What should the Scotts do with this one Gandalf?
Glasgow mosque leader praises extremist killerhttp://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-35893123
The religious leader at Scotland's biggest mosque has praised an extremist who was executed for committing murder in Pakistan, the BBC can reveal.
Imam Maulana Habib Ur Rehman of Glasgow Central Mosque used the messaging platform WhatsApp to show his support for Mumtaz Qadri.
Qadri was hanged in February after murdering a local politician who opposed strict blasphemy laws.
In a statement the imam said the messages had been taken out of context.
He said that he was expressing his opposition to capital punishment.
In messages seen by the BBC, Imam Maulana Habib Ur Rehman says that he is "disturbed" and "upset" at the news of Qadri's execution, before writing "rahmatullahi alai", a religious blessing usually given to devout Muslims and meaning may God's mercy be upon him.
In another, he says: "I cannot hide my pain today. A true Muslim was punished for doing which [sic] the collective will of the nation failed to carry out."
Maulana Habib Ur Rehman is the most senior imam at Glasgow Central Mosque, a role which involves leading prayers and giving religious guidance and teachings.
The BBC has confirmed with members of the group that the messages come from the imam.
Qadri was employed as a bodyguard for the governor of Punjab province in Pakistan, Salman Taseer, before turning on him in 2011 and shooting him 28 times.
After the shooting Qadri reportedly told journalists that he was "proud" and that he had killed a "blasphemer".
Analysis
BBC Religious Affairs Correspondent Caroline WyattThe support for Qadri expressed in the UK by some Muslims from a group within Islam that is generally regarded as moderate was unexpected.
Those supporting his actions came from within Sunni Islam, and a group known as Barelvis, who control just under 40% of mosques in the UK.
These Sufis are not generally connected with jihadist groups, and present themselves in Pakistan and elsewhere as defenders of a moderate, peaceful Islam.
However, on the day of Qadri's funeral, one of the co-directors of the Association of British Muslims, Paul Salahuddin-Armstrong, was so shocked by comments on social media in the UK praising the killer that he wrote a blog post.
"Horrified… I honestly don't know where to begin," he said.
He said he was also "appalled" to find a prominent mosque in Birmingham - the Ghamkol Sharif - had termed Qadri a "martyr" on its website.
The Barelvis' reverence for the Prophet Muhammad is one of great intensity, and goes back to the founder of their movement, Ahmad Raza Khan Barelvi, in the 19th Century. So the issue of blasphemy is one that is likely to rouse strong emotions among Barelvi wherever they live.
Nonetheless, the public support for a convicted murderer by some of their religious leaders in the UK will worry some observers of Islam here.
Pakistan has some of the strictest blasphemy laws in the world, which can carry a potential death sentence for those judged to have insulted the majority religion of Islam.
Human rights campaigners and liberal politicians, including Taseer, have criticised the laws as draconian and believe that they are abused to target minority groups.
The laws do, however, have mainstream support in the country and an estimated crowd of more than 30,000 people attended Qadri's funeral earlier this month.
Imam Maulana Habib Ur Rehman told the BBC: "The assassination of Salman Taseer is widely condemned.
"Whether I agree or disagree with the views he expressed, as an Imam and as a human being I express abhorrence at the manner in which he was executed.
"The execution was not in accordance with Islamic teachings and principles."
'Nazi' comparisonThe Imam also likens Qadri's actions to those fighting Nazi occupation during World War Two.
"Just when France was occupied by Nazies [sic], French did all they had to in order to protect their nation," he writes.
"They were national heroes. Hanging Mumtaz Qadri has raised serious questions about Pakistan's independence."
And he links his execution to the issue of Pakistani nationhood.
"The issue is not of an individual. The issue is of national identity and Islamic spirit."
"The fact that the nation chose to settle the issue of Reymond Davis [sic] by forcing his relatives to accept the blood money, and sending Mumtaz bhai [brother] to gallows is a source of grief and immense pain."
Raymond Davis was a contractor with the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in Pakistan.
In 2011, he was arrested and imprisoned in the city of Lahore after he was accused of shooting dead two men, triggering a diplomatic incident between the two countries.
He was released after the families of the two men were paid compensation of $2.3m, which many in the country considered to be "blood money".
The WhatsApp messages are the latest controversy at Glasgow Central Mosque, which is the largest place of worship of any religion in Scotland.
The mosque was plunged into turmoil last month when seven members of its executive committee resigned amid claims of intimidation by more conservative figures at the mosque.
The allegations were denied by those accused.