The notorious Henry Jackson Society (HJS), which according to a report produced by Spinwatch entitled, ‘Henry Jackson Society and the Degeneration of British Neoconservatism’ is the “the leading exponent of neoconservatism in the UK today grounded in a transatlantic tradition deeply influenced by Islamophobia and an open embrace of the ‘War on Terror’”, has been made to apologise to a Muslim organisation.
The HJS’ work and the laborious reports which they prepare no doubt result in the propagation of virulent Islamophobia and targeting Muslims and Muslim organisations. In 2007, the Charity Commission considered taking regulatory action against the right-wing think tank after it was revealed that the Japanese embassy reportedly paid the charity to promote anti-China propaganda in the UK. Such is the insidious nature of the activities of this organisation that it continues to refuse to disclose its funders, forcing it to step down from two all party parliamentary groups on which it served, and it only beggars belief that the Tory government’s Home Office between 2015 and 2017 funded an outfit of such ill-repute, particularly when the Home Office was willing to do so little for the Windrush generation.
It therefore gives us great pleasure in announcing that the HJS have faced defeat and have had to apologise to an Islamic channel, Huda Television Ltd, for defaming them. They have retracted, apologised, paid damages and legal costs.
The apology can be found on Twitter here and on their website here.
The Lewisham Islamic Centre (LIC) and its Scouts leader Ahammed Hussain also recently exposed a defamatory article by the Telegraph of which Nikita Malik of the HJS professed a significant contribution. We recall the words of HJS research fellow, Emma Webb:
“Charitable status is not a right, it is a privilege. The public correctly expect that charities should work for society, not against it. “Action is needed now if we are to stop … extremists from continuing to use … taxpayers’ money to fund the spread of divisive, illiberal and intolerant views within our own communities.”
We hope this serves as a lesson to the HJS. We exhort them to heed their own words, examine their consciences and reset their moral compass. We commend Huda Television Ltd for challenging mercenaries of civil discord. LIC is committed to the cause of fighting Islamophobia and xenophobia. We hope other organisations are emboldened to join this just and noble fight.