Extremism in the UK: Abu Hamza al-Masri begins his “slow martyrdom”

The Sun lights a candle

When Abu Hamza al Masri was convicted this week of incitement to hatred and sentenced to seven years in prison, few Muslims or non-Muslims were surprised, given the current climate. Famous for his fiery diatribes from the Finsbury Park mosque in North London, Abu Hamza was, along with Omar Bakri Muhammad (barred from Britain since last year), a tabloid hero. With hook-laden hands and a missing eye from a stint in Afghanistan, al Masri is a living caricature that only a… cartoonist could love. Though British Muslims grew weary of the incessant attention to this, he was disliked by the majority of them and few rose to his defense when he was kicked out of Finsbury Park mosque after a 2003 raid (which netted a cache of weapons, false passports, and other incriminating material). An American associate, James Ujaama, was convicted in the US of attempting to start a “terrorist training camp” in Oregon, and formed the key in his 11-count US extradition request that spurred his initial arrest in 2004. Only then was Abu Hamza charged with incitement in Britain. The evidence gathered against him was largely circumstantial – but what circumstantial evidence it was, with a web of shadowy figures linked to him and the Finsbury Park mosque he commandeered in the late 1990’s. These ranged from the tragic (3 of the 4 of the “brainwashed” 7/7 bombers were linked to him) to the comically inept (fumbling shoe bomber Richard Reid, “20th hijacker” Zacarias Moussaoui, and his own son, captured and imprisoned in Yemen). Ultimately, what tipped the scales against Abu Hamza was his many recorded statements, gleaned from 3200 tapes seized from the 2003 raid, that explicitly called for the killing of non-Muslims (“Killing of the Kaffir for any reason you can say it is OK, even if there is no reason for it,” says Abu Hamza in one famous comment). Abu Hamza refused to recognise the court, claiming it did not dispense Islamic justice (about as defiant as squirming in the electric chair), though he was notably backed in court by a rabbi and vicar. “You helped to create an atmosphere in which to kill has become regarded by some as not only a legitimate course but as a moral and religious duty in pursuit of perceived justice,” said Judge Anthony Hughes in his verdict. His lawyer, Muddassar Arani said al-Masri believed he was “a prisoner of faith” destined for a “slow martyrdom.” Though the verdict came 5 days after the aquittal of the British National Party’s leader Nick Griffin on hate crimes charges against Muslims (he still faces more counts), the conviction was still welcomed by a cross section of British Muslim society. “More people are coming in, they feel more confident,” said Asmahl Masoor, who works at the Finsbury Park mosque, since reclaimed by mainstream British Muslims. “What we are seeing very clearly is we will not tolerate Muslims or non-Muslims – anyone creating division or racial hatred between ourselves.” Only the UK’s Islamic Human Rights Commission even attempted a (contextual) critique. “This (verdict) is creating an environment that can only further alienate the Muslim community,” said the IHRC’s Massoud Shadjareh. If the UK gives assurances that Abu Hamza won’t face the death penalty, his extradition to the US may follow after his sentence is served. Yes, free speech has its responsibilities, whether in a cartoon or a khutba, and with the US running out of domestic fish to fry, Abu Hamza’s “slow martyrdom” may soon quicken.

Zahed Amanullah is associate editor of altmuslim.com. He is based in London, England.