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A radical Muslim has said Ireland is viewed as a legitimate target for attack because we let US planes refuel at Shannon Airport.

Controversial Anjem Choudary warned that Muslims fighting US foreign policy do not see Ireland as neutral.

Choudary, who has described those behind the 9/11 attacks as “magnificent martyrs”, also claimed those killed in the Charlie Hebdo massacre in Paris were to blame for their own deaths.

(Image: Vantagenews.co.uk)

Speaking to Neil Prendeville on Cork’s RedFM the British national said: “You allow the Americans, who are the biggest butchers in the world, to stop at Shannon Airport to refuel and go on to kill people in Muslim countries.

“You have the gall to talk to me about innocent people. Look at yourself, look at your own generation and maybe we can have a conversation and not blame Muslims for all the problems in the world.

“If you believe the Americans are terrorists, the Irish Government is colluding with them and aiding and abetting terrorism.

“You know it’s not just now that it’s become a legitimate target – I believe for a long time that in the eyes of al-Qaeda and others, it is a place which is being used to aid and abet the war.

“The Irish know their claim of being neutral and not being involved in any kind of war campaign is not something which has been bought by the Irish public or Muslims around the world.”

When questioned by the presenter if Ireland is now a legitimate target for attacks Choudary replied: “For those engaged in the military campaigns around the world, how do you think they will look at Ireland if you allow American planes to refuel in Shannon airport and then go and bomb Muslim people?

“You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to work it out. People will see you as aiding and abetting Americans.”

Mr Choudary, a lawyer and founder member of the banned British Islamist organisation al-Muhajiroun, said blame for the killings of the Charley Hebdo journalists and cartoonists in Paris lay firmly with the victims themselves.

(Image: Getty)

He added: “I think there is an action and there is a reaction and in a Sharia court all that would be taken into account,

“Why has the magazine been inciting and provoking and poking and prodding the Muslim community and insulting the thing which they hold dearest to them, which is the prophet Mohammed, knowing that full well that in Islam this carries capital punishment?

“We have seen it with the killing of Theo van Gogh, we know it with Salman Rushdie, so there are so many examples and they knew this would have consequences. That is why security was upped so much at this particular magazine’s offices.

“If you know this carries capital punishment and there are Muslims who will kill you if you insult the prophet and you continue to do it, then you have blame on your own shoulders.”

Mr Choudary said France had laws allowing the prosecution of Holocaust deniers as well as incitement to hatred laws and yet, like the UK, had no laws to “protect the sanctity of the Koran and the sanctity of the prophet”.

He added: “It’s open season on Muslims.”

The former chairman of the Society of Muslim Lawyers said there was a serious disparity in concern about Western victims of violence and those killed by American violence in Iraq and Syria.

He explained: “Nobody knows the names of people killed in Iraq and Syria but everybody knows the names of the journalists because you don’t care about Muslim blood.”

(Image: MATTHIEU ALEXANDRE/AFP/Getty Images)

The activist claimed US, British and French foreign policies were responsible for growing destabilisation in the world.

Mr Choudary also defended Sharia law’s age of consent of nine for a girl.

He concluded: “That is the lower limit in Islam because the woman could reach maturity at that age. You cannot make up your mind in Western culture.”

Fianna Fail mayor of Shannon Cathal Crowe last night hit back at the comments, dubbing them “aggressive hate rhetoric”.

He said: “I very much see what he said as a threat.

“I don’t know a huge amount about the guy but his comments would lead me to believe he endorses terrorism in some ways.

“What he says is a threat and a mark of incitement. These are comments fuelling a generation of young men to become radicalised.

“We have a wonderful airport and I’ve no issue with planes refuelling.

“I do have an issue with rendition flights that aren’t declared to the Irish Government but I have no problem with military cargo or personnel stopping to refuel.”