Anjem Choudary on Paris shooting: 'Muslims do not believe in freedom of expression'

Radical hate preacher Anjem Choudary has claimed that Muslims "do not believe in the concept of freedom of expression" in an opinion piece in US media, following the attack on the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.

Writing in USA Today, Choudary says: "Contrary to popular misconception, Islam does not mean peace but rather means submission to the commands of Allah alone.

"Therefore, Muslims do not believe in the concept of freedom of expression, as their speech and actions are determined by divine revelation and not based on people's desires."

He goes on to say that Muslims and non-Muslims must realise the consequences of insulting Mohammed because the world is "increasingly unstable and insecure".

"Although Muslims may not agree about the idea of freedom of expression, even non-Muslims who espouse it say it comes with responsibilities" Choudary said. "In an increasingly unstable and insecure world, the potential consequences of insulting the Messenger Muhammad are known to Muslims and non-Muslims alike."

He continues by saying that Muslims hold Mohammed dearer than any family member and therefore will defend him with their lives, even taking the law into their own hands.

"Muslims consider the honor of the Prophet Muhammad to be dearer to them than that of their parents or even themselves. To defend it is considered to be an obligation upon them.

"The strict punishment if found guilty of this crime under sharia [Islamic law] is capital punishment implementable by an Islamic State. This is because the Messenger Muhammad said, "Whoever insults a Prophet kill him."

"However, because the honor of the Prophet is something which all Muslims want to defend, many will take the law into their own hands, as we often see."

The Islamic propagandist is known in Britain for inspiring a number of young men to become jihadists and plan attacks in Britain and abroad.

Despite his influence in jihadi circles and creation of hard-line groups such as al-Muhajiroun, Islam4UK and Muslims Against Crusades, Choudary has managed to evade police arrest largely thanks to his studies as a lawyer.