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Countdown star Rachel Riley has issued a grovelling apology after being accused of Islamophobia following her tweet concerning the Sydney mall bloodbath.
The 38-year-old presenter is now dealing with calls to be sacked from Channel 4 after she falsely in contrast Saturday’s horror assault in Australia to a pro-Palestinian rebellion.
The bloody rampage was carried out by English tutor Joel Cauchi, 40, from Queensland, who police mentioned had been affected by psychological well being points.
In her now-deleted tweet, Riley appeared to check the purchasing centre assault, wherein six folks have been killed earlier than Cauchi was shot lifeless by police, to the ‘globalised Infitada’ motion.
The presenter – who’s Jewish and has been a staunch assist of Israel following the October 7 connect by Hamas – has since launched an announcement on X wherein she mentioned she was ‘sorry’ if her message had been ‘misunderstood’
Countdown star Rachel Riley has apologised after being accused of Islamophobia following her tweet concerning the Sydney mall bloodbath
The 38-year-old presenter confronted an enormous backlash after she falsely claimed Saturday’s horror assault in Australia was the results of pro-Palestinian rebellion (pictured: knifeman Joel Cauchi who carried out the lethal assault)
Riley was slammed for this tweet, which she has since deleted, wherein she claimed the assault was a part of the ‘globalised Infitada’
‘Simply to make clear, my intention with this tweet was to not say this assault was attributable to any ideation or to hyperlink it to Islamic extremism,’ Riley wrote.
The previous Strictly Come Dancing star continued: ‘On the time we didn’t know who the attacker was, and as such I made no reference.
‘My goal was to focus on the weekly requires ‘intifada’ being tolerated in London and world wide, which in truth means violence on our streets.
‘For six months now, I’ve averted taking the tube, or going with my youngsters to anyplace close to the marches every Saturday, and every week we see the extremist chants on proud show with little outcry.
‘Sadly, the kind of assault seen in Sydney yesterday is strictly the sort of violence the earlier intifada concerned and I hope to keep away from in future, however in my view ignoring the issue will not make it go away.
‘Assaults on Jews have not too long ago turn into repackaged as ‘resistance’ in some circles, and we should always in a single voice condemn all acts of violence, whoever the perpetrators and whoever the victims.
‘I’m sorry if this message was misunderstood, that was not my intention.’
Her apology got here after she sparked mass outrage on X and was accused of writing a racist assertion concerning the Sydney stabbing.
Riley’s apology got here after she sparked mass outrage on X and was accused of writing a racist assertion concerning the Sydney stabbing (she is pictured on Countdown)
The bloody rampage in Sydney was carried out by English tutor Joel Cauchi (pictured), from Queensland , who police mentioned had been affected by psychological well being points
Within the now-deleted tweet, Riley wrote: ‘For six months now, folks have been out on our streets proudly calling for the ‘Intifada Revolution.’
‘If you wish to know what ‘Globalised Intifada’ seems to be like, see the Sydney Mall.
‘5 victims stabbed to dying and eight transferred to hospital, together with a child, because of one man and a knife.
‘Within the second intifada over 1,000 Israelis have been murdered in eating places, on buses and within the streets by suicide bombings, stabbings, stoning, lynching, capturing rockets. The youngest sufferer was simply 9 hours outdated.
‘Sydney mall, a number of instances over is what they’ve been proudly calling for.’
The tweet sparked mass outrage on social media, with @TocquevilleJnr amongst those that known as her feedback racist and demanded her employer, Channel 4, take motion.
They wrote: ‘Expensive Alex Mahon, CEO of publicly owned @Channel4. Is it proper {that a} common contributor to your station (Ms Rachel Riley) is IMO so outrageously divisive, hateful & racist ? Primarily based on a whole falsehood.
‘This individual ought to NOT be a job mannequin on our MSM @krishgm.’
One other individual added: ‘The place’s your apology @RachelRileyRR? Islamophobic to its core. @Channel4- it’s essential to contemplate whether or not Rachel Riley represents your values.’
Riley was condemned on-line following her tweet on Saturday, with some accusing her of Islamophobia
In her apology, Riley mentioned her message had been ‘misunderstood’ and that this was ‘not my intention’
And Professor Ahmed Hankir wrote on X: ‘I can’t, in good conscience, stay silent. We should not stay silent. Once we see such bigotry, Islamophobia, racism & hatred we should name it out. Rachel Riley have to be held accountable for these vile & divisive feedback.’
A spokesperson for Channel 4 mentioned: ‘We have now reminded Rachel of her obligations as a contributor to Channel 4 programming.’
Cauchi was shot and killed by a police inspector Amy Scott, who confronted him by herself throughout his lethal rampage on the Westfield purchasing centre at Bondi Junction within the east of Sydney.
Six folks died within the mayhem, with 12 others – together with a nine-month-old child woman – left injured.
Victims pictured L-R high row: Yixuan Cheng, 27, Ashlee Good, 38, and Pikria Darchia, 55. Pictured L-R backside row: Jade Younger, 47, Daybreak Singleton, 25, and Faraz Tahir, 30.
In an announcement launched by Queensland Police, the Cauchi household mentioned: ‘We’re completely devastated by the traumatic occasions that occurred in Sydney yesterday.
‘Our ideas and prayers are with the households and pals of the victims and people nonetheless present process therapy at the moment.
‘Joel’s actions have been actually horrific, and we’re nonetheless making an attempt to understand what has occurred.
‘He has battled with psychological well being points since he was a teen.’
They added: ‘We’re involved with each the New South Wales Police Power and Queensland Police Service and haven’t any points with the police officer who shot our son as she was solely doing her job to guard others, and we hope she is coping alright.’
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