Al-Massari update. “Saudi dissident shuts down site,” from the BBC, with thanks to Gabrielle Goldwater:
A Saudi exile facing calls for his deportation from Britain has closed parts of his controversial website.
Dr Muhammed al-Massari’s site has shown images of suicide bombings in Israel and Iraq in the past, as well as messages from supporters of al-Qaeda.
He said the decision to shut down was his own, but that the site was a victim of the murder of freedom of expression.
The “murder” of freedom of expression, eh? Calling for the demise of Britain as it is presently constituted and its subjugation under Islamic law is to be protected as freedom of expression? Have Western societies no right to protect themselves from the spread of such notions?
The home secretary recently set out the grounds on which those promoting terrorism can be excluded from the UK.
Dr al-Massari, 58, is thought to be one of a number of people being looked at as part of the government’s drive to deport those it says glorify or promote terrorism.
Tory homeland security spokesman Patrick Mercer said Dr al-Massari was “a prime candidate for deportation”.
He said: “I welcome the fact that al-Massari has taken down his despicable videos. It’s important that we clamp down on extremism of this kind.”
Last week he called for the al-Tajdeed radio station associated with Dr al-Massari’s website to be shut down.
He said it was “desperately demoralising” for UK troops in Iraq to hear broadcasts encouraging attacks on coalition soldiers.