A furious row broke out on GB News about Islamophobia amid the controversy surrounding Lee Anderson and the by-election win for George Galloway in Rochdale.
It comes after suggestions the Workers Party candidate mobilised the Muslim vote in the constituency to come out on top in what proved to be a contentious campaign.
Mark Dolan pressed broadcaster Amy Nickell-Turner on whether criticism of Islamism can be deemed as Islamophobic.
Nickell-Turner went on to suggest we live in an “Islamophobic society”, fuelled by narratives surrounding Islamists.
A furious row broke out on GB News
GB NEWS
“Islamophobia has gone up by 300 per cent from October 7”, she said.
“A critique of Israel is not instantly anti-Semitic. We’re getting to a point where if you go to a march against Israel’s military action, you’re automatically deemed anti-Semitic.”
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Mark Dolan went on to grill the GB News guest, asking “would you confirm that criticism of Islam is not Islamophobic?”
As she began to outline her argument, Dolan interjected, leaving Nickell-Turner frustrated.
“You don’t let me answer the question because you jump on me”, she fumed.
“We do have an Islamophobic society because we harbour irrational threats of Islam all the time in our society”, she added.
The topic of islamophobia was discussed on GB News
GB NEWS
Political commentator Emma Webb waded in on people being “silenced” for criticising Islam, saying it is seen as “blasphemy”.
Bev Turner interjected to argue people need to be “brought together”.
“What we really want to do politically in this country is bring people together”, she said.
“I don’t see George Galloway saying, ‘I am going to win on a Gaza ticket and then bring the Muslims and Jews together in my community’.
Lee Anderson was suspended by the ToriesGb News“Standing on a ticket like this, it is always about creating more division.”
Former Tory Party deputy chairman Lee Anderson accused Mayor of London Rishi Sunak of being controlled by Islamists and lost the Tory whip after failing to apologise.
Anderson says he will stick to the sentiments of the comments, but admitted they were “a little bit clumsy” in how they were articulated on GB News.
Anderson, who was formerly a Labour councillor before being suspended and then defecting to the Tories in 2018, said he had received “lots of support privately in WhatsApp groups and messages” from Conservative MPs since the decision to remove the whip.
Asked what he made of the decision by Tory leader Sunak to remove the whip over his comments about Mr Khan, Mr Anderson said: “That is up to him.
“He has got a tight ship to run. He thinks he has made the right decision. I don’t think he has made the right decision.
“I don’t hold any malice towards him. He is the boss, he is the manager. He has to do what he has to do. And I have got no complaints at all.”