Salmond in line of fire as new MP calls Kalashnikov critics 'racist'

Published on Thursday 11 September 2008 22:58

ALEX Salmond was drawn into an embarrassing racism row yesterday involving his newest MP and a suspended councillor.

Glasgow councillor Jahangir Hanif was suspended from the SNP last month after video footage emerged showing him firing a Kalashnikov assault rifle in Pakistan and inviting his children to do the same.

Mr Hanif apologised for his actions and was suspended for two months by party managers.

But the controversy over the so-called "Kalashnikov councillor" was re-ignited by John Mason, the new SNP MP for Glasgow East, yesterday.

Despite the widespread criticism of the councillor's actions, Mr Mason defended Mr Hanif and accused his critics of being both "racist" and "colonial".

The new MP said: "The repeated attacks on the SNP's Councillor Hanif are coming across as thinly disguised racism. Many countries in the world allow guns to be used freely."

He also said: "While being opposed to freely available guns, including airguns, in Scotland, I totally support the right of other countries to take a different view.

"Once we start implying other countries are second-rate because they have a different opinion from us, we are surely being racist."

The MP also said he thought the two-month suspension was "a bit severe".

Labour used Mr Mason's comments to draw the First Minister into the row, claiming it was outrageous to brand every critic of the councillor a "racist".

Cathy Jamieson, the acting leader of the Scottish Labour leader, used First Minister's Questions to demand an apology from Mr Salmond for Mr Mason's comments.

Ms Jamieson also quoted from a letter sent by the councillor's daughter to Mr Salmond in which she accused the First Minister of taking the issue lightly. Mr Salmond replied: "I don't accept that the matter has been taken lightly by the SNP.

"Suspension from a political party is a serious matter. Councillor Hanif's actions have been condemned by the party as being extremely unwise."

The First Minister suggested the Labour Party was trying to seek party advantage through "what somebody might have said about somebody". And he accused Ms Jamieson of raising "internal party matters" rather than First Ministerial issues.

Ms Jamieson then asked: "Could I ask the First Minister if he agrees with his colleague John Mason who has branded critics of the SNP councillor as racist?"

"No", he replied.

BACKGROUND

JAHANGIR Hanif acquired the nickname 'Councillor Kalashnikov' from the press early last month when extraordinary video footage emerged of the councillor firing an assault weapon on a range in Pakistan.

The 46-year-old Glasgow councillor had taken five of his six children into the mountainous border region of Kashmir two years ago to shoot the AK-47.

He then let his children fire the assault rifle.

Mr Hanif's daughter, Noor, said: "We were taken in a van with blacked-out windows. We were shown how to use the gun. We all shot the gun."