Bird escapes cage to rejoin flock? Tim from Opinion Bug e-mails me this from the BBC:

A controversial Islamic cleric has left the UK for the Middle East amid speculation he would be investigated for treason, said his spokesman.

Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammed - former head of radical group Al Muhajiroun - left on Saturday for Lebanon, his colleague Anjem Choudary told the BBC....

Mr Choudary said the cleric believed "Britain had declared war on Muslims".

UPDATE: Good discussion by Megan McArdle on this over at he-who-will-not-be-named's blog and by Gene Volokh. I would only add that speech laws must be context oriented. What one can say in a time of peace must be different than in a time of war. Those that think otherwise must share a different value system than myself. Personally, I think human life is much more valuable than speech. If killing the enemy is legitimate, then stifling his speech must also be.

UPDATE II: From the vast Jawa archives comes this quote from Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammed. Traitor? You be the judge:

If an Iraqi Muslim carried out an attack like that in Britain, it would be justified because Britain has carried out acts of terrorism in Iraq.

Posted by: Rusty at 01:57 PM | Comments (9) | Add Comment
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