose Sarah Tomlin (not verified)

John. i think by Sarah you mean me, "you are as ignorant as I presumed!" im not in the slightest!
"And no, Sarah, not all members of all religions actually believe that anyone who doesn't adhere to their faith will go to hell." in most religions or relgiouse believes i have spoken to they believe to be in heaven you must be in the religion, as a christian im ment to believe the only way to heaven is through Jesus Christ.
"Those who do are generally extremists or extremely dogmatic." then that makes every precher i've met an extremest, aswell as believes in islam.
"It is not just a march to remember the dead. If it was, do you there would have been this reaction?" no one has said that it is not just to remeber though.
"And if you can't understand why the location is innapropriate or insensitive, then you are probably a rather heartless, uncaring person. Just think about it. Put yourself in the shoes of the troops families." i have a very very close friend whos out there at the moment.

Tue, 2010-01-05 23:11 — Daniel Taghioff (not verified)

Ha ha!

I am glad to see your blogger road rage still has you berating Journalists for asking bad questions even when you have a job with the Staggers.

Isn't the biggest secret in all of this the the Middle East is basically a cul de sac? The G8 are in there for the oil, and the lefties are in there because they hate what the G8, particularly the US, are funding in order to control the black stuff.

But ultimately we need to let go of the black stuff, and also, by implication, our left-wing obsession with the Middle East...

Or is that just nasty? What about genocide in Africa and emerging starvation in South Asia? Why does that upset student union politics so much less?

Mon, 2010-01-25 12:27 — James (not verified)

It is quite clear that Anjem does not have anything against the UK, for, as he puts it, "Allah created this land and all other lands". His group has a problem with people not implementing divine rule, but he has nothing against the UK.

Thu, 2010-12-30 21:48 — Sam (not verified)

Lets all have free speech! I am happy when I hear that another Muslim has strapped a bomb to their body and detonated. That is one less of the evil cult alive. Preferably they do it out in a clear area with no one around. Although, if they manage to kill other Muslims, that is a bonus.

Tue, 2010-01-05 23:54 — Secular atheist (not verified)

@Peter Buckley

This is the clear contradiction between the Qur'an and current interpretations of sharia law. I pointed this out to the idiots who run a stall outside my university library promoting sharia law. They just looked annoyed and say they have to ask their Imam.

However, other more recent scholars are trying to reinterpret Sharia so there is no punishment for apostasy.

There's also a passage somewhere in the Qur'an that says if someone is searching for something they believe to be true then they should not be punished. This would also seem to contradict any punishment for apostasy.

Wed, 2010-01-06 01:20 — MM (not verified)

Peter Buckley - http://www.loonwatch.com/2009/09/apostasy/

Good post Mehdi, I also liked your comment piece.

Wed, 2010-01-06 04:53 — Andrew Kenning (not verified)

I fail to see what is wrong with a 'predictable' targeting of Choudary. Anyone who expresses the nonsense that he stands for deserves to be attacked. It is the duty of those in positions like Mehdi to question, expose and attack such people.

As Alexander Pope once wrote:

'When truth or virtue an affront endures,
Th' affront is mine, my friend, and should be yours.'
- Epilogue to Satires (dialogue I, l. 207)

Wed, 2010-01-13 01:49 — Eddie (not verified)

Why the hell do we the British put up with Anjem Choudary and his followers. Sorry to say that I honestly believe if he hates the British that much we should deport the lot to their home land where they live in squaller and witness the Killing of inocent people by their suicide bombers. It greives me to witness the Racist shouting and displaying of their banners in a Public place Sweet F A is done about it. Took me all my time to keep this brief and not use offensive language.

Sun, 2010-04-18 20:39 — Rose Sarah Tomlin (not verified)

C M Carter
06 January 2010 at 13:30
Nice piece. The comment from the 16 year old has been the most mature i have read on this topic. What a world...
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Thankyou i do try =) haha

Wed, 2010-01-06 14:30 — C M Carter (not verified)

Nice piece. The comment from the 16 year old has been the most mature i have read on this topic. What a world...

Wed, 2010-01-06 17:20 — writeoff (not verified)

Thanks for your response Mehdi. I'm sure you won't forget the Afghan dead, even if the Establishment media dutifully fail to mention them. The real niggle here seems to be (putting aside how barmy or otherwise this character might be) that they want to march in this village. Personally I quite like that - the govt. go out of their way to confuse remembrance with endorsement, it's a November ritual now. You can be sorry for the soldiers sent to their deaths, but it's not necessary to agree with what they are doing or be grateful because they say they are dying for us or (somehow, never explained) our freedom, which as we now know does not include criticising the military. I think the war makes us all much less safe, much more hated, and demonstrably less free. I can't be grateful for such glories. If the people of Wootton Bassett can't get their head around that, that's a shame.

Tue, 2010-02-02 08:20 — David (not verified)

I suspect that Choudary is actually an agent provocateur for the BNP ... or perhaps even Mossad - I mean, is there anybody else on the planet doing more to discredit Islam than him?

Mon, 2010-03-29 15:09 — Gordon p Hancock (not verified)

I am an 85 year old ENGLISH pensioner.Who has worked and served (Fleet AIR Arm. All My life. One I am Extremely means tested. For £10 per week Council Tax Credit. By Wiltshire Council.
Gordon Brown Has reduced my pension by £2.50 pw. Because they have only only given 2.5% on the basic pension.

Yet this goverment can give Anjem Choudary. £25,000. per year. He is not the only one.

They should put him in shakels. Put him in the back of a Hercules plane. Then drop him out over the alantic. Whitout a paracute
WE DO NOT NEED THE LIKES OF HIM. OR ANY OF HIE MATES IN THIS COUNTRY.

Thu, 2010-01-07 18:35 — Michael Saint (not verified)

Mehdi, don't you support Anjem? I thought you would, as he alone can help Britain's majority Kaffir Cattle to become superior Muslims. I thought that's what you want? No? Have I missed something?

Moooo.