Columnist Rod Liddle has sparked outcry from leading Muslim groups after writing a piece in which he suggested preventing them from voting in the upcoming general election.
In an article published in the Spectator on Thursday, he wrote: “My own choice of
election date would be a day when universities are closed and Muslims are forbidden to do anything on pain of hell, or something.”
His comments, which extended to a proposition that preventing the Muslim population from voting “would deliver at least 40 seats to the Tories”, have been condemned as discriminatory.
A spokesperson for the Muslim Council of
Britain said Liddle’s “hate” was “not new”, describing the article as “the usual bigotry Muslims have become accustomed to”.
“Here he calls for the discrimination against Muslims and a denial of their democratic rights, particularly when the far-right are on the rise,” the spokesperson told HuffPost UK.
“Outlets such as the Spectator regularly give racists a platform to share their anti-Muslim propaganda and feed into far right narratives that thrive on Islamophobia.
“The publishers and editors cannot be given a free pass. They must be held to account.”When people ask why do Muslims feel they are not treated equally, part of the reason is because nationally recognised and influential newspapers & magazines publish & normalise lies and bigotry about Muslims.And most the liberal commentariat are silent.— Miqdaad Versi (@miqdaad) October 31, 2019The article has also been fiercely criticised by Tell Mama, an independent organisation which monitors Islamophobic incidents across the UK.
A spokesperson described the article as “appalling” and “despicable” in a tweet, writing: “His (Liddle’s) suggestions are that Muslims should be unable to vote.
“What do we call that? Outright prejudice.” This is appalling in the @spectator by Rod Liddle.His suggestions are that Muslims should be unable to vote. What do we call that - Outright prejudice.This in 2019, when 3 Muslims have been murdered since 2013 for being -
British Muslims.Despicable. pic.twitter.com/gqdbShEYxC— TellMAMAUK (@TellMamaUK) October 31, 2019Hi @IpsoNews. I've submitted a complaint about Rod Liddle's column in the Spectator, in which he says Muslims should not be allowed to vote. We call this outright prejudice. It also comes at a time when Muslims are being murdered for being Muslim. Look forward to hearing from you pic.twitter.com/VHtvmmdMXO— Basit Mahmood (@BasitMahmood91) November 1, 2019“Just imagine if a journalist who was from a minority community wrote what Rod Liddle did?” they later added.
“The privilege that Liddle has means that he can pull the rug from other communities. Even to vote! We value all people Rod.
“We are not some apartheid state, thank God! We value each other.”
MPs and members of the public alike not only criticised the content of Liddle’s comments, but also questioned why the Spectator had published the piece itself. Reminder that editors cleared this disgusting Islamophobic and anti-Muslim language. Liddle deserves all the condemnation, we should also scrutinise why it was allowed to be published. https://t.co/ZLA5g8tL7N— Steve Rose (@steveplrose) October 31, 2019I’m shocked that @spectator published this. A serious lapse of judgement. Mr Liddle ‘s foul comment isn’t a just some bad joke to be dismissed. What’s he saying to British Muslims in our armed forces,
police, NHS, schools, factories etc etc? #disgustinghttps://t.co/74Vjha4WBU— David Lidington (@DLidington) November 1, 2019This is hate speech. Mocking Rosie Duffield for having the courage to speak out about domestic abuse and calling for ways to stop British Muslims voting.Rod Liddle is beyond the pale, but @FraserNelson how can you justify giving his bile a platform on the @spectator? pic.twitter.com/LEGW14iYKi— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) October 31, 2019Liddle has also been accused of sexism after referencing Canterbury MP Rosie Duffield in the same paragraph, calling her “sobbing and oppressed” and using the #MeToo hashtag.
In October, Duffield reduced some MPs to tears as she gave a harrowing account of her own experiences of domestic abuse in the House of Commons during a second reading of a new domestic abuse bill.
Among those who criticised the article was fellow
Labour MP Jess Phillips, who branded Liddle a “vicious racist misogynist”. I see Rod Liddle has been a vicious racist misogynist which is really original (sarcasm). I see Rosie Duffield who is a genuine one of a kind in her part of the world and generally.— Jess Phillips Esq., M.P. (@jessphillips) October 31, 2019The Spectator publishes another racist piece by Rod Liddle, in which he mocks a Labour MP who was a victim of domestic violence, having himself previously been arrested for assaulting his then pregnant girlfriend. pic.twitter.com/4Fe8Odiiiz— Adam Bienkov (@AdamBienkov) October 31, 2019The Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) confirmed that as of 10.30am on Friday they had received four formal complaints about the article.
HuffPost
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