Influential British Imam Speaks Out In Support Of ‘Blasphemy’ Murderer

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One of the main stumbling blocks for progression in many Islamic societies is the very real threat to those speaking out against religious orthodoxy present there.

Salman Taseer was a governor in Pakistan whose comments regarding the countries’ blasphemy laws earned him 27 bullets – courtesy of his own bodyguard, Malik Mumtaz Qadri.

Qadri was executed for this crime earlier in the week, which sparked a number of protests in support of the killer, not to mention thousands attending his funeral.

As abhorrent as support for this murderer may be, it comes as no surprise that you would find it in a place such as Pakistan, given its relationship and track record with blasphemy laws.

Closer to home, there’s often a fear that some Muslims may say one thing in public, yet hold a more sinister view in private. Well, it seems influential Bradford Imam Muhammad Asim Hussain at least has the decency to wear his extremist colours with pride.

In a Facebook post he praised the ‘martyr’ for their deed:

“dark day in the history of Pakistan; the day … Mumtaz [Qadri] was wrongfully executed and martyred in the way of Allah, when he did what he did in honour of the Prophet.”

Hussain’s Facebook page has close to 140,000 ‘likes’. As reported by the National Secular Society:

Asim is described as a “popular Imam and speaker amongst Muslim youth in the UK” and is the founder of a registered youth charity that aims to give young people a “deeper, more positive awareness of their faith”. According to his website he “tirelessly travels throughout the UK to inspire the youth to the way of Islam through his lectures”.

Support for the fanaticism of Pakistani blasphemy laws, in British cities serves to remind people that bad ideas have no borders – and need combatting wherever they present themselves. This is a mind-set that belongs in the dark ages, yet enjoys representation in 21st century Britain.

Stephen Knight is host of The #GSPodcast. You can listen to The Godless Spellchecker Podcast here, and support it by becoming a patron here.

11 comments

  • The idea that people should be killed for having the audacity to doubt God’s existence is one so ludicrous and antithetical to decent human values that those these people may as well be a different species altogether.

  • Stephen, I haven’t been following you for very long, so I’m not aware of your position on every issue. I find Qadri’s crime despicable and Hussain’s praise of said crime extremely dangerous and worrying. I don’t, however, believe that any crime justifies state execution, no matter how heinous. I realise that the death penalty isn’t really the ‘point’ of this blog post, and I don’t want to appear as if I’m trying to accuse you of anything. I just noticed that you didn’t condone the execution itself in your post – not that you should have felt required to do so, since that is not what this story is about. I’m just looking for clarification on your position on this peripheral issue – I assume that you do not condone the execution of Qadri, despite his crime? Thanks.

    • Hi,

      Thanks for asking. I’m against the death penalty. Perhaps it wouldn’t have hurt to mention that in the main article, but I had a small window of time (my lunch break) to put this out – so my main focus was the Bradford Imam. I hope that answers your question. I appreciate your refusal to jump to conclusions though! Rare around these parts.

  • I know it sounds a bit conspiratorial but I can’t help thinking that the authorities executed him to make him a martyr. They must have known the effect on the populace who – from what I can see – thought that murdering Taseer was an heroic thing to do.

  • Maurice Johnson

    Does any thing good come from belief in religions that are cruel to fellow humans all for Gods sake.

  • Tamsin Mc Cormick

    As Blasphemy is a crime against God or Allah it can only be a crime if there is a God or an Allah . That is simple enough isn’t it ? And if there is a God or an Allah why can’t she deal with the offence directly instead of employing some
    blood thirsty half trained pole-cats that just give God or Allah a very bad name .Is that a crime against God or Allah ?

  • Pingback: Will Mo Shafiq Please Outline The Correct Application Of ‘Blasphemy’ Law? | Godless Spellchecker's Blog

  • Importantly this guy founded a UK “charity” Youthway which wants to educate British Muslim youth!
    I find that disturbing and think the Charity commission should be looking very carefully at him and his charity in the light of his clear and obvious support for a muderer

  • Pingback: Mo Shafiq: Supporter of Blasphemy Laws and Hate Preaching Extremists | Godless Spellchecker's Blog

  • Pingback: Mo Shafiq: Supporter of Blasphemy Laws and Hate Preaching Extremists | Godless Spellchecker's Blog

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