Radical Islamic sect 'has half of Britain's mosques in its grip'

The influence of the ultra-conservative Deobandi sect, which is characterised by its total rejection of western values, has grown to such an extent that police now believe it runs more than 600 of Britain's 1,350 mosques.

The revelations will put further scrutiny on plans for a "mega mosque" in east London by a group called Tablighi Jamaat, who are closely linked to the Deobandi movement.

The £100 million plan to build the "Islamic village" next to the Olympic site is already mired in controversy after intelligence services said the group was a recruiting ground for al Qaeda.

The Deobandi- controlled mosques are predominantly found in the Midlands and the North - such as the Tablighi Jamaat mosque which 7/7 bombers Mohammad Sidique Khan and Shehzad Tanweer were known to attend.

But about 170 London mosques are classified as Deobandi-run compared with less than 100 run by the moderate Sufi-based Barelwi movement.

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Seventeen of Britain's 26 Islamic seminaries are also run by Deobandis, producing 80 per cent of clerics trained here.

The most vocal preacher in Britain, Sheikh Riyadh ul Haq, supports armed jihad and is openly contemptuous of Christians, Jews and Hindus.

Mr ul Haq, 36, who runs an Islamic academy in Leicester, gained notoriety with a series of outspoken lectures after 9/11 when he was Imam of Birmingham Central Mosque. He has since travelled the world preaching that America and its allies are seeking to wipe out Islam.

Tapes of his sermons reveal an open hatred of Western culture, an admiration for the Taliban and a passion for martyrdom - although he does say in one lecture that "British Muslims should not rise here".

A favourite talk of his, however, warns Muslims of the perils of befriending the "kuffar", or non-believer. He says: "The Koran teaches Muslims not to follow in the footsteps of the Jews and the Christians, yet of our own choice we decide to live, act, work, behave, enjoy and play just like the kuffar".

"Do not befriend the kuffarî was Allah's warning to Muslims, and Muhammad told his companions "to distance themselves and fear this alignment with the kuffar in every way, even to the manner of dressing".

Moderate forces within Britain's Muslim community say they are doing all they can to counter the influence of preachers like Sheikh Riyadh ul Haq.

Ghayasuddin Siddiqui of the Muslim Parliament said: "There is no doubt the Deobandi movement became more influential in Britain's mosques in the Nineties and this went largely unchecked. The situation now is of great concern as almost all Islamic extremism originates from the Deobandi thinking".

A Department for Communities spokesman said: "We have a strategy to ensure imams represent mainstream moderate opinion and promote values like tolerance and respect of the law. We never said the challenge from extremism is restricted to those coming from overseas".