“Monty Python” legend John Cleese has been doubling down on his series of inflammatory messages about Islam for months after activists filed a complaint asking Britain’s counter-radicalization program to scrutinize him for the missives.
“How exciting,” the 86-year-old comedian wrote after learning that a member of the public had referred him to Prevent, a British government program designed to intervene when authorities believe a person may be vulnerable to radicalization or involvement in terrorism.
The September 22 referral, first reported by UK-based Muslim-focused news outlet 5Pillars, accused Cleese of a “sustained pattern” of online activity that “demonizes, dehumanizes and collectively attributes violence and crime to Muslims and Islam.”
He claimed his messages met “several indicators used in PREVENT risk assessments on anti-Muslim hatred and countering extremism” and warned his rhetoric could contribute to “radicalization, community tensions and hate incidents.”
The complainant reportedly assessed the risk as “moderate to high”.
Among the documents cited was a July 18 rebroadcast describing Islam as “the religion of pedophiles,” according to 5Pillars.
The complaint also cited a March 31 article in which Cleese referred to “a culture whose holy book advocates the murder of all people with whom they disagree,” as well as an April article describing a religious practice as “a barbaric custom” in “approximately 60 Muslim countries.”
“These statements go beyond criticism of ideas and associate criminality, violence and moral depravity intrinsic to a religious group,” the plaintiff alleged.
But Cleese called the episode “All good comedy material. For those with a sense of humor.”
The actor rejected accusations that his criticism amounted to hatred towards Muslims, instead describing himself as “Islamosceptic”.
He argued that Islam, its teachings and practices should be ridiculed, just as Christianity was in the Monty Python troupe’s 1979 religious satire, “The Life of Brian.”
“Criticism of Islam is not racist, it is culturalist,” Cleese wrote in February, citing female genital mutilation as an example.
The following month, he declared that “traditional British values are under attack by Muslim belief systems”.
He then wrote that “the teaching of the Quran is to gain power, kill the “infidels” and impose Islam on everyone. »
The dismissal does not mean Cleese has been arrested, charged with a crime or formally charged with terrorism.
Prevent operates in what the UK government calls the “non-crime space”, with referrals assessed to determine whether a person may need intervention.
Cases may be closed without further action, while those deemed appropriate may be referred to Channel, a voluntary intervention program for people considered vulnerable to radicalization.
There is no public evidence that Cleese was placed in the Channel or subjected to a criminal investigation. But the extraordinary complaint nevertheless placed one of Britain’s most famous comedians in a government system created to combat radicalization.
Gn entert
