DAR AL HARB - U.K.: WRANGLING OVER VIDEO TAPES BETWEEN POLICE & CHANNEL 4

Police demand to see Brum mosque footage
Feb 14 2007
By Neil Connor, Chief Reporter

West Midlands Police is locked in a battle with documentary-makers over unedited tapes of alleged extremist teachings at a Birmingham mosque.

Channel 4 is insisting it will not hand over the tapes from the Dispatches TV programme without a court order.Officers have requested the tapes to "establish whether any criminal offences have been committed" at the Green Lane Mosque, in Small Heath.

However, a formal investigation into the teachings of a radical cleric which were revealed in the documentary has not been launched, a police spokeswoman said.

Preacher Abu Usamah At-Thahabi was filmed at the mosque attacking Jews and Christians and calling for homosexuals to be murdered.

Channel 4's Dispatches: Undercover Mosque captured him telling worshippers: "If I were to call homosexuals perverted, dirty, filthy dogs who should be murdered, that's my freedom of speech, isn't it?"

...

And

Cleric's comments harmless, say Muslims

Muslims say a cleric accused of spreading hate speech made "harmless" comments and promoted interaction with all religions while in New Zealand.

American-born Sheikh Khalid Yasin, who spoke in Christchurch as a guest of the Muslim Association of Canterbury in 2005, was shown in an undercover British documentary last month allegedly inciting hatred at a British mosque. In the documentary, Yasin predicts that Jews will be exterminated on Judgment Day and advocates a subordinate role for women.

Dr Mohammad Alayan, who saw Yasin speak in Christchurch in 2005, said Yasin's comments were the opposite of what had been alleged.

Alayan said Yasin was encouraging Muslims to be more open, and to get out of the mosque to interact with Christians and the wider community. "He left a very good impression in the community," he said. "We never came across what has been said in the newspaper."

Muslim Association of Canterbury treasurer, Farouk Shah, said he was very surprised to hear the allegations about Yasin.

"He was always talking about building bridges with the Jews and Christians, not breaking it. He was always talking about getting on with the people of the world."

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You may wish to see the edited video program on Channel 4, you will find the links to the videos here: (link)


Pertinent Links:

1) Police demand to see Brum mosque footage

2) Cleric's comments harmless, say Muslims