BBC apologises to Suliman Gani over Andrew Neil's Islamic State claim

The BBC has made an official apology to Suliman Gani after presenter Andrew Neil said he was “a supporter” of Islamic State, in a victory for the Middle East Eye's campaign in support of the imam.

During the BBC programme London’s Mayor: The Big Debate broadcast on 18 April, the veteran BBC presenter claimed that the former London imam was a supporter of Islamic State (IS).

Two days later Prime Minister David Cameron accused Gani in parliament of backing the militant group, as he questioned London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s judgment in sharing a platform with him.

However following a campaign led by MEE’s Peter Oborne the broadcaster has now formally apologised to the imam, who repeatedly denied the allegations against him.

In the statement on the BBC News website the corporation said it wanted to ”make clear this statement is not true“ and acknowledged that Gani ”is not a supporter of IS“.

It continued: ”Imam Gani opposes Islamic State and its activities which he has in the past condemned and campaigned against. The BBC apologises to Imam Gani for the distress and damage this statement caused him.“

The BBC apology comes after David Cameron was forced to apologise for his comments, after Gani said claims that he backed the IS group were defamatory and must be withdrawn.

In an interview with MEE earlier this month Gani said that he was living in fear of his life and had been targeted by “thugs” after he had been labelled as an Islamic State supporter.

Gani was attacked by several senior Conservatives, including Defence Secretary Michael Fallon who later apologised, during the London mayoral race.

They accused Khan - who was elected London’s first Muslim mayor last month - of associating with extremists, an approach which Labour said was illustrative of a “divisive, dog-whistle campaign”.

At Prime Minister's Questions in April, Cameron said Khan had appeared on a platform nine times with Gani, whom the prime minister alleged ”supports IS“.

It later emerged Gani had also shared a platform with Conservative mayoral candidate Zac Goldsmith

Gani said at the time that he wanted to take legal action against Mr Cameron but was unable to do so because of Parliamentary privilege rules, which protect MPs' freedom of speech in the Commons.

Cameron later apologised for “any misunderstanding” after Gani repeatedly denied that he was a supporter of IS. Indeed, he pointed out that he is a strong campaigner against the militant group.