"Pope Must Die" Says UK Muslim, Organizer Of February's "Behead" Rally In London

**Update
Anjem Choudary, the organizer of Sunday's protests, was apparently backed by exiled British Muslim cleric Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammed (via The Jawa Report)





Muslims protest at Westminster Cathedral, London (via Joee)

For the organizer of the rally at Westminster Cathedral yesterday, as well as the UK protests in February made infamous by the "Behead those who insult Islam" poster, capital punishment is a peaceful solution in the Islamic world--no head, know peace--or something like that:

A notorious Muslim extremist told a demonstration in London yesterday that the Pope should face execution.

Anjem Choudary said those who insulted Islam would be "subject to capital punishment".



Anjem Choudary

His remarks came during a protest outside Westminster Cathedral on a day that worldwide anger among Muslim hardliners towards Pope Benedict XVI appeared to deepen.

. . .

Choudary's appeal for the death of Pope Benedict was the second time he has been linked with apparent incitement to murder within a year.

The 39-year-old lawyer organised demonstrations against the publication of cartoons of Mohammed in February in Denmark. Protesters carried placards declaring "Behead Those Who Insult Islam".

Yesterday he said: "The Muslims take their religion very seriously and non-Muslims must appreciate that and that must also understand that there may be serious consequences if you insult Islam and the prophet.

"Whoever insults the message of Mohammed is going to be subject to capital punishment."

As the Daily Mail points out, Choudary's previous "peaceful" demonstrations included protest signs which also highlighted the rationality and openness of Islam to debate (via Michelle Malkin):









The message has not changed since February, though the protest signs (more like incitements to murder) have taken a more professional, i.e. printed, look.

"Slay, behead, and butcher" have been toned down as Muslims become more media savvy. "Curse" or "conquer", though harsh, don't have quite the indendiary or visceral immediateness that words like "behead" conjure in the imagination. But this is a question of degree in semantics--the intention is quite the same and quite clear. Do not insult Islam/Mohammad/Allah/the Koran--and we shall determine just what constitutes an insult--or face protests, riots, arson, and murder. Political correctness as cultural and historical blackmail.

Westerners take their religions seriously too, and though they live in secular societies, take their freedoms to practice their religions, and their freedom to speak and express themselves even more seriously. That Christians, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, Scientologists, atheists, etc. coexist in relative peace in places like the United States bears witness to the efficacy of both freedoms. Worship as you like. Criticize freely. To each his own. Live and let live.

Claiming that Islam is a religion of peace while threatening with their lives those who wish to say otherwise indicates dissemblance of the highest order.

Cross-posted at Freedom's Zone, where co-blogger Richard has been all over "anti-Pope jihad"

More at Stop The Aclu--Islamic Extremist Calls For Pope's Death

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