No evidence against London Bombing suspects says cleric

July 21, 2005

Oma Bakri Mohammed, a controversial Muslim cleric living in Britain under political asylum since 1985, has said he does not believe the July 7th London bombers were Muslims.

He told BBC News that there was no evidence the four young Muslim men filmed at a station prior to the attacks were responsible for the bombs. He also condemned "any killing of innocent people here and abroad"

However he said he would not co-operate with police in the search for the bombers and other Muslim extremists, or even when he knew of an imminent terrorist attack.

"I believe co-operation with the British police would never ever prevent any action like this." He said.

Adding, "The youth will leave us. The youth will see us, at that time, the voice, the eyes and the ears of the British government."

"The way to earn the heart of the British youth is by the divine text, to say 'God say it and ... Mohammed say it, Do not attack the people you live among.' Not to tell them, 'Tony Blair say it, the law say it, don't do so.'"

Oma Bakri Mohammed is facing deportation after partly blaming Britain itself for the attacks on London. He also blamed the UK government's "evil foreign policy and the war on terror" for pushing Muslims in "the wrong direction". He has lived in Britain for 20 years, and said he would not resist if he were to be imprisoned or deported.

The cleric also believes Islam does not allow Muslims to fight the people they lived side by side with. "To live among them, and sell with them and deal with them and trade with them and then fight them, that is completely not Islamic."