Boris Johnson accuses Muslim Council of Britain of 'claiming porn-freak jihadists for mainstream Islam'

The Mayor of London was unhappy to be criticised for comments about Islam

Boris Johnson, London Mayor (PA)

Boris Johnson has accused the Muslim Council of Britain of “claiming” Isis jihadists for “mainstream Islam”.

The Mayor of London complained that he had been criticised by the moderate Muslim group after he made comments about Islam in January.

In a discussion about Islamist fighters, Mr Johnson had told The Sun newspaper that “this one religion seems to be leading people astray in so many cases”.

In the same set of comments he also argued that Isis jihadists were driven to violence by an obsession with pornography.

“I was astounded to be denounced, on the front page of The Guardian, by the Muslim Council of Britain,” he wrote in his regular Daily Telegraph column, released this morning.

“A spokeswoman said that I was somehow attacking Muslims as a whole. Why on earth would she say that? Why is the MCB effectively claiming these porn freak jihadists for mainstream Islam?”

He accused the group is “eliding anti-jihadism with Islamophobia”.

In his January comments to The Sun Mr Johnson had described jihadis as “literally w*****s”, arguing “They are not making it with girls, and so they turn to other forms of spiritual comfort — which of course is no comfort.”

At the time, he also told the newspaper: “I often hear voices from the Muslim intelligentsia who are very quick to accuse people of Islamophobia.

“But they are not explaining how it can be that this one religion seems to be leading people astray in so many cases. They are not being persuasive in the right way with these people.”

The Muslim Council of Britain could not be reached for comment this morning.