A FORMER North Manchester lad who has become a leading figure promoting a 'holy war' against British and US armed forces in Afghanistan has been condemned as a 'publicity seeking maverick'.
Hassan Butt, aged 21, who moved to Pakistan six months ago, is a spokesman for the extremist group Al-Muhajiroun.
He hit the national headlines this week amid claims the group is encouraging British Moslems to join a holy war against the western forces bombing Afghanistan.
Mr Butt, who this week told us he supports the bombing of the Pentagon as a 'legitimate target' claims that he was forced to leave Prestwich High School in 1994 for his 'Islamic activities'.
He went on to attend Abraham Moss and Bury College before last year being thrown out of Wolverhampton University.
Although Mr Butt's family, who still live in North Manchester, declined to talk to us, The Advertiser tracked Hassan down in Pakistan on Tuesday.
Speaking in an exclusive telephone interview from the Al-Muhajiroun group's Lahore office, he told us he expects Muslims from across the city to join Al-Muhajiroun's 'political' activities in Pakistan.
He said: "If Muslims contact me and ask me to help them cross into Afghanistan, then sure, if I had the ability I would give them help.
"I do not support the regime of the Taliban. I do not believe in democracy because it is about giving power to the people. I believe in the sovereignty of Almighty God.
"We condemn the World Trade Center attacks, but not the Pentagon attacks because it was a legitimate target. "
"I do not believe Osama bin Laden was behind the attacks - he would never have had the intelligence to do it. No Muslim would have killed other Muslims. I do not have one iota of doubt in this.
"We want the West to stop bombing in Afghanistan, and to lift sanctions and to return to their own land."
But Cheetham councillor Afzal Khan, assistant secretary general of the Muslim Council of Great Britain, has denounced Mr Butt as unrepresentative of British Muslims.
He said: "Al-Muhajiroun members are publicity seeking mavericks - and this man has no authority to declare a jihad. Under whose authority is he doing this? He does not represent the views of the Muslim community."
In line with increasing scepticism about Al-Muhajiroun's claims, Cllr Khan dismissed Mr Butt's claims of rising recruits.
He said: "I think these claims are complete lies. I know in Manchester there are no more than a dozen members of this group. It is all nonsense and it is all about seeking attention."
He added: "In north Manchester Al-Muhajiroun members are not allowed to hold meetings in mosques." Cllr Khan has also criticised Mr Butt for being misled by youthful ideology and 'hormones'.
