Extremist cleric Uthman Lateef dropped after protests
London, UK – 17 October 2013
Islamist hate preacher Uthman Lateef has been dropped from a speaking engagement in East London this Saturday, 19 October, after protests against his extremist views.
He was scheduled to speak on a panel at a public meeting – “Are Muslims empowered by knowledge?” – organised by Education Aid for Palestinians (EAP) and sponsored by the Association of Muslim Lawyers.
“The organisers have assured us that Uthman Lateef has been cancelled following representations about his anti-democratic and homophobic preaching. We are delighted that Education Aid for Palestinians has recognised that such extreme views are incompatible with its commitment to an equal, inclusive society, in Britain and Palestine. This is a victory for humanitarian values. We thank everyone who lobbied to get this hate preacher dropped. Gratitude to EAP for listening to our concerns,” said Peter Tatchell, Director of the Peter Tatchell Foundation.
Lateef has repeatedly referred to non-Muslims using the insulting word, “kuffars”. In 2007, at Queen Mary College, he stirred up homophobia, stating that “we don’t accept homosexuality…we hate it because Allah hates it.”
He has also condemned secular Islam, attempts to reconcile Islam with democracy and warned of the dangers of Muslims integrating into British society.
Lateef told an audience at the East London Mosque in 2009: “If we are teaching the way of life of the disbelievers, of the kuffar, Allah will bring humiliation on us” and that Muslims should not be misled by those advocating Islamic modernisation, such as “democratic Islam”.
He said:
“Brothers, if we are teaching the way of life of the disbelievers, of the kuffar, Allah will bring humiliation upon us. If we are seeking this name and fame, and to be pranced around the world as some kind of government spokesmen and representatives, speaking about this reformed and redefined and repackaged Islam, Allah will bring humiliation upon people like that. And be careful. Because people will be in that condition, that they will wake up as muqimeen (believers) but they will go to sleep as kuffars. And they will go to sleep as muqimeen and they will wake up as kuffars, because we live in a time of deception. ”
There is no indication that Lateef has changed his views or expressed any regret for his hateful incitements.
Further information:
Peter Tatchell
Director, Peter Tatchell Foundation
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.PeterTatchellFoundation.org