Articles In September 2007, The Times published a news item by Andrew Norfolk accusing Riyadh ul Haq of being the "homegrown cleric who loathes the British" and a commentary article from the same author claiming there was a "hardline takeover of British mosques" led by ul Haq. In an opinion piece by the same author on the same date there was a claim that ul Haq was in line to become the spiritual leader of the Deobandi 'sect' in Britain, despite allegedly having extreme views. Andrew Norfolk published further opinion articles in The Times calling the Deobandis historically anti-British, including an article about another Deobandi scholar, Muhammad Taqi Usmani. Response of UK Muslim Community Andrew Norfolk's articles have been criticised by various Muslim groups and commentators. Andrew Norfolk's analysis of Deobandis was apparently based on a police report. However, it has been suggested that the source was a report written by an external consultant for the City of London Police, which had been in circulation for over a year before The Times article. The consultant, Mehmood Naqshbandi himself writes 'the attention given to a presumed cadre of extremist and foreign imams preaching in mosques is seriously misplaced'. Amongst the immediate responses, 'The Guardian carried a "Comment is Free" opinion article by Inayat Bunglawala, media secretary for the Muslim Council of Britain, calling Norfolk's work a "toxic mix of fact and nonsense". The Muslim Public Affairs Committee UK (MPACUK) claimed on their own web-site that even the Berelvis were coming out in defence of Riyadh al Haq. MPACUK also referred to the attacks on ul Haq as a "decapitation strategy" because he pro-actively advocated political activism. Condemnation of Terrorism Riyadh ul Haq joined religious leaders and the wider Muslim community in Leicestershire in condemning the murder of Lee Rigby in May 2013. He 'expressed his deepest sadness and condemnation at what unfolded in Woolwich'. Publications Books The Salah of a Believer in the Qur'an and Sunnah (ISI: Birmingham, 2002) Causes of Disunity (ISI: Birmingham, 1998) Poems Whispers of the Night (ISI: Birmingham, July 2000) References External links Al Kawthar Academy - Lectures of Abu Yusuf Riyadh ul Haq, 18 December 2013 - Whispers of the Night, 28 December 2013 Living people Indian imams British imams 21st-century imams 1971 births People from Gujarat Indian emigrants to the United Kingdom People from Leicester Deobandis Imams in the United Kingdom People educated at Darul