A Labour councillor of Birmingham has apologised for her historic anti-Semitic comments on social media.
In her Facebook messages, Shabina Bano had accused waste collector Veolia of being a 'Zionist supporter' and wished a child cancer survivor had died, Birmingham Live reported.
Apparently referring to Veolia, a 2014 message posted on her previous Facebook account said, "Even our rubbish is given to the zionist. The government is destroying our souls, we can't even get rid of rubbish without feeling guilty! Veoli (sic) is a zionist supporter! It is sickening to b in a country that u call (sic) your own; but your leader is sympathetic to the evil dogs."
Bano is also being probed by her party over her comments related to the pandemic.
In her new Facebook message, the councillor who represents the Small Heath ward, said she took full responsibility for what she had said and stated that she no longer held the views.
"In recent days historic social media posts of mine have come to light. I take full responsibility for them, I recognise that they are utterly unacceptable and I apologise unreservedly for them. I am also sorry for the harm they have caused, especially to the Jewish community.
"Since joining the Labour Party, my opinions on many issues have changed and these historic posts reflect ignorant views that I no longer hold," Bano said.
"I will be undertaking further awareness training and I look forward to meeting with the Jewish communities of Birmingham to discuss what more we can do to stamp out anti-Semitism in our city.
"There is no place for racism or discrimination in our society and I remain committed to serving all the people of Small Heath, who put their trust in me at the elections last year."
Bano's apology follows a formal complaint made to her party.
“The Labour Party takes all complaints seriously. They are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures, and any appropriate action is taken," Birmingham Live quoted a Labour spokesperson as saying.
Birmingham Labour councillor apologises for 'anti-semitic' remarks, says 'There is no place for racism or discrimination in our society'
The messages were posted from Ms Bano’s previous Facebook account
Clifford had previously pleaded guilty to the murders of BBC sports commentator John Hunt’s wife and two daughters at their home in northwest of London, in July 2024. (Photo: Hertfordshire Police /Handout via REUTERS)
Crossbow murderer found guilty of raping ex-girlfriend
A 26-YEAR-OLD man who murdered three women in a crossbow and stabbing attack has been found guilty of raping one of them, his ex-girlfriend, a British court ruled on Thursday.
Kyle Clifford had previously pleaded guilty to the murders of BBC sports commentator John Hunt’s wife and two daughters at their home in Bushey, northwest of London, in July 2024.
The attack led to a manhunt before Clifford was found injured hours later in a north London cemetery.
A jury at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday convicted Clifford of raping 25-year-old Louise Hunt before killing her.
His sentencing for all the crimes is scheduled for Tuesday.
Clifford had admitted to murdering Carol Hunt, 61, and her daughters Louise and Hannah, 28. He had also pleaded guilty to charges of false imprisonment and possessing offensive weapons but denied raping Louise.
During the trial, the court heard that after killing Carol Hunt, Clifford waited for an hour before attacking Louise, tying her up, raping her, and then killing her with a crossbow. He later killed Hannah when she returned home from work.
The prosecution described Clifford, a former soldier, as committing a "violent, sexual act of spite" and said he was "enraged" after Louise ended their 18-month relationship. They told the court that he had "carefully planned" the attack.
Less than 24 hours before the killings, Clifford had searched for a podcast by social media influencer Andrew Tate, according to the prosecution. They argued that the murders were driven by the "violent misogyny promoted" by Tate.
Justice Joel Bennathan called Clifford’s crimes "dreadful" and "almost unspeakable".
(With inputs from AFP)