Extremist mosque preacher expelled

An extremist preacher has been expelled from Finsbury Park Mosque, it emerged today.

Abu Abdullah was thrown out by community leaders after being exposed for talking of "filthy" non-Muslims and praising "honourable brothers" being held in Guantanamo Bay on suspicion of terrorism.

The mosque, the former power base of infamous extremist cleric Abu Hamza, was closed in 2003 because of concern it had become a breeding ground for racial tension. It reopened in August with new trustees. Hamza is on remand in Belmarsh jail awaiting trial on a string of charges including incitement to murder.

But in December a group of hardliners, under Abu Abdullah, re-took control and are alleged to have enforced their will by violence and intimidation. Over the weekend another set of trustees entered the building backed by riot police and, after persuading the radical elements to leave peacefully, changed the locks.

Massoud Shadjareh of the Islamic Human Rights Commission said: "After the hard-liners took over the mosque, its future looked bleak - that's why this has been done."

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "We worked with the legal owners of the property, the Charity Commission and community representatives but did not have a role in directly facilitating the entry."