Back to the blundering BBC, whose latest mishap involves one of the broadcaster’s cricket pundits. Qasim Sheikh, formerly a Scotland international cricketer and a new addition to the Beeb’s sports commentator team, has been accused of antisemitism after sharing some rather controversial social media posts — including an image of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak with an Adolf Hilter moustache. So much for impartiality…
The picture showed Sunak with other world leaders — including German chancellor Olaf Scholz, president Biden and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu — with flags on their foreheads and moustaches on their upper lips. The post branded the group the ‘Kids Killers Union’, while statements made alongside it appeared to suggest Hamas’s 7 October attack on Israel could be justified as Palestine’s right to self-defence. In May, Sheikh accused Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer of being ‘genocide enablers’, and before that, not long after Hamas’s attack in October, a post by the ex-cricketer read:
The UK/US instantly stand with Israel today, although have stayed quiet for years on the atrocity committed by Israel over Palestine. Claiming Palestine has no justification to attack, don’t they have a right to defend themselves.
It’s a rather uncomfortable situation for the Beeb — and not least because the organisation has already had to deal with troublesome social media use by other staff members, including controversy-prone Gary Lineker. Sheikh, signed recently by the public service broadcaster, will commentate on the T20 World Cup and the ex-cricketer’s first appearance is due today during the England v Scotland match in Barbados.
The former cricketer insists:
If my messages have caused people to think I am supporting the attacks of October 7th, then that would not sit well with me, and I apologise for any offence this has caused. I would never seek to support any loss of innocent lives. That was not my intention. I welcome the opportunity to clearly state my views. I have been clear from the outset that the killing of innocent lives is wrong. There is no way I would support what happened on October the 7th as acceptable, it was morally reprehensible. As is the ongoing situation in Gaza where many innocent lives continue to be lost – many of which are women and children. I will continue to call for a stop on the killing of innocent civilians, my message is clear for a ceasefire and a stop to all conflict.
The BBC has not yet commented on their new pundit’s social media use but it’s never a good look to make news lines when you’re supposed to be presenting them. Talk about starting on a sticky wicket…
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