LONDON (JTA) – A Muslim British civil servant was suspended from his senior government job following radical views expressed in his Weblog.
Azad Ali, who is also the president of the Civil Service Islamic Society, complained in his blog about the British government’s response to what he described as “the Zionist terrorist State of Israel,” and described as religious obligation the killing of American and British soldiers in Iraq.
Last week Ali wrote on the internet site “Between The Lines," an article titled “We Are The Resistance." In it, he wrote, “From the outset of this latest massacre, the Zionist terrorist state of Israel had only one aim, to destroy all semblance of resistance. As the days move on and the number murdered passes the 1,000 mark, we have yet to hear any condemnation from our government.”
He also criticized moderate Muslims, saying, “the propaganda machine of the terrorist state can claim one victory that it has managed to sway some ‘Muslims’ to drop the call for a condemnation and recognition of the crime being committed against the Gazans."
Ali questions the moderates’ motives wondering if they are interested only in getting government money for their activities.
Ali was considered a moderate Muslim and is involved in a variety of organizations which were established to prevent extremism in the Muslim community, including some working closely with the government and the police.
However in his blogs he criticizes both the British government and moderate Muslims. “The [British] government is engaging with individuals who have no credibility in the community…a motley crew who are nothing but self-serving vultures, feeding on the dead flesh of the Palestinians.”
On the Civil Service Islamic Society’s official Web site, Ali declares that it is bound by strict rules that say Whitehall special-interest groups must be “non-partisan and non-political” and act with “honesty, impartiality and integrity.”
The British government code of conduct of civil servants restricts political activities, and on Sunday a member of parliament questioned Ali’s continued employment by the government.
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