Published: 20 January, 2014
by RICHARD OSLEY

MAAJID Nawaz, the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate in Hampstead and Kilburn, has told people to “calm down” amid demands for him to be suspended from the role for tweeting a cartoon picture of the Prophet Muhammed and Jesus.

He posted the picture from the Jesus and Mo, a satirical comic strip which in the past has included jokey pictures of Prophet Muhammed and Jesus sharing a bed and drinking beer together, yesterday (Sunday) morning.

Two audience members of the BBC’s debating programme The Big Questions had worn the image on their t-shirts and later Mr Nawaz had put on Twitter and Facebook that he did not find the cartoon offensive, adding: “I’m sure God is greater than to feel threatened by it.”

But there was an angry reaction from Muslim groups who say millions are offended by the nature of the comic strip.

Mohammed Shafiq, from the Ramadhan Foundation, said he would be making an official complaint to Lib Dem central office.

Around 1,800 people had by this afternoon signed an online petition to Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg demanding he suspends Mr Nawaz.

Mr Nawaz, who is taking on Labour candidate Tulip Siddiq and Conservative rival Simon Marcus in next year’s general election, said: “Some are angry that I didn’t find an innocuous cartoon on the BBC as offensive and repeated my view that – as a Muslim – it wasn’t offensive to me on here. Others are angry that I am being censored and silenced. Please let’s all calm down.”

He had earlier said: “Don’t like it? Don't read my tweets.”

The cartoon was at the centre of controversy at the London School of Economics last year when the university banned two students from wearing t-shirts with the pictures at its annual freshers’ fair. The university later apologised.