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Exiled Islamic Cleric Uses Internet to Glorify Terrorism in the UK

Undercover security personnel apparently infiltrated a chat room and recorded exiled Islamic cleric, Omar Barkri Muhammed allegedly making comments that supported terrorism in the United Kingdom and urging followers to carry out further attacks. The BBC carried out an investigation into the incident and showed, in its broadcasts, that the UK government is doing very little to stop the glorification of terrorism over the internet.

Groups of academics and former police and security personnel operate under an umbrella organization called ?Vigil?. The organization regularly enters chat rooms where the cleric, Bakri, is believed to operate, using several pseudonyms and where he gives unquestionable support for jihadists and future attacks, some of them on British soil. For example, when he was asked about his opinion of the 7/7 train bombings in London, Bakri apparently replied that the bombers were in paradise.

While it is no secret that Islamic jihadists regularly use the internet to get their terror messages across ? whether in code or otherwise ? the United Kingdom government doesn?t seem to be taking the threat too seriously. The BBC program shows, for example, how one Vigil member approached the Metropolitan Police anti-terrorist hotline with more than 100 hours from Bakri?s chat room as proof of the cleric?s threat to England?s domestic security. The response? He was told to contact his local police station! Ministry officials said that they would look into the claims.