A Palestinian apologist for suicide bombing is among the leaders of a group trying to win Muslim votes for Ken Livingstone in the London mayoral election.
voters to help re-elect Mr Livingstone for a third term on May 1.
A website set up by the group vilifies Mr Livingstone's Conservative opponent Boris Johnson, portraying him as an Islamaphobe.
It states: "Boris Johnson would be a disaster for London.
He is an Islamophobe who has insulted and condemned Islam and Muslims.
"We must not sit by and allow Boris Johnson to become the next Mayor and stir up more Islamophobia against London's Muslims.
"Don't trust this unreliable chancer with our great city."
A circular email from the group urges all Muslims to register to vote and rakes back over comments made by Mr Johnson during his journalistic career, accusing him of holding racist views, mocking diversity and lambasting him for supporting Israel.
The email also informs readers that the British National Party urged its members to make Mr Johnson their second preference vote.
"Don't trust this unreliable chancer with our great city."
A circular email from the group urges all Muslims to register to vote and rakes back over comments made by Mr Johnson during his journalistic career, accusing him of holding racist views, mocking diversity and lambasting him for supporting Israel.
The email also informs readers that the British National Party urged its members to make Mr Johnson their second preference vote.
Mr Johnson has completely rejected BNP support.
Muslims 4 Ken has been lobbying community leaders, mosques and Islamic political groups for months and began its email campaign in the final weeks of the contest as Mr Livingstone and Mr Johnson run neck and neck.
The email is already proliferating across the internet on chat forums and blogs.
A source said: "This group has set out to swing the election for Ken at all costs. They will go to any lengths and it's getting very dirty. Johnson will be portrayed as hating Muslims in the run-up to the election."
Muslims 4 Ken has been lobbying community leaders, mosques and Islamic political groups for months and began its email campaign in the final weeks of the contest as Mr Livingstone and Mr Johnson run neck and neck.
The email is already proliferating across the internet on chat forums and blogs.
A source said: "This group has set out to swing the election for Ken at all costs. They will go to any lengths and it's getting very dirty. Johnson will be portrayed as hating Muslims in the run-up to the election."
A key figure in Muslims 4 Ken is lecturer Anas Altikriti, who does not support violence and sees dialogue as the way to further the Muslim cause.
He came to Britain from Iraq as a child after his family was persecuted by Saddam Hussein and in 2006 he helped secure the release of Christian hostages in Iraq including Norman Kember.
But Dr Tamimi, director of the London-based Institute of Islamic Political Thought, has previously praised suicide bombers and even said he would volunteer personally for a suicide mission in the Middle East. In a BBC interview in 2004 he said: "If I can go to Palestine and sacrifice myself I would do it.
He came to Britain from Iraq as a child after his family was persecuted by Saddam Hussein and in 2006 he helped secure the release of Christian hostages in Iraq including Norman Kember.
But Dr Tamimi, director of the London-based Institute of Islamic Political Thought, has previously praised suicide bombers and even said he would volunteer personally for a suicide mission in the Middle East. In a BBC interview in 2004 he said: "If I can go to Palestine and sacrifice myself I would do it.
Why not? Sacrificing myself for Palestine is a noble cause. It is the straight way to pleasing my God and I would do it if I had the opportunity."
In 2006 he was the main speaker at a London conference which had the backing of Mr Livingstone and was held the day before the anniversary of the July 7 terror attacks.
It was Dr Tamimi who invited the radical Islamic preacher Yusuf al-Qaradawi to speak at a conference in London in 2004.
Al-Qaradawi, who has defended suicide bombers and the persecution of homosexuals, was welcomed to City Hall and embraced by Mr Livingstone.
Mr Altikriti has defended the Muslims 4 Ken movement and denied it had any "hidden agenda".
He said: "Boris Johnson would be extremely bad news for Muslims in London. When the 7/7 bombings happened, Ken condemned them as criminal acts.
Boris condemned Islam. We are going door to door talking to everyone we can."
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