THERE were renewed calls for the deportation of Abu Hamza al-Masri yesterday after he said that Allah had destroyed the shuttle because it was a “trinity of evil” against Islam.

The militant cleric said that God had destroyed the Columbia because it was carrying American Christians, an Indian-born Hindu and an Israeli Jew. He added that the craft’s explosion was a message from God because the first Israeli in space, Ilan Ramon, a former fighter pilot, was killed over an area of Texas called Palestine.

The former imam of Finsbury Park Mosque in North London came under fierce criticism from politicians and leading Muslims. They accused him of inciting racial and religious hatred and revelling in the deaths of innocent people.

Mr Hamza, 44, said: “The Muslim people see these pilots as criminals. By going into space they would have sharpened the accuracy of their bombs through satellites. These missions would increase the number of satellites for military purposes. It would increase the slavery of governance of other countries by America. It is a punishment from God. Muslims see it that way. It is a trinity of evil because it carried Americans, an Israeli and a Hindu, a trinity of evil against Islam.”

The Muslim Council of Great Britain said: “The vast majority of Muslims are now quite disgusted by (Mr Hamza’s) sentiments.”

Andrew Dismore, Labour MP for Hendon, who has campaigned for the removal of Mr Hamza’s British citizenship, added: “There is sufficient evidence to prosecute Mr Hamza from the things that he has said.” Whitehall officials are already looking at the possibility of deporting the cleric after it was disclosed by The Times that his British citizenship is based on a bigamous marriage.

The row over Mr Hamza’s comments came as Nasa disclosed that damage to the shuttle during its launch has emerged as the leading theory for its break-up. It said the official investigation was concentrating on a piece of foam insulation that fell from the shuttle during lift-off, striking thermal plates on its wing.

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