Fox News man is 'complete idiot' for Birmingham Muslim comments – David Cameron

The Fox News presenter who said the British city of Birmingham was a no-go zone for non-Muslims is a “complete idiot”, prime minister David Cameron has said.

“When I heard this, frankly, I choked on my porridge and I thought it must be April fool’s day,” Cameron said. “This guy’s clearly a complete idiot.”

Terrorism expert Steven Emerson claimed on US news channel Fox News that non-Muslims do not go to Birmingham, which he said had become a “totally Muslim” city. Emerson added:

In Britain, it’s not just no-go zones, there are actual cities like Birmingham that are totally Muslim where non-Muslims just simply don’t go in.

And, parts of London, there are actually Muslim religious police that actually beat and actually wound seriously anyone who doesn’t dress according to religious Muslim attire.

Emerson later apologised “for having made this comment about the beautiful city of Birmingham”.

Cameron said: “He’s started with an apology. That’s not a bad start. But what he should actually do is actually look at Birmingham and see what a fantastic example it is of bringing people together of different faiths, different backgrounds and actually building a world-class, brilliant city with a great and strong economy.”

Emerson’s website describes him as “one of the leading authorities” on Islamic extremist networks, and states: 

Emerson and his staff frequently provide briefings to US government and law enforcement agencies, members of Congress and congressional committees.

His claims drew immediate criticism and ridicule under a hashtag mocking the channel’s comments, with many taking the opportunity to unearth more of FoxNews’ inaccurate reports. 

Here’s a round-up of some of the best Twitter reaction.

Rabeb Othmani kindly offered to accompany non-Muslim people visiting Birmingham, referencing the hashtag #illridewithyou that was used to counter fears over the safety of Muslim people after customers and staff were taken hostage in a cafe in Sydney in December.