LONDON, April 26 (UPI) -- A radical Muslim cleric who endorses suicide terrorism began his legal fight to remain in England Monday, Sky News reported.
Sheikh Abu Hamza, 44, appeared before the Special Immigration Appeals Commission to appeal Home Secretary David Blunkett's attempt to strip him of British citizenship and send him back to Yemen. Blunkett is invoking new immigration powers to deport the Egyptian-born cleric on grounds he has encouraged people to fight against Britain.
Hamza rose to prominence through his inflammatory speeches from the pulpit at a north London mosque, which has since been closed down.
He has claimed the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States was a Jewish plot and called the space shuttle disaster a "punishment from Allah."
Hamza is being represented with public legal aid funding, which Sky News said would cost as much as $440,000.
