Hated Islamic extremist Omar Bakri plans to return to Britain

Omar Bakri Mohammed, one of the Islamic extremists who faces possible treason charges over support for the London bombers, plans to come back to Britain after leaving at the weekend.

The spiritual leader of the al-Muhajiroun group - which is to be banned under anti-terror laws unveiled by Prime Minister Tony Blair on Friday - said he will return to London in four weeks.

Bakri said on Tuesday he had decided to take a short break from Britain because he feared the government was using clerics like him as an excuse to rush in new laws and "put pressure on the Muslim community."

"I decided myself to go on holiday, which is for four or five weeks and stay with my mother back home," he said.

"I am going to return ... unless this government says you are not welcome."

"I left by my own passport. I do not think I will have any problem returning back to the UK but I do not want the Government to use the presence of Omar Bakri to change the rules," he was quoted as saying by Telegraph.

He said he believed the Government was using him to put pressure on the Muslim community.

He added: "I wish for the British people to think about Islam. I wish as well that this Government will go back to its own sense, not changing its values because they do not know who committed the bombings in London."

Bakri denied he had called the July 7 bombers the "fantastic four" and said he condemned the atrocity.

"I never, ever spoke about the bombings in London. Fantastic Four is a film, nothing to do with the bombings. I never, ever talked about the bombings except to condemn the killing of innocent people."

"I believe Islam is superior and nothing supersedes it but we can live with you in harmony," he said.

Bakri, who used to live in Lebanon and holds Lebanese citizenship, had already said he might leave Britain to avoid retroactive charges under new anti-terrorism measures planned following last month's attacks on London's transport system. Reuters informs.

The cleric has become a hate figure for the British tabloid press, which has urged the government to rein him in.

"Glad To See Bak Of You," the top-selling Sun daily declared on its front page on Tuesday.