"sling Yer Hook"

steven_ber

this news has been taken from the BBC website and IS NOT the view of the vast majority of muslims in britain.

Monday, 3 February, 2003, 15:32 GMT
Muslim cleric's shuttle outburst attacked


Sheik Abu Hamza is not a mainstream figure

Politicians and British Muslim leaders have dismissed preacher Sheikh Abu Hamza's comments on the Columbia space shuttle, which he described as carrying a "trinity of evil".
Mr Hamza - recently barred from preaching at the Finsbury Park mosque in London - said the loss of the shuttle and all seven astronauts was a "sign from God".

The controversial cleric said the crew had been punished with death by Allah because there was an Israeli, Ilan Ramon, a Hindu Indian-born Kalpana Chawla, and Americans onboard.


But shadow home secretary Oliver Letwin said Mr Hamza's comments were "monstrous, appalling, despicable, and outrageous".

"All sensible people in Britain will be amazed that someone can engage in implicit incitement of this sort without anyone laying a finger on him."

Dr Ghayasuddin Siddiqui, leader of the Muslim Parliament, dismissed Mr Hamza's pronouncement as "lunatic".

Dr Siddiqui told BBC News Online all British Muslims would be feeling sympathy for the dead astronauts, who had given their lives in the pursuit of sciences.

There was special significance in the shuttle disintegrating over an area of the US called Palestine, Mr Hamza said.

The preacher added: "The Muslim people see these pilots as criminals. By going into space they would have sharpened the accuracy of their bombs through satellites.

"These missions would increase the number of satellites for military purposes. It would increase the slavery of governance of other countries by America.

"It is a punishment from God. Muslims see it that way.


The shuttle disaster shocked the world
"It is a trinity of evil because it carried Americans, an Israeli and a Hindu, a trinity of evil against Islam.

"The fact that the motor of the craft fell on Palestine - all these are messages from God.

"It is a strong message, for the Israeli, to be taken up there to space and he spoke about the Holocaust, to try to make religious advancement from it and gain some moral high ground, hence you have seen this message over Palestine."

Dr Siddiqui said Mr Hamza's views were utterly unrepresentative of any section of mainstream British Muslim opinion.

"It is just another of his lunatic pronouncements.

"In every scientific endeavour one has to accept so many failures before you finally succeed.

"It has nothing to do with Islam and Muslims.

"We praise these brave astronauts for the sacrifices they have made."

But Anjem Choudray, UK leader of Al-Muhajiroun, which has been accused of recruiting Islamist militants in British universities, said Muslims "would not be shedding any tears" over the accident.

Mr Choudray, from Ilford, east London, said the many Muslims in the UK were saying the disaster was a sign from God.

"We believe if anyone innocent dies, then that is something we would not wish on anyone.

"However, this craft did also have one Israeli army official on board, who is famous for his military escapades in Israel.

"Especially at this time, Muslims would not be shedding any tears. Ultimately the US is a country at war with all Muslims and we know it is a sign from God."

steven_ber

this is from 'the daily mirror' website.

the 'daily mirror' is the 2nd most popular tabloid in britain and is totaly opposed to war with iraq.


Feb 3 2003


THE disaster was "God's retribution", Iraqis said yesterday.

Government employee Abdul Jabbar al-Quraishi said in Baghdad: "We are happy that it broke up. God wants to show his might is greater than the Americans.

"They have encroached on our country. God is avenging us."

Mechanic Mohammed Jaber al-Tamini said Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon bombed Iraq's nuclear reactor as a pilot in the 1980s, adding: "Israel launched aggression on us - now God has retaliated."

But Iraq's UN ambassador Mohammed Aldouri said: "This is an unfortunate accident. In Iraq they view this accident from that point of view.

"This is unfortunate for the families and for all people here in the United States."

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat offered "condolences to the six American families and the Israeli family who lost their loved ones in the catastrophe".

Lebanon's Hizbollah guerrilla leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah said it showed the USA was not an infallible deity and gave hope to Arabs and Muslims ahead of possible war against Iraq.

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