Published On: Fri, Mar 6th, 2015 on 12:21 pm

Veteran reports Britain First for defamation over fake photo

EXCLUSIVE: Far-right group Britain First have stirred controversy after posting up an image of a Navy veteran holding up a photoshopped sign.

Britain First Photoshopped Image

Britain First shared this to over 600,000 supporters.

On 5 March, the group posted up a photo of a Muslim man holding up a sign that read: “Boycott bigotry and kill all non Muslims”.

However, online groups were quick to find out that the image was taken from the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).

It depicted executive director Dawud Walid, who has served in the United States Navy and earned two United States Navy & Marine Corp Achievement medals.

In the original image found online, he is holding up a sign that reads “Boycott bigotry”.

The real image.

The Britain First post was shared over 2,000 times when it was posted, but many were quick to point out that the image was fake, such as online group Exposing Britain First.

A spokesperson for the group said: “Britain First have lied to and cheated their gullible supporters since the beginning. They slander individuals and groups with no respect for the truth.

“But to use the image of Dawud Walid in this way is low, even for them. This is a genuine hero, humanitarian and human rights advocate whose reputation they have sullied for cheap financial gain.”

“I reported this defamation to authorities in the UK”

Yorkshire residents alerted the Yorkshire Standard about the image, which in turn got in contact with Dawud Walid of CAIR.

He had already seen the image.

He said: “Britain First used a photoshopped picture of me at a rally, which was ironically against racism. I reported this defamation to authorities in the UK.

“Xenophobic and racist political entities and pundits are growing at an alarming rate in the West. I am thankful, however, that there are many persons of goodwill who are not Muslims or immigrants that are taking on such hatred.”

UPDATE: Britain First have removed the image. However, screenshots and web cache pages have been saved.

About the Author

Hasan Faridi

- Hasan is the founder and editor-in chief of the Yorkshire Standard. A BA Hons graduate from the University of Huddersfield, he has over four years of experience in newspapers, magazines and radio.

Displaying 45 Comments
Have Your Say
  1. Mo says:

    am I the only one who’s noticed Rocky is just here to wind people up?

  2. guest commenter says:

    Rocky stop spewing out the same old trash. How many EDL pedos have been arrested in the last year. Stop being an apologist for the BBC, Cyril, Smith, EDL, Britain First pedos etc. Now one you’ve read this kindly take your face for a sh..

    • Rocky Lore says:

      You liberals and Muslims are trash. You keep making excuses for radical Islam. You are an apologist for the Rotherham grooming gangs, Anjem Choudary, ISIS, the two black Muslim thugs who killed Lee Rigby, the London subway bombers, Ululators Advocating Fascism, NIck Lowles, CAGE…

    • JD Smith says:

      Rocky Lore: Is that why Lee Ribgy’s mother is taking Britain First to court to stop Britain First using his image because of the kits they have already told about him in faked reports?

      Lee’s mother is on record a saying that he became a soldier to fight AGAINST fascists like BF, but they keep using his image and story despite his distraught family repeated asked them to stop.

      Don’t take my word for it. Google it yourself.

  3. Matt PS says:

    Been scrolling through the comments waiting to see if Rocky Lore can actually hold a conversation or debate rather than simply making random statements as if he’s talking to himself. Come on Rocky, engage your brain if you have one and answer some of the direct questions asked of you.

    Failure to do so will simply confirm what I already suspect that your not very bright and should be pitied rather than derided for your racist views.

  4. Paula Moloney says:

    I have complained countless times against hate filled posts from BF and UKIP,,, yet Face book say it does not contravene their community standards. What?

    • Dave Wood says:

      Comparing Britains First with UKIP means you totally don’t get ‘it’ in the first place.

    • David Mills says:

      Paula, this is the same for me. They appear to allow alls orts of racist comments most of the time.
      idid receive notification that they had revieweda decision recently and that the offending picture and comments had ben taken down.

    • Rocky Lore says:

      Liberal hypocrites ignore actual hate like that of Anjem Choduary and CAGE.

  5. Brian Hoff says:

    Is there than law in the UK against photoshoping picture to slander someone which the police can arrest said persons.

    • Adam says:

      There is both laws in the UK (only recently However) and from European laws on the rights to remain anonymous (online). The UK laws have only been passed as of last month as of the moment there nothing to enforce it.

      There is a Royal charter (due to the The findings of the Leveson Inquiry on phone hacking) but Social media do not have to sign it. this charter is only for the written media Such as newspapers.

      The European laws and right retaining social media often get ignored as many of these companies are based in the US and they believe that they only need to follow US laws not the laws of the region they are operating in.

      In theory at the moment in the UK you can pretty much say what ever you like without legal repercussions online.

    • Esther Angel says:

      Yes, libel falls under the Malicious Communications Act.

    • YumYum says:

      Yes there is a law in the uk …. it is the common law crime of Defamation …

  6. Linda Rivera says:

    What Britain First should have done was simply to give the documented facts about terrorist linked CAIR. Those facts are very alarming.

    • Itsmeeeee says:

      That would require a thought process and research, two things these muppets fail at amazingly at an hourly rate.

  7. Rocky Lore says:

    Dawud Walid and his apologists are the real bigots. CAIR is not a “civil rights group” but a front for Hamas masquerading as one.

    • Warm Rain says:

      Thanks Rocky for your transparent adherence to bigotry - never stop!

      • Rocky Lore says:

        You liberals and Muslims are the bigots who support the Muslim grooming gangs, murder of Lee Rigby, Anjem Choudary, and London subway bombers.

        • Andy says:

          You know it is possible for people to support the majority of good Muslims in this world and be against extremism!

          • Nav says:

            Yeah Rocky … because Jimmy Saville was a muslim… ‘amarite?’ …You are a bigot because you support Jimmy Saville and Rolf Harris and their grooming gang. Get a grip you weirdo, more non-muslims are registered paedophiles and are in prison because of it. Just because you sit on your lousy bottom reading the daily mail and sun and believe it to be the words of the gospel doesn’t make it any more real than pigs flying.

        • A Zaman says:

          It’s people like you that whipped up so much hatred for the Jews that 6 million were murdered by the Nazis. Today it’s the Muslims you’re after

          • Rocky Lore says:

            You Muslims are the Nazis. You hate Jews and you support the murder of the Charlie Hebdo cartoonists.

        • Caedmon says:

          Oh I do wish you’d been cuddled more as a child. Try hugging yourself in front of a mirror, it just might help. X

    • Raymond says:

      Rocky - you are an idiot and most likely ignorant….I bet you are ignorant.

      • Rocco Lore says:

        It’s liberals like you who are idiots and ignorant. You support Hamas, ISIS, Boko Haram, Hezbollah, Al-Qaeda, Al-Shabaab, and the Muslim Brotherhood.

    • Your Name... says:

      And your evidence for that is?

  8. Shareful careful says:

    [FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO SHARE LINK WITHOUT IMAGE APPEARING]

    Guys you can share on Facebook without the image appearing by simply clicking on the cross next to the image which then hides the image completely!

  9. Prole says:

    Thanks Hasan for exposing this further - a pleasure working with you as always

  10. Penny says:

    Agree with Ed above. I’d like to share this story, but don’t want BF’s fake photo to show on my FB page.

  11. Michele Spencer Lees says:

    Like Ed, it would be nice to share the truth but the images will be mis-read by the mindless masses that believe in BF… Damned if I will run any risk of perpetuating their bile :(

  12. A.A.M. P. says:

    Ed, that has always been my issue. Sharing any hate-filled propaganda images generated by Britain First, even when distributed by an opposition organisation, only serves to reinforce and propagate their vitriolic message. As for BF and similar organisations, I wouldn’t believe a thing they say or do.

  13. Jonathan says:

    Lets hope Dawud Walid of CAIR, files a lawsuit against Biffers (BF) and Facebook for defamation of character and gets this hideous organization banned for good, better for all humanity.

    • Rocky Lore says:

      What do you liberals know about humanity? You hate any group that is pro-England. Why don’t you hypocrites protest against Anjem Choudary?

      • Andy says:

        I’m no Liberal but how do you know we don’t protest against Anjem Choudary? I’m anti Extremist no matter which side they are on. And when it comes to humanity I’d say that is something that Britain First and all of its followers are lacking in. You just have to visit their facebook page to see the evidence.

  14. hiba syed says:

    looking at the amount of shares and tweets this story has its practically gone viral lol

  15. Shakeel says:

    Absolutely sick are bf what a set of low lives. I bet theyre shaking in their boots now that this has been reported.

    GOOD JOB HASAN FOR EXPOSING THEM!

    • Michael-James Ball says:

      I very much doubt they are shaking in their boots. And thanks should really go to myself and other members of Exposing Britain First who contacted Dawud Walid as soon as the photo appeared on Facebook.

      • Ian Grace says:

        What a strange thing so state - “Thanks should go to myself and other members of EBF……I am glad to have played a part in helping to alert……..”

        Thanks anyway.

  16. Roy says:

    I do hope someone lets Mr Walid know about how libel laws in England are much more draconian than they are in the US and that if he sues Britain First in the English courts he will most likely take them to the proverbial cleaners.

  17. Michael-James Ball says:

    I am glad to have played a part in helping to alert Dawud Walid about what Britain First where doing. I really hope Britain First face the full wrath of the law this time.

  18. Ed Rehring says:

    I would like to share this article as you have highlighted something that is very important here. However, I do not want the original photo shopped Britain First image to be displayed on my Facebook page! My concern is that in publicising the lie in this way there is a risk of propagating it. Any chance of an edit?

    • Sue Wright says:

      I agree. It would far more effective to show the genuine picture with one of those “…and what Britain First did sickened me” type captions with the photoshopped image in the body of the report.

      • Alyas says:

        The image shared is just part of the screenshot on this report and it crops out the top part so it’s probably unintentional. Doesn’t matter though as people click and find out the truth and that is the fact that Britain First lied!

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