Sydney, May 04: A controversial Muslim cleric has vowed to continue preaching the beliefs of his “beloved” Osama bin Laden.
Sydney-based cleric Ibrahim Siddiq-Conlon told A Current Affair he loved the al-Qaeda leader and would not join other Muslims in praising his death, which he does not believe happened anyway.
The Channel Nine show approached the cleric for an interview on bin Laden’s death this week, but he refused after his demand for a $5000 appearance fee was not met.
Mr Siddiq-Conlon told A Current Affair in an emailed statement he was saddened by the “alleged murder of our beloved (Osama bin Laden)”.
“Other Muslims have been fast to praise his alleged murder which we would of course never do,” he wrote.
“We follow the Sheikh’s ideology and no other group really supports him.”
He has also disputed bin Laden’s death in a video posted on YouTube.
Mr Siddiq-Conlon, formerly Shannon Conlan, was Christian before denouncing his faith and switching to Islam in 1999.
In an interview with 60 Minutes last year, he denounced democracy and said he hoped to see Australia become an Islamic state.
-Agencies