Title: Cleric urges Osama to launch biological war against West
Author: Vijay Dutt
Publication: The Hindustan Times
Date: September 6th, 1999
URL: http://www.hindustantimes.com/nonfram/060999/detFOR02.htm

A British mullah has urged Osama Bin Laden to launch biological warfare against the West.

The Muslim cleric, Omar Bakri Muhammad, known as Tottenham mullah for his fanatical preachings for violence against the west, has now urged Laden to attack western targets with biolgogical weapons. His extreme fanaticism and war cry (for jihad) against all infidels could be the last straw for the Home Office. He now, according to authorities here, runs the risk of being deported.

Omar Bakri’s open display of Islamic fanaticism at this particular time when another Pak cleric Shafiq-ur Rehman, having links with Lashkar-i-Tayyaba, faces deportation order from Home Secretary Jack Straw, has amazed police officials. One said that fanaticism seems to have made some mullahs take leave of their senses.

Omar Bakri, 41, came to Britain after being expelled for his cries of jihad in Saudi Arabia in 1985 and was later given a political asylum.

A father of seven children, he founded Al Muhajiroun group here and has been suspected of inciting the youth for holy wars around the world and in Kashmir as well. He is also a friend of Abu Hamza, the mullah with metal claws for his hands. He was suspected of having links with the British Muslims who were arrested in Yemen on suspicion of plotting to bomb British consulate there.

Omar Bakri has had a huge framed photograph of Osama Bin Laden prominently dipslayed on a wall in his office. He considers Bin Laden leader of jihad against the unholy. But, he has now really alarmed the authorities by writing to Bin Laden to “aim your weapons at occupying forces... may Allah protect you and grant you victory.”

In the same letter he has pleaded for the use of germ agents against westerners occupying holy lands. The Sunday Times reported that the message was taken off the internet when American officials complained.

The paper also reported that the letter of Omar Bakri to Bin Laden was being studied by the Home Office. One official was quoted saying, “We do not discuss individual cases, but the Home Secretary has powers to refuse entry or deport nationals if he is satisfied that a person’s presence in the UK is not conducive to the public good.”

Omar Bakri’s recent utterings have been particularly fanatical. “Using any biological weapons in self-defence is, in Islam, permissible, and I believe that we are currently operating under a defensive jihad... obviously we regret what happens to people but there are always people who are war casualties...”

The letter by Omar Bakri to Bin Laden was posted openly on his website and has been read out at mosques in London, Bradford, Sheffield and Leicester. A US Task Force official thinks that the letter was deliberately publicised for Omar Bakri knows that it would be acted upon. It’s a letter inciting violence.

Bin Laden has responded to the letter, the contents of which were read out in mosques in Pakistan and here. The anti-terrorist cells have, as it is, been keeping surveillance on extremist Muslim groups here. This latest letter from Omar Bakri, who a few years ago called for the assassination of John Major, will also put the pro-Kashmir plebiscite and
pro-Pak groups under suspicion.

The British are specially worried at the increasing use of mosques here as centres for preaching jihad, collecting funds and recruiting youth for terrorism abroad.

The pressure on Jack Straw has built up to deport mullahs like Omar Bakri who could become active agents for Bin Laden and help him target Americans and even the British.