Twitter Q&As remind the Bradford MP of some uncomfortable truths
Yesterday George Galloway made a unique offer to his Twitter followers: if they all sent him a question, he would choose ‘the best one’ and donate his own time to answering it.
Inevitably, Twitter users chose to ask Galloway about his infamous friendship with Saddam Hussein; in 2002 he coyly told the Guardian how the Iraqi dictator had complimented him on his weight loss.
He has also flirted with other repressive regimes, describing President Assad as ‘a breath of fresh air’ and saying it was ‘not true’ that Iran executed homosexuals.
Most recently he made headlines for refusing to debate with an Israeli student at Oxford, saying that he did not recognise or speak to Israelis. He has publicly declared Bradford an ‘Israel free zone’, but has also received criticism in his constituency for how little he is present there.
Here are some of the highlights of yesterday’s questions:
My mate says that Putin’s the best authoritarian dickwad but I think he hasn’t got a moustache so doesn’t count. Do you agree? #askGalloway
— Boris Watch (@BorisWatch) January 28, 2015
#askGalloway Can you remember which northern town beginning with a B you are the MP for? — Duncan Hothersall (@dhothersall) January 28, 2015
If you were to salute the courage, strength, and indefatigability of any living dictator, who would it be and why? #AskGalloway
— Steven Nash (@nashienet) January 28, 2015
What does it feel like to be on the payroll of a country that regularly hangs homosexuals? #AskGalloway — Alex Barnes (@adbarnes1) January 28, 2015
Are you happy being in a union with Dumfries? #askGalloway
— John B (@johnb78) January 28, 2015
Hi George, you want a blasphemy law in Britain. How would you like to see apostates dealt with? Beheading, or hanging? #askgalloway — Ex-Muslims Forum (@CEMB_forum) January 28, 2015
And finally:
When did you decide to consciously start dressing like Gary Glitter? #AskGallowaypic.twitter.com/1Pl63ohH2v
— Jake Warren (@TheJakeWarren) January 28, 2015
Unsurprisingly, Galloway has ended up with a few less Twitter friends than before:
Why did you block me? 🙁 #askgalloway
— Jamie Ross (@JamieRoss7) January 28, 2015
34 Responses to “#AskGalloway backfires spectacularly”
Guest
Er…no. If there’s Islamist elements in the party, it’s not for the authorities to meddle in the membership roster, it’s for the party to be banned if they won’t get rid of them themselves. The first is totalitarian, the second is appropriate.
Guest
You’re trying to call terrorists a military and excuse terrorism, as well as use moral relativism.
Hamas has never targeted military bases with rockets, fancy that. Your friends!
Guest
Your pretend ignorance of what Hamas does..you’re the hypocrite.
Mother Nature
We live recognizing simple facts everyday (the sun is up.) Facts are facts. “History is written by the victors” is easily used to ignore facts on the ground. Are you a Holocaust denier as well?
ForeignRedTory
Would you simply wait for the EDL to be banned, before the Authorities may start looking for racist arses that are members of the EDL, thus turning the EDL into a temporary safe refuge for total wankers?
There is nothing totalitarian about targeting extremists wherever they may be found. Do you think that the German authorities are being totalitarian if they look for neo-Nazis in Pegida?
I don’t think Pegida is neonazi organisation, but I would certainly expect to find some neonazis in their midst!