ABNBA24 - The Muslim Council of Britain wrote an open letter to British Home Secretary Shabana Mahmoud, slamming double standards in granting visa to divisive figures.
The open letter expresses the Muslim Council of Britain’s deep concern regarding the Home Office’s decision to allow Quran desecrator and anti-Muslim American far-right activist Valentina Gomez entry into the United Kingdom to participate in a rally organized by Tommy Robinson (real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon) next month.
The decision highlights a clear double standards in how freedom of speech is applied and can potentially lead to less safety and security on the streets of Britain.
Others have been denied entry to the UK for rhetoric directed at different faith groups. This inconsistency raises serious concerns about whose speech is deemed unacceptable and who is permitted.
The text of the letter is as follows:
Dear Home Secretary,
We are writing to express our deep concern regarding the decision to allow Valentina Gomez entry into the United Kingdom, which we believe highlights clear double standards in how freedom of speech is applied.
Gomez has previously made several inflammatory statements and, at the September 2025 Unite the Kingdom rally alongside Tommy Robinson, told the crowd: “you either fight for this nation,” warned of “rapist Muslims” “taking over”, and urged that Muslims be “sent back to their Sharia nations.” She also directly addressed police officers, telling them “I need you to stop following orders because you know you are being told to look the other way while your country is being raped into submission.”
A full transcript of these remarks is attached. She has also, on numerous occasions, expressed extreme rhetoric in the USA.
Others have been denied entry to the UK for rhetoric directed at different faith groups.
The inconsistency raises serious concerns about whose speech is deemed unacceptable and whose is permitted.
Allowing Valentina Gomez access to the UK in order to speak on such a public platform grants her legitimacy and sends a troubling message about the selective application of Home Office standards. This risks undermining the safety of all communities, damaging confidence in the willingness of the government to protect them from incitement.
We know that freedom of speech and religion are core British values, and the threshold for offences relating to religious hatred is high in order to protect freedom of expression.
However, that protection is not absolute, particularly where speech moves into calls for violence, dehumanizing group-targeted language, or the undermining of public authorities through urging individuals to disregard lawful instructions. In that context, it is reasonable to ask whether permitting such rhetoric is truly conducive to the public good.
We are particularly concerned that the content of these remarks may engage existing legislation relating to the stirring up of religious hatred, the encouragement or incitement of violence, and public order offences concerning harassment, alarm or distress.
We urge you to clarify how this decision is consistent with existing standards and to ensure that these standards are applied fairly and without bias across all communities.
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