British hate preacher Anjem Choudary – who is currently facing charges of supporting Islamic State – has told Breitbart London that he thinks the United Kingdom should stay in the European Union (EU).
“If you want my view on it, I think Britain will be worse off,” Mr. Choudary (pictured above) told Breitbart London.
“I think that [leaving the EU] is something that is probably not in our advantage from a Muslim perspective,” he added.
The radical preacher rose to prominence as the head of Al-Muhajiroun and then Islam4UK – both banned Salafist groups – and for his provocative anti-Western views.
He has praised 9/11 terrorists as “magnificent martyrs”, wants to see “Sharia dominate the world”, the “flag of Sharia” fly over Parliament, and advocates a so-called caliphate. He said of the EU:
“With all the security implications, you know, while the rest of the world is trying to unite together with common purpose, this is not the time from a security perspective to be isolating.
“And I think about what some of them are saying about Scotland having another referendum, and Britain will be even smaller…”
Mr. Choudary strongly denied supporting Islamic State terrorists when talking to Breitbart. His close associate, Abu Rumaysah, recently travelled to Syria and is thought to be the “new Jihadi John” Islamic State executioner.
In 2013, Mr. Choudary stated: “As Muslims, we reject democracy, we reject secularism, and freedom, and human rights. We reject all of the things that you espouse as being ideals.”
He was also asked about the EU and the European Court of Human Rights, and their history of protecting extremists and blocking deportations.
He said that “at the current time I think there is some recourse [offered by European institutions]” when compared to the policies an independent British government could implement outside the EU.
He said: “I think that it probably is,” when asked if the European Court’s stance on Islamist extremism is more “desirable” than those of the British government. “There are certain principles and caveats [within EU legislation] that should prevent that [prosecution of Islamists] happening,” he added.
However, Mr. Choudary also said that this might “not last long” and in the future “there will be more sympathy for these kind of laws in Europe…” – laws that “poorly define extremism” and “persecute Muslims”.
He also stressed that “it is not allowed” for Muslims to participate or vote in the referendum, as sovereignty ultimately belongs to Allah rather that the EU, UK or any earthly government.
“When one takes a vote one is legislating one way or another, and we don’t believe that legislation is for human beings to make. As Muslims, we just implement the divine laws, not decide what they should be,” he said.