British comedian John Cleese has been reported to the UK government's Prevent counter-terrorism program over allegations that his criticism of Islam and Muslims “demonises, dehumanises, and collectively attributes violence and criminality" to the religious group.
According to The Blaze, a September 22 complaint alleged that several of Cleese's social media posts met “indicators used in PREVENT risk assessments for anti-Muslim hate and counter-extremism concerns." The complaint claimed his comments could contribute to “radicalisation, communal tension, and hate incidents."
Among the posts cited was an April comment in which Cleese described halal food as “a barbaric custom" and argued that English law should not permit it. Another post criticized a culture whose holy book, Cleese wrote, “advocates the killing" of those who disagree with it.
The complaint's author, whose identity has not been disclosed, argued that Cleese's statements went beyond criticism of ideas and instead attributed “intrinsic criminality, violence, and moral depravity" to Muslims and Islam.
Cleese, 86, appeared to welcome the prospect of official scrutiny.
“I can't wait to be arrested," the Monty Python co-creator wrote Monday. “This is a real life sitcom! Please tell the police to contact my agent."
Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman criticized the referral, saying Prevent was intended to identify potential terrorism threats, not suppress debate about Islam.
The Free Speech Union said the government's assurances that its official definition of “Islamophobia" would not threaten freedom of speech had proven hollow, warning that “Mr Cleese is not alone in being targeted by those who wish to silence legitimate criticism of Islam, its history, or its practices."