Campaigners propose flying airplane banner over Turnberry golf course
TYCOON DONALD TRUMP is under increasing pressure to accept invitations to visit Scottish mosques during his trip at the end of June.
The American presidential nominee is facing calls to accept thr invitations in order to learn about Islam during his flying visit to Ayrshire.
After several mosques in Edinburgh called on Trump to “learn more about the Muslims that he offends almost every time he opens his mouth” by visiting their premises, campaign group 38 Degrees launched a new petition calling on the business tycoon to “Meet Edinburgh’s Muslims”, and are proposing to fly a banner from an aeroplane to “make sure he gets the message”.
“Unless he accepts this invitation people will think he is a coward who is afraid of coming face-to-face with people he has trashed in the press for months." Willie Rennie
The petition reads: “We call on Donald Trump to accept the invitation of Edinburgh’s Annandale Mosque and Roxburgh Street Mosque to visit them and educate himself about Islam.
“His statements about Muslims, including a call for them to be banned from entering the United States, show that he is deeply ignorant about this religion. We want to send a powerful message that the politics of racism and bigotry have no place here.”
Five Edinburgh mosques have so far invited the rightwing politician to visit, including Annandale, Roxburgh Street, and the Turkish Mosque and Cultural Centre.
Trump’s visit at the end of the month coincides with the UK’s referendum on membership of the European Union. Protests are planned to coincide with his relaunch event at his Turnberry golf course and hotel, with a Facebook event calling for “the broadest possible mobilisation against Trump reflecting the range of issues his possible presidency would bring to the fore.”
Donald Trump previously used his presidential nominee campaign platform to call for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States.
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said Trump would be a “coward" to turn down the invitations.
Quoted in the Herald Rennie said: “Mr Trump may have closed his mind to other cultures but it seems Edinburgh's Muslim community are ready to open their doors to The Donald and teach him about Islam … He cannot ignore this growing campaign and he must now accept one of the increasing number of invitations he has received.
“Unless he accepts this invitation people will think he is a coward who is afraid of coming face-to-face with people he has trashed in the press for months."
Picture courtesy of Ric Lander
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