Anjem Choudary’s message of goodwill to all

Anjem Choudary seems like a fun kind of guy.
Here's an upstanding lawyer kind of bloke who’s getting £25,000 worth of benefits from the UK state while he's preaching religious and racial hatred and (now this really is going too far) slagging off Christmas festivities.

Fair enough, you may think. He’s right. Christmas is a commercialised load of garbage anyway. And it was all nicked from the pagans in the first place.

Except, of course, that Choudary isn’t having a go at that aspect of it all. It’s the religious side that really gets his (halal) goat.

‘In the world today many Muslims, especially those residing in Western countries, are exposed to the evil celebration Christmas,' he yabbered on his website.

‘Many take part in the festival celebrations by having Christmas turkey dinners.

‘Decorating the house, purchasing Christmas trees or having Christmas turkey meals are completely prohibited by Allah.

‘Many still practise this corrupt celebration as a remembrance of the birth of Jesus.

‘How can a Muslim possibly approve or participate in such a practice that bases itself on the notion Allah has an offspring?

‘The very concept of Christmas contradicts and conflicts with the foundation of Islam.

‘Every Muslim has a responsibility to protect his family from the misguidance of Christmas, because its observance will lead to hellfire.

'Protect your Paradise from being taken away - protect yourself and your family from Christmas.'

This is the bloke who has demanded the execution of the Pope and urged Muslims to have more babies to take over the UK. Perhaps he would be best protected from the evil that is Christmas by moving to Helmand or Baghdad.

Except I doubt he’ll get 25k a year in benefits over there.