• Renowned da’ee Mohammed Hijab has said he is being “threatened” and “blackmailed” following his online criticism of Elon Musk.
• Hijab’s remarks have sparked strong support from a vocal contingent of Muslims.
Renowned Muslim debater, orator, YouTuber, writer and co-founder of Sapience Institute Mohammed Hijab has said he has received a “threat” and is being “blackmailed” by someone who “knows Elon Musk very well.”
In a video posted on his channel, which boasts 1.29 million subscribers, Hijab stated the alleged threat follows his online criticism of the tech billionaire on the social media platform X.
Musk has recently voiced strong opinions on contentious topics, including the right-wing’s politicised narrative surrounding the UK grooming gang scandal and the Islamophobic far-right riots last year.
Musk’s comments endorsing far-right convict Tommy Robinson have provoked significant backlash online, drawing widespread criticism, including from British Muslims.
A recent YouGov poll, of more than 2,200 people in Germany and the U.K., found that 69% of respondents in the UK saw Musk’s interventions in UK politics as unacceptable, whilst 73% in Germany.
A considerable and vocal contingent of Muslims have shown strong support for Mohammed Hijab and responded to his comments:
Elon Musk’s very first tweet after his $44 billion offer to purchase Twitter read, “Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy.” Musk has stated that he is a free speech absolutist. However, many have criticised this self-proclamation as hypocritical.
