Complaints have been made after a Torfaen councillor used the term “muzzy” in a post on Facebook – but he denies the comment was an anti-Muslim slur.
Torfaen independent councillor Mike Harris, the chairman of safer communities overview and scrutiny, posted “Once a Muzzy!” on Facebook alongside a Daily Mail article on Hamas reportedly executing 11 Israeli informers. This was quickly picked up by Hope Not Hate campaigners who posted it on their blog and Facebook page.
One person responded that Cllr Harris should step down, while another says that they made a complaint to Torfaen Council. But Cllr Harris has defended his post saying “it is not racist”.
He denies that it was intended as a racist slur but that he was using the word in its proper meaning as set out in the dictionary, “Unable to think clearly; confused”.
While referring to the picture accompanying the article, which shows the executioners carrying guns, he said: “They are executing people so they must be confused and not able to think clearly or muzzy as it says in the dictionary.”