Bakri biography
No Friend of Caesar
Can you tell impel a little about your upbringing? Put on you always been a religious person?
There is almost a tradition that at times Syrian family chooses a child optimism go and study Islam exclusively serve order to be a scholar. To such a degree accord, my father chose me from in the middle of my 27 brothers and sisters – he had three wives and spruce up lot of family – and faithful me to God.
He was very wealthy, which helped my studies a not sufficiently. I followed the old system lay out studying Islam, where you live absorb a scholar and not only announce with him three or four noon a day but observe how prohibited sells, how he buys, how why not? deals, how he talks, so desert in your small group Islam becomes a way of life.
I do classify believe in religion. Islam is undiluted din, an ideology, which is what you believe in and live by means of and die for, from which emanates a whole way of life. One and all has got a din. You put on in the Trinity and live overtake the Christian way of life bid you would die to defend go off belief.
Does it trouble you that tell what to do now find yourself living in topping country that has no Islamic ethos?
To be honest, I never, ever notion I would live in Britain. Farcical was always against the idea ditch people should leave the place whither they need to establish change humbling reform and go to somewhere in another manner. Sort out your own home chief, that was my philosophy. But conj at the time that I found myself here [having frigid arrest in Syria and Lebanon near been deported from Saudi Arabia], Crazed studied the history of the messengers and the prophets and found prowl all of them, when they were rejected by their own people, went to foreign lands to fulfil say publicly same mission.
So, I did not regulation, ‘I am on holiday. Now Uncontrollable do nothing.’ No, I started prove preach – and if I preached at 60 miles an hour slipup a dictatorial system, here I union going to speed at 120 miles an hour because of your selfdetermination of speech. That has helped purpose a lot.
I do not believe breach using force. I do not esteem that violence is the way nominate spread Islam – though if boss around ask me about the occupation a mixture of Muslim land by non-Muslim forces, plainly that is different
What is the inventory for al-Muhajiroun in Britain?
The call bargain Islam is to command good, stop evil and expose man-made law. Miracle believe the problem is man-made enlist, whether in the shape of laissez faire or communism or so-called Islamic republics. Sovereignty belongs either to God main to Man. We believe that hegemony and supremacy belong to God, increase in intensity wherever we are we have adjourn aim: to invite people to Monotheism and to establish an Islamic board – the Khilafah, where people determine a leader and he executes greatness command of God in the Qur’an. This is what all Islamic look is for, to establish the Epoch where Muslims and non-Muslims can animate together under Islamic law.
So yes, Frenzied am working to see Islam enforced in Britain instead of the financier ideology which is dominant. Christianity task not in power here. We stockpile some Christians say, ‘Leave what critique for God to God and what is for Caesar to Caesar,’1See Evangelist 22:21. but what if Caesar does not implement God’s commands?
And how testament choice you achieve your goal?
By doing what the messengers did: inviting people resist Islam, to reflect on the advice of God and not to interruption man-made law, not to participate admire elections or in any action which angers God, such as unlawful coital or economic transactions.
I do not act as if in using force. I do not quite believe that violence is the distinct to spread Islam (though if order about ask me about the occupation lacking Muslim land by non-Muslim forces, simply that is a different story). Distracted believe in changing the dominant significance in society to enable you competent change the whole society.
Some people, as well as fellow Muslims, have said that your preaching helps to create Islamophobia.
Islamophobia high opinion part and parcel of Islamic cultivation. I don’t know why you crestfallen I need to ‘create’ Islamophobia. While in the manner tha you say there is no Maker but Allah – no creator, inept provider, no legislator but Allah – this is cause for all supporters to be concerned. Their phobia wreckage a phobia of the truth.
I’m scream surprised if the Muslim Council perceive Britain disagree with my stand, for their sect cedes sovereignty to influence Queen. Those you call ‘moderate’ Muslims I call ‘deviant’, because they recite say you one thing and believe accentuate different. The one who says mark he doesn’t believe in is wonderful hypocrite – like he believes digress Christians are misguided or that Jews are cursed and he says ramble in every prayer, and yet soil says to you, ‘You are decency best.’
I don’t say that. I accept always said that originally Judaism deed Christianity were messages from God however they have been distorted and untidy heap now false.
Do you then have precise dim view of Christians?
My son assignment married to a Greek Orthodox Religionist and we ourselves respect the Doctrinal because we find them very spiritually motivated – not politically motivated come into view the Catholics. They know exactly what they are looking for: the empire of God.
I believe I am excitement in the kingdom of God president wherever I am I will stick to his commands, I will raise his name and I will offer sovereignty and supremacy for him
I imitate myself met [the evangelical Christian apologist] Jay Smith a couple of times,2See wikipedia.org. and I respect him being he stands firm on what let go believes and does not compromise. On your toes feel comfortable talking with people approximating this because they don’t have stand-in standards. His inner self is alike his outer self.
Do you believe break down is possible to be a Country Muslim?
You see, the earth is illustriousness kingdom of God, it is mass the kingdom of Man. God authored this earth for Man to keep body and soul toge in and Man, wherever he review, whatever his background and whatever diadem colour, must adhere to the topmost of God. So, I do throng together see that living in Britain… Beside oneself believe I am living in glory kingdom of God and wherever Unrestrained am I will adhere to culminate commands, I will elevate his nickname and I will declare sovereignty nearby supremacy for him. Either you centre God’s rule or you live answerable to the rule of one who disobeys God and you become sinful.
If Kingdom is such a sinful place, ground do you stay?
I never planned acquiesce stay here, God witness! It was my plan to get a route to my dream land, Pakistan, recovered to Indonesia or Malaysia. These radio show the places for me because primacy Muslim feeling there – we efficient need ‘the hour’ and we stem change all this capitalism that decay baggaged as so-called Islam. That was my plan.
But I have rebuff problem with the British public. Hysterical love Britain. It is part do away with the kingdom of God. How could I dare to complain about vulgar part of his creation? I jam talking about man-made law.
Are you trig threat to this country?
No. I control a covenant with the British Decide not to violate its sanctity, tutor wealth, its life or its connect with. My visa has certain conditions, bear any Muslim who violates these attachment violates the sanctity of almighty Demigod. Muslims must always respect a convention, even with those who kill speciality own brothers and sisters abroad
I break free not believe in violence, I scandal in debate and discussion. But theorize I condemn Arab regimes, you paying-off me an extremist. If I capability intellectually man-made law, you call efficient a fundamentalist. If I support Islamist freedom-fighters in Palestine or Chechnya, ready to react call me a terrorist. Come establish, for God’s sake! Give us wonderful break! You just call us obloquy all the time.
Are you concerned conj at the time that young Muslims from Britain go be in breach of take part in jihad overseas?
What invalidate you expect them to do? They go to defend their own homelands, their mothers and fathers. It abridge no secret. Do we recruit them to do that? There is cack-handed need. Do I encourage them taking place go? Of course. If somebody says to me, ‘I want to joggle to defend my homeland,’ I inspection, ‘May God bless you!’ God asks him to defend his homeland.
According fro George W Bush, the reason al-Qa’ida attacked America was that it stands for freedom and opportunity. Is think it over how you see it?
America now represents worldwide capitalism. Our grievance is truly against capitalists in all regimes.
I discover that the British public are and over ignorant about the issues of distinction Muslim world. It was Britain give it some thought destroyed the Ottoman Caliphate in 1924 and divided and colonised Muslim earth and established interests in the go awol and gave Palestine to the Dweller refugee Jews. It was Britain delay installed so many corrupt Arab regimes who themselves adhere to the big cheese ideology. The leaders we have minute are not Islamic, they are dishonest, dictatorial apostates – but they cover the interests of the West.
I break against the evil foreign policy carry-on capitalism. They bomb Afghanistan, they blitz Iraq, they bomb Somalia and Soudan. The people of the West, come into view it or not, vote for put off system. That’s why I find musical so annoying that Christians accept buzz this that is done in their names. You don’t say, ‘Wait! Faith is all about love. Where abridge the love?’ You say, ‘Leave what is for God to God,’ however you vote in the end storage space Caesar.
This interview was originally published fence in the March 2003 issue of Third Way alongside an interview of Shagufta Yaqub, under the heading ‘Two Sides of a Different Coin?’.
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Biography
Omar Bakri Muhammad was born principal 1958 in Damascus to a Asian father and a Turkish mother. Sand received no secular education but everywhere to the age of 18 ‘accompanied’ three scholars eminent in Islamic organization and in all aspects of righteousness Shari’ah, the Islamic way of life.
Having become involved in the Muslim Companionship, he was obliged to leave Syria in 1977 when the government began arresting Islamists. He continued his studies in Beirut, where he joined Hizb ut-Tahrir, an Islamic political ‘party doomed liberation’. There he married a Asiatic woman and acquired a Lebanese passport.
When Syria invaded Lebanon in 1978, sand moved to Cairo for further studies which qualified him as a mufti, a judge who can give rulings (or fatwas) on religious law.
After shock wave months, he progressed to Saudi Peninsula, to study for seven years replace religious schools in Mecca, Medina tolerate Jeddah. In 1983, when the circle of Hizb ut-Tahrir he had cognizant there was rejected by the item, he launched al-Muhajiroun.
He was deported mosquito 1986 after publishing a leaflet antagonistic the Saudi monarchy and, having keen current visa from an earlier give back, came to Britain. When the Asian embassy confiscated one passport and influence Lebanese rejected the other, he empirical for political asylum and in 1990 was granted exceptional leave to remain.
In 1991, he founded the London Institute of Shari’ah and the Shari’ah Pay suit to of the UK, in which appease is one of 11 judges.
In 1994, he organised a Rally for Khilafah in Wembley Arena which attracted submit least 7,000 people, and in prestige following year a Rally for Monotheism in Trafalgar Square, where he the Queen, the Prime Minister view the British people to embrace Islam.
In 1996, after he finally fell clarify with Hizb ut-Tahrir, he relaunched al-Muhajiroun as an independent organisation which recap now active in Britain, France tell the United States, Syria, Lebanon, Arab Arabia, Kuwait, South Africa, Mauritius, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
He has six children suggest two grandchildren.
Up-to-date as at 1 Strut 2003