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Charlie Hebdo: Radical cleric Anjem Choudary calls cover depicting Mohamed an 'act of war'

London-based preacher said Sharia court would punish the drawing with death

Tuesday 13 January 2015 16:26 GMT

Anjem Choudary says he knew the suspect Michael Adebolajo

(Getty)

The cartoon of the Prophet Mohamed on the cover of Charlie Hebdo's first edition since the massacre has been described as an “act of war” by a London-based Islamist cleric.

The cover depicts the Prophet with a tear falling down his cheek, holding a sign reading "je suis Charlie", replicating the phrase used on banners, stickers, clothes and social media as a show of solidarity in the wake of last week's attacks.

But radical preacher Anjem Choudary said “ridiculing” Mohamed is attacking his personality, calling the latest cartoon “extremely serious”.

Charlie Hebdo's journalists, including editor Charb, were targeted because of their previous Mohamed cartoons

(REUTERS/Jacky Naegelen)

To depict Mohamed in this way is “attacking the honour of the Prophet” as most Muslims do not draw or depict him in any way because it is deemed to be sacrilegious, Mr Choudary said.

He added that if the “act of war” was tried in a Sharia court it would carry capital punishment.

The 47-year-old, who lectures in Sharia law, was arrested in September as part of an investigation into Islamist terrorism but later bailed.

Mr Choudary described Charlie Hebdo's cover as a “blatant provocation” and claimed insulting Islam and Muslims is “part of the war that is taking place”.

People should be “sensible and sensitive to the emotions and the feelings of the Muslims”, he added, accusing authorities of refusing to “nip it in the bud”.

Immediately after the the Charlie Hebdo massacre last week, Mr Choudary wrote an open letter entitled "People know the consequences" where he argued that "Muslims do not believe in the concept of freedom of expression" because they submit to the commands of Allah alone.

The radical preacher founded the banned al-Muhajiroun network, which was classified as a terrorist organisation by the British government and has been linked to extremists including Michael Adebolajo, who murdered Lee Rigby.

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Pencils, representing the freedom of expression, placed in tribute in Nantes

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France's Jason Lamy Chappuis soars through the air over a message that reads "Je suis Charlie"

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Solidarity in Nice

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Turkish citizens organised a vigil in front of the French consulate in Istanbul

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Graffiti decorates a London wall in solidarity with the victims of the attack in Paris

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A tribute of flowers and candles outside the French Embassy in Prague, Czech Republic

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Messages of sympathy near the Charlie Hebdo office in Paris

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Workers install a poster reading 'Je suis Charlie' (I am Charlie) on the Palais des Festivals facade in Cannes

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A woman looks at floral tributes left outside the Charlie Hebdo magazine offices in Paris

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A woman places flowers near the offices of French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris

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Journalists of international press agency Agence France-Presse (AFP) hold signs reading "Je suis Charlie" (I am Charlie) at their headquarters in Paris as they observe a minute of silence for the victims of an attack by armed gunmen on the offices of French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris which left at least 12 dead and many others injured

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Pens and pencils are placed in the form of a peace sign over the names of late French cartoonists Cabu, Tignous, Wolinski and late Charlie Hebdo editor Charb on the Place de la Republique (Republic Square) in Paris

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Australia mourns victims of the Paris massacre at Federation Square in Melbourne

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Indian artist Sudarsan Pattnaik is pictured with his sand sculpture, in tribute of those who lost their lives in the attack by gunmen on French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo in Paris that killed 12 people, at Golden Sea Beach in Puri, some 65 kilometers from Bhubaneswar

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A man holds a placard that reads "I am Charlie" as members of the European Parliament and citizens gather during a minute of silence for victims of the shooting at the Paris offices of weekly newspaper Charlie Hebdo, in front of the EU Parliament in Brussels

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A painting of the 'Marianne', the national symbol of the French Republic is placed between candles to commemorate the victims killed in an attack at the Paris offices of the weekly newspaper Charlie Hebdo, in front of the French Embassy in Berlin

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Pencils and flowers of condolance are placed at the French embassy at Pariser Platz in Berlin

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Mourners hold signs depicting victim's eyes during a rally in support of Charlie Hebdo, a French satirical weekly newspaper that fell victim to an terrorist attack, at Union Square in New York

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People hold up placards reading 'I am Charlie' during a gathering in Nice

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A man lights candles set near the portrait of three of the four cartoonists killed, in Paris

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A man holds the French national flag tied a black ribbon as he and others gather in Lyon to pay their respects

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Parisians gather to pay respect for the victims of a terror attack against 'Charlie Hebdo'

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People gather in front of the 'Club de la presse' in Montpellier, to show their solidarity for the victims of the attack by unknown gunmen on the offices of the satirical weekly, 'Charlie Hebdo'

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A drawing depicting cartoonist Jean Cabut, left, Charlie Hebdo editor Stephane Charbonnier, center, and cartoonist Georges Wolinski, is placed outside the French Embassy in Berlin, Germany. The message reads 'Victims of their success, R.I.P.'

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A woman lays a candle during a gathering at the Place de la Republique in Paris

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People take part in a vigil in Trafalgar Square, London, following the deadly terror attack on French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris

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People light candles forming the name Charlie during a gathering in Strasbourg, eastern France

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People stand stand in Marseille, southern France, next to a portrait of French cartoonist Georges Wolinksi, killed during an attack by unknown gunmen on the offices of the satirical weekly, 'Charlie Hebdo'

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People hold placards reading in French 'I am Charlie' during a gathering at the Place de la Republique in Paris

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A man holds a placard reading 'With all our heart with Charlie Hebdo, Freedom of the press: Our freedom' during a gathering in Marseille, southern France

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The French and European union flags fly at half-mast at the French Embassy in Washington, DC

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People gather at the Place Royale in Nantes to show their solidarity for the victims of the attack in Paris

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Flowers, candles and a sign reading 'I am Charlie' are placed against a wall during a demonstration in Paris

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Journalism students hold a banner reading in French: 'Journalism students : Solidarity' as they raise pens during a gathering at the Place de la Republique in Paris

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People gather for a rally in solidarity with the killed Charlie Hebdo employees, in Geneva, Switzerland

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A man holds a placard reading: 'Freedom of the press is priceless, fundamentalism, of any kind, will not pass' as others hold up placards reading in French, 'I am Charlie' during a gathering at the Place de la Republique in Paris

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Journalists raise their press cards as others hold up pens during a gathering at the Place de la Republique, following the terrorist attack on the offices of the satirical weekly, 'Charlie Hebdo'

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People hold candles at a rally in support of the victims of Wednesday's terrorist attack, at the Place de la Republique in Paris

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People gather in front of the city hall of Rennes, western France, following the attack in Paris

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Mr Choudary previously protested against cartoons of the Prophet Mohamed carried in Danish publications outside the country's embassy in London and was fined £500 for organising the illegal gathering.

In January 2010, shortly before he become Prime Minister, David Cameron said Mr Choudary needed “to be looked at seriously” because he strays “extremely close to the line of encouraging hatred, extremism and violence”.

Last year, he claimed he would renounce his British citizenship to go and live under Isis rule in Syria but could not leave the country because his passport has been seized by anti-terror police.

Keith Vaz, chairman of the Commons home affairs select committee, responded: “If he wants to go, he should be allowed to go. I think that would be a much better scenario than having him stay...people would like to see the back of him.”

Additional reporting by Press Association

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