UK Muslim Leader: Preaching Jihad is Our Right

Sun, May 28, 2006 at 5:29:03 pm PDT

A fascinating admission in an article at The Muslim News, a British Muslim paper, reporting a speech by Union of Muslim Organisations (UMO) official Syed Aziz Pasha—who is seething over a new addition to Britain’s anti-terror laws that would prevent them from preaching jihad.

Uh. I think that’s supposed to be the idea.

The Government was condemned last month on its glorification antiterrorism legislation at an event to celebrate Prophet Muhammad (p)’s birthday held on April 18. “The Government is spending more time on anti terror legislation and is taking away Muslims’ civil liberties and freedom,” said Secretary General of Union of Muslim Organisations (UMO), Syed Aziz Pasha. He was responding to Home Office Minister, Fiona Mactaggart, who told the guests that the anti terror legislation was meant “to make us safer” and that the outlawing of glorification of terrorism “does not prevent reasonable speeches.”

Mactaggart said the Government was “looking forward to continuing collaboration with the Muslim community.” It is “this relationship that helps policing work,” she said. But Pasha said anti terror legislation was targeted at the Muslims and the new addition of glorification would prevent them from speaking about jihad as this would be considered as terrorism.