British PM apologises for calling imam IS supporter
[LONDON] British Prime Minister David Cameron apologised to an imam on Thursday after wrongly branding him a supporter of the Islamic State jihadist group.
Mr Cameron used a rare parliamentary device to set the record straight, having made the accusation in the lower House of Commons.
In the run-up to the London mayoral election won by opposition Labour candidate Sadiq Khan, Conservative leader Mr Cameron on two separate occasions said Mr Khan had repeatedly shared a platform with the imam.
"Sulaiman Ghani, Mr Khan has appeared on a platform with him nine times. This man supports IS," Mr Cameron said.
IS is also known by the Arabic acronym Daesh.
In his apology, which appeared in parliament's official record, Mr Cameron said: "I was referring to reports that Mr Ghani supports an Islamic state.
"I am clear that this does not mean Mr Ghani supports the organisation Daesh and I apologise to him for any misunderstanding."
Because Mr Cameron's allegations ere made in parliament, he was covered by legal immunity.
Defence secretary Michael Fallon apologised Wednesday for his "inadvertent error" in echoing the comments in a radio interview. Mr Ghani is in discussions with lawyers over possible legal action.
Shuja Shafi, secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain umbrella group, said: "As a result of these smears, we understand that Imam Ghani has been subject to abuse and threats on his life.
"Imam Ghani became the innocent casualty of a wider Islamophobic attack on the now mayor of London and the Conservative Party needs to apologise for this too."
AFP
BT is now on Telegram!
For daily updates on weekdays and specially selected content for the weekend. Subscribe to t.me/BizTimes
International
A deep dive into China’s expectations-beating GDP growth
Rich China tourists drive luxury demand in Japan on weak yen
Philippine central bank’s deputy governor sees upside risks to inflation
IMF says US, China debt pose risks for global public finances
US economy growing at ‘modest’ pace in many regions: Federal Reserve
‘No trade war’, says Biden, pushing to triple tariffs on Chinese steel