Defence secretary pays damages to imam after repeating false ‘Islamic State’ claim

Last Updated: June 23, 2016By
Michael Fallon, the defence secretary who slanders the citizens [Image: Mark Thomas/Rex/Shutterstock].

Michael Fallon, the defence secretary who slanders the citizens [Image: Mark Thomas/Rex/Shutterstock].

Okay, so we have a Defence Secretary who is incapable of distinguishing an enemy of the UK from a law-abiding citizen of this country.

And we have a Prime Minister who is happy to slander our law-abiding citizens from the safety of the Commons chamber, where he has Absolute Privilege and can say what he likes.

Of course, insulting UK citizens willy-nilly was not the intention behind Parliamentary Privilege.

Perhaps somebody should mention this to David Cameron before he slags off anybody else.

The defence secretary, Michael Fallon, has agreed to pay damages to an imam after repeating false claims that he was a supporter of Islamic State.

Suliman Gani found himself at the centre of a storm during the recent London mayoral election campaign when senior Conservatives including the prime minister questioned the judgment of the Labour candidate, Sadiq Khan, for sharing a platform with him nine times.

David Cameron even suggested in the House of Commons that Gani supported Isis – something the imam fervently denied.

After Fallon made a similar claim in a BBC interview on 7 May – where, unlike Cameron in the Commons, he was not covered by parliamentary privilege – Gani began legal action.

Source: Michael Fallon pays damages to imam at centre of Sadiq Khan storm | Politics | The Guardian

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6 Comments

  1. Brian June 23, 2016 at 12:47 pm - Reply

    Tories abuse of process has become an acceptable form of attack in their assault on democracy.

  2. NMac June 23, 2016 at 1:41 pm - Reply

    I personally believe that during the London Mayoral elections senior Tories deliberately incited racial hatred, just as they have done during the Referendum campaign. I hope the electorate reject the xenophobes of the Referendum campaign, just as they did for the Mayoral election.

  3. mohandeer June 23, 2016 at 3:04 pm - Reply

    Time to revoke Parliamentary privilege so that xenophobes and mal contents like Cameron cannot slander innocent people.

    • Mike Sivier June 23, 2016 at 3:13 pm - Reply

      Well, time to refine it so idle slanders are not covered by it, certainly.

  4. Roy Beiley June 23, 2016 at 4:50 pm - Reply

    Who actually paid the damages?

  5. John June 23, 2016 at 7:46 pm - Reply

    I suppose that’s what you might call a half-Gotcha?!

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