Undercover Mosque

This programme was broadcast on Channel 4 on 15th January 2007

The description here is copied from the Channel 4 website.

A Dispatches reporter attends mosques run by organisations whose public faces are presented as moderate and finds preachers condemning integration into British society, condemning democracy and praising the Taliban for killing British soldiers.

Prime Minister Tony Blair recently described tolerance as 'what makes Britain Britain' but in this extensive investigation Dispatches reveals how a message of hatred and segregation is being spread throughout the UK and examines how it is influenced by the religious establishment of Saudi Arabia.

Dispatches has investigated a number of mosques run by high profile national organisations that claim to be dedicated to moderation and dialogue with other faiths. But an undercover reporter joined worshippers to find a message of religious bigotry and extremism being preached.

He captures chilling sermons in which Saudi-trained preachers proclaim the supremacy of Islam, preach hatred for non-Muslims and for Muslims who do not follow their extreme beliefs - and predict a coming jihad. "An army of Muslims will arise," announces one preacher. Another preacher said British Muslims must "dismantle" British democracy - they must "live like a state within a state" until they are "strong enough to take over."

The investigation reveals Saudi Arabian universities are recruiting young Western Muslims to train them in their extreme theology, then sending them back to the West to spread the word. And the Dispatches reporter discovers that British Muslims can ask for fatwas, religious rulings, direct from the top religious leader in Saudi Arabia, the Grand Mufti.

Saudi-trained preachers are also promoted in DVDs and books on sale at religious centres and sermons broadcast on websites. These publications and webcasts disseminate beliefs about women such as: "Allah has created the woman deficient, her intellect is incomplete", and girls: "By the age of 10 if she doesn't wear hijab, we hit her," and there's an extreme hostility towards homosexuals.

The investigation reveals that the influence of Saudi Arabian Islam, Wahabism, extends beyond the walls of some mosques to influential organisations that advise the British government on inter-community relations and prevention of terrorism.

The Dispatches reporter attends talks at mosques run by key organisations whose public faces are presented as moderate and mainstream - and finds preachers condemning the idea of integration into British society, condemning British democracy as un-Islamic and praising the Taliban for killing British soldiers.

Undercover Mosque features interviews with moderate British Muslim figures who are speaking out against the influence of Saudi Arabia's extreme brand of Islam, which is seeking to overturn Islamic traditions of diversity and peaceful co-existence: "We are losing our children to extremists," says Haras Rafiq of the Sufi Muslim Council. Dr Al Alawi of the Islamic Heritage Foundation also warns: "If this continues, you will have extremist mosques in every corner of the UK. You will not have moderate Muslims walking on our streets anymore."


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None of these revelations should come as any surprise. What is surprising is that anybody should be surprised by these findings.

The statement about the deficiency of women's intelligence is simply in line with the Hadiths, which are sacred texts, and are effectively Mohammed's biography:

'Then he passed by the women and said, "O women! Give alms, as I have seen that the majority of the dwellers of Hell-fire were you (women)." They asked, "Why is it so, O Allah's Apostle ?" He replied, "You curse frequently and are ungrateful to your husbands. I have not seen anyone more deficient in intelligence and religion than you.' Hadith 1 6 301

Women are treated badly, but this is also entirely in line with the teachings of the Quran and the Hadiths.

Under Sharia law, a woman's testimony is valued at only half of a man's testimony.

In the case of a rape, where there are no witnesses, a woman will usually find that her life becomes unbearable if she reports it.

If she brings her complaint to a Sharia court, it is highly likely that she will be convicted of adultery, and the man, her rapist, will receive only a very light penalty, if at all.

The penalty for adultery is extreme: Either a severe beating, or even stoning to death. One way that a woman can avoid this, is to marry the man. He then has complete authority to rape her whenever he feels like it. Here is a quote from the Quran:

"Your wives are a tilth for you, so go into your tilth when you like" Quran 2.223

In addition, a woman prisoner or slave ("those whom your right hand possesses") can be raped repeatedly without any penalty at all:

"O Prophet! surely We have made lawful to you your wives whom you have given their dowries, and those whom your right hand possesses out of those whom Allah has given to you as prisoners of war" Quran 33.50


The persecution of homosexuals is also entirely within the teachings of the Quran and the Hadiths.

What various politicians still delude themselves with is the idea that Islam is inherently peaceful, but that "radical" elements are in some way not true Muslims. Unfortunately, the truth is uncomfortable: It is the "radical" Muslims who are following the Quran and the Hadiths more accurately than their "moderate" brothers.

Nevertheless, whether "radical" or "moderate", Muslims wish to see Britain become an Islamic state.


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Well done Channel 4 for making this programme.
However, we should not be surprised by the findings, since the preaching is very much in line with the Quran and Hadiths.
Channel 4 may like to consider producing a programme that seeks to answer the following questions:
What exactly is a "moderate" Muslim? How do they choose which verses in the Quran to ignore? On what authority do they ignore any verses? How can the moderate Muslims have any moral authority over those who follow the Quran more accurately? How can we have any hope therefore that the moderate voices will prevail?

Humanity needs peace not Islam.