Radical Islamic cleric will return to UK

A British-based Muslim cleric who left the country after the government pledged to silence radical Islamists said yesterday he would soon return, as a minister said preachers of hate may have inspired the London bombers.

Syrian-born Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammed, who has lived in Britain for 20 years, left for Lebanon on Saturday and associates said he would not come back but Mr Bakri said yesterday he was merely taking a holiday.

The news of his imminent return came as Cabinet minister Lord Charles Falconer said sermons by radical Muslim preachers may have played a part in the July 7 attacks on London's transport system that killed 52 people.

"I think for example the fomenting of terrorism by certain small numbers of clerics in mosques may well have had a material effect on encouraging people to become suicide bombers," Lord Falconer told Channel Four news when asked if measures now being considered by the government to silence radical clerics would have "materially stopped" any attack.

"Taking urgent and robust steps in relation to that will stop that in the future," Lord Falconer added.

Mr Bakri said he had decided to take a short break because he feared the government was using clerics like him as an excuse to rush in new laws and "put pressure on the Muslim community".

"I decided myself to go on holiday, which is for four or five weeks and stay with my mother back home," he said.

"I am going to return ... unless this government says you are not welcome," he told BBC Radio.

Mr Bakri, who used to live in Lebanon and holds Lebanese citizenship, had already said he might leave Britain to avoid retroactive charges under new anti-terrorism measures planned following last month's attacks on London's transport system.

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, standing in for the holidaying Tony Blair, said Mr Bakri was free to come and go under current laws, but said: "I don't think he is welcome by many people in this country. But at the moment he has the right to come in and out. I say enjoy your holiday - I hope it's a long one."

The cleric has become a hate figure for the British tabloid press, which has urged the government to rein him in.

Glad To See Bak Of You, the top-selling Sun daily declared on its front page yesterday.

Mr Blair unveiled sweeping measures on Friday to silence or deport extremists, saying Britain would override human rights laws if necessary. He also said Britain would ban two radical groups from operating in the country.