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Coronation Street star poses beside 'sex slave' speech hate preacher who was banned from the UK
Former Coronation Street star Qasim Akhtar has posed with a controversial Islamic hate preacher who was banned from entering the UK.
The actor, 34, who played Zeedan Nazir in the ITV soap, is seen smiling as he is embraced by American cleric Uthman ibn Farooq in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
Farooq, who previously said Europe, the US and Russia will become fully Muslim countries, was banned from the UK after it was revealed he said it was 'halal' to have sex with female slaves.
He sparked outrage after he said that slaves were people 'whom you can have those relationships with'.
He added: 'If Allah made it halal, then it's not sinning, that is not adultery because Allah made it.'
He was set to complete a speaking tour of London, Manchester and Birmingham in May before he was barred from entering.
Manchester-born Akhtar, who also played Chesney Khan in Channel 4 drama Shameless, first joined Coronation Street in 2014. He left in 2018 before returning from 2021 to 2023.
He later moved to Pakistan where he condemned his 'degenerate' past.
Former Coronation Street star Qasim Akhtar has posed with controversial Islamic hate preacher Uthman ibn Farooq - who was banned from entering the UK
The actor, 34, played Zeedan Nazir in the ITV soap Coronation Street between 2014 and 2023
The actor praised the cleric's 'beautiful reminders', according to the Sun, in an apparent reference to his preaching.
Farooq was roundly criticised once his extremist views emerged.
Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick previously said: 'This man should never set foot on UK soil. His visa must be revoked immediately. Islamists spreading hate and sowing division are not welcome here.'
Fiyaz Mughal, of charity Tell Mama which campaigns against anti-Muslim hate, said Farooq's remarks sent a 'barbaric message to people'.
'Any sheikh or imam who attempts to publicly justify having sex with people who have no choice should not be allowed in the UK,' he said.
'We have enough problems with backwards views in the UK and we don't need others coming here and legitimising such poison.'
Farooq works with One True Message Foundation, based in west London, and is featured prominently in their videos.
The organisation previously sparked fury when they released a video where a member compared women who don't wear hijabs to 'unwrapped sweets'.
'I have two sweets, yeah, one I open the wrapper and I throw it on the floor, yeah, and I tread on it a little bit. The other one I leave in the wrapper, and I throw it on the floor and I tread on it,' it said.
Farooq previously said Europe, the US and Russia will become fully Muslim countries and was banned from the UK after it was revealed he said it was 'halal' to have sex with female slaves
'One's in the wrapper, one's not. I pick both of them up and I say take one. Which one are you going to choose? Case closed.'
Farooq has also claimed 'Every ideal nightmare of a Muslim Europe will come true'.
'The future is ours,' he told a mosque audience in Birmingham.
Muslims must 'never apologise', 'never compromise' and 'never water down their religion,' he added.
Qasim Akhtar, ITV and the Home Office have been contacted for comment.
