By Faisal | Published:
November 17, 2009
A shortened version of this article has been published on Comment is Free
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It is now clear US Army Major Nidal Hasan had a series of connections to the Islamist cleric, Anwar al-Awlaki . For those of us who have studied, with increasing concern, the extreme teachings of this cleric, this tragedy is the inevitable consequence of un-checked Islamist radicalisation. This situation has been made all the more distressing by the apparent lack of concern shown by the US Intelligence and Military authorities in taking Awlaki’s influence seriously.
Even before Major Nidal had fired a single bullet in Fort Hood, the US authorities knew about his increasingly vocal radicalisation and that he had attended the Dar al-Hijrah mosque in Virgina at the time Awlaki was its head Imam. Nidal had also been the subject of an FBI investigation after it was discovered that he made communication with Awlaki by email. There was certainly no lack of overt clues.
Posted in Islamism | Also tagged al-Qaeda, Anas al-Tikriti, Anwar al-Awlaki, Azad Ali, Cageprisoners, East London Mosque, Inayat Bunglawala, Islamic Forum Europe, Moazzem Begg, Muslim Association of Britain, Osama Saeed |
By Effendi | Published:
October 27, 2009
Tonight, the All Party Parliamentary Group Friends of Islam (FOI) is hosting a discussion at the House of Lords about Preventing Violent Extremism with Arun Kundnani (of the Institute for Race Relations), Bob Lambert and Dr Abdul Bari of the Muslim Council of Britain, an organisation that is currently in the doghouse after its deputy director-general signed a declaration “advocating attacks on the Royal Navy if it tries to stop arms for Hamas being smuggled into Gaza” and “in support of Hamas and military action”. Those invited initially thought this was simply an event hosted by Lord Ahmed and FOI, a group he founded in 2001 and of which he is currently an advisor. Interestingly, according to her Facebook page, Yvonne Ridley, who quite likes Hamas, was a founder member.