A Muslim Green Party councillor has formally apologised for the upset caused by his viral pro-Palestine victory speech and subsequent chants of "Allahu Akbar," which triggered an intense right-wing backlash across British media and social platforms.
Mothin Ali, a 42-year-old accountant and father-of-three who also runs a gardening blog in his spare time, secured a decisive victory in the local elections on May 3. Representing the Gipton and Harehills ward in Leeds, Mr Ali swept to victory after winning more than 3,000 votes. However, the celebrations that followed his electoral triumph quickly thrust him into the center of a national political firestorm.
As the election results were announced, Mr Ali was filmed delivering a passionate victory speech in which he publicly thanked Allah and dedicated his electoral success to the people of Palestine. In the widely circulated footage, he declared to cheering supporters, "We will not be silenced. We will raise the voice of Gaza. We will raise the voice of Palestine." He also chanted "Allahu Akbar!" while surrounded by supporters, many of whom were members of the local Muslim community.
In the days following the event, Mr Ali expressed regret for any distress his remarks may have caused, releasing a formal statement via the Leeds Green Party website to clarify his stance and address the mounting public controversy.
In his statement, Mr Ali said: "I am sorry for any upset my comments caused about the Gaza conflict. That was not my intention. Like many across the world I have been deeply impacted by the dreadful conflict currently underway in Gaza. The International Court of Justice said this conflict meets the case for plausible genocide."
He further emphasized his opposition to violence, adding, "I do not support violence on either side: violence leads to more violence and this is what I have tried to convey. I have consistently called for an immediate ceasefire and a release of all hostages. I hope to be working with a broad coalition including both the Jewish and Muslim Greens soon to discuss sensible ways for us to work on communicating our shared passion of bringing the conflict to an end."
Mr Ali also addressed the criticism directed at his use of traditional Islamic terminology during his celebration, noting that it is not unusual for individuals of the Muslim faith to invoke the phrase "Allahu Akbar" as an expression of gratitude and celebration. He suggested that attempts to misrepresent this cultural and religious practice reflected underlying Islamophobia.
While the exact nature of the specific Palestine-related comments he apologized for was not explicitly detailed in his statement, the apology followed the resurfacing of past social media posts and recorded remarks highlighted in a report by a pro-Israel news site. According to that report, Mr Ali had shared an X post on October 7 asserting that "White supremacist European settler colonialism must end!"
Furthermore, videos posted online in the wake of the October 7 attacks featured Mr Ali arguing that Israel would "use the pretext of the fightback by Hamas fighters or supposedly Hamas fighters this morning" to launch military operations against Gaza. In those recordings, he claimed that people should "support the right of indigenous people to fight back," adding that those in the region are "not victims, they are occupiers, they are colonialists, they are European colonialists."
He further stated in the resurfaced footage: "It’s one of the last European colonies in the world, and that’s why the European people don’t want to let it go. They use the weapon of antisemitism so effectively that anyone who criticises Israel is labelled as antisemitic."
Mr Ali also allegedly remarked: "Every single person, every single people have a right to fight back, every single people have a right to live free of occupiers. That includes people who are brown, that includes people who are Muslim, that includes people who are Arab. Just because they are brown and Arab doesn’t mean they don’t have a right to fight back."
The viral victory speech and the subsequent emergence of his past commentary prompted a fierce wave of condemnation from right-wing political figures, media commentators, and advocacy groups.
Appearing on Talk TV, The Sun’s Trevor Kavanagh strongly criticized the footage, telling viewers: "It was really unpleasant seeing someone angrily shouting in the name of Allah… this is a very sinister development for British democracy!"
Similarly, Reform UK leader and GB News presenter Nigel Farage took to social media platform X to voice his disapproval, writing: "There have been no democratic elections in Gaza for nearly 20 years, yet Gaza is being voted on in English towns and cities. What a mess we have allowed ourselves to become."
Institutional pressure also mounted against the newly elected councillor. The Leeds Jewish Representative Council submitted a detailed, lengthy letter to the leadership of the Green Party, formally requesting Mr Ali’s suspension. The organization argued that his acceptance speech represented the culmination of a "substantial history of views which are concerning to the Jewish community."
In response to the escalating controversy and the formal complaints received, the Green Party launched an internal investigation into Mr Ali’s conduct and remarks. Amid the intense public scrutiny and online harassment, Mr Ali deactivated his X account and restricted direct messaging features across his remaining social media profiles.
Reflecting on the aftermath of his election victory, Mr Ali stated that he has been subjected to significant "hate and hostility" since his victory video spread across the internet. Despite the turbulent start to his term as a local councillor, he has maintained his desire to engage with diverse community groups and work toward constructive dialogue regarding international conflicts and local representation.