Steven Emerson, who describes himself as an “internationally recognized expert on terrorism,” told Fox News that the UK city of Birmingham was a “totally Muslim city” where non-Muslims “simply don’t go.”
The comments, made on Sunday, have been widely ridiculed across social media, inspiring the Twitter hashtag #foxnewsfacts, which was trending well into Monday.
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After a huge backlash and a large amount of mockery, Emerson has now apologized for his words, but today was also branded a “complete idiot” by UK Prime Minister David Cameron.
Emerson, who founded The Investigative Project on Terrorism (IPT), also claimed on Sunday that Europe was littered with “no-go zones,” which are not open to non-Muslims, where nations such as France, Sweden, and Germany “don’t exercise any sovereignty,” and “where sharia courts were set up.”
Fox news anchor Jeanine Pirro — former Westchester district attorney, Republican New York state attorney general candidate, and TV personality — responded to the comments stating: “You know what it sounds like to me, Steve? It sounds like a caliphate within a particular country.”
The UK’s capital didn’t escape Emerson’s damning assessment either, with the best-selling author claiming that in “parts of London there are actually Muslim religious police that actually beat and actually wound seriously, anyone who doesn’t dress according to religious Muslim attire.” Emerson went on to remind us of comments he has made previously: “Europe is finished.”
Despite these comments — part of Fox’s coverage of the recent terror attacks in France — the IPT website states that Emerson has been consulted by “the White House, National Security Council, FBI, Justice Department, Congress and intelligence agencies.”
According to easily available government data, Birmingham is Britain’s second largest city with an estimated population of 1,085,400. In terms of religion, 41.6 percent of the city’s residents say they are Christian, 21.9 percent Muslim, and 19.3 percent are non-religious.
Emerson has now apologised for what he describes as an “inexcusable error,” adding that he was “obligated to openly acknowledge” his mistake about the “beautiful city of Birmingham.” He also mentioned his intension to make a donation to a charity in the city.
This wasn’t enough for PM Cameron, however, who said: “When I heard this, frankly, I choked on my porridge and I thought it must be April fool’s day. This guy’s clearly a complete idiot.”
VICE News’ Maddie Smith also contributed to this report.
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