PRESSURE was growing on the Government last night to deport a fundamentalist Islamic cleric after he spoke openly of his support for suicide bombings in Israel and Iraq.

As Yusuf al-Qaradawi began a round of public appearances, Tony Blair said that he was “totally opposed” to Britain being used as a platform for extremist views in support of terrorism. But the Prime Minister told the Commons that he had to ensure that the process of excluding any individual was lawful.

The visit came on the day that David Blunkett, the Home Secretary, announced a renewed attempt to make the inciting of religious hatred a criminal offence.

Dr al-Qaradawi is president of the Dublin-based European Council of Fatwa and Research, which was invited by the Muslim Association of Britain to hold its annual meeting in London.

Supported by Ken Livingstone, the Mayor of London, the Egyptian-born Dr al-Qaradawi told an audience at City Hall: “People whose land is occupied have the right to resist the invaders. People have the right to use in their resistance all weapons and tools in their capability approved by the rule of Islam.

“Martyrdom operations are the weapons to which the weak resort in order to offset the balance. They have been driven into a no-option situation; they have no other means of resisting and liberating their land.”

He took only three questions after the conference, breaking off after being pressed for his views on suicide bombers. Mr Livingstone refused to condemn the cleric and criticised the British media for its “Islamaphobic outcry” over his guest.

The controversy over Dr al-Qaradawi’s visit began with the disclosure of his plans in The Times on Tuesday.

As pressure increased on the Home Office to expel him, Dr al-Qaradawi said that his three daughters had all received a British education. Based in Qatar and banned from entering America because of suspected terrorist connections, he claimed to have visited Britain more than 100 times over the past 25 years. But in an interview filmed by the BBC Newsnight programme some weeks before his arrival in Britain, he defended suicide bombers as a form of jihad. He said: “This is not suicide, it is martyrdom in the name of God.”

Asked whether these views extended to the situation in Iraq, Dr al-Qaradawi said: “If the Iraqis can confront the enemy, there’s no need for these acts of martyrdom. If they don’t have the means, acts of martyrdom are allowed.”

On the killing of innocent women and children, he said: “Israeli women are not like women in our society because Israeli women are militarised. Secondly, I consider this type of martyrdom operation as an indication of the justice of Allah Almighty.”

Michael Howard, the Tory leader, challenged Mr Blair at Prime Minister’s Questions to act, saying: “When I was Home Secretary, I used my powers to ban people whose presence here was not conducive to the public good. Why doesn’t your Home Secretary?” Mr Blair said that Mr Blunkett had “already indicated we will keep this under very strict review”, but there were rules that had to be applied.Mr Blunkett said that the cleric would be removed if he posed a threat, but that this was not currently justified.

Fiona Mactaggart, the Home Office Minister, withdrew her support from the European Council for Fatwa and Research conference as the row over Dr al-Qaradawi’s involvement escalated.

The Muslim Association of Britain defended its connections with Dr al-Qaradawi, describing him as “one of the most respectable academic and scholastic figures in the Muslim world”.

It said that he had condemned the Bali bombings and the September 11 terrorist attacks.

But calls for his deportation grew yesterday. David Winnick, Labour MP for Walsall North, said: “This country is contaminated by the presence of such a creature. He should be kicked out.”

Mr Livingstone defended his invitation and presence in Britain, saying: “Very often those who raise uncomfortable truths are denounced.”

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