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OUTSPOKEN UKIP MEP David Coburn is facing calls to be sacked today after comparing Scottish Government minister Humza Yousaf to terrorist and hate cleric Abu Hamza.

In comments made to the Daily Mail, Mr Coburn referred to a TV debate and spoke of sharing a panel with ‘Humza Yousaf, or as I call him, Abu Hamza.’

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Mr Yousaf, who is the Minister for Europe and International Development, told the paper he was “appalled, disgusted and hurt” and said the comments were ‘Islamophobia of the worst kind.’

The Muslim MSP has since written to UKIP leader Nigel Farage urging him to expel Coburn from UKIP and says he should be removed from the European Parliament.

Mr Yousaf's condemnation of the comment was echoed by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon who described the remarks as "appalling" and "reprehensible".

The First Minister said: "For David Coburn to effectively compare Humza to a convicted terrorist because he is Muslim is disgraceful and he must surely face consequences for that.

"This is about the most basic standards of decency in public life - even for a party like Ukip - but there seems to be no depths below which Mr Coburn will not sink. Nigel Farage should remove him from his party."

Other party leaders have been quick to publicly slam Mr Coburn's remark.

Scottish Conservatives leader Ruth Davidson tweeted: "Totally unacceptable. Our country is better than this. And he's got form. Mindless idiot"

Scots Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said the reported comment was "astonishing" and labelled Mr Coburn "an offensive fool".

Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy followed suit, saying: "UKIP's David Coburn is a disgrace and his views are so vile. Disgusting."

Coburn, who is the right-wing party’s sole elected representative in Scotland, has previously sparked outrage after saying that Alex Salmond would be ‘swinging from a lamppost’ if there had been a Yes vote in the independence referendum.

Ukip's Scottish chairman, Arthur Misty Thackeray, denied the comparison had been made, saying his party colleague made a "slip of the tongue" and "got a name wrong".

Spokesman Mazhar Khan said: "MCS is appalled at the Ukip leader in Scotland, David Coburn, for his deeply offensive remark at Humza Yousaf MSP in referring to him as "Abu Hamza".

"The stereotyping of Muslims as extremists and terrorists, is one the most shameful forms of Islamophobia, and a manner constantly used by right-wing groups such as the BNP and the English/ Scottish Defence League at caricaturing Muslims. For a leader of a political party to make the same type of insult, is frankly disgraceful and reprehensible.

"The fact that Ukip is no stranger to such controversy and has regularly been accused of having racists within its ranks, only exacerbates the offence.

"To prove its rejection of intolerance and Islamophobia, MCS calls on Ukip leader Nigel Farage to do the right thing and take immediate action against David Coburn, such a person is not fit to represent Scottish people in the European parliament."

Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy said the comments were "sickening and senseless".

"This isn't the first time that Mr Coburn has been caught out for having vile views," he added.

"People across Scotland, including even those who voted for him, will now want to see the back of him."

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