- Muslim woman, Melika Gorgianeh, awarded “substantial damages” and public apology from Conservative politician for false accusations of anti-Semitism after appearing on British quiz show.
- Accusations arose over Gorgianeh’s attire and involvement with team mascot, a blue octopus, during the University Challenge episode.
A Muslim woman who faced death threats following her appearance on a well-known British quiz show has been awarded “substantial damages” and publicly apologised to by a Conservative politician who falsely accused her of anti-Semitism.
Melika Gorgianeh, a doctoral student in astrophysics at Christ Church, Oxford University, participated in an episode of the BBC show “University Challenge,” which aired on November 20th.
Pictured: Melika Gorgianeh
The episode was recorded several months prior in March. During the show, the team’s mascot was a blue octopus plush toy, and Gorgianeh wore a multicoloured jacket consisting of navy blue, orange, pink, and green hues.
Jacqueline Foster, a member of the House of Lords and holding the title of baroness, publicly asserted after the show aired that Gorgianeh wore colours resembling those of the Palestinian flag and was accountable for the team’s mascot.
Both claims were unfounded. The colours of the Palestinian flag consist of black, white, green, and red, and the mascot was owned by the entire team. Foster labeled the octopus as a highly offensive anti-Semitic symbol and demanded Gorgianeh’s expulsion from her university and arrest by the police. Additionally, she tagged prominent politicians such as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, along with national organisation including Ofcom, the BBC, and the University of Oxford.
The incident garnered attention from numerous media outlets and circulated widely on social media platforms.
Rolling Stone magazine posed the question, “Is This Cute Lil’ Guy an Antisemitic Hate Symbol?” in reference to the octopus, in one of its headlines.
David Atherton, a commentator and journalist known for his right-wing views, shared on X: “Do you think it is appropriate Melika Gorgianeh … displayed a blue octopus, a blatant anti-Semitic trope, used by the Nazis to show how Jews’ tentacles were spread round the world? … Shame on Christ Church, shame on Oxford University.”
University Challenge is a cherished program among Britons, originating in 1962. It features university students vying to answer challenging questions under the scrutiny of a formidable host. Teams are encouraged to have mascots accompany them.
In the end, Gorgianeh’s Christ Church college emerged victorious, securing 155 points compared to their rivals from Emmanuel College at the University of Cambridge, who scored 130. The episode aired during heightened community tensions in Britain amid Israel’s conflict with Gaza.
In late November, Gorgianeh lodged a complaint with the commissioner of the House of Lords regarding Foster’s behavior, but it was not upheld.
“The false allegation of anti-Semitism has had a profound and deeply damaging impact on my life. I was a student appearing on my favourite TV quiz show. All of a sudden, lies told about me, and only me, led to me receiving death threats and to my mental health deteriorating,” said Gorgianeh.
“Baroness Foster’s posts, and the posts of others who are yet to be held to account, affected both myself and my family. I felt unsafe to even leave my house. Nobody should ever have to feel how I felt or go through what I went through. Words have consequences. And now, through her apology, Baroness Fosters’ words begin to have the consequence of healing the very real damage that had been done to me.”
On Wednesday, Foster issued a detailed apology on X:
Zillur Rahman, Gorgianeh’s solicitor asserted that statements by individuals in a position of power, authority and respect, carry “far greater weight and are liable to have a far greater impact than those made by less prominent figures”.
“Baroness Foster holds a DBE, and as a lifetime peer, she is quite literally a member of the ruling class of British society,” he said.
Rahman Lowe, the law firm representing Gorgianeh, did not disclose the amount of compensation awarded to her.
