A news commentator who told Fox News that the British city of Birmingham is "totally Muslim" has apologized for a comment that's drawn ridicule from the city's residents.
Steven Emerson, whose website describes him as a leading authority on Islamic extremist networks, told Fox News in a live broadcast Sunday that "there are actual cities like Birmingham that are totally Muslim, where non-Muslims just simply don't go in."
Official figures show that Birmingham's Muslims make up about 22 per cent of the city's population. Birmingham MP Shabana Mahmood called Emerson's claim "utterly ridiculous."
Emerson later tweeted an apology:
My comments on FoxNews about Birmingham were totally inaccurate. Birmingham, please accept my apology; I was wrong.
Steve Emerson
— InvestigativeProject (@TheIPT) January 12, 2015
His comments drew derision online under the hashtag #FoxNewsFacts:
BREAKING! Margaret Thatcher was secret Muslim Jihadist (seen here wearing Hijab): #foxnewsfacts pic.twitter.com/q2iGty9Icx
— Tom Pride (@ThomasPride) January 12, 2015
#foxnewsfacts British politicians required to wear these protective suits to stay safe in London pic.twitter.com/6Rj6uLaRcb
— Ross Fitzpatrick (@kaled10) January 12, 2015
On Monday morning, some 2,300 people had signed an online petition demanding an on-air apology to the city's residents.