A daily newspaper has launched a bid to stop a councillor who accused it of “sensationalism” from becoming its city’s Lord Mayor.
The Birmingham Mail is calling on Birmingham City Council to veto the nomination of Muhammad Afzal for the ceremonial role, claiming the councillor has proved himself “unfit” to be the city’s first citizen.
The Mail has launched its fight after reporting Cllr Afzal, pictured above left, addressed a protest meeting against the Governnent’s anti-terror measures, including the ‘Prevent’ programme in schools.
The paper further reported Cllr Afzal also called Prime Minister David Cameron Islamophobic, a claim he later denied.
An audio transcript proving the councillor had made the remarks attributed to him was later posted on the Mail’s website following his denial.
In an editorial launching its campaign, the Mail said it agreed elements of the Prevent programme were not working and that the Prime Minister’s linking of poor language skills to extremism last week was clumsy and insulting to large swathes of the Islamic community.
However, it continued: “It’s not so much Councillor Afzal’s comments that disqualify him from being Lord Mayor, although citizens would perhaps expect such a senior political leader to use more diplomatic language than he did.
“It is his toe-curling reaction to seeing them reported in the Birmingham Mail, and a statement that seeks to accuse this title of sensationalism while not actually denying using the words our reporter said he did.
“We might forgive his departure from the tradition that Lord Mayors-elect avoid all political controversies while preparing to take up the office, were it not for such an astounding about-face.
“He now professes complete support of Prevent and all the agencies working against extremism. So who should we believe?”
A picture of Cllr Afzal posing with activists behind a banner protesting against Prevent has also emerged.
The editorial concludes: “We hope city leader John Clancy also reads this and takes the only appropriate course of action open to him. He must ensure Councillor Afzal never becomes Lord Mayor of Birmingham. This city deserves so much better.”
Mail editor Marc Reeves told HTFP: “Cllr Afzal accused us of taking his comments out of context. But no amount of context can ‘un-say’ the words he used.
“We reported accurately what he said and he accused us of sensationalism. He also put out a statement which appeared to contradict the position he’d originally taken.
“We think this is unacceptable and an insult to our readers and the citizens of Birmingham. It’s unthinkable that he can remain Labour’s candidate for Lord Mayor.”
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Is this the best campaign the Mail can come up with? Trying to stop a councillor becoming mayor, with the weighty responsiblities for shop openings, school visits and speeches?
With everything else that’s going on in Brum, there must be something more important to campaign on.
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Cracking front page from the Birmingham Mail that got Coun Afzal bang to rights, as no doubt they gathered all the evidence they needed to protect themselves. Well done to them for a fine piece of research on an issue of major importance to the city.
Oh and there’s many an ‘Islamophic’ blog that will give quite a different view of Mr Cameron.
They will cite the PM being listed as a founding member/supporter of Unite Against Facism.
They will also raise this comment he wrote in the Guardian in 2007 after a stay with a muslim family.
“Not for the first time, I found myself thinking that it is mainstream Britain which needs to integrate more with the British Asian way of life, not the other way around.”
I guess the PM’s views will swing which ever way the wind is blowing.
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Great stuff to be able to show the BM got him bang to rights – proper job!
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it will be interesting to see what the paper’s attitude to reporting his many public events is, should he be chosen to their shock-horror.
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Whether or not you agree, surely he is entitled to express such views? And, like it or not, they will be shared by many in a multicultural city.
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Great work. So good to see proper journalism holding people to account. Bravo Marc Reeves and staff.
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All sounds a bit thought police to me, god forbid politicians should speak their mind.
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