GB News Journalist Reported For ‘Hate Crime’ By Lewisham Islamic Centre

GB News journalist Charlie Peters (Screengrab via GB News/Youtube)

GB News journalist Charlie Peters was reported to the police by Lewisham Islamic Centre after he inquired about a speech that was reportedly delivered at the mosque located there.

Peters reached out to the mosque for comment after a video, livestreamed by the mosque, showed Imam Shakeel Begg speaking to members on members’ “responsibility towards Gaza and Palestine’. During his address, Begg is seen commenting on the actions of the Israel Defence Forces and discussing the Israel-Hamas conflict.

In response to Peters’ enquiry a representative pointed to GB News’ being subject to multiple Ofcom investigations and its multiple breaches of broadcasting rules. The response went on to allege that Peters’ work was “targeted at certain communities. The response email was then made public by Lewisham Mosque.

“We call upon all mosques not to be intimidated by these tactics,” the tweet read.

Subsequently, Peters quoted that tweet, saying he was “not intimidated” and added: “Tick tock.” The mosque interpreted this phrase as potentially threatening, associating it with the sound of a bomb, and said that it has reported the tweet as a hate crime.

Spiked, a publication that Peters contributes to, protested the hate crime report as an attempt to “criminalise [him] for his journalism.” The article also pointed that in 2018, Begg was unsuccessful in a libel case against the BBC, which had labeled him an “extremist.”

Mediaite UK has contacted GB News and the Metropolitan Police for comment.