Irish Eyes Aren't Smiling on Qaradawi

The Irish Independent reports on an infamous cleric who's an Islamist non grata:

A CONTROVERSIAL religious leader with close links to Ireland's largest Muslim organisation has been banned from entering the country, the Irish Independent has learned.

The Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service refused to approve an entry visa for Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, an Egyptian cleric who has defended suicide bombing and advocated the death penalty for homosexuals.

Sheikh al-Qaradawi (84) is head of the European Council of Fatwa and Research (ECFR), a private Islamic foundation whose headquarters is in the Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland (ICCI) in Clonskeagh, Dublin.

Well, what the heck is it doing there? To continue with the report:

Immigration officials are understood to have blocked his entry to the country after Mr Al-Qaradawi described suicide-bombing attacks on Israelis as "martyrdom in the name of God".

He sounds like a regular Elmo, no? But I digress...:

The Irish Independent has learnt the elderly religious leader was denied a visa when he last tried to enter the country on ECFR business.

The Irish ban follows similar ones in the US and UK.

Mr Al-Qaradawi had his US visa revoked in 1999 and was also refused entry to the UK three years ago.

He now spends most of his time in Qatar, where he is a regular guest on satellite broadcaster Al Jazeera.

Al Jazeera--isn't that the "moderate" Arab broadcaster that's been veritable catnip to former Ceeb employees? Now, why on earth would it offer a regular guest spot to the likes of the radical Q?