LONDON (AFP) — A controversial Muslim scholar has been denied a visa to visit Britain, the Home Office said Thursday, triggering criticism from Islamic groups.
The decision to block Yusuf al-Qaradawi's entry, which he reportedly requested for medical treatment, was described as an "unwarranted insult" by one Muslim organisation.
The Egyptian-born Qatari visited Britain in 2004 but that trip sparked protests from gay and Jewish groups, who accused him of homophobia and anti-Semitism.
Last month, David Cameron, leader of the opposition Conservative Party, demanded that Prime Minister Gordon Brown ban "preachers of hate" from Britain, naming Qaradawi.
Twenty members of parliament's lower House of Commons signed a motion expressing "grave concern" at the prospect of Qaradawi being granted a visa.
A Home Office spokesman said: "We can confirm that al-Qaradawi has been refused a visa to visit the UK.
"The UK will not tolerate the presence of those who seek to justify any acts of terrorist violence or express views that could foster inter-community violence."
The move was welcomed by the Community Security Trust, an organisation which works to prevent anti-Semitic attacks, as "brave and correct".
"There were many different communities that were very unhappy at the idea of Qaradawi returning to Britain," said Mark Gardner, its director of communications.
"His continued support for jihad against British troops in Iraq and Afghanistan is just one example of his dangerous extremism."
But the Home Office's decision was sharply criticised by the Muslim Council of Britain, an umbrella group seen as moderate.
Its secretary-general, Muhammad Abdul Bari, said Qaradawi enjoyed "unparalleled respect and influence throughout the Muslim world".
"I am afraid this decision will send the wrong message to Muslims everywhere about the state of British society and culture," he said.
"Britain has had a long and established tradition of free speech, debate and intellectual pursuit.
"These principles are worth defending, especially if we would like to see them spread throughout the world."
The British Muslim Initiative (BMI) also condemned the decision, saying it was "an unwarranted insult to British Muslims" and describing Qaradawi as an "eminent scholar."
"We would have to go as far back as the medieval age when scholars were hounded and vilified in order to find a similar retrograde decision," said BMI head Muhammad Sawalha.
Qaradawi has been banned from entering the United States since 1999.
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