Den britiske regjeringen har avslått den islamistiske predikanten Yusuf al-Qaradawis søknad om visum for innreise til Storbritannia. Fra før av er al-Qaradawi nektet adgang til flere land, USA inklusive. Det er antatt at den omstridte religiøse lederen har søkt om visum til de britiske øyer av medisinske årsaker, men søknaden er avslått på bakgrunn av artikkel 41 i FNs charter, som er relatert til trusler mot landets fred og sikkerhet.

The cleric last visited the UK in 2004, where he was welcomed by Ken Livingstone, the Mayor of London, and chaired the annual meeting of the European Council of Fatwa and Research at London’s City Hall.

His visit prompted protests from Jewish groups and gay people, who regard him as anti-Semitic and homophobic. He has called for the death penalty for homosexuality and the destruction of the state of Israel.

In the same year, the cleric defended suicide attacks on Israelis during a BBC interview, saying: «It’s not suicide, it is martyrdom in the name of God.» He added that it did not matter if women and children were the victims of such attacks.

The cleric is also said to preach that husbands should beat disobedient wives.

In 2006 Dr al-Qaradawi was told that he would be granted a visa to enter Britain for a meeting in Manchester, with the authorisation of Charles Clarke, the then Home Secretary, but in the event he did not attend.

Last week Mr Cameron clashed with Gordon Brown in the Commons over Dr al-Qaradawi, as he described him as «dangerous and divisive», and called on the Government not to let him into the country.

«Two months ago I identified and named specifically in this house a number of preachers of hate who should not be allowed into this country,» said Mr Cameron.

Det muslimske rådet i Storbritannia (MCB) misliker avgjørelsen som de mener skyldes et urimelig krav fra Tory-leder David Cameron, og anklager statsminister Gordon Brown for å bøye seg for press fra den «pro-zionistiske og neo-konservative lobbyen». Generalsekretær Muhammed Abdul Bari i MCB sier at al-Qaradawi nyter stor respekt og innflytelse blant muslimer, og at regjeringens blokkering av visumsøknaden er å sende feil signal om det britiske samfunnet til muslimer verden over:

«I am afraid this decision will send the wrong message to Muslims everywhere about the state of British society and culture,» he said.

«Britain has had a long and established tradition of free speech, debate and intellectual pursuit. These principles are worth defending, especially if we would like to see them spread throughout the world.»

BMI, British Muslim Initiative, beskriver regjeringens avgjørelse om å nekte en eminent lærd som al-Qaradawi adgang til landet som en «uprovosert fornærmelse av britiske muslimer».

Muhammad Sawalha, the BMI president, said: «We would have to go as far back as the medieval age when scholars were hounded and vilified in order to find a similar retrograde decision.»

The 81-year-old Egyptian-born preacher is now based in Qatar and makes regular appearances on al-Jazeera television, clad in white robes, where he denounces anti-Muslim sentiment in the European media.

Sources close to Dr al- Qaradawi said that his visa application had had support within the Home and Foreign Offices. «But the Zionist lobby placed huge pressures to block the visa application and Prime Minister Gordon Brown eventually backed that position,» they added.

Visum-nekten blir ansett som et skifte i politikken overfor religiøse ekstremister og deres respektive miljøer. Under Tony Blair betalte det britiske utenriksdepartementet en reise til Istanbul for al-Qaradawi og hans kone i anledning en konferanse om muslimer i Europa i 2006.

Browns blokkering av al-Qaradawis adgang til Storbritannia ble godt mottatt av flere politikere.

To Tory jeers, Mr Brown replied: «In 2006 a decision was made not to exclude him. We are looking at that again. He has applied to come into this country. A decision will be made in due course. It has to go through the proper judicial processes. But he has not been allowed into this country at this stage.»

Today David Davis, the Shadow Home Secretary, welcomed the visa ruling. «Not before time the Government has finally acted after pressure from David Cameron,» he said.

«The Government’s approach to preachers of hate has been at best timid and at worst downright useless. Now it is time for them to take a robust approach across the board.»

Labour MP David Winnick (Walsall North), a member of the Commons Home Affairs Committee, also welcomed the ban.

He said: «I welcome the decision. It was difficult to understand why he should have been allowed in previously.

«His public comments demonstrate that he is a professional hate merchant and racist.

«Allowing such characters to come into our country, allowing any extremists to enter Britain, regardless of religion or no religion, contaminates this country. «We have enough home-grown hate merchants as it is.»

Times Online: Muslim outrage as Yusuf al-Qaradawi refused UK visa

Daily Mail: Brown bans Muslim preacher who praised suicide bombers as ‘martyrs’ from Britain