UK: Lib Dems suspend election candidate over antisemitic social media posts

Via The Jewish Chronicle:

The Liberal Democrats have suspended a general election candidate who made a series of antisemitic posts on social media.

Ashuk Ahmed – who was given an award at the House of Lords for “inspirational role models for British Muslims” –  is no longer contesting the Luton South seat, a party spokesman confirmed.

Mr Ahmed, 51,  who was awarded an MBE for community work, was revealed to have posted a series of highly offensive messages including suggestions Zionists controlled “half the world” and another claim that Labour and the Conservatives were controlled by “Zionist paymasters”.

Among other posts he shared on social media were images of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, with blood pouring out of his mouth onto the bodies of Palestinian children, and another calling him a “blood sucking leech”.

Mr Ahmed also shared a video made by an extreme antisemitic group AshkeNazi, which claims to “expose… the current takeover of the United States by the Jewish Ashkenazi tribe”.

When contacted by MailOnline about Mr Ahmed’s postings, a Lib Dem spokesman said: “You sent us the email with the screenshots at 11:55 and we suspended Mr Ahmed at 11:56.

“Mr Ahmed's utterances have no place in the party. We believe in a politics that is open, tolerant and united.”

Mr Ahmed declined to comment when asked by the MailOnline about his antisemitic posts.

The former parliamentary candidate confirmed he was interviewed under caution by Bedfordshire police in 2014 following a complaint about the posts, which were made before that date.

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