London: Controversial Muslim cleric Sheikh Abu Hamza al-Masri was on February 4 fired from his post by the charity that runs London's Finsbury Park mosque where he used to preach, "for making highly political and inflammatory statements".

The mosque has been recently raided by police.

The Commission said Hamza had made highly political and inflammatory statements inconsistent with the mosque's charitable status.

He was also rapped for allowing "other organisations" to operate on the premises.

Hamza has become a tabloid hate figure over the years due to his fundamentalist anti-western beliefs. His appearance--he lost an eye and both hands-- has also added to his notoriety.

In his latest controversial statement, the Egypt-born Hamza said the Columbia shuttle disaster was "punishment from God".

PTI