BRITAIN: The British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, and the Home Secretary, Mr David Blunkett, faced growing demands last night to deport a radical Muslim cleric who supports Palestinian suicide bombings, writes Frank Millar, in London
With the Conservative leader, Mr Michael Howard, demanding government action, the row over the presence of Egyptian-born Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi in London overshadowed Mr Blunkett's announcement that he would again attempt to extend legislation against Incitement to Religious Hatred to cover all faiths.
Describing political and religious hatred as "a scourge" on society, Mr Blunkett signalled the new law could protect minority religions from attack by the far right. At the same time he warned it would be "a two-way street" and could also be used against "extremists in the Islamic faith."
However, as Downing Street confirmed that such a law would have had no bearing on Dr Al- Qaradawi's admission to Britain, Mr Blunkett's immediate problem was to explain why he could take no action against a man barred from the United States on suspicion of terrorist links.
The Commons row flared just hours after a Home Office minister, Ms Fiona Mactaggart, withdrew her support for a Muslim women's conference next week, to be hosted by the London Mayor, Mr Ken Livingstone, at which Dr Al-Qaradawi is to be guest of honour. Asked why the government had not stopped him entering the country earlier this week, Mr Blair said Dr Al-Qaradawi's visit would be kept "under very strict review".
He told MPs: "We are totally opposed to people coming to this country and using it as a platform for views in support of terrorism or extremism of any sort." He continued: "We have to be sure . . . that if someone is excluded from this country, that they are excluded in a way that is lawful."
Dr Al-Qaradawi yesterday said he could not understand the controversy. "For over a third of a century I have been visiting London. London is an open city, so why is there this row when I visit London today?"
The discomfort for Mr Livingstone, as well as for Mr Blair and Mr Blunkett, increased as advance extracts were released of Dr Al-Qaradawi pre-recorded interview for last night's BBC Newsnight.
In it he said: "Allah is just through his infinite wisdom, he has given the weak what the strong do not possess and that is the ability to turn their bodies into bombs like the Palestinians do."