London, England - A row is developing over whether a respected Muslim philosopher of religion and conflict, who has been accused of justifying some Islamist terrorist actions, should be allowed to speak at a police-sponsored conference.
Tariq Ramadan is a renowned scholar in Europe, having published more than 20 books on Islam and the west. Last year, Time magazine named him as one of the world's top 100 influential thinkers. Two days after the London bombings last week, he wrote in the Guardian an absolute condemnation of the attacks and called on Muslims to speak out against terrorism and to become active citizens in Britain, and elsewhere, in a bid to challenge stereotypes.
He has also been reported as condoning Muslims' rights to resist oppressive regimes. "In Palestine, Iraq and Chechnya, there is a situation of oppression, repression and dictatorship. It is legitimate for Muslims to resist fascism that kills the innocent," he reportedly told an Italian magazine.
Critics now say these views make it inappropriate for him to speak publicly at The Middle Path conference on July 24, at the Islamic Cultural Centre and mosque near London's Regent's Park, so soon after the bombings in capital, which are believed to have been carried out by Islamist terrorists.
Today, Norman Brennan, a serving police officer who heads the Victims of Crime Trust, told the Press Association: "The police and Home Office should have nothing to do with this. To allow him in the UK to pontificate with his poison is bad enough, but to also sponsor him is just ridiculous.
"Police officers at the moment are picking up body pieces that terrorists have left in their wake. It is shameful that Acpo [Association of Chief Police Officers] and the Met, or any other force, are connected in any way with anyone with any connection or association with terrorism.
"On the one hand you have senior officers saying they feel sorry for the families of bomb victims, and on the other hand organisations are paying or sponsoring somebody like this. Sometimes Acpo and police organisations try to be so PC that they cross the line and in my view they have crossed the line. They should withdraw their support."
Prof Ramadan, who was born in Egypt, but is now a Swiss citizen, could not be contacted today.
A Metropolitan police spokeswoman confirmed the force was sponsoring the conference, the subject of which was promoting community cohesion and combating extremism in society.
"Professor Tariq Ramadan is a regular visitor to London, where he has spoken at many high-profile conferences as part of the continuing debate to identify ways of addressing tensions which arise within communities," she said.
"We acknowledge Prof Ramadan's standing within the Muslim community, particularly with Muslim Youth, and recognise the importance of the Met continuing to work with a wide range of individuals like Prof Ramadan, as well as the wider community, to achieve a greater level of understanding and information concerning extremist activity."
Last year, Prof Ramadan resigned two professorships in the US claiming his visa had been revoked under the Patriot Act, adopted after the terrorist attacks on September 11.