Latest news with #AdamKelwick
The National
27-05-2025
- The National
Imam at Liverpool FC victory parade hits out at 'disgusting' rumours over car tragedy
A British imam has hit out at social media posts blaming Muslims for the carnage at the Liverpool FC Premier League victory parade on Monday. Adam Kelwick, who leads the Abdullah Quilliam Mosque in Liverpool, was at the parade with friends and family, when the tragedy happened. Four children were among 50 people injured, with one youngster seriously hurt, when a car drove into the crowd. Mr Kelwick, who diffused tension in Liverpool during the Southport riots last year, warned that online fake news was already spreading about the perpetrator's identity. Merseyside Police Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims said the 'horrific incident' was not being treated as terrorism following the arrest of a 53-year-old white British man at the scene. Look at what happened in Southport, was that not enough? Adam Kelwick The force said the suspect was the driver of the car, and that he was from the Liverpool area. Yet social media posts are falsely suggesting the detained man was a Muslim, and that police were concealing his identity, Mr Kelwick said. 'I'm very disappointed. When I went online like a lot of people, we saw the rumours they were starting to spread again,' he said in a social media post, while wearing a Liverpool T-shirt. Liverpool had been celebrating their 20th Premier League title on Monday, and Mr Kelwick reminded followers that Mohammed Salah, who was named the league's Player of the Year, held the trophy on the bus. He was worried that these online rumours could cause anti-Muslim riots as they did in August last year in the aftermath of the Southport stabbings. Mosques and hotels hosting asylum seekers were attacked in August last year after fake news spread online that the Southport killer of three girls had been a Muslim asylum seeker. More than 1,511 arrests were made that week. Mr Kelwick came into the spotlight then for inviting the rioters into his mosque for a meal, in an attempt to diffuse community tension. But his patience appeared to have run out this time. 'I think it's disgusting to be honest. Look at what happened in Southport, was that not enough?' he said. 'When we saw the chaos on our streets, when we saw our city centres being smashed up, when we saw mosques being attacked, when we saw immigration centres being attacked and people's businesses. Was that not enough?' He accused the people spreading those rumours of 'dragging' the incident 'into their narrative of turning people against each other'. Mr Kelwick urged his followers to call out the fake news online, by messaging the person spreading it to correct their mistake. But he was hopeful that Liverpool's communities would 'come together' to prevent a fall out. 'Since the riots last summer, we've come together with communities. People from all different parts of Liverpool who would never have mixed, never have met each other before, and we've built bridges, and we've built friendships,' he said. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he had spoken to the Mayor of Liverpool about the incident, adding: 'Everyone, especially children, should be able to celebrate their heroes without this horror.' At a press conference late on Monday evening, Dave Kitchin from North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) said 27 people were taken to hospital and 20 people were treated at the scene, with four children among the injured. Nick Searle, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service chief fire officer, said four people who were trapped under the car, including a child, were rescued by firefighters. Witness Mike Maddra told the PA news agency the 'car turned left, mounted pavement, come towards us and runs towards the buildings'. He said 'we got out the way and it was speeding up'. Mr Maddra said he thought he saw two people being hit and added, 'it looked deliberate'.
Middle East Eye
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Conservative shadow minister falsely claims British imam supported Hamas attack
A Conservative shadow minister has been criticised for falsely claiming in parliament that a British imam had called for victory for Hamas and celebrated the 7 October attacks. Mims Davies, shadow minister for women and shadow secretary of state for Wales, levelled the accusations against Imam Adam Kelwick on Wednesday during a meeting of parliament. Kelwick, who is imam at Liverpool's Abdullah Quilliam Mosque, attended an iftar hosted by Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Downing Street last week. Afterwards, false claims circulated online that he had prayed for Hamas, which he vehemently rebukes. "The statement made in parliament was false, misleading and defamatory," Kelwick told Middle East Eye on Thursday. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters "I have never, and would never, express support for any terrorist organisation. My work speaks for itself, and will always be rooted in promoting harmony and bringing people together." Last summer, Kelwick made headlines for embracing and feeding protesters outside his mosque after anti-Muslim misinformation was spread online about the killer of three children in Southport. "I was just being nice to people who were being nasty," Kelwick said afterwards. On Wednesday in the House of Commons, Davies asked equalities minister Seema Malhotra whether it was "acceptable for anyone in this country to say that people should pray for victory for Hamas over Israel, or for anyone to celebrate the 7 October attacks as a David-over-Goliath situation." French politicians attack UK Ofsted chair with unfounded 'Islamist takeover' claims Read More » Davies added: "If not, why did the prime minister invite Adam Kelwick, who has said such despicable things, to Number 10 [Downing Street] just last week? "Will the minister apologise on behalf of the prime minister to the Jewish community, who need to know that this government will stand with them against violence, hatred and division - and, in fact, with communities of all races and religions?" Malhotra responded with a single line: "The shadow minister knows that Hamas is a proscribed organisation, and we will not tolerate antisemitism at any point, or in any way." In an Instagram post on 28 October 2023, Kelwick had said: "Pray for peace, pray for mercy, pray for justice, pray for victory, pray for the deceased, pray for those still alive..." There was no mention of Hamas in the post. In a post on social media platform X on 11 October, Kelwick had said: "David beats Goliath!" There was no mention of Hamas in that post either - and no suggestion that Kelwick supported the 7 October Hamas-led attack on Israel. 'Countering extremism' Parliamentary privilege means MPs cannot face legal action for defamatory statements made in parliament. Later on Wednesday, Sarah Owen, co-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for British Muslims, raised a point of order with Commons speaker Lindsay Hoyle, calling Davies' statement "totally inaccurate". Owen said Kelwick "made absolutely no mention, in the post to which she referred, of Hamas or against Israel; that was added wrongly by the shadow minister. He, in fact, called for prayers of peace." She added: "Adam has spent years working on countering extremism and even uniting people through food and conversations when rioters came to attack his local mosque in Liverpool last year. Here is the PM having a lovely time in No10 with Adam Kelwick, an imam who invites people to "pray for [Hamas] victory" over Israel, celebrated 7 October as "David beats Goliath!", and hosts the worst of preachers at his mosque in Liverpool. — Nick Timothy MP (@NJ_Timothy) March 15, 2025 "I ask that the honourable member correct the record, and I remind her that should she have made such statements outside the House, there would possibly be legal action." MEE contacted Davies to ask if she would repeat her claim outside of parliament, or retract it. "My call for prayers for peace was deliberately misrepresented," Kelwick told MEE. "It is disappointing to see my words so blatantly twisted in an attempt to score political points. Kemi Badenoch: What is the new Conservative Party leader's Middle East policy? Read More » He added: "It is concerning that a member of parliament has abused parliamentary privilege to spread misinformation, and make false and slanderous claims against me - something that would be subject to legal action if it were said outside the houses of parliament. "The shadow minister should retract her words and reflect on how and why these lies were shared in the first place." Davies was not the first Conservative MP to have repeated false statements about Kelwick. MP Nick Timothy posted last week that Kelwick invited people to "pray for [Hamas] victory" - inserting the word Hamas into the quote himself. Kelwick said he has worked for years on "building bridges between Muslim, Christian, Jewish, and all other communities in the UK". "I have, and will continue to call out the suffering of the innocent Palestinian people," he said, "as I have done consistently across different conflicts around the globe."
BBC News
15-03-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Preston: 'Our Iftar is turning strangers into friends'
A Muslim leader who embraced protesters in the aftermath of the Southport attacks has spoken of the importance of "turning strangers into friends". Shaykh Adam Kelwick joined Lancashire's Muslim community at the Preston Iftar - the fast-breaking evening meal in Ramadan - for a gathering to bring people of all faiths Kelwick, who went viral for his "beautiful interactions" between Muslims and protesters in August last year, appeared with other leaders including the Iman of Southport Mosque Ibrahim Hussein."It is incredibly important in turning strangers into friends because there's no room for ignorance," he said. The seventh annual interfaith Ramadan Iftar dinner, at the Quakers Friends Meeting House, welcomed people from various backgrounds to "build bridges through friendship and understanding". An Iftar refers to the meal when Muslims break their fast during the Islamic month of Ramadan, and is commonly done as a community with people gathering to break their fast together directly after sunset. Mr Hussein shared his experiences of the night when protesters vandalised Southport mosque in the wake of the town's dance class stabbing said he experienced "great kindness" from the local community in the aftermath."The way they came together to ask us what we needed it was incredible," he said. For those attending, it was an opportunity to share their thoughts on the significance of woman at the event said: "It is really important for us as a community to come together for events like this so we can share our passion for Preston."Another attendee added: "Coming together to break bread, to share stories, to inspire each other to create a better world." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.
