A radical preacher who allegedly inspired the Fort Hood gunman has a large following in Britain and counts prominent mainstream Muslims among his supporters.
The FBI is investigating communications between Major Nidal Hasan, who killed 13 people at the Texas army base last week, and Imam Anwar al-Awlaki, a US-born Muslim cleric now based in Yemen. Mr al-Awlaki, 38, who described Major Hasan on his blog as “a hero”, has been a regular visitor to Britain and delivers frequent lectures to British audiences by video or via the internet.
Counter-terrorism sources said yesterday that Mr al-Awlaki was barred from entering Britain on security grounds while the anti-extremist Quilliam Foundation said he was “perhaps the most influential pro-jihadist ideologue preaching in English today”.
Despite his extremist reputation, the cleric had attracted support from mainstream British Muslim groups. Azad Ali, president of the Civil Service Islamic Society, wrote last November that Mr al-Awlaki was “one of my favourite speakers and scholars”.
Mr Ali, whose society’s patron is Sir Gus O’Donnell, the Cabinet Secretary, distanced himself from the cleric’s views last night. He said: “I reject them and disassociate myself from them completely.”
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The cleric was also praised in 2006 by Osama Saeed, an SNP parliamentary candidate, who said “he preached nothing but peace”. Mr Saeed said last night he felt “cheated” by Mr al-Awlaki. He added: “I completely disagree with what he has said about Fort Hood.”
But Mr al-Awlaki’s lectures are still circulated widely. The Times acquired DVDs of his lectures at two Islamic bookshops in East London, while Jimas, a registered charity based in Ipswich, offers downloads of his sermons.
Earlier this year a video lecture by Mr al-Awlaki was delivered at the East London mosque with a poster depicting New York in flames. The cleric was also the lead tutor, again via video, for weekend courses in Islamic thought held in April in London and Birmingham.
Mr al-Awlaki was born in New Mexico in 1971 but spent 11 years in Yemen, where his father was born, before returning to the US where he studied civil engineering at Colorado State University. He was an imam at Rabat mosque in San Diego where he met two of the September 11 hijackers, Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar. The 9/11 Commission report said Mr al-Awlaki “developed a close relationship” with the hijackers but he condemned the atrocities at the time.
The cleric moved from San Diego to be an imam at Falls Church, Virginia, where he is reported to have first met Major Hasan. Investigators have uncovered evidence of contact between the pair from December 2008.
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Between 2002 and 2005, when he was placed on a UK security watchlist, he was a frequent visitor to Britain, addressing congregations and conferences in London, Birmingham and Leicester. He spoke at “Islam for Europe” at Wembley conference centre in 2003. After 2005 he settled in Yemen and since being detained briefly there in 2006, is not thought to have travelled to the West. He is believed to be hiding in Yemen’s Shabwa or Mareb provinces, which with Jof province make up the “triangle of evil”, home to many al-Qaeda militants.
Inayat Bunglawala, of Muslims4UK, said Mr al-Awlaki had “a significant following” among “disillusioned British Muslims”. He added: “It is imperative his views are rigorously countered by more learned Islamic scholars.”
Nasser al-Awlaki, the preacher’s father, said he had had no contact with his son for eight months, adding: “He has nothing to do with al-Qaeda. But he’s a devout Muslim. He has never been involved in anything against anybody.”