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A controversial Muslim cleric who has been banned from practicing in Pakistan for allegedly celebrating the murder of a popular politician is touring UK mosques.
Syed Muzaffar Shah Qadri, who has been dubbed a "firebrand" by Pakistani authorities, is due to speak at a number of British mosques in a series of heavily promoted events, despite being prohibited from speaking in his own country.
In Pakistan's Karachi, he has been labeled "prejudicial to public safety and maintenance of public order." He was banned from addressing crowds in October, according to a legal document obtained by Scotland's
Sunday Post.
Qadri's UK visit has sparked concern from religious experts and politicians who fear the tour will cause divisions within the Muslim community.
"Syed Muzaffar Shah Qadri and the likes of him should not be allowed to enter the UK or Europe because he incites hatred and he claims to be a Sufi, but the message of Sufism is love all and hate none," Irfan al-Alawi, international director of US think-tank Centre for Islamic Pluralism, told the
Observer.
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