The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan has revealed that he has been called a “muzzie terrorist” and also faced death threats on the internet. He warned that racial abuse on social media could dissuade Asians, blacks and ethnic minorities from pursuing a career in politics.
At the South by Southwest technology conference in the US, the Mayor of London read out six abusive tweets he received as part of his speech and said he “could go on and on”, and also accused the government of a “dereliction of duty” for not regulating big technological companies.
Some of the threats he received on Twitter were: “I say kill the Mayor of London and you will be rid of one Muslim”, by @billwall69, and “I'd pay for someone to execute Sadiq Khan”, tweeted by @SpeedwagonPRST.
Khan said, “What happens when young boys and girls from minority backgrounds see this kind of thing on their timelines, or experience it themselves? Or someone thinking about becoming a politician? And what about young girls and women who are driven from these platforms, reversing our long fight for gender equality?”
He continued, “No business or industry should ever consider itself above the local rules, or laws set by democratic processes. Social media platforms already have a legal obligation to remove content that breaks local laws. But this is not always happening, or happening quickly enough. With the skills and resources these companies have at their disposal – I believe it's possible to go further and faster.”
