Sonny Bunch is the social change reporter for the Washington Free Beacon.
Ben Judah, the writer behind this report on George Galloway and his effort to attract the Muslim immigrant vote in England, knew what he was doing when he staged his controversial story featuring unwelcome interviews with Galloway supporters in Bradford, England.
The Leeds suburb had hosted a series of Muslim-heavy events in favor of George Galloway, several of which have taken place since Islamist terrorists killed a dozen journalists with the satirical French publication Charlie Hebdo. Judah, a reporter and fierce critic of Galloway who has written previously on the politician and his supporters for the Jewish website Tablet, wanted to make a statement.
So he traveled to the heavily immigrant suburb and started asking questions. He and his publication failed to take the adequate measures to protect from violence.
And then he unveiled his story: a caricature of immigrant life. Random stories of threats leveled against those who fail to support Galloway. Word images of angry immigrants acting like secret, clannish gangsters. An angry supporter of Galloway, holding Judah and yelling: "Get out, you fucking Jews!" — a reference to the fact that Jews reporting on Galloway is considered blasphemous by many Muslims.
If the story was intended as bait, it worked. Police say Galloway's supporters swarmed the man, rained blows upon him outside the event and he was quickly hustled away. The attack has been condemned by one of Galloway's supporters, and Judah and his allies have come under fire for staging an event many viewed as purposely provocative.
"This is quite clearly a stunt by you and a deliberate provocation and the timing of it confirms that this is a calculated attempt to smear me and affect my electoral prospects," Galloway said through a spokesman.
@b_judah your assault was terrible,but you could have put a more positive spin on the town itself, good and bad as anywhere else imo.
— BRADFORD matters (@yorkiewright70) May 6, 2015
@AviMayer@b_judah@georgegalloway you're a slimeball Zionist And nothing changes the fact you're an illegal squatter violating intl law
— Cha_Mac ✞ (@K_M_C_90) May 6, 2015
On Twitter Wednesday, Judah defended the cartoon contest, the latest in a series of incendiary stories against Muslim supporters of Galloway.
In Bradford I was pinned to a wall, throttled, and told "get out you fucking Jew" by George Galloway's supporters. http://t.co/eIvY7mHD68
— Ben Judah (@b_judah) May 6, 2015
@yorkiewright70 Sadly I did not have a good day in Bradford.
— Ben Judah (@b_judah) May 6, 2015
Galloway said the local Muslim community has been on edge ever since.
"You were allowed into the grounds of the church where it was held and would have been allowed to report on the rally but there were several objections to you photographing attendees, particularly from women. You refused to stop taking photographs of people and were asked to leave," Galloway said.