A tense row kicked off on GB News after 5Pillars Editor Roshan M Salih said he “wants everyone in Britain to become Muslim”.
The remark came about during a discussion about the power of the Muslim vote in the country after a new poll showed 63 per cent of British Muslims continue to back Labour.
This is despite the party’s stance on the Israel-Gaza conflict being deeply at odds with large sections of the community.
Salih took aim at media institutions including GB News, who he claims are guilty of stoking up Islamophobia in Britain.
Patrick Christys clashes with Roshan M Salih
GB NEWS
Patrick asked: “Is the objective to be the dominant political force in Britain?”
Salih said the suggestion was “ridiculous” due to Muslims making up a relatively small portion of the entire British population.
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The pair disagreed about whether Britons should be concerned about the rising influence of British Muslims on UK politics
GB NEWS
He added: “We’re what, four million people in this country out of 70 million. I don’t know what that is in percentage terms.
“Even if we wanted that to be true, that isn’t going to happen for hundreds of years.
“I will be honest about it, I would love for the whole of Britain to become Muslim. I believe Islam is the truth and I believe that it is a wonderful thing for everybody.
“The reality is, we are a small minority in this country and it’s more about protecting ourselves from Islamophobia and racism and trying to project what we believe is an equitable foreign policy. We don’t believe our country should be helping Israel slaughter and massacre the people of Gaza.
Thousands of pro-Palestine protesters have marched through London since the start of the Israel-Hamas warPA“There is a lot of anti-Muslim feeling in this country whipped up by the mainstream media, even by GB News I would say and people are afraid because of that reason. I would say it’s false propaganda.”
Patrick went onto comment that he would take a “massive objection” to Salih’s comments, and argued that many Britons have a right to feel concerned about the growing influence of Muslims on the country’s affairs.
Probed by Salih as to why he feels that way, the GB News star responded: “The rise of terrorism, that’s an obvious thing.
“Obviously that’s a threat.”
The editor of the British Muslim news website 5Pillars refuted Patrick’s argument to say terror groups like Isis and al-Qaeda “don’t represent Muslims”.
He added: “They’re not from our community and we’re not hiding them under our bed.”