Yossarian
Test Debutant
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I doubt it. Else Uncle Sam will be unhappy with Uncle Tom.
Muslim group calls for preacher linked to Trump to be denied UK visa
Franklin Graham, who has called Islam ‘evil’, is due to speak at a festival in Blackpool
Britain’s leading Muslim organisation has called on the Home Office to refuse a UK visa to a prominent US evangelical preacher with links to Donald Trump and a track record of Islamophobic and homophobic statements.
Franklin Graham, the son of the evangelist Billy Graham, has been invited to preach at a Christian festival in Blackpool this month.
The preacher, who said Trump’s election victory was evidence that “God’s hand” was at work, has called Islam “evil” and “wicked”, claimed Barack Obama’s “problem is that he was born a Muslim” and said Satan was the architect of same-sex marriage and LGBT rights.
The Muslim Council of Britain has joined three MPs, including a government whip, in demanding the Home Office apply its criteria on hate speech to Graham’s visa request.
The MCB said: “In the past the government has banned individuals whom they claim are ‘not conducive to the public good’. Mr Graham’s remarks are on record and clearly demonstrate a hatred for Muslims and other minorities.
“We would expect the government to apply its criteria here. If it does not, it will send a clear message that it is not consistent in challenging all forms of bigotry.”
Fiyaz Mughal, the founder of Tell Mama, which monitors Islamophobia in the UK, said it was shocking that Graham was being given a platform. His views were “regressive and need to be challenged,” he said.
Gordon Marsden, the Labour MP for Blackpool South, said he would write to Sajid Javid, the home secretary, this week to call for Graham to be denied a visa.
“It’s perfectly possible for the government not to admit someone whose presence is not conducive to the public good,” he said. “Graham’s visit to Blackpool is likely to cause considerable offence.”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...al-preacher-franklin-graham-be-denied-uk-visa