Anjem Choudary is behind bars too late – the government must do better
AT long last, hate preacher is where he should be — behind bars.
The extremist cleric has been free to travel the country indoctrinating impressionable young Muslims for over 20 years.
This is a man who said the Queen should “burn in hellfire”, defended 9/11 and encouraged followers to burn their Remembrance Day poppies.
He told TV that Muslims would eventually impose Sharia law on the West and defended cutting hands off thieves and stoning adulterers.
His noxious teachings spawned a whole generation of fanatics in Britain and abroad, with 500 deranged disciples linked to his terror factory.
As Home Secretary, Theresa May unveiled counter-terror laws designed to silence preachers like Choudary.
Yet it wasn’t until the demented firebrand started openly recruiting for ISIS that the police hauled him off the streets.
The UK has been too slow to crack down on hatemongers like Choudary, Abu Qatada and Abu Hamza.
Who knows how many young minds they poisoned and how many Brits are now in Syria fighting for IS as a result of their evil teachings.
These men don’t speak for Islam or the millions of moderate Muslims around the world.
But, left untouched in communities cut off from Western culture, they’ve been free to pour hatred into the ears of disaffected youngsters.
Some of these may yet plot deadly terror attacks on these shores.
Spooked by the civil liberties lobby, successive governments have dithered over how to silence the religious zealots intent on wrecking our society.
There should be zero tolerance towards any cleric — Muslim or otherwise — who advocates extremist views and rejects British values.
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Especially on the internet, where social media companies have been guilty of gross negligence in allowing fanatics to spread hate online.
If these firms are incapable — or unwilling — to shut down accounts inciting hatred, the Government should step in.
In the case of Choudary we’d urge the judge to order the hate cleric to close all his social media accounts and ban him from the internet indefinitely.
And the security services should be able to place anyone they suspect of preaching hate under the strictest surveillance.
We must show communities across the country that radical incitement will not go unpunished, but also impress upon moderate Muslims the need to root out the evil in their midst.
Britain has been tolerant of men like Choudary for too long.
That must change.