September 11 is a day many will remember with pain but in the UK, radical Muslim group Al-Muhajiroun, whose stated aim is to convert Britain into an Islamic state, is publicising an "Islamic conference" to be held on the second anniversary of the terrorist attacks in the US.

ROGUES GALLERY: The AI-Muhajiroun's provocative poster

At the event, "Muslims worldwide will again be watching replays of the collapse of the twin towers, praying to Allah to grant those magnificent 19 paradise," says a press release on the Al-Muhajiroun website.

The site also carries a copy of a provocative poster of the September 11 hijackers bearing the legend "Magnificent 19", which is to be pasted all over Birmingham to promote the event. It released a movie-style flyer featuring a soft-focus image of Osama bin Laden alongside the burning twin towers, and a quote from the Koran.

The Home Office said that the police were aware of the scheduled conference and they would be monitored. "Every word and statement that the group and its representatives make is closely monitored. We have got a long-standing tradition of free speech, which means people have a right to air their views however unpalatable," a Home Office source said.

Al-Muhajiroun was founded by Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammed, a Syrian cleric who moved to London in 1986 after being expelled from Saudi Arabia. It now claims 30 offices across Britain and others in Pakistan, Algeria, France and across the Middle East. Barely known earlier, their latest provocation is sure to give them instant if infamous recognition..

— Ishara Bhasi

CAUGHT AND BANNED: Latif

Hand of God?

Boy, did the whistle-blower blow it. Pakistan skipper Rashid Latif tried to pull off the least discreet sleight of hand in the history of cricket plucking a catch in the high-wire Test versus Bangladesh at Multan, not inches off the ground but ... er, off the ground. Latif was banned for five one-day matches, the harshest punishment ever handed by an ICC match referee, here the very annoyed Mike Procter. But no one is angrier than Bangladesh, who lost the Test by one wicket.

How to be a Briton in Britain

Who is British? What is Britishness? These are questions that have been plaguing the Home Office and it is trying hard to set down some rules for wannabe British citizens. A new proposal by a government advisory group-Life in the United Kingdom Advisory Panel chaired by scholar Bernard Crick-has proposed that immigrants should pass a new "Britishness test" in which they have to master English and history. Those who fail the test can continue to reside in the country but will not get a passport or be able to vote.

Other than the language test, aspiring citizens will have to answer questions like 'Who is the prime minister? How do you pay a telephone bill? What do the main political parties stand for?' and so on to assess their understanding of British history and way of life.

However, Home Secretary David Blunkett said, "Knowing the six wives of Henry VIII doesn't constitute being a good citizen." But understanding the structures of Britain would contribute to that goal, he added. Blunkett said he wanted to encourage people who are permanently settled in this country to apply for citizenship here. The Opposition has given its nod to the proposals but a straw poll conducted by The Guardian shows that immigrants clearly haven't given their nod yet.

-— Ishara Bhasi