Inciting Hate

How mosque preacher 'poisons' the minds of young Brit Muslims

By Bobby Pathak And Justine Smith 

IT is a hotbed of hate and an outrage to peaceful British Muslims. 

The Finsbury Park mosque became notorious under hook-handed cleric Abu Hamza as a suspected base for turning Muslims into terrorists. 

Hamza is behind bars awaiting trial on charges including soliciting murder. Now his sidekick Abu Abdullah spews the venom that fills angry young minds with a mixture of hatred, fear and guilt. 

Posing as a student of Islamic studies, Mirror reporter Bobby Pathak infiltrated the North London mosque for six weeks in December and January. 

Joining 80 regular worshippers at Friday prayers he heard the cleric rant about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, rail at "filthy" disbelievers and hail "our honourable brothers in Guantanamo Bay". 

Abdullah raged: "If you cannot do what those honourable brothers are doing today...leaving their wives and children to go to the front line, then this is our front line here." 

Speaking with a North London twang, the firebrand cleric starts off his address softly. 

But in minutes he builds up into a frenzy, shouting and screaming. His words are picked up by a microphone he wears round his neck and are amplified by speakers in the ceiling. 

"Our women are being raped and slaughtered, our brothers are being executed, even our children!" he rants. 

He compares the scandal of Abu Ghraib prison - where US soldiers forced Iraqis to strip and simulate sex - to the Christian Crusades, warning that Islam is once again under attack. 

Then he turns on the faithful for allowing these sins to happen. 

Worshippers bow their heads in shame as he shouts: "How can we go home and sleep at night knowing there are millions of Muslims screaming for our help? 

"Do we not have a conscience? Or do we think that we're doing the right thing? Brothers and sisters, the time has come for us to stand up and be counted. Behave like Muslims. 

"It's the least you can do so you can find reward on yaum al-qiyamah (afterlife). Otherwise, the fire is beckoning." ("The Daily Mirror," Feb 7 2005).

[TBC: While the litany of "Islam is Peace" continues to be heard, the message of hate and violence has not moderated.]