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SCOTLAND'S only elected UKIP politician was under mounting pressure to stand down as a Westminster candidate last night after comparing an SNP minister to convicted terrorist Abu Hamza.

David Coburn, who was elected as a Euro MP last year, referred to “Humza Yousaf, or as I call him Abu Hamza” in an interview with a journalist.

Only two months ago, right-winger Coburn sparked fury by claiming that Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon would be “hanging from lampposts” if there had been a Yes vote.

In a letter of apology to Muslim MSP Yousaf, Coburn said his latest racist comment was made in “jest”.

But UKIP’s Scottish chairman later inflamed the situation by insisting the SNP’s minister for Europe and international development should “develop a sense of humour and a thicker skin”.

Coburn made the initial remark while discussing his appearance on the BBC’s Big Immigration Debate on Tuesday.

He said Yousaf was supposed to appear on the show, then said: “Humza Yousaf, or as I call him, Abu Hamza, didn’t seem to turn up.”

When called to account, Coburn first claimed he’d been speaking “off the record” then that he was only joking.

Radical cleric Hamza was jailed for life by a judge in New York in January after a jury found him guilty of backing terrorist groups, aiding hostage-taking in Yemen and seeking to set up an al-Qaeda training camp in the US.

In 2006, Hamza was jailed in the UK for seven years for soliciting murder and inciting racial hatred.

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Coburn is standing for UKIP in May’s general election in the Falkirk seat held by shamed MP Eric Joyce.

Yesterday the leaders of Scotland’s main political parties called on UKIP leader Nigel Farage to sack him.

(Image: HEMEDIA/SWNS Group)

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “This is an appalling and reprehensible thing to say. For David Coburn to 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.”

Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie said: “This was a new low from an MEP who is incapable of opening his mouth without being grotesquely offensive. Nigel Farage keeps telling us his party is not racist or prejudiced. It is time he proved it by sacking Mr Coburn.”

Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy said: “These comments are sickening and senseless. This isn’t the first time Mr Coburn has been caught out for having vile views.

“People across Scotland, even those who voted for him, will now want to see the back of him. If Nigel Farage doesn’t kick him out at the next European elections, I’m sure Scotland will.”

Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson said: “This is unacceptable. Our country is better than this. David Coburn has form for this kind of behaviour.”

Farage was unavailable for comment yesterday but in an email to Yousaf headed “sincere apologies”, Coburn wrote: “I am very sorry that I have offended you as I clearly have. It was wrong to say what I did, even in jest. It was not something I am proud of.”

When we contacted Coburn about the row, he said: “It’s all bollocks.” A UKIP spokesman later said he had been speaking about his satnav system.

(Image: PA)

Meanwhile, UKIP Scottish chairman Arthur Misty Thackeray said: “It was a slip of a tongue in getting a name wrong. There was no intention to compare Humza Yousaf to anyone at all.

“David Coburn has issued a formal apology. People get names mixed up all the time. I am regularly called Minty like the character out of EastEnders, but I don’t go greeting to the papers about Mistyphobia.

“Humza really needs to develop a sense of humour and a thicker skin if he is going to be a politician.”

Asid Khan, president of Glasgow Central Mosque, said: “David Coburn’s unacceptable Islamophobia has no place in a tolerant, diverse Scotland.

“Muslims have spent years rightly distinguishing the true teachings of Islam against the actions of terrorists. For an elected member to refer to Humza Yousaf as a convicted extremist is beyond the pale.

“David Coburn’s remarks have deeply insulted the entire Muslim community in Scotland and as others have rightly said, his position is untenable. UKIP should expel him without hesitation.”

Vicki Burns, of Show Racism the Red Card Scotland, said: “Too often racist statements are dismissed as jokes or banter. Casual stereotyping lays the foundation for racist acts.

“UKIP claim that they are not a racist party, therefore they must treat the racist language and behaviour of their members seriously.”

Coburn, 56, was elected last year after benefiting from a collapse in support for the Lib Dems.

In October, he branded gay marriage supporters “equality Nazis” who were fighting for something that only mattered to “some queen who wants to dress up in a bridal frock and

dance up the aisle to the Village People”.

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Coburn, who is himself gay, also said same-sex marriage was “false bollocks” that “makes a mockery of the holy sacrament of marriage”.

In January, he called Nicola Sturgeon “helmet hairdo”, saying: “If Scotland had voted Yes, they’d be hanging Salmond and helmet hairdo and all her silly friends.

“They’d be stringing them up from lampposts in Charlotte Square by now.”

Humza Yousaf's view

David Coburn’s Islamophobic slur toward me has left me feeling angry, appalled and also deeply hurt.

It is quite unbelievable for anyone to think it is appropriate to compare me to a convicted terrorist simply because I am a Muslim.

None of us would tolerate this being shouted at a Muslim in the street – but the fact it has come from an elected MEP is beyond the pale.

Disagreement is normal in politics but we expect a basic standard of decency from those in public life – and David Coburn has fallen far short.

Sadly, this is the type of behaviour we have come to expect from him. This is a man who previously spoke of Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon “hanging from a lamppost”. There are no depths to which he won’t sink.

UKIP have been plagued by incidents of senior members making xenophobic, racist or Islamophobic remarks.

Asid Khan, president of Glasgow Central Mosque, yesterday spoke out to say that these latest comments from Mr Coburn “deeply insulted the entire Muslim community”, going on to say that Mr Coburn’s position is untenable. I wholeheartedly agree with Mr Khan.

If UKIP leader Nigel Farage fails to take action and sack David Coburn, he is effectively condoning Islamophobia. In a week in which we saw Mr Farage say he would scrap “much of” race discrimination law, his silence will speak volumes.

Thankfully, in Scotland today these kind of incidents are the exception rather than the rule. There is absolutely no place for Islamophobia and racism in Scotland – and whenever I do experience it, I have no qualms about calling it out.

It has been heartening to see the opposition parties condemn Mr Coburn’s comments – and I have been overwhelmed by many messages of support and encouragement from people across the country.

I am deeply proud that we all stand united against the small-minded and hateful attitude of the few.

I would encourage everyone to keep speaking up. We must confront these distasteful views head on – it is the only way we will stamp them out.

As Robert Burns wrote: “That man to man the world o’er, Shall brothers be for a’ that.”