Gordon Brown has apparently taken the personal decision to ban the controversial Egyptian cleric, Yusuf al-Qaradawi, from entering the UK.Al-Qaradawi had applied for a visa to enter the country for medical treatment, but, according to the Evening Standard, the Prime Minister acted to block it.
On 30 January, David Cameron raised the case of al-Qaradawi at PMQs, asking Brown why the Government had not taken the decision to ban him. Cameron told the House something of al-Qaradawi’s background:
Mr. Cameron: This is not about expelling someone. This guy wants to come to our country, and we do not think that he should be allowed in. He was banned by a former Conservative Home Secretary, so why will the Government not ban him? Let me explain what this man, Yusuf al-Qaradawi, believes. He thinks that gay people should be executed, and encourages people to turn their bodies into bombs. Why can the Prime Minister not tell us his decision now? Does he think that Yusuf al-Qaradawi should be allowed in or not? A simple one—yes or no?
Brown’s response was curious:
The Prime Minister: In 2006, a decision was made not to exclude al-Qaradawi. We are looking at that again. He has applied to come into this country, and a decision will be made in due course. I have to say that it has to go through the proper judicial processes, but he has not been allowed into this country at this stage.
It is pretty clear from his answer that the Prime Minister did not understand the processes that applied to the application. He thought that it was a judicial issue, whereas it was in fact a matter for executive decision.
It is also fairly obvious that, stung by Cameron’s accusation that “this Prime Minister cannot answer a question and cannot make a decision”, the PM hot-footed it round to the Home Office and made sure that the visa was refused.
Unfortunately, having made the decision to ban al-Qaradawi, he is now accused by the Muslim Council of Britain of caving in to "unreasonable demands spearheaded by the Tory leader".
Only partly right. The demands were far from unreasonable, but cave in he certainly did.
10 comments:
Of course when David Cameron said:
He was banned by a former Conservative Home Secretary
What he meant was:
He was admitted into the UK by a former Conservative Home Secretary on no fewer than five occasions, including while I was that Home Secretary's Special Adviser.
We look forward to Mr Cameron admitting his error and apologising to the House.
That in fairness may have been then, this is the Now we are living in.
9/11 had not even occurred when the Conservatives were last in Government.
We can only live in the present.
So why did the Leader of the Conservative Party raise the actions of the previous administration?
I think that rather than raking of the coals of what the conservatives did or did not do, we should all concentrate on how Little the labour party have done in allowing these extremists to peddle their hate on the streets and in the mosques.
Can you ever imagine any government condoning a white British person peddling the same hate against the Muslims or any other minority?
No they sure as hell would not.
Nor SHOULD they!
However this man's cronies have even had the streets closed off by the Police to allow them the right to do the very same thing.
In the party of the blind, the one eyed man is king!
I didn't rake the coals. The Leader of the Opposition did (and, for reasons that escape me, a member of his Front Bench Team chose to re-rake them here).
David Cameron said that his party has stopped Yusuf al-Qaradawi from entering the country, and implied that Gordon Brown would lack that resolve.
It now turns out that the exact opposite has happened. The Tories let him in, and Labour has kept him out.
Since you are so utterly focused on the present, I'm sure you will welcome that as progress.
"we should all concentrate on how Little the labour party have done in allowing these extremists to peddle their hate on the streets and in the mosques"
Why stop there?
We could go on and on, for God's sake they have been in 11 years, people seem to very conveniently forget that.
Have none off them the balls to make a stand against these sorts of people?
Balls to human rights, if they peddle hate, kick them out.
this is not about Call me Dave, it is about Labour dithering about making real choices!
Is there any wonder people can not be bothered voting these days.
I agree it's not about David Cameron.
But this post sought to make it about him, and it turns out that his and his party (of whom the poster is a prominent member) have very little indeed to criticise the government about - at least regarding this case.
Nice One Myers!
Pity about the general apathy of the Country these days.
Can you imagine standing on a square in Saudi and having a go at them, like the small minority have been allowed to have a go at us here, with it has to be said inpunity.
And all the Government supporters can come up with is that that it was the the Conservatives who let him in first.
It is like been back at primary school, without the fun!
Oscar
My objections are not that "the "Conservatives...let him in first", but that they misled the public by claiming that they had not and are now attempting to portray the government's decision as some sort of victory for them. If you want playground antics, look no further.
The actions of the previous administration in respect of this individual are of little consequence (and were not raised by me in the first instance). What matters is that:
a) the individual in question has not been let in. You appear content to completely ignore this. I am not.
b) The Leader of the Opposition should not mislead the House of Commons. Again, you may choose to ignore this. I tend to think it is important.
Myers said...
"we should all concentrate on how Little the labour party have done in allowing these extremists to peddle their hate on the streets and in the mosques"
Nothing more to say after Myers posted that.
Could not care less who gets the credit or what has happened in the post.
The main thing is that this nasty evil little man is not allowed in.
Job done!
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