“Monty Python” legend John Cleese is doubling down on his months-long string of incendiary posts about Islam after activists filed a complaint that asked Britain’s counter-radicalization program to scrutinize him over the missives.
“How exciting,” the 86-year-old comedian wrote after learning that a member of the public had referred him to Prevent, a British government program designed to intervene when authorities believe someone may be vulnerable to radicalization or becoming involved in terrorism.
The September 22 referral, first reported by Muslim-focused British news outlet 5Pillars, accused Cleese of a “sustained pattern” of online activity that “demonizes, dehumanizes, and collectively attributes violence and criminality to Muslims and Islam.”
It claimed his posts met “several indicators used in PREVENT risk assessments for anti-Muslim hate and counter-extremism concerns” and warned that his rhetoric could contribute to “radicalization, communal tension, and hate incidents.”
The complainant reportedly assessed the risk as “moderate to high.”
Among the material cited was a July 18 repost describing Islam as “the religion of pedophiles,” according to 5Pillars.
The complaint also cited a March 31 post in which Cleese referred to “a culture whose holy book advocates the killing of all the people they disagree with,” as well as an April post describing a religious practice as “a barbaric custom” across “about 60 Muslim countries.”
“These statements go beyond criticism of ideas and attach intrinsic criminality, violence, and moral depravity to a religious group,” the complainant alleged.
But Cleese called the episode “All good comedy material. For those with a sense of humor.”
The actor has rejected accusations that his criticism amounts to hatred of Muslims, describing himself instead as “Islamosceptic.”
He has argued that Islam, its teachings and practices should be open to ridicule just as Christianity was in the Monty Python troupe’s 1979 religious satire “Life of Brian.”
“Criticism of Islam is not racist, it’s culturalist,” Cleese wrote in February, citing female genital mutilation as an example.
The following month, he said “traditional British values are under attack from Muslim belief systems.”
He then wrote that the “Koran’s teaching is ALL about acquiring power, killing ‘infidels’ and imposing Islam on everyone.”
The referral does not mean Cleese has been arrested, charged with a crime or formally accused of terrorism.
Prevent operates in what the British government calls the “non-criminal space,” with referrals assessed to determine whether someone may need intervention.
Cases can be closed without further action, while those deemed appropriate can be referred to Channel, a voluntary intervention program for people considered vulnerable to radicalization.
There is no public evidence that Cleese has been placed in Channel or subjected to a criminal investigation. But the extraordinary complaint nevertheless put one of Britain’s most famous comedians into a government system created to head off radicalization.
