Steven Emerson later apologises for error as Twitter rounds on his view of Islam in Britain under the hashtag #FoxNewsFacts

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

Non-Muslims do not go to the British city of Birmingham, which has become a “totally Muslim” city, it has been claimed. Speaking on US news channel Fox News, Steven Emerson – who claims to be a “terrorism expert” – also said that gangs of religious police in parts of London beat up people who are not wearing Islamic clothes.

Emerson later apologised for his comments, which he admitted were “totally in error”, and said he was planning to make a donation to the Birmingham Children’s hospital.

Emerson appeared as part of Fox News coverage of the recent series of murders in Paris, including the attack on the offices of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.

He said: “In Britain, it’s not just no-go zones, there are actual cities like Birmingham that are totally Muslim where non-Muslims just simply don’t go in.

“And, parts of London, there are actually Muslim religious police that actually beat and actually wound seriously anyone who doesn’t dress according to religious Muslim attire.”

According to census data, around 850,000 non-Muslims live in Birmingham, accounting for approximately 80% of the near 1.1 million population of Britain’s second largest city.

Emerson’s claims drew both criticism and ridicule, with many people mocking his view of Islam in Britain on Twitter under the hashtag #FoxNewsFacts.

Rabeb Othmani (@Rabeb_Othmani) If you are a non-muslim and would like to visit Birmingham #illridewithyou #FoxNewsFacts

Nick Pettigrew (@Nick_Pettigrew) Plans are under way to rename the main shopping centre in Birmingham to The Kabul Ring. #foxnewsfacts

Sarfraz Manzoor (@sarfrazmanzoor) By the 1970s there were only a handful of white men left living in Birmingham. They were dubbed The Birmingham 6. #FoxNewsFacts

In a statement, Emerson said he made a “terrible error” for which he was “deeply sorry”.

He said: “My comments about Birmingham were totally in error. And I am issuing an apology and correction on my website immediately for having made this comment about the beautiful city of Birmingham.

“I do not intend to justify or mitigate my mistake by stating that I had relied on other sources because I should have been much more careful.

“There was no excuse for making this mistake and I owe an apology to every resident of Birmingham. I am not going to make any excuses. I made an inexcusable error. And I am obligated to openly acknowledge that mistake.

“I intend to make a donation to Birmingham Children’s Hospital.”

Fox News did not respond to a request for comment.