Luton Islamic Centre

The Luton Islamic Centre (officially known as the Masjid al-Gharaaba) is a mosque based in Luton, England.
It has been praised in some quarters for gestures in opposition to Islamic extremism: the mosque supported a protest against al-Muhajirounhttp://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/luton-fights-back-against-rightwing-extremists-1695485.htmlhttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1189577/Muslim-extremists-anti-war-protest-driven-members-community.html and threw out the extremist Taimur Abdulwahab al-Abdaly, who would later launch a suicide attack in Stockholm.http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/terrorism-in-the-uk/8198882/Stockholm-bomber-was-thrown-out-of-Luton-mosque-for-trying-to-recruit-extremists.html However, the Luton Islamic Centre's hands aren't exactly clean.
The official website of the mosque is calltoislam.com, which has a number of interesting documents. One article, entitled "Greeting The Kuffaar On Their Festivals", argues that a Muslim wishing a non-Muslim a merry Christmas is committing "as great a sin
as congratulating someone for drinking wine, or murdering someone".http://calltoislam.com/pdf/Greeting%20The%20Kuffaar%20On%20Their%20Festivals%20-%20Imaam%20Ibn%20Uthaymeen.pdf
Another article on the site rails against news reports that a Saudi woman had been sentenced to lashes for being raped. The author stands up for "the good character of the Islamic
judges in Saudi Arabia" by arguing that the woman was having an affair. This, apparently, makes her punishment by lashing perfectly acceptable; the article counters Western condemnation of whipping and stoning by pointing out that the Bible also recommends these punishments. "We Muslims are not like the Westerners who are–with a few exceptions–immoral
fornicators and adulterers", argues the document.http://calltoislam.com/pdf/The%20Hidden%20Truth%20About%20The%20Qatif%20Case%20-%20Response%20To%20Rape%20Victim%20Gets%20Lashes.pdf
Also noteworthy is an article with the catchy title of "The Prophesy [sic] Of The Utter Destruction Of The
Yahood Will Only Occur At The Hands Of The True Worshippers Of Allaah". For those not up on their Arabic, by "yahood" the writer means Jews; this prophecy of the complete anihillation of the Jews is described in the introduction as "heart warming, hope instilling". "The Zionist expansion grew with the
aid of Communist manpower (European Jews) and Capitalist monetary reserves", we are told. "The Zionists strategy will not stop extending its
malicious hand, gesturing peace, while simultaneously plotting extermination of
those it is courting. This has always been the attitude of the Jews".http://hurryupharry.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/call-to-islam-The-Prophesy-Of-The-Utter-Destruction-Of-The-Yahood-Shaykh-Saleem-Al-Hilaalee.pdf Similar sentiments are found in an article called The Ideological Attack, in which Shaykh Abdul Azeez bin Baaz argues that "The jews strive their utmost
to corrupt the beliefs, morals and manners of the Muslims... spreading destructive thoughts, beliefs and ideologies; such as Freemasonry, Qadiaanisim, Bahaaism, Teejaanism and others".http://calltoislam.com/pdf/The%20Ideological%20Attack%20-%20Shaykh%20Abdul-Aziz%20Bin%20Abdullaah%20Bin%20Baaz.pdf Inevitably, the website also contains a lengthy rant about the evils of homosexuality.http://hurryupharry.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/call-to-islam-Gay-History-And-Gay-Pride.pdf
The mosque is chaired by Abdul Qadir Baksh, who says that gay people should be executedhttp://homoeconomicusnet.wordpress.com/2013/10/12/in-an-ideal-world-gays-must-be-executed-says-abdul-qadeer-baksh/ and has linked approvingly to an anti-Jewish video by David Duke from his Facebook page.http://hurryupharry.org/2012/05/07/abdul-qadir-baksh-of-the-luton-islamic-centre-david-duke-fan/
==See also==
* East London Mosque
==External links==
* Official website
==References==
Category:Islamic extremism
Category:Organizations
Category:Antisemitism
Category:United Kingdom