| Submit your comments on this article |
| Fifth Column |
| Essex boys sign up for ’holy war’ |
| 2002-11-16 |
| Khalid Akhtar sounds like a typical fanatic. Standing outside a community centre in southern England last week, he branded Jews as 'devils' and called for a war on the enemies of Islam. But Akhtar is different in one crucial respect from most of the extremists who gather at certain mosques around Britain and talk of revolution. Once known as John, 29-year-old Akhtar is one of a new generation of white converts being recruited into British Islamic organisations with links to al-Qaeda. On Friday nights members of al-Muhajiroun, a UK-based militant group, gather in Ilford's Eton Road Community Centre to hear the charismatic spiritual leader, Sheikh Omar Bakri, denounce the West. On average, about 70 young British men - including 20 whites - attend. Since 11 September, al-Muhajiroun has proved itself to be the most rebellious section of the British Muslim community. The British shoe bomber Richard Reid, 28, was seen at several al-Muhajiroun meetings in Ilford in the months before his failed attempt to bomb American Airlines Flight 63 over Miami. 'Al-Muhajiroun has one goal,' said Anjam Choudry, its UK chairman. 'We would like to see the implementation of the sharia law in the UK. Under our rule this country would be known as the Islamic Republic of Great Britain. To do that, attracting young Asians is not enough. So we are making a conscious effort to recruit large numbers of non-Muslims. It's nice to have ambitions 'Whites, Chinese, Japanese and Indians in this country are all bored with the capitalist system. It's a bankrupt ideal. We have found that young non-Muslims, like our Asian followers, want something new. You can tell that from the anti-globalisation movement. So we're offering them something pure: a religious mission, the values of sharia law and jihad.' Another similarity between radical leftists and Islamists 'I never felt like I belonged anywhere,' said Mohamed Khan, 24, formerly known as Alan and a white convert in al-Muhajiroun. He said he was disillusioned with Christianity. 'It didn't give me any sense of respect. No one goes to church any more. At least the mosques are full, so Islam obviously has something.' His friend, Salim Yunus, 20, also a former Christian, said that in al-Muhajiroun they were led by example. 'You look at your average church priest, and what does he do? Who would he go to war with? No one. So how can Christianity claim to be a religion when its followers don't believe in spreading the word? Only the one true religion would let us kill people The fact that Western politicians like Bush and Blair are scared of Islam means that it is a great religion. Sheikh Bakri knows that: he would die for it.' Our great and glorious leader would die a martyr, except he is too important.. 'There is a clear rise in the politics of identity,' said Paul Weller, Professor of Inter-Religious studies at Derby University. 'Young white men who join Islam might be feeling out of place from modern life. So you find that when they join a religion like Islam they have an unbending view. Their views on jihad, for example, might be less compromising than the views of people who were born Muslims.' One white convert, Suleyman, a former drug addict from London's East End, said that a holy war was an obligation, not a debatable option. 'Richard Reid tried it and he was right to,' he said. 'Islam has enemies everywhere. It's up to Allah's soldiers to secure a victory.' |
| Posted by:Paul |
| #1 In England the average Joe (or Nigel) gets sent to jail if he stabs someone attacking him in his own home, but these known nutballs walk the streets preaching hatered and violence. |
| Posted by: John B. 2002-11-16 18:09:58 |