An anti-Tommy Robinson campaigner has been told to ‘lie low’ by Greater Manchester Police.
Mohammed Shafiq, the chief executive of the Rochdale based Ramadhan Foundation, has claimed to have been inundated with death threats and racist abuse after meeting with Facebook staff to discuss far-right figure Tommy Robinson’s removal from the platform.
After claiming to receive almost 200 abusive or threatening messages, Shafiq reported the incidents to the police, who allegedly told him to ‘lie low’, and to Facebook, who are also said to be investigating the situation.
Shafiq said that he had received messages such as “f*ck off you p*ki c*nt, go back to your own country”, “we know where you live”, and “don’t worry we’re coming for you.”
He added that the abuse he had suffered “proves that the position we took was the correct one and Facebook took the right decision.
“There’s lunatics out there. Jo Cox got murdered by a lunatic so we know how crazy these people can be.”
Three years ago today #JoCox was cruelly taken from her children, husband and family. Was deeply inspired to interview her sister Kim recently – she will never be forgotten. #StrongerTogether pic.twitter.com/tQV9KR6zGn
— Mohammed Shafiq (@mshafiquk) June 16, 2019
Shafiq was also quick to dismiss suggestions of hypocrisy, given his own foundation has previously boasted members to its board of directors such as Abdullah Quick, an Islamic Scholar who had claimed that homosexuals should be killed.
“Am I going to defend his comments? That’s ridiculous. I’ve been through 50, 60 death threats myself so I’m not going to endorse anybody. I think this is part of the narrative of people who want to pin something on me.
“Do not compare me to him. This is the stuff that the far right are pushing out. Judge me on what I’ve said and what my record is.”
Facebook had removed Robinson from the platform for allegedly posting material that used dehumanising language and called for violence targeted at Muslims.
Greater Manchester Police are yet to respond to a request for comment.
Image courtesy of Russia Today via YouTube, with thanks.
