Defence secretary Michael Fallon will pay undisclosed damages to a Muslim
cleric for falsely claiming he supported Islamic State (Isis). Imam Suliman Gani
was dubbed an Isis sympathiser by Prime Minister David Cameron in the Houses
of Commons as the London mayoral elections heated up between Khan and the
Conservatives' Zac Goldsmith in April 2016.
Khan was criticised by the PM for sharing a platform with extremists, like Gani,
and a few days later a similar claim was made on the BBC during the London
Mayoral Debate. Presenter Andrew Neil again described Suliman Gani as being a
supporter of Islamic State, rather than a supporter of an Islamic state, that he
says he intended.
Then, Fallon repeated the claims on 7 May, during BBC Radio Four's Today
programme. Unlike Cameron, Fallon was not protected by parliamentary
privilege and Gani brought legal proceedings.
Cameron and the BBC have subsequently apologised for their mistakes and on
Thursday (23 June), Fallon published a letter on his website that the claims
about the Tooting imam where "entirely untrue".
Fallon wrote: "I was made aware of the BBC's correction and apology a few hours
after the broadcast and immediately issued a statement in an effort to put the
record straight. I accept that you are entirely opposed to Daesh/Islamic State,
that you regard it as incompatible with your religious and moral beliefs, and that
you have spoken out publicly against it."
Source: http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/defence-secretary- michael-fallon- pay-damages-imam-centre-isis-claims- 1567147
