BY BEN KERRIGAN
Russell Brand has today referred to Boris Johnson as a ‘Jihadi John machine’ in an online rant even considered ‘crack pot’ and ‘insane’ by his own fans.
The comedian accused the Tory Mayor of London of helping to ‘grow’ thousands of new versions of Mohammed Emwazi, ISIS’ British executioner-in-chief before he was killed last year.
Brand, who has long become the face of controversy in the expressing of his views, published his message on Facebook last night just after Boris backed the campaign for. He first played a clip of Boris Johnson on LBC Radio before launching into a rant, saying the Mayor of London helps grow extremists
In yet another backtrack of his initial promise to stay out of politics of politics, Brand said the Mayor of London’s behaviour and connections encourages terrorism. Brand
”The mentality of Boris Johnson creates more problems, he said, the allegiances of Boris Johnson create more problems.
”The activities of organizations that he belongs to, that he supports, create these problems.
”Boris Johnson grows Jihadi Johns – he is a Jihadi John machine.
”Jihadi John is just one. Once Jihadi John is dead that’s the end of Jihadi John but Boris Johnson can create thousands of others.
Starting with a clip of Mr Johnson on LBC Radio in which he said saying that ”those who support ISIS’ ‘glorification’ of murder in their horrific films should be angry with the killers, not the West.
The Essex born comedian stated: ‘What he is saying is exactly wrong. Of course you condemn people who are violent but you look at why they are violent in order to stop the violence. That’s why. Not so we can all be kind and cuddle kittens. No – in order to stop the problem”.
LIKES
His brief 45-second clip received over 2,000 likes on his Facebook page 2,000 times on his Facebook page, though it is fair enough to say this is a minute fraction of his fans altogether, considering he once had a fan base of £2m followers on his trews video. However, it shows that Brand still has support in some quarters, and it must be said that he has a point here, though one that does not justify his comments in any form or shape. It is true that the root cause of any problem should always be looked at an addressed to the best ability, however this cannot justify some of the atrocious crimes to humanity that has been witnessed in the wake of world terrorism.
LIMITS
There are limits to the behaviour expected of decent citizens of any country, and responses to any grievances felt should always be proportionate, and also bare consideration to human sentiments. Jihadi John – a former West London school pupil and Computer University graduate, beheaded a number of American journalists, one British aid worker who went to Syria to help disadvantaged people, and several others who were totally unconnected with any of the political issues that have irked extremists and built up a lot of bitterness against the West. Families of the victims were subjected to unthinkable pain during a period of both tight hope against a hopeless situation, and despair whilst they awaited to eventual fate of their loved ones.
Some of Brand’s facebook friends rejected the underlying sentiments of Brand’s message. Carlos Heath Russell wrote on his Facebook page: ‘I respect your Green attitude but if you think for one second that a Jihadi Jon (sic) wouldn’t think twice about cutting your head off with a knife because it would get media attention then think again.
‘The difference between Mr Johnson and Jihadi Jon is that Boris wouldn’t even contemplate such inhumane acts.’
An angry Tommy Stevenson called Brand a ‘f*****g idiot’ adding: ‘Stick to shouting on the street, you have no idea what your talking about in your liberal rich ivory tower.’ Brand, not known for exercising great discretion, once said a lot of young Muslims are so disenfranchised they turn to ”mad jihadism”. His speech emerged in a video blog he titled ”could I have been Jihadi John?
‘‘The kernel of truth in the sprawling, bewildering, bramble of ISIS madness is society isn’t working, the system isn’t working, it’s totally corrupt.‘’That’s the thing that resonates in the core of young people, that’s the thing that pulls them into mad jihadism.’
Brand is no stranger to making far reaching comments, though there was no sign here of any intention to offend. It just so turns out that many times when he expresses some of his strong views, they end up sounding so offensive because of the way he presents it. The issue of terrorism and its causes is not one to be handled lightly, but one that must be done sensibly and in the right place in the right way.
