Although he said that he did not support Hamas and removed the post as soon as he became aware of it, the JCIO said that his actions “amounted to serious misconduct”.
It also said that he “failed to exercise due care and diligence, both in his sharing of the post and in his initial denial of responsibility, which was publicly discredited and compounded the damage caused by the initial sharing of the post” and that the incident “had a detrimental effect upon the dignity, standing and good reputation of the magistracy”.
Despite the revelations, the Green Party said that they stood by the councillor – who represents an electoral ward in the Bristol Central constituency of their co-leader Carla Denyer MP – and said that he “made abundantly clear that he does not endorse” the video’s content, that he “he has a long history of condemning Hamas in his role in his local mosque” and that “he has shown learning from the incident and understood the offence and hurt it caused.”
But questions are now being raised about what action the local police force took in relation to the sharing of a video featuring Hamas officials – a proscribed terrorist organisation under British law.
In a letter to Avon and Somerset Constabulary seen by the JC, Labour Friends of Israel chair Jon Pearce MP asked Chief Constable Sarah Crew to disclose what, if any, measures the force took in relation to the incident.
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[Missing Credit]
Pearce’s letter said: “The Terrorism Act is an important piece of national security legislation designed to counter extremism and prevent radicalisation and violence. It rightly outlaws any sharing of materials from terrorist groups which have been proscribed by law, including Hamas.”
It is not necessarily an offence to share the material but, as Pearce’s letter later outlined, it would be if it “invites support for” Hamas or “expresses an opinion or belief that is supportive” to the group in a way that it “reckless as to whether a person to whom the expression is directed will be encouraged to support” it.
Similarly, the publication of any image, such as a flag or logo, “in a way or in such circumstances as to arouse reasonable suspicion” that someone is a “member or supporter” of Hamas would also be an offence.
The letter went on: “Given the Hamas video included offensive language directed against Jews, sharing it should also be considered under legislation governing malicious communications and hate crime laws. It is unclear as to what offences may have been committed by people or organisations who appear to have sought to cover up offences.”
“I would welcome confirmation from you regarding whether these alleged offences are being investigated, when any investigations were initiated, and when you expect them to conclude”, Pearce added.
New Labour Friends of Israel chair Jon Pearce MP. Credit: UK Parliament[Missing Credit]
Pearce sent the letter on April 1 and the JC understands that, at the time of publication, the force has not responded to him.
Explaining why he sent the letter, Pearce told the JC: “When terrorist content is shared anywhere in Britain, it threatens communities everywhere. The proper enforcement of our terrorism laws is a matter of national interest that affects everybody’s safety, which is why I’ve asked Avon & Somerset Police to clarify their investigation of this troubling case.”
“Potential terrorist offences anywhere in the country must be dealt with consistently and thoroughly. Not doing so risks undermining our national security”, he added.
Avon and Somerset Police have been contacted for comment. Malik did not respond to the JC’s requests for comment.
The link to the Hamas video apparently shared by Green candidate Abdul Malik[Missing Credit]