Hamza on trial for inciting race hate

MUSLIM cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri wanted a caliph sitting in the White House and said Hitler was sent into the world because Jews were blasphemous and dirty, prosecutors told a London court yesterday.

Hamza, 47, is the most high-profile figure to go on trial in Britain on charges of incitement to murder and stirring up racial hatred since the September 11, 2001, attacks in the US.

Prosecutor David Perry said the cleric used public meetings at a mosque in north London and private meetings to incite his followers to kill non-Muslims.

Hamza faces nine counts of using public meetings to incite his followers to kill non-Muslims and four other charges that he urged the killing of Jews.

He is also accused of using threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour with intent to stir up racial hatred, one charge of possessing threatening, abusive or insulting sound recordings, and another count under anti-terrorism laws.

Hamza has denied all the charges. If found guilty, Hamza, who has lost both hands and an eye, faces a maximum of life in prison.

The trial is expected to last three weeks.