Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.
US commentator Steve Emerson's comments on Fox News
An American terrorism commentator has apologised for describing Birmingham as a "Muslim-only city" where non-Muslims "don't go" during a Fox News interview.
Steven Emerson told the channel that in London "Muslim religious police" beat "anyone who doesn't dress according to Muslim, religious Muslim attire".
He later issued an apology for his "terrible error".
His comments have come in for ridicule, with the hashtag #FoxNewsFacts trending on Twitter.
Mr Emerson, who founded a group called The Investigative Project on Terrorism, was giving his perspective on the terror attacks in France to Fox presenter Jeanine Pirro.
Birmingham City Council said Mr Emerson's "curious" comments had no foundation, and welcomed his apology, while Birmingham Edgbaston MP Gisela Stuart described the remarks as "stupid".
'Check your facts'On social media, Mr Emerson has been the butt of jokes, while he has been accused of "speaking nonsense" by people posting on his own investigative website.
One Twitter user said: "As someone born and raised in Birmingham, I must admit there was a pressure to read the Kerrang."
"I was supposed to go to Birmingham last week but I forgot my passport," said another.
Responding to the controversy, Birmingham City Councillor James McKay said: "We are amazingly diverse, and that's one of the things that makes us brilliant - all this fuss is a reminder of how it's always best to check your facts before getting into a debate.
"Maybe Fox News could come and visit some time, and see for themselves what a great city we have here?"
Edgbaston MP Ms Stuart said Mr Emerson's comments had "no redeeming features".
"I checked whether this was some kind of early April Fool spoof, and then I thought he was talking about Birmingham, Alabama, but then I realised he was just utterly and completely wrong," the Labour MP said.
Birmingham's religions- The city's population estimated at 1,073,045
- Christian: 494,358
- Muslim: 234,411
- Sikh: 32,376
- Hindu: 22,362
- Buddhist: 4,780
- Jewish: 2,205
- Other: 5,646
- No religion: 206,821
- Religion not stated: 70,086
Source: Census 2011
As well as apologising for his remarks, Mr Emerson has offered to make a donation to Birmingham Children's Hospital.
"I have clearly made a terrible error for which I am deeply sorry," said Mr Emerson, a witness called to testify to at least one Congressional committee.
"My comments about Birmingham were totally in error."
He said he would be issuing an apology on his website for "this comment about the beautiful city of Birmingham".
"I do not intend to justify or mitigate my mistake by stating that I had relied on other sources because I should have been much more careful.
"There was no excuse for making this mistake and I owe an apology to every resident of Birmingham."
More than 1,000 people have signed an online petition calling for Mr Emerson to make an "on-air apology to the people of Birmingham UK for saying non-Muslims cannot enter our beloved multi-cultural city".
Maryam Snape, who started the petition, said: "The fact of the matter is the American people saw this story and they are still going to believe it is the truth until he puts it right."
Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang
Apology for 'Muslim Birmingham' claim
Dengan url
http://beritaberbagiceria.blogspot.com/2015/01/apology-for-muslim-birmingham-claim.html
Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya
Apology for 'Muslim Birmingham' claim
namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link
Apology for 'Muslim Birmingham' claim
sebagai sumbernya
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar