The Al-Hikam Institute of Bradford was a player in the car convoy that brought vicious antisemites to London earlier this month.
It is bad all round. A woeful, miserable, and alarming tale of our times.
Start with the Batley teacher and the Al-Hikam imam Adil Shahzad. 1/20
His role has been covered, including hurling the vile "coconut" slur at British Muslim MPs.
Two weeks on, he *still* has two posts up on Facebook which name the teacher. This is outrageous - the poor man may well be facing the life of Salman Rushdie. 2/20
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This alone should prompt Charity Commission action. Al-Hikam is a registered charity and Shahzad is one of its trustees. When another local charity named the teacher, there was a response. Let's see another one. 3/20
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And Shahzad is not done yet. As schools around the country fend off reprehensible attacks, he has encouraged Muslims to take an entirely uncompromising stance at schools in Sheffield and Brierfeld.
"Guilty", "NO compromise", "Become governors", "An apology isn't enough". 4/20
When the government pushes back, Shahzad spots a sinister plot.
Robert Jenrick has said “it must be right” that a teacher can show images of the prophet of Islam.
Shahzad fires back: "there is a clear agenda to 'test the water' and see how far they can go with this". 5/20
Push back it must, for Shahzad is a fanatic. He has it in, and how, for countless Muslims, not Muslim MPs alone.
Consider these "enemies of Islam" fits of sectarian fury in sermons in April and May. They include the derogatory "Qadiyani" label for persecuted Ahmadi Muslims. 6/20
No toleration whatsoever is on offer here. "Do not be brainwashed by this freedom of speech." Mercy is for the prophet, not Muslims, you see. From an April sermon: 7/20
Here's another target. In an April sermon covering the Batley school, he raged about "LGBTQ nonsense" in schools "polluting minds".
Imagine his reaction if people demanded that no school taught that it is OK to be a Muslim. At the school gates, if necessary. 8/20
So, Israel? Need you ask? The *only* solution is jihad, he said on Facebook earlier this month.
He repeated this message in an Eid sermon: "If there was true leadership in the Muslim world, now is the time for jihad."
On the violence in Israel, he bewailed Israeli... 9/20
...airstrikes, making the false and incendiary claim that they were “uncalled for, without any provocation or anything of that sort”.
He also made another false claim that will only inspire great anger in devout Muslims if they believe it: "The forces of evil and... 10/20
...the enemies of Islam, they're taking al-Aqsa from under our noses."
Indeed, he went further, conjuring up an illusion of Zionist intentions extending all the way to Saudi Arabia: "Today it is Masjid al-Aqsa, tomorrow it will be Medina." 11/20
More of his views can be seen in this pungent 2019 letter about "fascist" Israel. No Israel and yes to a caliphate for Shahzad, if you don't mind. The letter was published by the Islamist hate site "5 Pillars", unsurprisingly. 12/20
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Note that a video message to convoy particpants appears to have been filmed in an Al-Hikam office the night before the departure. Lead organiser Razaq Hussain, who has been close to Al-Hikam for years, was blunt. "It's against the Zionists, the... 13/20
...Zionist terrorists, that’s who our hatred is against”, he said.
Another video message speaker called for an international outcry about alleged Israeli war crimes. “If we do not hold them responsible, and do not grip them by their necks and say to them, then who will?” 14/20
By the way, Razaq Hussain noted "massive support" for the convoy from "Friends of al-Aqsa", the awful Islamist outfit of Ismail Patel.
“They’ve been in touch, regularly, trying to support us and help us in any way that they can.” 15/20
And the convoy's final destination in London? A fanatical religious rally at Downing Street, featuring Al-Hikam imams Adil Shahzad and Muhammed Asim Hussain, with Razaq Hussain on stage as well. Nice placard! Takbir! 16/20
Now, Razaq Hussain has disowned the racist "**** the Jews, **** their daughters" abusers in north London.
Well, he and his fellows have spread enough rage and hatred without them.
Nor, personally, do I find that ugly episode in the least surprising with this convoy crew. 17/20
As for imam Muhammed Asim Hussain, he has quite a story of his own.
For now, see him supporting the assassination of a Pakistani politician by a "lion" for "blasphemy". Great guy for preaching just a few miles from Birstall, where Jo Cox was assassinated, eh. 18/20
All too often, fanatics enjoy good access to politicians and warm relationships with the police. And so it is in Bradford. In April, Adil Shahzad said he had discussed the Batley teacher with Imran Khan, Deputy Leader in Bradford, and that he had organised meeings with MPs. 19/20
Yes, Labour is hopeless when it comes to fanatics. When it's not helping them, that is.
While here you will see Shahzad accepting an "appreciation certificate" in 2020 from the West Yorkshire Police.
It falls to the Government to protect its citizens and their freedoms. 20/20
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