By James Simons-
A member of the National Union of Journalists’ governing body who resigned during a hearing over a tweet in which she said prominent Jewish politicians do not have “human blood,” has been exposed for sharing a tweet promoting Holocaust denial.
Arjum Wajid resigned during a hearing into of her conduct after which she was found to have breached her NUJ membership responsibilities after tweeting an attack towards Ruth Smeeth and Dame Louise Ellman, two Jewish Labour MPs, and Adam Langleben, a Jewish former Labour councillor in Barnet.
However, it has just emerged that she also also shared another tweet which accused Zionists of using a “fake event” to “manipulate the entire world into a conflict that devastates Europe”. The Eye Of Media.Com heard that the tweet she retweeted on July 8, was originally sent in support of the suspended Labour MP Chris Williamson and accompanied with the picture of a cow and the word Zionism.
The tweet went on to say Zionists used the “faked event to guilt the major powers into giving your people an exclusive plot of land.” NUJ General Secretary Michelle Stanistreet told The Eye Of Media.Com: “This was not material known or made available to the panel considering the complaint.”
They added: “The content of that tweet is shocking and vile in tone and content.
“There are no circumstances where it would be acceptable for an NUJ member – or any sentient person – to generate or retweet such disgraceful material that seeks to deny the Holocaust.
“Such views must never be tolerated and to re-tweet such claims is to provide a platform for antisemitic material. As the NUJ’s General Secretary I could never defend such actions.”
It follows a unanimous finding by an NUJ panel that Ms Wajid was in breach of her membership responsibilities” over the original tweet. Ms Stainstreet was clear in her position thatthe NUJ completely condemns all manner of discrimination and prejudicial language. She added:
“The NUJ does not regard prejudicial language or comments about people on the grounds of gender, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, age or disability as acceptable behaviour among its members,” it added.
CONSCIENCE
Ms Wajid showed no conscience at all when she tweeted in response to Tony Greenstein, an anti-Zionist expelled from Labour last year.
She said: “Do you really believe the likes of Adam Langeleben, Ruth Smeeth and Louise Ellman have a conscience?
“Don’t know what runs through their veins, not human blood. Their hearts and brains totally devoid of humanity and eyes blind to truth. No creatures in Abraham’s universe.”
The panel’s findings raised “deep concerns” at a number of “breaches of procedure and unacceptable behaviour during the process.”NUJ members who made the original complaint were subject to pressure to drop the complaint by members who supported Ms Wajid. One complainant’s confidentially was “breached” during the process.
“The panel is concerned that such breaches could deter members from using their rights under rule to take a complaint,” the findings said
PANAROMA
Ms Wajid is a Labour member and is understood to be one of 50 cases about antisemitism that Tom Watson documented and sent to Jeremy Corbyn in February demanding that action be taken, and which formed part of a recent BBC panaroma documentary. The dossier includes party members sending tweets linking Hitler and the Rothschilds, accusing Jews of murdering children and questioning whether Jewish MPs and councillors have “human blood.”
Mr Langleben said: “Thankfully good anti-racist journalists no longer have to share a union with this individual.
“Deciding to jump before she was pushed was probably the smart move on her part.
“It is unsurprising however that she remains a member of the Labour Party. I want to thank the people who unknown to me had put in the complaint to the NUJ on behalf of myself, Louise and Ruth.
“There have to be consequences for antisemites and this is a small but important one