An interview with Jemima Khan in the latest New Statesman claims that George Galloway has converted to Islam:
“George Galloway, MP for Bradford West, is a Muslim. He converted more than ten years ago in a ceremony at a hotel in Kilburn, north-west London, attended by members of the Muslim Association of Great Britain.”
As Scrapbook reported previously, however, the campaign claims that he is a lifetime teetotaller are likely to be contested by his former associates.
Indeed, writing in the Sunday Express the former deputy editor of the East London Advertiser, Ted Jeory, reports claims from Galloway’s political aides in Tower Hamlets that he has consumed alcohol in private — within the last ten years.
“contrary to his “I’m a good Muslim” claim to be a teetotaller, [Galloway's consumption on winning Bradford West] could also have been the glass of wine his aides once told me he occasionally drinks in private)”
We’ll drink to that!
16 Comments
Er… story about Galloway being a Muslim, accompanied by the most sinister photo of him you can find? Did someone say “Islamophobia”?
I’m sure it’s less than ten years since Galloway was on Question Time claiming to speak “as a Catholic”.
@Anonymous: No. It was the only image of him in our library when we were trying to rush out the post.
So he converted to Islam. When did he convert to Complete Twatism?
Your point is? who cares whether Galloway is a member of religous cult whether islam Catholic Cof E C of S or indeed an atheist what relevance is that ot him being an MP
I have heard him say “Once a Catholic, always a Catholic” in response to a question on his faith. I guess it is not exactly saying “I am a Catholic” – if he needs a get out!
Lovely little smear piece, how much did the Labour Party pay you publish this?
Nasty, grubby, Islamophobic, hysterical, shallow attempt at a smear. I have no idea what his religion is and I don’t care. I care about the fact that he stands for socialist principles, something that the Labour Party have forgotten the meaning of
@Djay – yeah his religion doesn’t matter – what matter’s is his constant lying to get elected
George is a pastafarian! The second fastest growing religion in the world, (after Jedi). The Flying Spaghetti Monster is lord of all the gods, and HE commands us to dress up as pirates and consume beer. Though none of that is compulsory, and in fact, you don’t even have to believe in his noodly magnificence to be a member of the faith. As HE (the noodly one) said – ‘Reductio as absurdam’ – and you don’t get much more absurdam that George Galloway!
IS this really a story. I had to convert to islam when i married my wife, or are we heading back to the 1930′s with religion!
“what matter’s is his constant lying to get elected”
Last train to Irony Central, any more fares please?
How very odd that such a thing would be this much of a huge hairy deal. I think this goes in the same category of gossip as whether he married wife #4 while still legally wed to wife #3. Which is to say, not my problem.
@Laurence You were seriously in a rush to get this drivel out? Muslim drinks alcohol shock horror Catholic wears condom shock horror Jew eats pork pie shock horror atheist errr
I am usually in a rush to shoot down trolling comments on this site but this really is a non story .. presumably the Muslims who voted George in did so on his record of making a stand and sticking to it . .not that he may have been a Catholic at some point or had the occasional Midori of a night out.
They vote for him based on his tenacity, his oratory ability and his disregard for the establishmentary constraints of Parliamentary whips.
NB. I have NO love of George and his specific political stance .. I do admire *COMPLETELY* his ability to stand up for a minority and tear up for arse paper any cardboard tiger that wishes to try to tear him down.
Say what you want of the man, of his religious beliefs (which are entirely irrelevant btw) but he stands for his constituents, the residential constituents, and not for the business interests he has in his constituency.
How many on either cabinet can you say similarly of these days? Dennis Skinner and that’s about it really.
Awww, the Galloway defenders do rush in at the slightest scent of anything anti-Galloway. Also, the picture is the same that accompanied the New Statesman interview piece, so it’s hardly “the most sinister” looking image that could be found of him. It’s just relevant.