Violent threats make me fear for my family’s safety .. but I won’t quit and let racists win
Humza Yousaf forced to consider leaving politics after far-right online video triggers vile abusive messages
HUMZA Yousaf last night revealed he considered quitting politics after death threats were made against him and his family by race-hate thugs.
The sickening abuse was sparked by a far-right video online and Scottish Justice Secretary Yousaf said: “I was shaken.”
SCOTLAND’S Justice Secretary has called in police after viewers of a far-right online video triggered deaths threats – saying he should be “butchered” and his family “firebombed”.
Humza Yousaf said he was used to racist online abuse but he was so “shaken” by the sinister messages, he contemplated leaving politics to protect his family.
He said: “I can’t really remember a time when there hasn’t been racist abuse but, generally speaking, it has not been particularly violent or threatening.
“What is different about the recent emails is the clear depiction of violence towards myself and towards my family.
“I know 99 per cent of the time, these are keyboard warriors but the concern is, could there be that one per cent that actually are unhinged enough to act upon the threats that they make?
“For the first time, I had the fleeting thought, I just don’t know if doing the job I do is worth putting my family at potential risk.”
The racist threats come after a Canadian online media platform posted a video vilifying Yousaf, a Muslim, for a parliamentary speech he made on Black Lives Matter and his introduction of Hate Crime legislation.
Rebel Media, which has 1.2million subscribers, features a half-hour diatribe from founder and notorious far-right Canadian agitator Ezra Levant, condemning Yousaf for calling for greater diversity in Scotland’s major institutions.
At no point in the online critique does Levant advocate any violence towards Yousaf. However, one of the 150,000 viewers of the video emailed the Justice Secretary, calling him a “little brown b ***** d” who needed to be stripped, placed in a stock and whipped unconscious.
The abuser added he hoped, “white Scots firebomb Yousaf and his family while they are in their house. Prevent him from running away by throwing him back. See how your God that b ***** d Mohammed saves you then.
“Rotting is way too good for you after death. You should be butchered and sent to Pakistan and sold as fresh meat, possibly pork.”
Yousaf said he read the email when he was just about to go to bed.
He said: “It really hit me hard because it referenced my family. I am a new father and it gives me a whole different perspective on life.
I was shaken. My wife was so upset.
“I don’t want to leave the job and the constituency I love. I fully intend to stand but it is the first time I’ve contemplated otherwise.
“I don’t want these people who perpetrate hatred to win and if I quit, it is handing them a victory.
“It has an impact on my mental health. I literally have people threatening me and my family for what? A speech and a piece of legislation which is meant to combat hatred. It has shaken me a fair bit, the violent nature of the threats.”
He is now in discussions with his team on increasing security for himself and his wife and two children.
He said: “It has had a huge impact on my wife in particular. It has been horrible for her.”
Last month, we revealed the minister, who is Glaswegian and of Pakistan heritage, was targeted with more than 6000 racist social media posts in one week following his BLM speech but he said this new abuse was a different level.
Yousaf said he realised the video had been posted when he got messages from Canada but there is at least one from a man claiming to be living in Scotland who vowed to share Levant’s monologue.
Another email from someone who said he had seen the video, said he hoped “white scots kick your smelly a**e until your nose bleeds. Ya dirty mongrel mozlem filth.” Others called him “subhuman garbage” and “genetic scum” who should be thrown out of Scotland, along with “anyone who looks like you”.
Rebel Media is notorious in Canada with the anti-hate network claiming it is “antitogether
Muslim, anti-immigrant, antirefugee, anti-climate, anti-liberal, anti a lot of things”.
It has been blamed for inflaming hatred and radicalising the extreme right.
In 2018, alleged mass shooter and white supremacist, Matthew Vincent Raymond, who is accused of murdering four people in New Brunswick Canada, referenced it as his main news source.
It has given a platform to a host of fascist contributors, including right-wing criminal and thug Tommy Robinson and racist commentator Katie Hopkins. It was reported to Canadian police for “wilfully promoting hatred of the Muslim community”.
Yousaf said: “When it is international hatred, it’s a reminder that hatred doesn’t respect borders.
“This is why we need to come as a society, regardless of political affiliations, regardless of what we might think of pieces of legislation, we all need to come together, as a parliamentarians, as people in the public eye, to say we will not stand for any of our own being abused in this way.
“Politicians have been seen for a while as fair game if you disagree with them but I think society needs to say, it doesn’t matter if you have a public profile, no one deserves that level of abuse.”
Last night, Police Scotland confirmed it “has received a complaint of offensive communications and inquiries are ongoing”.
The Record emailed Levant to seek comments on the threats made to Humza Yousaf.
He replied with a long email stating Rebel Media’s video on Yousaf is “peaceful journalistic criticism” and that making a link between it an the threats would be “false”.
He said: “Obviously, I have nothing to do with any threats, real or imagined.”
Levant added: “I stand by the contents of my video, which has been very well received, especially in Scotland.
“As of this morning, it has been viewed more than 150,000 times and elicited more than 5000 comments.
“Is there a factual error in the video you would like me to address? None has been pointed out to me yet.”