Bakri: Flag of Islam to fly from Big Ben

Islamic fundamentalist cleric Omar Bakri has warned that "the day will come that the flag of Islam will fly over the Big Ben and the British Parliament."

Bakri made the comments during an interview with the London-based Arabic-language daily al-Sharq al-Awsat.

The interview was published over the weekend when Britain marked a year since the terror attacks on the London Underground.

Bakri, who is originally Syrian, was the leader of al-Muhajiroun. He escaped London after the 7/7 attacks, and was banned from returning to Britain.

Bakri presented himself as a spokesman for the World Islamic Front for Jihad Against Jews and Crusaders, headed by Osama Bin Laden.

Bakri's organization supported Hamas and Islamic Jihad in the territories, and also held contacts with Hizbullah.

In a document released by the media analysis organization MEMRI, Bakri's ideology is presented, according to which believing Muslims living in Britain will turn the country into Islamastan.

Bakri elaborated that "what is called today Londonistan is actually Kufferstan, in other words the land of infidelity. I think that loyal Muslims in Britain will turn it on the day of days, with the help of Allah, into Islamastan, in other words into Dar al-Islam (Land of Islam), as the first Muslims did in Ethiopia and Indonesia. Then the big Islamic dream will be realized, and we will see the flag 'there's no god other than Allah' flying from the Big Ben and the British parliament, with the help of Allah."

'Don't assimilate into infidel society'

When asked what his advice was for Muslim youths in Britain and his students who life far away, he answered: "I advise Muslim youth in general, and to my beloved students especially, not to assimilate into the ignorant British society, but at the same time not to become distant from the people. They must work to make the hearts turn to Allah, to instruct on doing good and forbidding the evil, to obey Allah and to keep away from the infidels."

Asked whether he thought London was safe today, after the disappearance of most of the movement's fundamentalist sheikhs, Barki answered: "The finding of the wise of Islam and the advertisers of the Islamic movement is the valve of security of Britain and not the opposite, as the naive people think."

"Britain is not thought of as safe since it advertised the anti-terror laws in 2002. There's no doubt that the disappearance, arrest, or expulsion of most of the scholars of Islam and its advertisers will turn Britain into an unsafe country, in danger of attacks by those who think it must be fought, due to its participation alongside the Untied States in the war of the global crusaders against Islam and Muslims."

When asked whether he planned to return to Britain any time soon, Bakri answered: "I don't think of returning to Britain as long as it does not retract its terror laws, through which it is applying terror on peaceful Muslims in Britain, with the excuse of fighting terror. The return of people like myself is forbidden according to Islamic law, since it calms under the act of 'surrendering as a hostage.' Islam has forbidden Muslims from surrendering as a hostage… to the infidels."

Source: Ynet (English)