UKIP MEP Defends Leader's Islam "Death Cult" Comments

1 May 2019, 09:09 | Updated: 1 May 2019, 09:12

Stuart Agnew UKIP's East of England MEP has defended controversial comments by Gerard Batten which described Islam as a "death cult."

The MEP for the  East of England region said the remarks by Batten were justified by the Sultan of Brunei's recent declaration that gay sex in his country should be punished by stoning to death.

Mr Agnew has previously sparked outrage by referring to global warming as a "scam," and attributing climate change to cosmic ray fluctuations and gravitational pulls from elsewhere in the galaxy.

Speaking as the party prepared to launch its European elections campaign in Middlesbrough, Mr Agnew said the Muslim community in Britain should have come out "en masse" to condemn his remarks.

"He (Mr Batten) said the word 'death cult'. The Sultan of Brunei justified that," Mr Agnew told a radio interview.

"The Sultan of Brunei said 'From now on, in this country in the name of Islam homosexuals are to be stoned to death.'

"Why didn't they (the Muslim community) come out en masse in this country and say we thoroughly condemn (the comments)?"

UKIP leader Gerard Batten has previously called Islam a “death cult” and suggested that UK Muslims should be asked to sign a declaration renouncing elements of the Qur’an.

Former UKIP leader Nigel Farage quit the party saying Batten was “obsessed” with EDL founder Tommy Robinson and the issue of Islam.

The party has been at the centre of controversy recently after appointing high profile YouTube stars Carl Benjamin ( Sargon of Akkad) and Mark Meechan ( Count Dankula) as candidates for upcoming European elections.

Both have a history of controversial comments, particularly Benjamin, who has already been widely criticised for rants where he uses the ‘N’ word, criticism of the Jewish community and for Tweeting Labour MP Jess Phillips: "I wouldn't even rape you.... feminism is cancer."