Britain Bans Saudi Cleric who Supports ’Jihad’ in Syria

Local Editor

Britain has banned a cleric from Saudi Arabia with over 9 million Twitter followers from entering the country on Wednesday, as it tries to deter young people from going to join militants in Syria.

In a statement, a Home Office spokesperson said: "We can confirm Mohammad al-Arifi has been excluded from the United Kingdom."

"The government makes no apologies for refusing people access to the U.K. if we believe they represent a threat to our society. Coming here is a privilege that we refuse to extend to those who seek to subvert our shared values," the statement said, without elaborating.

Mohammad al-Arifi, who has called for "jihad" against the Syrian government, has visited Britain several times.

British newspapers said this week he had preached in a Cardiff mosque attended by three young Muslims who have travelled to Syria to fight.

Meanwhile, after the ban was announced, Arifi tweeted a link to a statement posted in English on his website, saying that he rejects the allegations that he may have contributed to the extremism of three British-born Muslims.

As Arifi has frequently spoken and tweeted about the necessity of helping Syrians in their fight against the Syrian government, he has been careful not to call explicitly for Muslims from Saudi Arabia or other countries to go there to fight.

While Saudi Arabia backs extremists fighting the Syrian government, it also fears that citizens who take part in the conflict may become extremists and later launch attacks inside the kingdom.

In February, Saudi King Abdullah decreed long prison sentences for anybody who travelled overseas to fight or encouraged others to do so, and ordered jail terms for people who joined or glorified extremist groups.

Sources: News Agencies, Edited by website team