Can we officially declare the UK part of the Islamic world?

(Guardian) — An imam of an east London mosque has been subject to death threats and intimidation for expressing his views on evolution and women’s right to refuse the veil.

Dr Usama Hasan, vice-chairman at Leyton mosque and a senior lecturer in engineering at Middlesex University, ceased delivering Friday prayers after 25 years of service when 50 Muslim protesters disrupted his lecture by handing out leaflets against him and shouting in the mosque for his execution.

A statement from the secretary of the mosque, Mohammad Sethi, that was leaked to extremist websites, said Hasan had been suspended after his lecture resulted in “considerable antagonism” from the community and for his “belief that Muslim women are allowed to uncover their hair in public”.

Sethi’s letter, dated 24 February, said Hasan’s views were in “violation of the constitution of the Masjid Trust” and that the decision had been made for the “safety and security of all parties”.

But Suhaib Hasan, who is the imam’s father and chairman of the mosque, posted a counter-statement on the mosque’s website on Thursday. It claimed his son had been the victim of a “vicious and predetermined agenda” by a “faction of trustees” and their decision to remove him was void because their meeting was inquorate.

The chairman said the threats and disruption had come largely from Muslims outside the mosque’s community.

The death threats against Hasan were made in an anonymous leaflet handed out by protesters. It quotes religious authorities saying that any Muslim who believes in evolution is an “apostate” who “must be executed”.