“Michael Ivers QC, a barrister representing Hussain, argued there was ‘a place for criticism and unconventional views’ and ‘not toeing the line.'”
He is right. There is a place for Kamran Hussain’s views in Britain. The only unconventional views for which there is no place in Britain are opposition to jihad terror and Sharia oppression.
“Imam who told children martyrdom was ‘greater success’ than school convicted of supporting Isis,” by Lizzie Dearden, Independent, September 22, 2017:
An imam who told children that martyrdom was “greater than any other success” they could achieve at school has been convicted for supporting Isis.
Kamran Hussain’s extremist sermons were recorded by an undercover police officer at a charity-funded mosque in Stoke-on-Trent.
Prosecutors said Hussain told children as young as 10 that non-Muslims wanted to kill them and that they must “stand up and be ready to sacrifice, be ready to stand in the face of the elements of Shaytan [Satan], be ready to spill blood and have your blood spilt”.
The 40-year-old argued that he was exercising freedom of speech, and that the ability to discuss “difficult concepts in a challenging world” was an essential part of religion.
But a jury at the Old Bailey found him guilty of eight charges including supporting Isis and encouraging terrorism.
Hussain’s lunchtime speeches to the Ellahi Mosque in Tunstall High Street were recorded for four months from June last year, seeing him address around 40 worshippers including children.
Prosecutors said the 10 out of 17 sermons investigated “strayed beyond the mainstream moderate Islamic thought”.
The court heard that in June, Hussain referred to Isis as “a small fledgling state who is standing in the face of a pompous and arrogant army”, while calling on Muslims to pray for the terrorist group’s victory and for their “oppressors to be annihilated”.
The following month, he prayed for all to live under Sharia law and urged his listeners to stand against “sinners, oppressors and infidels”.
He urged them to “finish them and remove their heads for what they do”, adding: “When you don’t fulfil the command of Allah, I’m coming to remove your head.”
In August, Hussain was recorded speaking in favour of engaging in jihad, while claiming that neither the “Queen or Prime Minister” could stand in the way of the law of Allah.
Hussain said jihadis would “take over a land; they stand a black flag; and establish the law of Allah over the necks of the people, whether they like it or don’t like it”.
His words were echoed in an audio clip found on one of his mobile phones with a jihadi saying: “Inshallah… we will see the black flag rise over Big Ben and Downing Street.”
Around 15 children were present at a meeting later that month when he gave an incendiary sermon on non-Muslim “kuffar”, while floating conspiracy theories claiming that the far-right English Defence League and Britain First had been created by the Government to target Muslims.
In September, prosecutor Sarah Whitehouse QC said he told his audience “that martyrdom was the supreme success and was greater than any other success, such as school or college”.
Martyrs would go to paradise if “you go in front of Allah with the bullet wounds and the sword wounds and you are raised in that situation with the blood still coming from your body”, Hussain added.
He repeated the same sentiment later in the month, while criticising the Government’s counter-extremism Prevent programme.
Michael Ivers QC, a barrister representing Hussain, argued there was “a place for criticism and unconventional views” and “not toeing the line”.
He told jurors: “My client… does not need to channel everything he says just so it fits in with what other people think it should say….
Emilie Green says
“Michael Ivers QC, a barrister representing Hussain, argued there was ‘a place for criticism and unconventional views’ and ‘not toeing the line.’”
Except that place isn’t facebook, twitter, youtube, et alia.
Emilie Green says
Just to make sure that my sarcasm is understood,
“Except that place isn’t facebook, twitter, youtube, et alia [If you’re Robert Spencer, Pam Geller, BNI, Steve Emerson, or any member of the Counter Jihad movement (aka those who want the truth about Islam and its objectives known).]”
Robeaver says
He can express opinion back in the middle east, or in prison,
R Russell says
Is the barrister a covert Muslim?
Anne Smith says
Probably not – they are just paid mouths and for hire to anyone. No doubt this Muslim was on legal aid anyway.
Jack Diamond says
“be ready to spill blood”; “pray for the {Islamic State’s} victory and for their “oppressors to be annihilated” {they are at war with the citizens of Britain -“their oppressors”- and have called for them to be slaughtered anywhere and everywhere); “finish them and remove their heads for what they do”
“Martyrs would go to paradise if “you go in front of Allah with the bullet wounds and the sword wounds and you are raised in that situation with the blood still coming from your body”, Hussain added.”
This is taking a deadly enemy seriously? Of course Britain does not, which is why it is in this fix in the first place, and this Imam’s opinions and instigations are, in fact, an “essential part of (this) religion.” It’s all in the bloody Qur’an and Sunnah. Aren’t those allowed to be preached in Britain?
Absolutely fabulous how calling for blood and head chopping in Britain is straying (straying!) “beyond the mainstream of moderate Islamic thought.” Not quite cricket old boy. Did an Islamophobe cause you to become angry with us? You just need a few weeks in the counter-extremism program to learn that Islam is a religion of peace and tolerance. Maybe some episodes of Little Mosque on the Prairie.
Then you can get an early release!
“he faces a maximum of seven years in jail for encouragement of terrorism and 10 years for supporting a proscribed organisation.”
How much time will he really do and how much prison da’wa will create replicants just like him?
If he inspired one single murder or one Muslim to go join ISIS he should never see the light of day again.
In fact, he should be hanged for it. Set a good example for the (Muslim) children.
Santa Voorhees says
“Prosecutors said Hussain told children as young as 10 that non-Muslims wanted to kill them”
Total bullshit, it is the muslims who want to kill non-muslims, not the other way around.
And by the way, even if that was true, non-muslims would want to kill muslims because if they don’t, muslims would kill them first.
It’s either us or them.
Stan Lee says
The tombstone will be inscribed “Here lies Great Britain, AKA UK.
Cause of death, Appeasement.” R.I.P.
pat mott says
I hope he was imprisoned & after that deported.
Michael Copeland says
The trial is still going on.
Cameron Tremblay says
Frickin A! What is it with Europe that they keep on electing the same politicians who caused and continue to add to this problem? The people deserve better! Maybe the ‘populists’ need to step up and take matters into their own hands!?! Stop with this failed and stupid social experiment of multiculturalism!
More Ham Ed says
Dirty beards.
Michael Copeland says
Sedition, unbelievably, is not a crime any longer in the UK.
It was removed in 2010 under David Cameron (wikipedia).
Michael Copeland says
See “Sedition” at Liberty GB: https://libertygb.org.uk/news/sedition
Interestingly, a Google search of “Sedition” does not feature this article, even in the first 20 pages. This is yet another instance of the skewing of results.
Dov Berrol says
For years, so called “Palestinian” media have also pushed the old Jewish Blood Libel that Jews were out to kill them. Whenever Muslims die or are injured due to Israelis defending themselves from anti-Kuffar jihadis, the Arab media and reporters constantly exaggerate the numbers of young victims, along with lying about their ages. The taquiya tactic used to get the world’s sympathy often involves lying about the ages of young jihadis, as the Muslims are doing to gain entry for “teens” into European countries. Islamic ideology allows Muslims to lie about the age of a person if it will benefit the Muslim nation. Older when they need it, younger when they need it.
Anne Smith says
Well done to the jury. At least they were not taken in. They found him guilty – now let’s see what sort of a sentence he gets.
Let us hope it is at least the equivalent (or more) of the five months in prison given to the poor chap in Canada who wrote graffiti on the walls asking for no further immigration. He didn’t advocate violence or murder in any way apparently.
thesailor says
Quite. This article should have been set right next to the Canada graffit one for direct comparison.
However, while the jury may have seen sense I doubt the Establishment will. I suspect the chances of him being treated as harshly as the poor guy in Canada are close to zero. He will probably be let off completely on some spurious ‘technicality’.
There will be Muslims involved in the process somewhere (as in Canada). The British Establishment seems to be riddled with them, like veins in blue cheese, but without the nutritional value.
FYI says
You know you can say what you like about islam but [sarc on/}..it always attracts the smart and the beautiful …doesn’t it?
UNCLE VLADDI says
Re: “When you don’t fulfil the command of Allah, I’m coming to remove your head.”
Free speech does not include death-threats.
Pretending that the global crime-gang called islam is a “race” of poor swarthy animal-people, oppressed by the mentally superior whites, in order to slander everyone who notices it’s a crime-gang as a hatefully bigoted “racist” – is to deliberately enable that crime-gang’s crimes by hiding and destroying the evidence of same, and thus to be a willing accessory to those crimes. Since islam is a murder-gang, and the penalty for committing and enabling the commission of murder is DEATH, anyone and everyone who calls an opponent of muslims, islam, and their global jihad, a “racist!” should be lawfully put to death.
Everyone who defends islam and muslims endorses crime.
Endorsing crime IS a crime, so those doing it are criminals.
Right in the Qur’an is: the obligation to murder Jews and Christians (Surah 9:29), to terrorize all non-Muslims (8:12), to rape young girls (65:4), to enslave people for sex (4:3), to lie about one’s true goals (3:54), and the command to make war on all the infidels (9:123) and subjugate the entire world to Allah (9:33).
Are death-threats legal? NO.
Is extortion legal? NO.
Is slavery legal? NO.
Is murder legal? NO.
Is rape legal? NO.
THEN ISLAM IS ILLEGAL!
Rape, slavery, robbery, extortion and murder are never OK!
Everything muslims pretend to see as “holy” is already a crime!
So nobody has a legal right to practice islam anywhere on earth!