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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| ITV defends EDL founder's appearance on Good Morning Britain | ITV defends EDL founder's appearance on Good Morning Britain |
| (7 months later) | |
| Tommy Robinson labelled Qur’an a ‘violent and cursed book’ and was called a ‘bigoted lunatic’ by show’s co-host Piers Morgan | |
| Graham Ruddick Media editor | |
| Tue 20 Jun 2017 14.05 BST | |
| Last modified on Tue 20 Jun 2017 17.54 BST | |
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| ITV has defended the appearance of Tommy Robinson on Good Morning Britain after the English Defence League co-founder called the Qur’an a “violent and cursed book” and host Piers Morgan accused of him being a “bigoted lunatic”. | ITV has defended the appearance of Tommy Robinson on Good Morning Britain after the English Defence League co-founder called the Qur’an a “violent and cursed book” and host Piers Morgan accused of him being a “bigoted lunatic”. |
| There was a backlash on social media after Robinson’s interview with Morgan and co-host Susanna Reid. Some Twitter users criticised the programme for giving Robinson a platform for his views, while Robinson and his supporters denounced Morgan for intervening and talking over him. | There was a backlash on social media after Robinson’s interview with Morgan and co-host Susanna Reid. Some Twitter users criticised the programme for giving Robinson a platform for his views, while Robinson and his supporters denounced Morgan for intervening and talking over him. |
| Ofcom, the media watchdog, said on Tuesday evening that it had received 72 complaints about the interview. The complaints relate to Good Morning Britain giving a platform to Robinson and to bias by Morgan against him. | Ofcom, the media watchdog, said on Tuesday evening that it had received 72 complaints about the interview. The complaints relate to Good Morning Britain giving a platform to Robinson and to bias by Morgan against him. |
| An Ofcom spokesman said: “We will assess these complaints before deciding whether or not to investigate.” | An Ofcom spokesman said: “We will assess these complaints before deciding whether or not to investigate.” |
| Robinson, a far-right activist, appeared on the programme after one person died and 11 were injured when a van ploughed into a group of worshippers in a terrorist attack near a mosque in Finsbury Park, north London. | Robinson, a far-right activist, appeared on the programme after one person died and 11 were injured when a van ploughed into a group of worshippers in a terrorist attack near a mosque in Finsbury Park, north London. |
| After the attack, Robinson wrote a series of tweets, which included claims that the Finsbury Park mosque “has a long history of creating terrorists and radical jihadists and promoting hate and segregation”, and that as a Christian he felt “scared” after the incident. He also tweeted: “Yesterday yet again proves me right. I’ve said don’t give any nut jobs a chance to retaliate, our government needs to control it. But they failed.” | After the attack, Robinson wrote a series of tweets, which included claims that the Finsbury Park mosque “has a long history of creating terrorists and radical jihadists and promoting hate and segregation”, and that as a Christian he felt “scared” after the incident. He also tweeted: “Yesterday yet again proves me right. I’ve said don’t give any nut jobs a chance to retaliate, our government needs to control it. But they failed.” |
| On Good Morning Britain, Robinson said there was “no such word as Islamophobia”, adding: “A phobia is an irrational fear. It’s not irrational to fear these things.” He brought a copy of the Qur’an to the interview and claimed it incited hatred. | On Good Morning Britain, Robinson said there was “no such word as Islamophobia”, adding: “A phobia is an irrational fear. It’s not irrational to fear these things.” He brought a copy of the Qur’an to the interview and claimed it incited hatred. |
| Morgan told Robinson to “show some damn respect for people’s religious beliefs” when he displayed the Qur’an and accused him of being a “complete disgrace”. | Morgan told Robinson to “show some damn respect for people’s religious beliefs” when he displayed the Qur’an and accused him of being a “complete disgrace”. |
| “You’re sounding like a complete lunatic,” Morgan said. “You’re sounding like a bigoted lunatic. You are an Islamophobe who hates Islam. | “You’re sounding like a complete lunatic,” Morgan said. “You’re sounding like a bigoted lunatic. You are an Islamophobe who hates Islam. |
| “What you’re doing now is deliberately inflammatory. You’re stirring up hatred. You are abusing people’s religion. You are abusing their faith and you’re being a complete disgrace.” | “What you’re doing now is deliberately inflammatory. You’re stirring up hatred. You are abusing people’s religion. You are abusing their faith and you’re being a complete disgrace.” |
| A spokesperson for Good Morning Britain said: “Tommy Robinson was interviewed on Good Morning Britain this morning to be robustly challenged on controversial comments he made yesterday following the Finsbury Park terror attack, which were widely reported in the news.” | A spokesperson for Good Morning Britain said: “Tommy Robinson was interviewed on Good Morning Britain this morning to be robustly challenged on controversial comments he made yesterday following the Finsbury Park terror attack, which were widely reported in the news.” |
| Morgan also responded to criticism of the interview, tweeting: | Morgan also responded to criticism of the interview, tweeting: |
| The reaction to our @GMB encounter today confirms what I suspected about @TRobinsonNewEra - he inspires a lot of vile, bigoted thugs. | The reaction to our @GMB encounter today confirms what I suspected about @TRobinsonNewEra - he inspires a lot of vile, bigoted thugs. |
| Robinson left the English Defence League in 2013 and is now the UK leader of Pegida, which stands for Patriotic Europeans against the Islamisation of the West. | Robinson left the English Defence League in 2013 and is now the UK leader of Pegida, which stands for Patriotic Europeans against the Islamisation of the West. |
| He has made a series of high-profile media appearances in the past, including interviews with BBC Radio 4’s Today programme in 2013, Jeremy Paxman on Newsnight, and Andrew Neil on the Daily Politics earlier this year. Robinson was interviewed by the Guardian in 2013, when he apologised for causing fear among British Muslims. | He has made a series of high-profile media appearances in the past, including interviews with BBC Radio 4’s Today programme in 2013, Jeremy Paxman on Newsnight, and Andrew Neil on the Daily Politics earlier this year. Robinson was interviewed by the Guardian in 2013, when he apologised for causing fear among British Muslims. |
| ITV channel | |
| Finsbury Park van attack | |
| English Defence League | |
| Piers Morgan | |
| The far right | |
| ITV plc | |
| news | |
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