Return of the Goonies : A Profile of Sloth's Cousin Hargey

Anybody that remembers the 1980s cult classic 'The Goonies' should recognise Taj Hargey's
uncanny resemblance to the character Sloth. Considering the amount of ammunition Hargey
provides to the Islamaphobes against his co-religionsists perhaps Hargey, like cousin Sloth, has a
learning diasbility.
Given the increasing ideological attacks against, and demonisation of Muslims and Islam in the
mainstream media Halalgate, Gender Apartheid, Radical babies - that is facilitated by
Government policies such as Prevent, the 'Trojan Horse' program, stripping Muslims of their
nationality, the extremist generator farce and many more, there is an increasingly buyoant market
demand for 'Muslims' that will push the government approved and preferred interpretation of Islam.
There appears to be no shortage of candidates that are ever ready to outdo each other and go further
than the last with their unorthodox and at times absurd 'authorative' opinions possibly in the search
of the name, the fame, the promotion and/or the funds.
Taj Hargey, who is an old hand at this art, has recently resurfaced in the face of the Halal meat
debacle and duly made his potentially opportunistic yet certainly periodic, Islamophobic lightly
veiled as 'an enlightened, reformed and progressive' fringe contributions.
I think its time we all found out just who this Sloth is:
Sloths cousin Hargey
Taj Hargey was born in 1955 and raised in apartheid era South Africa 1 Hargey studied History and
Oriental Studies with a minor in Arabic and Comparitive Religion at university in Durban, furthered
his studies by enrolling at the American University in Cairo to study Islamic History and Theology
and proceeded to gain a scholarship to complete a Doctorate at the University of Oxford.
After spending time woorking in South Africa and America, in 2001, Hargey returned to Oxford to
become the Director of the 'Oxford Centre for British Islam'. Taj Hargey is the founding chairman
and is currently affiliated with the 'Muslim Education Centre of Oxford'. Taj Hargey is married to a
Christian.
Hargey's Fraudulent Past
Whilst in the US Hargey was exposed for lying and fraudulent fundraising. He campaigned to raise
funds for an 'anti-apartheid newspaper' and claimed he was a professor at the University of
Capetown, something which was later exposed as a lie. He conned money from various sources,
including students, in return for an educational trip. His fraudulent behaviour and lies can be read
about in the original newspaper reports here2, here3 and here4. Evidently, Taj Hargey is not a
trustworthy individual.
Hargey's joins forces with far right racists on 'Muslim' Grooming
In a 2013 article for the Daily Mail Taj Hargey was quick to connect the sexual grooming of girls by
a group of men that happened to be Muslim and of Asian or African origin directly with their
1
2
3
4

http://www.sylviavetta.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Taj-Hargey.pdf
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4781/3302/1600/newspaper1.jpg
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4781/3302/1600/newspaper2.jpg
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4781/3302/1600/newspaper3.jpg

religious beliefs and with the Imams of their mosques.5

In a 2013 interview on BBC Radio 2, Hargey, without any empirical evidence, boldy stated that in
mosques up and down the country worshippers were being 'conditioned' to believe that white girls
are fair game. Hargey ridiculed genuine experts in the field. John Brown, Head of the National
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) Sexual Abuse Program, correctly and
equitably pointed out that sex abuse occurs in all communities and is infact more likely to happen in
white communities. John Brown, to his credit, attempted to look further than the superficial
race/religion propaganda of the mass media and understand the complexities of the issue explaining
how the night time economies Asian men were more likely to be found in (taxis/takeaways) was a
factor insofar as providing greater accessibility to the victims.
Hargey, rather than take a pragmatic approach, voraciously derided John Brown's views as being
misguided and instead overly simplified the entire argument. Hargey linked it inextricably to race
and religion (Islam) claiming these alone were the sole causes of grooming. Hargey in doing so
demonstrated how he likes to attack the Muslim community from within and provide ammunition to
the Islampahobe narrative.6 This is further evidenced by the fact that Hargey failed to make any
comments when in October 2013 10 White men were jailed for sexually exploiting and grooming a
13 year old girl. 7
The rallying cry of the far right group Britain First's recent 'crusade' of 'invasion' of mosques in the
UK has been this very same belief that there is a 'Muslim' grooming gang culture.8 Hargey's actions
are directly responsible for whipping up such hatred against Muslims and emboldening such groups
whilst sanctioning their anti Muslim and virulently Islamaphobic views.
Hargey 's alliance with right wing Christian fundamentalists against Mosques
In 2011 the Tablighi Jamaat movement was engaged in a wrangle with Newham Council over
planning permission to construct a mosque on a site that it had occupied for a number of years with
a temporary structure.
Newham Concern, a group of right wing evangelical Christians with links to the BNP and the
organising party of opposition to the plans to create the mosque, called Hargey as a witness.9
Hargeys submission to the enquiry was that Tableeghi Jamaat had "achieved very little for the
community" and rejected the group's assertions that closing the mosque would lead to the
marginalisation of Muslim youth.
He described the Tableeghi Jamaat as a "supremacist movement with adverse implications for the
government's community cohesion policies". 10 Hargeys comments coupled with vigourous

campaigning by the Newham Concern group meant planning permission was denied for the
mosque.
Hargey's attack on the Hadith
Taj Hargey is a hadith denier. In various reports for media he has attempted to discredit the Hadith.
5 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2325185/The-Oxford-sex-ring-preachers-teach-young-Muslim-menwhite-girls-cheap.html
6 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKb90tXZB3E
7 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2442714/10-men-jailed-sexually-exploiting-girl-13-mother-discoversshocking-content-phone.html
8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwA9jMnQ038
9 http://www.islamophobiawatch.co.uk/taj-hargey-forms-alliance-with-right-wing-christian-fundamentalist-to-attacktablighi-jamaat/
10 http://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/feb/18/tablighi-jamaat-mosque-row

In his latest attempt, in relation to the recent Halal meat hysteria he stated; Muslim fundamentalist
insistence on halal meat does not come from the Koran itself it derives from a secondary and
often suspect source, called the Hadith. The Hadith consists of the reputed sayings of the Prophet
Mohammad, only compiled some 300 years after his death, and it is replete with gross
contradictions and anti-Koranic statements. We all know about Chinese whispers, and how
anything can be unintentionally distorted as it goes from mouth to mouth through the generations.
Its inevitable that when words are transcribed into writing 300 years later, all kinds of differences,
deviations and embellishments arise.11
For mainstream Muslims, one cannot be considered a Muslim and deny the Hadith. For example,
although Quran makes mention of the prayers which Muslims pray 5 times a day, it does not give
them instructions on how to perform those prayers, that information is derived from the Hadith.
Hargey prefers women imams
In response to the 2005 media stunt by Amina Wadud to lead a mixed group of worshippers in
prayer there was a flood of worldwide criticism directed at the organisers. Hargey the reformist and
ever the attention seeker wanted to replicate the media stunt in the UK and so in 2008 invited
Amina Wadud to perform in the UK.
Hargey failed to secure a mosque for the stunt and so had to resort to a Freemasons Hall to pull it
off. Upon realising that there was a significant risk no one would show up to the event Hargey was
making panic stricken calls to encourage worshippers to attend. Hargey was quoted as saying Get
anyone to come and I dont care who, we expect both worshippers and protesters. When people
explained to him that this is not the kind of event they would wish to attend, his response was,
That is because you are from a different background If you had not come from, for example,
Pakistan or Egypt, you would not be so reluctant. Its your background that is influencing you.
According to UmmahPulse.com Hargey's own background is Qadiani/Ahmadiyya.12
Despite attempts by the organisers to garner the attention they wished for, this included the
assitance of the local and national media the event was a failure. ITV commented on there being
more journalists present than there were worshippers and that the majority of Muslims in Oxford
simply decided to ignore the event. 1314
Hargey and the Christian Khateeb
Id having a woman as an imam was not controversial enough for Hargey he decided to have another
crack at defying established Islamic practices. In December 2013, Hargey and his 'Muslim
Educational Centre of Oxford' decided to celebrate Christmas by having a Georgian Archbishop
give the khutbah for Friday prayers. His justification for doing so was This is being organised by
forward-looking and progressive Muslims to invite our Christian friends to pay tribute to them as they
prepare for Christmas.15

Hargeys assault on Muslim students

Taj Hargeys view on univeristy Islamic societies (ISOCs) is unsurprisingly less than favourable.
11
12
13
14

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2623879/We-Muslims-appalled-sale-halal-meat-stealth.html
http://www.ummahpulse.com/2008/10/amina-wadud-repeats-stunt-in-masonic-hall/
http://www.ummahpulse.com/2008/10/amina-wadud-repeats-stunt-in-masonic-hall/
https://danutm.wordpress.com/2012/12/23/archbishop-malkhaz-giving-the-friday-sermon-khutbah-at-the-mosquein-oxford/
15 http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/yourtown/oxford/10890192.Prayers_and_lunch_as_faiths_come_together/?
ref=rss

When asked by his ally the Daily Mail to comment on ISOCs his response was;
'These organisations are an insidious and creeping menace, and in my opinion a crucible of
extremism that has no place in our society both here in Britain or the wider Muslim world. 'They
prey on the insecurities and guilt of young Muslims. Islamic Societies espouse dogma and doctrine
that is flawed and ritualised, and demands that individuals should not think for themselves but
merely follow the crowd.'
'It is no longer the mosques that are the seats of radicalisation in this country but our universities.
They are full of Neanderthals whose theology constitutes a dream of a return to an idealised 7thcentury society.'16
Hargey fights the Niqab/Hijab
When a Buckinghamshire school refused to allow a student to wear niqab to school Hargey and his
'Muslim Educational Centre of Oxford' offered to fund the schools legal battle against the Muslim
student. Hargey said We are strongly committed to offering you our full and unequivocal support
in banning face-masks at school. We trust that you will continue to resist any move to implement
this kind of minority ethnic obsession, which has no foundation whatsoever in the transcendent
sources of Islamic law."17
Hargey took a similar position in favour of Nicholas Sarkozy's proposal to ban the veil in France.
Ofcourse it would be too much too ask of this 'Muslim' to support his co-religionist from an Islamic
point of view but surely it cant be too much to ask him to stand against the veil ban as an attack on
civil liberties?! It appears that is asking too much. In a letter to the Times newspaper Hargey stated
I commend the French leader for questioning the validity of full-face veiling for Muslim
women.18
Hargey, Muslim women and the non Muslim Man
Hargey considers himself the only imam in the UK that will marry a Muslim woman to a non
Muslim man. Such couples come from all over Europe to Hargey to be married.19
Hargey, being the hadith denier that he is states that he follows only the Quran and not the hadith
due to his reservations about them. However, in this instance, Hargey has decided to give to
himself the right to legislate and chosen to suspend Quranic injunctions. Hargey states we do it
because there is no prohibition in the Koran. However, the Quran states ...And do not marry
polytheistic men [to your women] until they believe. And a believing slave is better than a
polytheist, even though he might please you. ..20 and ...if you know them to be believers, then do
not return them to the disbelievers; they are not lawful [wives] for them, nor are they lawful
[husbands] for them. ..21 Based on these aswell as other maxims within Islam it is a consensus
amongst Muslims and thae majority of scholars that it is impermissable for a Muslim woman to
marry a non Muslim man. However Hargeys defence is We do it because there is no prohibition in
the Koran. So, Hargey, should we add Quran denier to your list of accolades aswell?

Hargeys 'Expert' Opinion on Islam/Muslims

16 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1240000/Umar-Farouk-Abdulmutallab-Inside-lonely-warped-mind-middleclass-suicide-bomber.html
17 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1541632/Muslims-to-pay-schools-legal-fight-to-uphold-niqab-ban.html
18 http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/letters/article6571025.ece
19 http://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/news/4423688.Imam_bridges_a_wedding_divide/
20 http://quran.com/2/221
21 http://quran.com/60/10

Taj Hargeys opining to media outlets on UK Muslim affairs, whether intentionally or inadvertently,
has done no favours for the profile of Islam nor its followers in the UK. Hargey at best lacks tact
and at worst is mischevious in his portrayal of Muslims. His weapon of choice against the Muslim
community in the UK appears to be the most anti-Muslim, Islamaphobic newspaper in the land,
more commonly known as the Daily Mail for whom he frequently writes and by hwom he is lauded
and set as an exemplar for the Muslims.
His verbal incontinence has only served to add fuel to the fiery rhetoric of far right groups and
justify the right wing policies of the government. There is not a single thing this self professed
'Muslim' has done in the public eye that has been supportive of Islam or the Muslims rather he has
used every opportunity possible to decry his co-religionists and attack Islam in the most public of
ways.
What now needs to be discovered is whether Taj Hargey too was dropped on his head like the Sloth
from the Goonies.