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Anorak News | The Come Back Kid

The Come Back Kid

by | 10th, August 2005

‘YESTERDAY the Sun told us that it had forced Omar Bakri, the ubiquitous face of Muslim extremism in the UK, out of the country.

‘Does Prezza hit men in glasses?’

Today, it learns the lesson that no war is over until the fat lady, or, as is the case here, the fat man with the beard and NHS specs has signed an official truce or been shot.

The paper says that it has heard from Bakri, who has, apparently, not fled the country in fear of being arrested under any new anti-terror powers, but jetted off to Lebanon to be with his sick mum.

While we wonder why Old Mrs Barki has not made the reverse trip and so been able to take full advantage of the National Health System, as her son has, her caring boy tells us that he plans to return to the UK in four weeks.

But the Sun is not keen to see him land in Blighty and wants him to stay put. So today the paper calls on its “army” of readers to demand that stand-in Prime Minister John Prescott keep Bakri “OUT” of Britain.

To stir a million and more white van drivers, cabbies and topless stunnas into action, the paper has produced a petition for each of us to sign and send to its London offices.

“Dear Mr Prescott,” it writes. “Now that you are in charge of the country, we demand that you take action to keep vile preacher Omar Bakri out of Britain. He is not wanted here.”

But Prezza is not having that. Leading with his left, he says that Bakri “has a right to come in and out”. Says Mr Prezza: “I just say, ‘Enjoy your holiday. Make it a long one’.”

But while Prezza indulges in a passable imitation of Clint Eastwood – “Go on, make my holiday!” – the Mail asks: “Will preacher of hate return.”

Of course, with the Sun’s petition in its infancy, it’s too early to say. But being a paper with a proud tradition of investigative reporting, the Mail should at least try to answer its own poser.

But since it chooses not to, things are once more left to the Express, which has set up a telephone hotline to receive calls from people upset, annoyed and downright furious that Bakri might not have gone for good.

“Should preacher of hate be allowed back into Britain?” it asks. And for those who find it tricky to decide which way to jump, the headline above the question runs: “It beggars belief we must let him back.”

So what’s it to be? You decide. But don’t rush your decision – you’ve four weeks to make up your mind. And after around three of them, Tony will be back from his holiday, and Prezza will be back in his box…’



Posted: 10th, August 2005 | In: Tabloids Comment | TrackBack | Permalink