Via Pickled Politics, Obsolete and D-Notice (who made the spot), word comes to me that the Sun have finally (three months after the fact) published a cursory four-line apology for the flagrant inaccuracies of its Brave heroes hounded out by Muslim yobs story, that was splashed all over the front page last year:
Following our report ‘Hounded out’ about a soldier’s home in Datchet, Berks, being vandalised by Muslims, we have been asked to point out no threatening calls were logged at Combermere Barracks from Muslims and police have been unable to establish if any faith or religious group was responsible for the incident.We are happy to make this clear.
A small victory for the truth, perhaps, but a very welcome one, and as one of the bloggers, along with Clive Davis and Obsolete, who to the time to look into the story and call The Sun on its lies, a rather gratifying outcome.
No word, as yet, however on whether Tory MP Philip Davis is intending to apologise for his own intermperate remarks, as quoted by the Sun in its original article:
“If there’s anybody who should f*** off it’s the Muslims who are doing this kind of thing. Police should pull out the stops to track down these vile thugs.”
Actually, I’m in a rather magnanimous mood today so far as Tories go (other fish to fry), so rather than haul Mr Davis over the coals and call for a act of public contrition, let me suggest instead that he consults with his parliamentary colleague (and MP for the area in which this incident took place) Mr Adam Afriye in order to identify an appropriate means of expressing his regrets. Mr Afriye is, no doubt, is in fairly regular contact with his local Muslim community and, therefore, perfectly placed to convey Mr Davis’ profound apologies without the need for any great fuss – remember, its often the small courtesies that often mean the most.
After all, his ‘crime’, such as it is in this case, is merely one of being dumb enough to take this report at face value without checking, first, for signs of obvious journalistic ’embroidery’.
As I doubt very much that Mr Davis is an avid reader of mine, perhap Iain Dale might care to pass on my suggestion through his own channels – as I’ve said previously, we’ll never find out just how seriously the Tories are taking their leader’s professed commitment to a more equal society unless we give them the chance to clean up after themselves without first being placed in the stocks.
Over to you Iain.
No apology as yet from Sir Andrew Green of MigrationWatch, also quoted by the Sun, although I must say that I’m forced to agree with the first part of observations:
“Incidents like this are absolutely inexcusable and seriously undermine efforts by all sides to achieve integration.”
Yes, Sir Andrew, publishing flagrant and inflammatory lies about Muslims certain does undermine serious efforts to bring about greater tolerance and social cohesion – a lesson your own organisation would do well to remember.
As for Mad Mel and Jihadwatch, who also ran with the story without checking the facts, you’ll forgive me if I don’t hold my breath while waiting for an apology from either – blue’s never been a colour that suited my complexion.
Good work, Minitrue. If we keep flinging the poo, some of it’s got to stick..
Oh yes,
Let’s try that again:
All credit to you really, you were the one who further investigated, I just questioned the report like I do most Sun stories.
That’s a v good idea about an apology via the MP. But yes, don’t hold your breath.
Cheers,
Clive