A simple tweet from the Rochdale MP, Simon Danczuk, provides an example of the caustic and bigoted responses that are received in return and perpetuated by people who think that it is reasonable to label a whole section of a population. In this instance, self-styled ‘developer and problem solver’, Dino Fancellu, who has a UKIP 2015 banner emblazoned across his avatar, decided to respond to the tweet.

Simon Danczuk had celebrated the Mawlid, the birthday of Prophet Muhammad with local Rochdale residents and had tweeted out pictures with British Muslims. The response back from Dino Fancellu, encapsulates the kind of abuse and bigotry which is perpetuated through social media.

In response, Fancellu decides to abuse the memory of Prophet Muhammad by promoting the vile belief that he was a paedophile. The comments below are inflammatory and perpetuate a myth that the far right and others promote.

https://twitter.com/DinoFancellu/status/680085361192792065

UKIP sympathiser Fancellu then moves into the line of bigotry by stating the following. The ‘death/rape cult’ it can only be assumed by the language in the tweets, is linked to followers of Islam – in this case – Muslims, and this is further confirmed by the irrational and illogical belief by Fancellu, that Muslims want to take over the world.  Such ‘domination’ can only take place through physical actions and this implies through the actions of Muslims.

We wanted to higlight this example since it shows the toxic nature of social media and the virtually daily trolling that takes place on this social media platform. Finally, Fancellu makes much of the companies that have used his services and these include Barclays Bank, HSBC and other respected banking institutions. We hope that such companies can do their due diligence in the future when looking to work with outside bodies and organisations.