Chairman of Birmingham Central Mosque should quit over 7/7 bombings row says MP

Jul 5 2009 by Adam Aspinall, Sunday Mercury

Birmingham City Council has been at the forefront of PVE trials after intelligence sources claimed that the city was a major recruiting base for al-Qaida.

Dr Naseem’s comments come just two days before the fourth anniversary of the July 7 atrocity, which was carried out by British-born suicide bombers Mohammad Sidique Khan, aged 30, Shehzad Tanweer, aged 22, Germaine Lindsay, aged 19, and Hasib Mir Hussain, aged 18.

Last night Dr Naseem’s remarks were met with disgust by Muslim community leaders, including Mr Mahmood and Respect party leader and Birmingham City councillor Salma Yaqoob.

Mr Mahmood, MP for Perry Barr, said: “This conspiracy is just complete and utter nonsense.

“If anyone had any facts to prove it I would be the first one to take them to Parliament.

“But they don’t, because it isn’t true.

“Dr Naseem has peddled preposterous nonsense like this time and time again, and this time he has gone too far.

“All he is doing is inciting hatred among the community and bringing the Muslims of Birmingham into disrepute. A person in his position should think twice before coming out with such disgraceful lies.

“I think it is time for him to resign.

“The trustees of Birmingham Central Mosque should take action immediately if they want to be taken seriously in the future.

“His outrageous comments couldn’t have come at a more sensitive time and are sure to be incredibly hurtful to the relatives of the victims.”

Coun Yaqoob added: “We do not need conspiracy theories to understand the 7/7 bombings.

“Two of the bombers left video messages explaining exactly why they carried out this terrible atrocity.

“The Government may be in denial about the fact that its war in Iraq encouraged terrorism at home but we have to face facts.

“Four young men, angry at our Government’s foreign policy in Iraq and Afghanistan, lost any sense of humanity and inflicted terrible suffering on innocent people.

“We have to confront and challenge those who justify and encourage these crimes, and we have to put an end to the injustice caused by our foreign policy that creates such a well of bitterness and hatred.”