The all-inclusive Mayor of London Ken Livingstone praised Sheikh Dr Yusuf al-Qaradawi as a moderate Muslim leader and held a reception in the Sheikh’s honour when he visited London, telling Qaradawi that he was “truly welcome, welcome to London”.

But Qaradawi’s definition of “all-inclusive” is perhaps a little different to that of Mayor Livingstone’s, for Qaradawi supports “female genital mutilation, wife-beating, the execution of homosexuals, destruction of the Jewish people, suicide bombing of innocent civilians, and the punishment of rape victims who do not dress with sufficient modesty”, according to OutRage! member Brett Lock.

Qaradawi’s support for suicide bombings and targeting of civilians can be seen on BBC Panorama’s exposé of Interpal, the UK charity that raises money so that the Hamas government can indoctrinate today’s vulnerable Palestinian children into becoming tomorrow’s suicide/homicide bombers. Watch that documentary here.

Livingstone’s defence of his friend Qaradawi is to try to brush it all off as part of a Mossad or Jewish conspiracy, despite Qaradawi’s apprehensible beliefs being freely broadcast on middle east television channels and in the Arabic press.

For instance, Qaradawi had “all-inclusive” things to say about the December 2004 Tsunami victims:

“People must ask themselves why this earthquake occurred in this area and not others…Whoever examines these areas discovers that they are tourism areas….where the forbidden acts are widespread, as well as alcohol consumption, drug use and acts of abomination… Don’t they deserve punishment from Allah?”

That was Qaradawi in 2004 and 2005, and true to type, not much has changed in 2006, when in June Qaradawi led a new assault on homosexuals. On Al-Jazeera Qaradawi called homosexuals “sexual perverts” and should be punished as such. Two possible penalties Qaradawi might like to see meted out to homosexuals are burning and throwing homosexuals from great heights “as God did when He punished Sodom”.

Much to Red Ken’s disappointment, I’m sure, is Qaradawi’s apparent support for George Bush as US President, about which Qaradawi said:

“But it was Bush who won [the elections], because he is Christian, right-wing, tenacious, and unyielding. In other words, the religious overcame the perverted. So we cannot blame all Americans and Westerners.”

Perhaps it was this last “moderate” statement of Qaradawi’s that led Mayor Ken Livingstone to say with conviction:

“When you get a progressive figure who is moving that religion in the correct direction you engage and you develop it.

Either Red Ken can’t see an extremist when come with explosives strapped to their waists, or Ken’s definitiion of “moderate” is the free West’s definition of Islamofascism.

Quotes from:

• OutinHonolulu - Livingstone defends Qaradawi, despite outburst
• Ynet - Muslim Cleric: “Punish all gays”
• Eurabian Times - Livingstone on Qaradawi: ‘progressive’

See also:

• ADL - Ken Livingstone In His Own Words
• Oliver Kamm - Livingstone and the Left
• Harry’s Place - The Quality of Ken Livingstone’s defence