Kilroy-Silk silenced after anti-Arab slur
BBC TV host Robert Kilroy-Silk has apologised for attacking Arabs in his Sunday Express column.
His plea came as the BBC announced it was taking his 17-year daily chat show off the air until Mr Kilroy-Silk had time to present his case to an internal review next week.
Writing in the Sunday Express, the ex-Labour MP for North Knowsley said Arabs were “suicide bombers, limb amputators and women repressors.”
He also wrote: “Apart from oil – which was discovered, is produced and is paid for by the West – what do they contribute?
“Can you think of anything? Anything really useful?… No, nor can I…”
The 61-year old writes in his apology: “I greatly regret the offence which has been caused by the article published in last weekend’s Sunday Express.
“The article contains a couple of obvious factual errors which I also regret.”
He said the article entitled We Owe Arabs Nothing had been originally printed last April but had been republished last weekend “in error.”
A statement by the BBC said: “The BBC strongly disassociates itself from the views expressed in an article by Robert Kilroy-Silk in the Sunday Express.
“We stress that these comments do not reflect the views of the BBC.
“The BBC is taking the Kilroy programme off air immediately while we investigate this matter fully.”
The Muslim Council for Britain said the article was a “gratuitous anti-Arab rant.”
There is speculation that Kilroy-Silk could lose his GBP200,000 a year job and be axed from his Radio Five Live slot.
Trevor Phillips, chairman for the Commission for Racial Equality said the article was “unbelievable.”
“Robert Kilroy-Silk went way beyond what are acceptable standards.
‘This was offensive, it was abusive it was I suspect illegal and it was written by somebody, having been a member of parliament, having been a journalist who really knows much better.
“He presumably decided he needed to pep up his life in someway and get people to listen and I don’t think he can do that at the expense of at least two million people in this country who are Muslims.’
“I am very pleased at the prompt and decisive response of the BBC here.
“I think that the national broadcaster·as to be the gold standard for certain kinds of levels of decency.”
