Muslims have criticised a Colwyn Bay councillor who has branded Islam as “barbaric, archaic and vile”.

Former BNP member John Oddy quit the controversial party shortly after becoming a Bay of Colwyn town councillor for Rhos-on-Sea in May 2008, claiming the BNP was racist. He was uncontested in the ballot.

While Cllr Oddy says he is not racist, he admits he is anti-Islam, and on his internet blog slated the faith, insisting that his personal views don’t conflict with his obligations as an elected member of the town council.

Muslims have criticised the Rhos-on-Sea councillor as “unknowledgeable” and questioned whether a man holding such views should be representing the community.

North Wales Weekly New, 7 October 2010

When Oddy resigned from the BNP in May 2008, Lancaster Unity pointed out that there was a “question mark” over his claim that he had never been a racist. Another former BNP councillor had claimed that “Oddy verbally attacked him for having the temerity to help an Asian family as part of his own duties as a town councillor, stating that the party wasn’t happy with him because he’d been ‘helping fucking Pakis’ and that ‘they’re Muslim scum anyway’.”