http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/n...ar.560177.0.ma
yor_backs_muslim_scholar_despite_tsunami_letter.ph p

Mr Livingstone has repeatedly defended Dr al-Qaradawi and did so again when
asked about the letter. "As Mayor of London, I have a responsibility to support
the rights of all of London's diverse communities and to maintain a dialogue
with their political and religious leaders, irrespective of the fact that there
will always be different views on many issues," he said.

According to the Mayor Dr Qaradawi is, "the most authoritative Muslim scholar
in the world today," and "has been one of the foremost Muslim scholars in
combating socially regressive interpretations of Islam on issues like women's
rights and relations with other religions."

Mr Livingstone called on journalists and members of the London Assembly who
attacked Dr al-Qaradawi to apologise after publishing a report which claims the
scholar has been the victim of a coordinated campaign by former members of the
Israeli intelligence service, Mossad.

But Conservative assembly leader Bob Neill said: "It is the mayor that should
be apologising, not us. Dr al-Qaradawi should never have been given a platform
at City Hall.

"Now the mayor is making things even worse by giving his backing to this man.
His comments, reported in yesterday's Times, sum up the kind of person we are
dealing with here. He is no moderate, as the mayor likes to claim."