Fury as American Islamist preacher who praised Hamas is invited to speak in Britain next weekend: Pressure grows on Home Office to revoke Lebanese-born's visa
Lebanese-born Ustadh Mohamed Baajour is due to speak in London, Manchester and Leicester next weekend, amid accusations that he holds fundamentalist and antisemitic views.
An American Islamist preacher who has praised Hamas and is accused of spreading 'fundamentalist, antisemitic poison' is set to arrive in Britain next weekend, amid calls for his visa to be revoked.
Lebanese-born Mohamed Baajour, who has lived in the US for more than three decades, is due to speak in London, Manchester and Leicester.
His three-day UK tour, which has been sponsored by charitable organisation Muslim Aid, includes an appearance at Didsbury Mosque - where notably Manchester Arena suicide bomber Salman Abedi and his family worshipped prior to the 2017 attack.
Described as a motivational speaker, Baajour is director of education at the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC) in Texas. The organisation recently came under scrutiny after state Governor Greg Abbott accused EPIC of wanting to enforce Sharia law.
In some Muslim countries, Sharia law is associated with capital punishment for adultery and homosexuality, which involves death by stoning.
The allegation sparked an investigation into the organisation, but authorities have not uncovered anything untoward, with EPIC posting on social media that they are a law-abiding non-profit.
The cleric behind the organisation, Yasir Qadhi - who works closely with Baajour - has a decades-old record of preaching hatred, homophobia and Holocaust-denial to his followers.
In one of his chilling diatribes, Qadhi states that Jewish people have infiltrated religious departments of American universities in a bid to 'destroy' Muslims, while he has also previously called for the execution of gay people and adulterers.
Baajour has been found to hold similar fundamentalist views as evidenced in recorded talks widely available to view online.
American Islamist preacher Mohamed Baajour, who has praised Hamas and is accused of spreading 'fundamentalist, antisemitic poison', is set to arrive in Britain next weekend
A poster advertising Baajour's UK tour, which will stop in London, Manchester and Leicester
Baajour is director of education at the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC) in Texas. The organisation recently came under scrutiny after state Governor Greg Abbott accused EPIC of wanting to enforce Sharia law
During one lecture delivered in November in South Africa, Baajour can be heard lamenting 'Zionist interference'.
Noting the country's diamond resources, he said Zionists 'want to put their nose in and ruin [South Africa], just like they ruined every other country'.