U.K Muslim Brotherhood Leader Tells Students He Still Wants Martyrdom; Only Lacks Opportunity

From The Global Muslim Brotherhood Daily Report:

U.K Muslim Brotherhood Leader Tells Students He Still Wants Martyrdom; Only Lacks Opportunity

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Azzam Tamimi

Israeli media is reporting on the speaking appearance at the Queen Mary University Palestine Solidarity Society by Hamas spokesman and U.K. Muslim Brotherhood leader Azzam Tamimi. According to a Haaretz report, Tamimi reiterated his ties to Hamas and willingness to become a “martyr” if he had the opportunity:

British-Palestinian activist Azzam Tamimi reiterated his strong connections to Hamas and his willingness to become a “martyr” at a student event on Tuesday night, which drew controversy due to his advertised appearance. Tamimi, an academic who lives in London, sparked outrage when he said during a BBC interview in 2004 that sacrificing oneself was a “noble cause,” adding that it was “the straight way to pleasing my God and I would do it if I had the opportunity.” In response to a question from Haaretz over the opposition to his attendance, he insisted that the reason for the uproar was n attempt to silence his legitimate political views. ”I’d be a martyr for my country, of course,” he said. “If you’re not prepared to die for your country then you are not a patriot.” Regarding his connections to Hamas, which is banned in the EU over its status as a terror organization, he said: “I have a great honor to be close to Hamas,” adding that it was only unfortunate that he himself did not have a leadership role within the group. Having described Hamas chief Khaled Meshal as a close childhood friend, and saying that “all the leaders of Hamas are my friends,” Tamimi added: “I am not ashamed of my association with Hamas. Hamas, in my view, is the true representative of the Palestinian people.” His words were met with a round of applause from the audience of around 30 people. Earlier, a pro-Israel blogger, Richard Millett, was denied entry to the event, at which U.K. politician Jenny Tonge and academic Haim Bresheeth also spoke. An event organizer said that Millett was well-known as a disruptive influence. The group Student Rights had previously expressed concerns over the make-up of the panel. ”It is bad enough that Tamimi, a supporter of an anti-Semitic terrorist group like Hamas, should be invited onto a campus to speak, as he was at Loughborough University last November,” the group said in a statement on its website. ”However, what is worse is that not only will there be no balance to his hate filled views, but that the panel he will speak alongside have all declared outspoken opposition to Israel in the past,” it added.

A previous post discussed the 2010 speaking invitation to Tamimi offered by the Birmingham University Islamic Society.

Azzam Tamimi is a Palestinian whose family moved to Kuwait when he was seven. He was a long time member of the Muslim Association of Britain but switched allegiance to the British Muslim Initiative, both organizations being part of the Muslim Brotherhood in the U.K. He is the director of the Institute of Islamic Political Thought (IPT), known to have had Georgetown University Professor John Esposito on its Advisory Board as well as global Muslim Brotherhood leader Youssef Qaradawi. Tamimi is the author of books on Hamas and has been interviewed by Hamas T.V. In January of 2008 he told Iranian TV that “I want to see Israel come to an end.”