‘Quiz a Muslim’ event where UK radicals called for an Islamic state... as Paris came under attack
PREACHERS urged British Muslims to strive for an Islamic state as jihadi terrorists rampaged through Paris.
The Quiz A Muslim event held in Bedford featured what was described as an ‘Islamist Rogues’ Gallery’. Speakers included Taji Mustafa, of radical Islamic organisation Hizb-ut Tahrir, and Moazzam Begg – founder of campaign group Cage, whose director called Jihadi John a ‘beautiful young man’.
All said they wanted to see a Caliphate or Islamic state founded. They also denounced attempts to impose British values on Muslim children by telling Islamic schools in the UK what to teach.
The event in Bedford started on Friday shortly before gunmen started massacring civilians in the French capital, and continued throughout the attacks. Organisers plan to take preachers on a ‘roadshow’ across cities in the UK. But Muslim MP Khalid Mahmood called the event ‘insensitive’ and said it should not continue in the aftermath of the attacks.
At Friday’s debate, panel member Mr Mustafa said he wanted to see a Caliphate where Muslim laws were given priority. He added: ‘It’s very natural that Muslims desire that. That is a desire that nobody will be able to change and western governments need to wake up to that fact.’
Then Mr Begg went on to say: ‘If Muslim unity comes under the name Caliphate then that’s exactly what we should be striving for.’ Mr Mustafah also claimed that the Government was trying to push its definition of British values onto Muslims. He said: ‘They want to decide what is taught in Islamic schools… you think that makes people welcome?’
Organiser Dilly Hussain described the event – attended by 240 people – as an ‘absolute success’. He added: ‘I plan to hold similar events in Manchester, Birmingham, Bradford, London and elsewhere. I have absolutely no intention of stopping.’
But Labour’s Mr Mahmood said: ‘This is insensitive at best and wilfully mischievous at worst. It cannot be allowed to continue.’ Before the event, Maajid Nawaz – a government counter-extremism adviser – warned: ‘Every one of these speakers is a Caliphate-advocating Islamist, they believe in every core principle Isis believes in, and reject Isis merely because they made their move for a Caliphate “too soon and too fast”.’ He called the panel an ‘all-male Islamist Rogues’ Gallery’ and a ‘Friday 13th nightmare,’ adding: ‘You couldn’t make this up.’