Jump to content

Raheem Kassam

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Sheepy Shoo (talk | contribs) at 00:10, 24 October 2016. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Raheem Kassam
File:Raheem Kassam.jpg
Personal details
Born (1986-08-01) 1 August 1986 (age 38)
Hammersmith Hospital, London[1]
NationalityBritish
Political partyUKIP (2014–)
(formerly Conservative)

Raheem Kassam (1 August 1986)[1] is the editor-in-chief of Breitbart News London and was previously chief adviser and head spin doctor for UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage.[2] Kassam is contesting the party's November 2016 leadership election.

Early life and education

Kassam is the son of Tanzanian immigrant parents of Gujarati origin from Hillingdon, Greater London. He was raised in the Ismaili sect of Shia Islam, and wrote in 2016 that he had not been a practising Muslim for over a decade.[1] Despite his background, Raheem is an atheist, stating that Christopher Hitchens rejection of religious faith ("religions are versions of the same untruth") inspired him.[3] He considers the niqab and Sharia be tools of "cultural jihad" and condemns what he describes as an "Islamophobia industry".[1]

Kassam attended Bishopshalt School in Uxbridge and St. Helen's College, Hillingdon, proceeding to study Politics at the University of Westminster.[4] He was a national executive board member of Conservative Future and director of campus anti-extremism group Student Rights, and campaigned against the London School of Economics for accepting money from Gaddafi's Libya, leading to the resignation of their director Howard Davies.[4] In a 2011 interview, Kassam named his idols as Michael Gove, Margaret Thatcher and Barry Goldwater, and spoke of his admiration for the United States' free markets.[4] He attended the University of Westminster at the same time as the ISIS executor known as "Jihadi John", and has called his alma mater a "hot bed" of fundamentalism.[1]

He has previously worked for Lehman Brothers, managed electoral campaigns in the UK and United States and was Executive Editor of The Commentator. He has been a member of conservative think-tanks such as the Bow Group and the Henry Jackson Society and was involved in the foundation of the UK version of the Tea Party movement.[5] He and James Delingpole set up the London edition of the American conservative news outlet Breitbart News.[1]

UKIP

Following his time with the Conservatives, Kassam became a UKIP voter in late 2013 and joined the party early into the following year, soon becoming Farage's senior advisor.[1] After the resignation of Diane James as UKIP leader in October 2016, Kassam launched a campaign to become the new leader. On announcing his bid, he stated that he wanted to "stop infighting within UKIP", "address the deep cultural and social divides in this country", and "to become the real opposition and put this feckless Labour Party to bed."[6][7] His campaign slogan was "Make UKIP great again".[8][9] In an interview with Evan Davis on BBC Newsnight, Kassam announced his intentions to resolve UKIP's "existential crisis" and pledged to grow UKIP's membership to 100,000.[10] In the same interview he also suggested that Donald Trump would be a better President of the United States than Hillary Clinton.[10]

Kassam's activity on social media has attracted negative attention.[11] In June 2016 he posted a tweet suggesting First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon should have her "mouth taped shut. And her legs, so she can't reproduce". After criticism from a Scottish National Party MP, Kassam replied that he would not be lectured by a National Socialist. He has previously tweeted that Suzanne Evans, a rival in the leadership election should "fuck off for good" and questioned whether Labour MP Angela Eagle attended a "special needs class"[12]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Raheem's Biography/CV". Make UKIP Great Again. Retrieved 22 October 2016.
  2. ^ "UKIP's Steven Woolfe and Raheem Kassam to stand for leadership". BBC News. 5 October 2016.
  3. ^ Raheem Kassam "Thank you, Mr. Hitchens", The Commentator, 25 May 2012
  4. ^ a b c "Rainbow Tories: The geek, the fundraiser and the Tanzanian immigrant's son". The Evening Standard. 6 October 2011.
  5. ^ "Raheem Kassam". BBC Three. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
  6. ^ "Raheem Kassam on UKIP fighting and leadership contest". BBC News. 7 October 2016.
  7. ^ "Steven Woolfe and Raheem Kassam throw hats in ring for UKip leadership". The Herald. 5 October 2016.
  8. ^ Mason, Rowenna (5 October 2016). "Ukip leadership contest: five likely contenders to succeed Diane James". The Guardian.
  9. ^ "Ukip leadership candidate Steven Woolfe quits party following conference altercation furore". Chester and District Standard. 18 October 2016.
  10. ^ a b "Raheem Kassam: UKIP is in an 'existential crisis'". BBC News. 18 October 2016.
  11. ^ http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/raheem-kassam-ukip-leadership-election-twitter-deleted_uk_580cf387e4b056572d82f392
  12. ^ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3863964/Don-t-drag-Ukip-far-right-Farage-rival-Suzanne-Evans-enters-race-lead-Ukip-fierce-assault-toxic-runner-Raheem-Kassam.html
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Raheem_Kassam&oldid=745890202"