A local official in the UK is set to sue several Twitter users regarding a fun day for Muslim families at Legoland Windsor. A IBTimes UK report said Windsor councilor Tom Bursnall has threatened to seek legal action against users of the microblogging site who retweeted a story published by online publication EDL News, which read that the official attempted to stop a private event hosted by Legoland for an Islamic organization.
The private event, which was Legoland's day for Muslim families exclusively, earned controversy as Haitham al-Haddad, one of the members the organization that organized the Muslim fun day, Muslim Research and Development Foundation, is a radical cleric who had been banned in some universities in the UK. IBTimes said that Al-Haddad earlier praised 9/11 mastermind Osama Bin Laden and made derogatory remarks against Jews.
The online news said said EDL News, which monitors the English Defence League, said in an article that splinter group named Casuals United had been campaigning for theme park to not host the Muslim family fun day, with the headline referencing to a neo-Nazi link.
Bursnall claimed that 37 people who had shared the story published on EDL News committed libel and will be contacted by his lawyers soon. IBTimes UK also said that Bursnall is looking to shut the online publication down.
"This is a determined attempt by people who who want to smear Ukip [by association] with the far right. They are trying to distort things. I would never have anything to do with EDL or Casuals United. I find them deplorable. I do not mind spending a lot of money on this. EDL News is trying to manipulate and deceive people: what they're saying could not be further from the truth," Bursnall said, who is a member of the UK Independence Party.
EDL News spokesman Gary Hastings told the UK news site that Burshnall should direct his legal action against Sunday Express, as the politician had given his opinion about the demonstration. Hastings also underscored the fact that Burshnall has yet to respond to the blog, which he has the right in the very beginning.
