The English actor and comedian John Cleese has been reported to the British government’s anti-terrorism programme, Prevent, due to several comments he made on social media about Islam, the Qur’an and Muslim practices.
The news was announced by the Islamic website 5pillars, which states that Cleese is accused by an unnamed individual of ‘a persistent pattern of anti-Muslim rhetoric’, in which he ‘demonises, dehumanises and collectively attributes violence and crime to Muslims and Islam’.
The document states that Cleese’s activity on social media meets “several indicators used in Prevent’s risk assessments relating to anti-Muslim hate and countering extremism”, and it warns that this risks contributing to “radicalisation, tensions between different groups and hate-related incidents”.
Some examples are also given:
Among the material cited is a post from 18 July describing Islam as ‘the religion of paedophiles’.
The reference also highlights a post from 31 March, in which Cleese referred to “a culture whose holy book advocates the killing of all those who disagree with them”.
In recent months, Cleese has posted a series of comments on Islam and has repeatedly linked the religion to violence, child marriage, female genital mutilation and hostility towards non-Muslims.
The man himself is taking it in his stride, but others are reacting:
Cleese has also mocked the report to Prevent, whilst supporters, including former Home Secretary Suella Braverman and the Free Speech Union, have accused the complainant of attempting to stifle legitimate criticism of Islam.
Independent MP Rupert Lowe also came to Cleese’s defence, stating that he too had been reported to the authorities because of comments he had made about Islam.
“Perhaps we could share a cell, @JohnCleese?” wrote Lowe.
Recently, an attempt was also made to stop one of John Cleese’s comedy shows in Birmingham, as The Spectator reported in September.
Muslim activists in Birmingham have turned their attention to national treasure John Cleese and are demanding that the comedian be banned on the grounds of so-called ‘Islamophobia’. A group calling itself ‘Deenified’ has posted a video on social media in which they criticise the ‘Fawlty Towers’ star for ‘using his platforms to attack Islam’ and are demanding that his comedy show in Birmingham – part of a wider national tour – be banned. The relatively young, bearded activists accuse Cleese of “spreading dangerous misinformation and inciting hostility towards Muslims”.
The Deenified activists believe that the pattern of Cleese’s statements makes him a hate preacher.
The show in Birmingham went ahead as planned, but it is by no means certain that the activists will refrain from further attempts.
5Pillars suggested that similar demands could follow Cleese around to “several of the cities on the (comedy) tour” that “have large Muslim communities”.
The campaign against Cleese is disturbing, says the Free Speech Union (FSU) , which believes that the British government has, in practice, encouraged Muslim activists:
The government has repeatedly assured the public that the official definition of Islamophobia (now renamed ‘hostility towards Muslims’) would not have a chilling effect on freedom of expression. It is clear that it already has. Countless examples since the definition was published in March show that it has been used as a weapon to stifle legitimate criticism of, opposition to and debate about Islam.
The FSU also comments on the complaint against Rupert Lowe:
The complaint centred on Lowe’s repeated use of the term ‘Pakistani Muslim rape gangs’ and his claim that there was an ‘indisputable link’ between Islam and the rape gangs, as well as his warnings about the ‘Islamisation of Britain’. This was despite the fact that Baroness Casey’s 2025 report on the sexual exploitation of children concluded that men of Asian and Pakistani backgrounds were over-represented amongst those involved, and that the authorities had avoided addressing this for fear of being labelled racist or Islamophobic, and of creating tensions within society.
– “It seems as though we have a de facto Islamic blasphemy law in the UK,” concludes the FSU.
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