Visiting Muslim Clerics Views

I’ve said on several occassions that NZ is very fortunate at the lack of extremist elements in the local Muslim community. However there seems to have been a regrettable lapse with the visits in 2005 of two clerics. What they preached in NZ is not known, but material, including DVDs, from their preaching in the UK and other countries include:

* told a programme last month that gays and lesbians should be put on trial for immorality, “and if they are tried, convicted, they are punishable by death”.
* claims Christian missionaries spread Aids by putting the virus in vaccines for tropical diseases such as malaria and yellow fever.
* says Jews will be exterminated on the Day of Judgment
* advocates a subordinate role for women
* urges followers to stop mixing with Christians and Jews because they were being defiled and polluted by Western culture.
* argues it was permissible to marry off a nine-year-old girl because the Prophet Muhammad had done so.
* said that Western culture was the enemy of Islam.

This makes the two clerics every bit as reprehensible as holocaust denier David Irving – in fact far more so.

The national Federation of Islamic Societies have said they would not invite them out again, now knowing what they know. Howvever the more radical Canterbury branch have said they would, and even suggests the comments are febricated by the media (despite most coming off a self published DVD).

This story is in the Press, but the expose was done by Investigate Magazine. And yes sometimes Investigate may do stories which in my opinion miss the mark, but the fact they are the only media outlet in NZ doing investigations like this one is a credit to them.