Alistair Darling heckled during Glasgow Central Mosque visit

 
Heckled: Alistair Darling answers questions at Glasgow Central Mosque (Picture: PA)
Standard Reporter29 August 2014

Alistair Darling was heckled and accused of having “blood on his hands” over Iraq during a visit to a mosque for the Better Together campaign in Scotland.

Mr Darling attended Friday prayers at Glasgow Central Mosque and was surrounded by people posing for “selfie” photographs.

But others looked on in disapproval as some rebuked mosque visitors for shaking the politician’s hands and heckled him over his views on the Israel-Gaza conflict.

Abdull Oun, 27, said: "I was an undecided voter and my question was very simple: If I vote No, what are your views on the conflict, what are your views on military intervention?

"He didn't answer, he just walked away. He just waved his hand, I was basically dismissed. He demands answers from Alex Salmond on issues like currency, but he couldn't give me answers."

Heckler: Abdull Oun, 27, from Glasgow, voices his opinions on the recent conflicts in Iraq and Palestine (Picture: Getty)

Mr Oun, who works for a non-profit organisation in Glasgow, added: "He came here to meet and greet Muslims but it is a publicity stunt and it has failed."

Better Together spokesman David Whitton, who was with Mr Darling at the mosque, said: "The chap had shouted across because he wanted to speak to Alistair, but the thing was pretty crowded and the guy couldn't get close to Alistair so he shouted across.

"The Muslim elders lost the plot a little bit and started shouting at him (Mr Oun).

"Somebody apparently tweeted that Alistair had run off. He didn't do any of that, he went into the meeting with the committee members of the mosque. We were on a tight schedule so we had to get him away to do that.

"The committee were asking the same questions as everyone else to do with a currency union, what happens to jobs etc."

Selfie: some Mosque visitors wanted to take a picture with Mr Darling (Picture: PA)

Better Together staff later invited Mr Oun and another man in for a private conversation with Mr Darling and Scottish Labour deputy leader Anas Sarwar.

"The men said they just wanted to ask Alistair some questions - that's what we were there for so that's what we did," the spokesman said.

"The two of them were shown into the room, we did the television interviews and then Anas and Alistair went to talk to them, they shook hands and they left."

Mr Whitton said he did not hear hecklers shouting that Mr Darling has "blood on his hands".

He added: "I wouldn't be surprised in a mosque if there was split views on whether or not Alistair should be there.

"I think there would probably be split views if Alex Salmond was there.

"The Muslim community is just like every other section of the Scottish community, they are split between those who vote Yes and those who want to vote No."

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