Radical cleric removed from mosque

The Guardian (England), Deb. 4, 2003
http://www.guardian.co.uk/

The Charity Commission today confirmed that it has removed radical cleric Abu Hamza from his position at the north London mosque where he preaches.

It said it had taken the step because Mr Hamza had used his status within the Finsbury Park mosque, a registered charity at which he was the main iman, to make “inappropriate” political statements.

The commission made the decision to “protect the charity and its future administration” because the activities of Mr Hamza and his supporters had prevented the mosque’s trustees from governing it properly, it said in a statement.

Mr Hamza’s solicitor, Muddassar Arani, told Sky News that she was not surprised by the decision, but criticised the “level that the media has gone to in order to make him into a bogeyman”. Newspapers had become hysterical over his comments, personal life and disability, she said.

The cleric yesterday claimed that the Columbia space shuttle disaster was an act of God punishing the “trinity of evil” of its passengers – Americans, a Jew and a Hindu.

It is alleged that Mr Hamza’s sermons, espousing his radical brand of Islam, had turned the mosque into a centre for extremism.

Richard Reid, the so-called “shoe bomber” who attempted to blow up a US airliner with explosives concealed in his trainers, and Zacarias Moussaoui, the alleged 20th hijacker currently on trial for the September 11 attacks, were both said to have attended the mosque.

Mr Hamza was first suspended by the commission on April 23 last year, but continued to flout charity rules outlawing political activity.

John Stoker, the chief charity commissioner, said: “The action we have taken today enables the trustees of the North London Central Mosque to govern the charity so that it can do the important work for which it was originally established.”

The commission’s decision means that Mr Hamza will not be allowed to act as an agent or officer of the mosque.

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