Brummie caliphate uncovered by Fox News

[Dartzap]

Apparently it's in league with the Black Country

Apology for 'Muslim Birmingham' Fox News claim

An American terrorism commentator has apologised for describing Birmingham as a "Muslim-only city" where non-Muslims "don't go" during a Fox News interview.

Steven Emerson told the channel that in London "Muslim religious police" beat "anyone who doesn't dress according to Muslim, religious Muslim attire".

He later issued an apology for his "terrible error".

His comments have come in for ridicule, with the hashtag #FoxNewsFacts trending on Twitter.

Mr Emerson, who founded a group called The Investigative Project on Terrorism, was giving his perspective on the terror attacks in France to Fox presenter Jeanine Pirro.

'Check your facts'

Birmingham City Council said Mr Emerson's "curious" comments had no foundation, and welcomed his apology, while Birmingham Edgbaston MP Gisela Stuart described the remarks as "stupid".

On social media, Mr Emerson has been the butt of jokes, while he has been accused of "speaking nonsense" by people posting on his investigative website.

One Twitter user said: "As someone born and raised in Birmingham, I must admit there was a pressure to read the Kerrang."

"I was supposed to go to Birmingham last week but I forgot my passport," said another.

The Guardian's Simon Ricketts on #FoxNewsFacts
I was at home and the video of the Fox News "expert" Steve Emerson had popped up on my Twitter feed and people were rightly expressing their disbelief at what he had said.

I thought it might be funny to counteract the anger with silliness, so I wrote a tweet and stuck the hashtag (#FoxNewsFacts) on it.

Sometimes the best response to such nonsense is satire and mockery, rather than anger and outrage.
Immediately, that proved successful and the people of Twitter did what they do best at times - took an idea and ran with it.

Take the BBC quiz to find out if you know #RealBrumfacts
Speaking on Radio 4's PM programme, Mr Emerson said: "I don't want people to use this to claim there's no such thing as radical Islam."

He said he "absolutely" stood by comments about "vigilante Muslim groups" in some parts of London.
In terms of Birmingham, however, Mr Emerson admitted he "made an egregious error here in not doing my homework", adding: "I deserve what I got."

He said he had relied on sources he had used in the past, but accepted "responsibility" for his comments.
Mr Emerson said he also wanted to apologise to "all the residents of Birmingham".

'Cosmopolitan city'

Kings Heath resident Penny Hughes, 27, said she really missed the city when she moved away.
"I moved to Leamington Spa for work which was completely different but I wanted to come back, so I did two or three years later.

"I grew up in Handsworth which was a very Asian and multicultural area."
Shabir Vanat, a 61-year-old Muslim who left Uganda for Birmingham almost 40 years ago, described it as "a very cosmopolitan city".

He said: "I've been in this shop for 29 years and I've never had one single problem - I am a big fan of Birmingham."
Responding to the controversy, Birmingham City Councillor James McKay said: "We are amazingly diverse, and that's one of the things that makes us brilliant - all this fuss is a reminder of how it's always best to check your facts before getting into a debate.

"Maybe Fox News could come and visit some time, and see for themselves what a great city we have here?"
Edgbaston MP Ms Stuart said Mr Emerson's comments had "no redeeming features".

"I checked whether this was some kind of early April Fool spoof, and then I thought he was talking about Birmingham, Alabama, but then I realised he was just utterly and completely wrong," the Labour MP said.
Birmingham's religions
The city's population estimated at 1,073,045
Christian: 494,358
Muslim: 234,411
Sikh: 32,376
Hindu: 22,362
Buddhist: 4,780
Jewish: 2,205
Other: 5,646
No religion: 206,821
Religion not stated: 70,086
Source: Census 2011

As well as earlier apologising for his remarks, Mr Emerson has offered to make a donation to Birmingham Children's Hospital.

"I have clearly made a terrible error for which I am deeply sorry," said Mr Emerson, a witness called to testify to at least one Congressional committee.
"I do not intend to justify or mitigate my mistake by stating that I had relied on other sources because I should have been much more careful.

Scott Lucas, professor of American Studies at the University of Birmingham, said Mr Emerson's comments, however inaccurate, would appeal to some in the US.
"He speaks in sound bites that some people want to hear," he said.
"Some people want to hear it's us versus them, it's America versus the rest of the world, that it's white Americans versus - let's be honest - those who aren't white and those who profess a different faith.
"Unfortunately, if you tap into that you will be in demand for certain media outlets who give you your 15 seconds of infamy."

More than 1,000 people have signed an online petition calling for Mr Emerson to make an "on-air apology to the people of Birmingham UK for saying non-Muslims cannot enter our beloved multi-cultural city".
Maryam Snape, who started the petition, said: "The fact of the matter is the American people saw this story and they are still going to believe it is the truth until he puts it right."
BBC Asian Network - reaction

Callers to BBC Asian Network's Nihal Show gave their reaction to the controversy.
One man sent a text to the show saying as a Sikh he felt certain areas of the city were intimidating for non-Muslims.
Another caller said there were other areas where Muslims would feel intimidated and perhaps worry about being attacked.
Most callers, however, criticised Mr Emerson's claims, which were described as "dangerous" and "absurd" and having the potential to harm community relations.

Citizen Khan creator Adil Ray said Mr Emerson's comment was completely baseless and he was "instilling fear" in people.
But he said people had responded in the best way possible.

"It's a great sign that in Birmingham we don't take ourselves too seriously and it's the best way to react with contempt and with satire and humour."

Wa Wa Wowowowowowo.

[HMS Sophia]

As said elsewhere, my dads family is from around here. This is just... wut

[Lord Pounder]

Having dated a brummie and spent a lot of time there it is an easy mistake to make.

[Zaune]

Some people might say that Birmingham being full of Muslim extremists instead of being full of Brummies would be an improvement.

And have I mentioned that my little brother, a long-time resident of Birmingham, is seeing a girl from the southern United States? I can't wait to hear how he explains this to her designated "elderly relative who's a flaming racist and too old and ornery to learn better". Heeheehee!

[salm]

Apparently Fox News also claimed that a bunch of hipster areas in Paris were no-go zones neither tourists nor police dared to enter.
It´s not really surprising just eye roll worthy.

[mr friendly guy]

These "no go zones" seem prevalent amoung racists doesn't it? I remember reading in the local paper a few years ago that places in the city have been no go zones for white people because of ASIANS. Naturally when I went to a Chinese restaurant there I saw zero white people, and those white people I saw were clearly fake. But then these people who claim "no go zones" just pull that claim out of their arse rather than research. Witness when this Faux news loser is quizzed on his source, he said he got it from sources he trusted (which were obviously mistaken) and refused to name the source. Wonder why? Maybe because there isn't one?

[salm]

. Naturally when I went to a Chinese restaurant there I saw zero white people, and those white people I saw were clearly fake.

What is a "fake" white person?

[General Zod]

. Naturally when I went to a Chinese restaurant there I saw zero white people, and those white people I saw were clearly fake.

What is a "fake" white person?

Michael Jackson?

[mr friendly guy]

. Naturally when I went to a Chinese restaurant there I saw zero white people, and those white people I saw were clearly fake.

What is a "fake" white person?

Its sarcasm. Since these people advocating the existence of certain "no go zones" believe white people cannot go into these areas, then all white people I see in these "no go zones" can only be fake. That's the only thing that makes sense. Otherwise we would have to conclude that people claiming the existence of "no go zones" are lying, and that's just unthinkable.

[salm]

Lol. It was rather early here when I posted that.

[mr friendly guy]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vciiYbl3hoU

Even the BBC reporter couldn't help himself to a good laugh when interviewing Emerson.

Oh, and it tunrs out when he means Muslim "religious police" he really means Muslim gangs beating up people. Because the gangs are "de facto" police you see.

[SpottedKitty]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vciiYbl3hoU

Even the BBC reporter couldn't help himself to a good laugh when interviewing Emerson.

<snrk> I couldn't watch more than half of that before I was laughing too hard to pay attention. He sounded like he was doing a bad job of reading from a written statement. And this is someone who's given actual official evidence on the subject to actual official US Congressional enquiries...?

[Zaune]

These "no go zones" seem prevalent amoung racists doesn't it?

Sounds about right. I remember hearing the guy who runs the 18-30 wing of my local Rotary Club complaining about the immensely hostile reaction to any English person walking into a local Polish delicatessen and convenience store... the same store where I've been on several occasions to buy a soda while waiting for a bus, and have always found the staff to be perfectly polite and speak impeccable English.

Maybe they just overheard him casually drop an ethnic slur into the conversation while talking to someone else and drew the appropriate conclusions. (Have I mentioned I really didn't like this guy?)

[Lord Pounder]

These "no go zones" seem prevalent amoung racists doesn't it?

Sounds about right. I remember hearing the guy who runs the 18-30 wing of my local Rotary Club complaining about the immensely hostile reaction to any English person walking into a local Polish delicatessen and convenience store... the same store where I've been on several occasions to buy a soda while waiting for a bus, and have always found the staff to be perfectly polite and speak impeccable English.

Maybe they just overheard him casually drop an ethnic slur into the conversation while talking to someone else and drew the appropriate conclusions. (Have I mentioned I really didn't like this guy?)

I think that by no go they mean places they'd rather not go to as for once they'd be the minority.

[Raw Shark]

That's it, yes. About once a week I'll have somebody at work solemnly advise me that white people simply cannot go to the west side without getting their throats cut for a nickel by [some colorful term for a Mexican person], to which I always reply that I dated a white girl so pale that she bursts into flames in the sun that lived over there for months and that there's this one burrito shack that does juicy, amazing carnitas that we used to walk to at night.

[Simon_Jester]

If you assume that all or even most members of a racial minority are criminals, then basically the idea of going into any neighborhood where the bulk of the population IS minorities is terrifying. And that amazing burrito shack starts to look (to aforesaid racist idiot) like the Mos Eisley cantina, because obviously everyone in there is a thug or the dearest friend of a thug, which makes the place a wretched hive of scum and villainy by default.

So they assume that at least, say, a quarter of the population are criminals (bullshit), and that the only reason whites don't live there is fear of crime (bullshit, as it's generally economics plus in a fair number of cases this same racism and fear of brown people).

Go figure.

[mr friendly guy]

Faux news really love their no go zones.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfLf6tO7vSA

[Joun_Lord]

If you assume that all or even most members of a racial minority are criminals, then basically the idea of going into any neighborhood where the bulk of the population IS minorities is terrifying. And that amazing burrito shack starts to look (to aforesaid racist idiot) like the Mos Eisley cantina, because obviously everyone in there is a thug or the dearest friend of a thug, which makes the place a wretched hive of scum and villainy by default.

So they assume that at least, say, a quarter of the population are criminals (bullshit), and that the only reason whites don't live there is fear of crime (bullshit, as it's generally economics plus in a fair number of cases this same racism and fear of brown people).

Go figure.

To be fair there are some areas that while they aren't no go zones so to speak there is plenty of violence and crime to the point people will want to avoid it. A government housing near where I live I avoid going around not because I'm a scared little white guy afraid of having running into evil dark people but because there is plenty of crime such as violence, drug dealing, and just fights. I don't think everyone in there is a thug or friend of a thug but there are are violence prone individuals there and I'd like to avoid conflicts which are far more likely to occur there. And I don't avoid the place cause I'm whiter then a albino ghost covered in seamen (because their uniforms are white), there are plenty of white people that live in the area too.

Sure those areas are predominately black but I also avoid backwoods predominately white trailer parks and "hollers" for much the same reasons. Considering the reasons are the same for white and black areas it can't really be racism why I avoid the areas, I'm white (mostly) so I can't really be racist towards my own race.

Probably.

Its risk assessment essentially. I'd like to avoid being shot or stabbed so I avoid the areas in my town where I see quite often some guy from Detroit was shot or stabbed, some white trash mofos were busted for meth labs, and shell casings and the occasional empty clipazine can be found. I enjoy living a not stabbed or shot life.

Now if I was avoiding those areas solely because mean old minorities were living there, yeah I'd be doing my state proud and being racist as a really racist Mountaineer American but I don't, I just avoid it because its violence prone irregardless of the color of its inhabitants.

Also, don't think I'm defending the Faux News douchestain. His reasons are probably racist as all fuck, same as plenty of others might be. Just saying the reason for avoiding some areas that might be racially homogenous is not because of the racial make-up but because its a violence prone plan. And the violence is not even because of the skin color of its people but more then likely the poverty level of the people, why a poor white trailer park is just as violent a poor black "ghetto".

I guess someone can accuse me of being classist or something (racist against poor people) though considering I'm pretty damn poor too and have in my youth lived in both trailers parks and government housing during my life that argument flies as well a Muslim on a airline flight.

[mr friendly guy]

The thing is, some of these "no go zones" are clearly not places where the locals associate with more violence than any other place in the country. For example the entire city of Birmingham and that those areas in France lampooned in my link above.

[Raw Shark]

To be fair there are some areas that while they aren't no go zones so to speak there is plenty of violence and crime to the point people will want to avoid it. [snip]

Congrats on being a cautious non-racist. How is that relevant to a discussion about people avoiding an area specifically because of its ethnic and/or religious demographics?

[Joun_Lord]

The thing is, some of these "no go zones" are clearly not places where the locals associate with more violence than any other place in the country. For example the entire city of Birmingham and that those areas in France lampooned in my link above.

The description of areas of France and the whole of Birmingham as no go zones by Weasel New talking head is quite clearly the result of racism. Its not even the dummy misinterpreting crime statistics or getting bad information, its just him saying avoid the area because "evil" Muslims are there. Sure their was some lip service to violence with the "muslim gangs beating up people" thats not implied to be the main reason as to why these areas are henceforth to be known as no go zones.

How is that relevant to a discussion about people avoiding an area specifically because of its ethnic and/or religious demographics?

My point, muddled as it probably was, was that just avoidance of "minority" areas by individuals is not necessarily always because of racist reasons.

[Raw Shark]

How is that relevant to a discussion about people avoiding an area specifically because of its ethnic and/or religious demographics?

My point, muddled as it probably was, was that just avoidance of "minority" areas by individuals is not necessarily always because of racist reasons.

But, in fact, usually is when they say so?

[Joun_Lord]

How is that relevant to a discussion about people avoiding an area specifically because of its ethnic and/or religious demographics?

My point, muddled as it probably was, was that just avoidance of "minority" areas by individuals is not necessarily always because of racist reasons.

But, in fact, usually is when they say so?

When they come right out and say "I avoid Birmingham/Compton/WV because Muslims/Blacks/Whites" then yes that unequivocally for racist reasons. Other times, not so much.

Sometimes the area actually IS violent and those one wants to avoid it to not risk injury as I do at times. They and I avoid such areas not because of the color of the inhabitants but the point of their blades and lead of their bullets which facts back up the people there are liable to use.

Sometimes the avoidee avoids the area as the result of actually bad information (I've met some people who say they would never go to WV because they think all the people there are meth making KKK members or violent xenophobic hillbillies, they don't hate white people but thanks to shows like Deliverance, Wrong Turn, and other movies along with vaguely racist but still accepted stereotypes that permeate our culture have an distorted view of Appalachia that would do Fox News proud). Such a reason would be racist but I think would also be different from the "hateful" racism but I dunno.

Still one should not accuse someone who avoids certain areas of being a racist without getting the full story of the reason first. Then they can make accusations of racism.

[Lord Revan]

the thing is that no-one would call those areas "no-go zones" with implication that you're not allowed to go there, just cause you can go there doesn't mean you should. When Fox News says "no go zone" they don't mean "areas that might be dangerous to go due high crime rate" they mean "area where evil muslims have taken over and white people aren't allowed".

It's quite telling that dispite Sweden supposebly being one of those countries where there's "no-go zones", this is the first I've heard of them and due to the high level of co-operation between the Nordic countries (I live in Finland) not to mention tourism it would seem unlikely that I would have never heard of such things until now if they existed elsewhere then in the minds of racists and religious fanatics.