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
Japan may introduce tax breaks to spur repatriation into yen: Sankei
Asset owners can’t afford to sidestep sustainability
Japan should leave the yen bazooka at home
South Korea’s export growth picks up, supporting outlook
China says Hamas and Fatah express will for reconciliation
US consumer confidence at lowest level since 2022