barfly
18-02-03, 16:02
LONDON (AP) _ Quoting from the Bible, the Quran or any
other holy book can be an offense in Britain, the judge
hearing the case of a Muslim cleric accused of inciting
followers to murder «nonbelievers» warned Tuesday.
Judge Peter Beaumont said claims by Sheikh Abdullah
el-Faisal that he was repeating passages from the Quran did
not give him an automatic legal defense.
«It does not afford him a defense in law ... any more or
less than any similar citations from anyone else's holy
book, including the Bible, would be,» Beaumont said in his
summing up of the case for the jury.
«Citing from any holy book may be offensive, may be
contrary to the laws of this country, depending on the
circumstances in which they are quoted.»
El-Faisal, 39, denies encouraging «others to murder
persons unknown,» making threatening or abusive tape
recordings and stirring up racial hatred.
Prosecutors say el-Faisal preached across Britain and sold
Arabic-language tapes of his speeches in specialist shops.
Beaumont said that Britain was a multi-ethnic society
where different religions were tolerated and the freedom to
follow them was protected by law.
But he added that the freedom had to come with
responsibility and the law must be obeyed.
«These allegations reflect the sort of country we live in
2003 _ a small crowded island off the coast of northern
Europe,» he told jurors.
El-Faisal, a Jamaican-born convert to Islam, was arrested
in February and jailed for six months before being released
on bail.
His lawyers say he is a respected cleric whose quotations
from scripture have been taken out of context.
Kijkkijk in de UK hebben ze ook een gevalletje El Moumni met dat verschil dat quoten daar kennelijk niet in goede aarde valt...
other holy book can be an offense in Britain, the judge
hearing the case of a Muslim cleric accused of inciting
followers to murder «nonbelievers» warned Tuesday.
Judge Peter Beaumont said claims by Sheikh Abdullah
el-Faisal that he was repeating passages from the Quran did
not give him an automatic legal defense.
«It does not afford him a defense in law ... any more or
less than any similar citations from anyone else's holy
book, including the Bible, would be,» Beaumont said in his
summing up of the case for the jury.
«Citing from any holy book may be offensive, may be
contrary to the laws of this country, depending on the
circumstances in which they are quoted.»
El-Faisal, 39, denies encouraging «others to murder
persons unknown,» making threatening or abusive tape
recordings and stirring up racial hatred.
Prosecutors say el-Faisal preached across Britain and sold
Arabic-language tapes of his speeches in specialist shops.
Beaumont said that Britain was a multi-ethnic society
where different religions were tolerated and the freedom to
follow them was protected by law.
But he added that the freedom had to come with
responsibility and the law must be obeyed.
«These allegations reflect the sort of country we live in
2003 _ a small crowded island off the coast of northern
Europe,» he told jurors.
El-Faisal, a Jamaican-born convert to Islam, was arrested
in February and jailed for six months before being released
on bail.
His lawyers say he is a respected cleric whose quotations
from scripture have been taken out of context.
Kijkkijk in de UK hebben ze ook een gevalletje El Moumni met dat verschil dat quoten daar kennelijk niet in goede aarde valt...