US pundit: Birmingham ‘no-go’ area for non-Muslims

An AMERICAN news pundit who claimed Birmingham was a “no-go” zone for non-Muslims has been branded “a complete idiot” by David Cameron, with others accusing him of fear-mongering.
By The Newsroom
Published 13th Jan 2015, 02:28 BST
A US political pundit has been forced to apologise after claiming Britain's second city was a "no-go" zone for non-Muslims. Picture: PAA US political pundit has been forced to apologise after claiming Britain's second city was a "no-go" zone for non-Muslims. Picture: PA
A US political pundit has been forced to apologise after claiming Britain's second city was a "no-go" zone for non-Muslims. Picture: PA

Steven Emerson was forced to apologise after he said “there are actual cities like Birmingham that are totally Muslim, where non-Muslims just simply don’t go in”, while appearing on the Fox News TV channel.

His comments were broadcast live on the network to households around the globe.

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The Prime Minister said: “When I heard this, I choked on my porridge and I thought it must be April Fool’s Day. This guy is clearly a complete idiot.

A US political pundit has been forced to apologise after claiming Britain's second city was a "no-go" zone for non-Muslims. Picture: PAA US political pundit has been forced to apologise after claiming Britain's second city was a "no-go" zone for non-Muslims. Picture: PA
A US political pundit has been forced to apologise after claiming Britain's second city was a "no-go" zone for non-Muslims. Picture: PA

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“Now he has started with an apology, that’s not a bad start, but what he should do is look at Birmingham and see what a fantastic example it is of bringing people together of different faiths.”

Birmingham-born comedian Adil Ray, famed for creating alter-ego Citizen Khan, accused Mr Emerson of spreading fear through his ignorant comments. Mr Ray, a Muslim, said: “I think the response on Twitter is the best way to deal with it – deal with it with contempt, and deal with it with humour.

“It goes to show people in Birmingham have got a sense of humour,” he said, adding that comedy was a unifying and “universal language”.

He praised the residents of Birmingham for taking to social media to pillory Mr Emerson, whose own website states he is an “internationally recognised expert on terrorism and national security”.

Mr Emerson later apologised for his “terrible error” regarding “the beautiful city of Birmingham” and suggested the remarks had been down to “other sources”.

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