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| Asghar Bukhari, a founding member of the Muslim Public Affairs Committee UK, believes he was the victim of a shoe thief with an agenda Photo: BBC |
(Telegraph) A founding member of the Muslim Public Affairs Committee UK urged people to share his bizarre Facebook post about a shoe that went missing while he slept.
However, while the post was indeed shared, hundreds of times, Asghar Bukhari did not get the response he might have intended.
Within hours, the hashtag #Mossadstolemyshoe was trending on Twitter, in a reference to the Israeli counter terrorism unit. However, Mr Bukhari claimed the fact that he was being mocked amounted to “intimidation of Muslim speakers” – for which he blamed Zionists.
He posted his original message on Facebook on Friday along with an image of a boy wearing just one shoe. It was headlined: “Are Zionists trying to intimidate me?”
Mr Bukhari wrote: “Someone came into my home yesterday, while I was asleep. I don’t know how they got in, but they didn't break in - the only thing they took was one shoe.”
The campaigner claimed “they left one shoe behind to let me know someone had been there". He added: “Of course I can't prove anything and that’s part of the intimidation. The game is simple - to make me feel vulnerable in my own home.”
He went on to write: “It is not the first time I have heard this happening. I have had another Muslim leader call me a year or so ago, in tears - she told me they had been coming into her house and re-arranging things - just to let her know they had been there.”
He suggested: “Share this widely, for if it is happening to me, I am sure it happening to many, many others who have not exposed it.”
Twitter users who picked up on the post mocked Mr Bukhari for his comments. Several suggested their dogs were secretly working for Mossad.
My dog is officially a Mossad agent #MossadStoleMyShoe pic.twitter.com/EefC5l35Qf— McShouty (@MrRae1000) June 13, 2015
While other wags came up with novel ways to combat shoe thieves - from secret cameras to tying the laces together.
#MossadStoleMyShoe @ashgarBukhari has come up with a cunning plan to defeat the evil Zionists... pic.twitter.com/0GxkjurhoW— SussexFriendsIsrael (@SussexFriends) June 13, 2015
Mr Bukhari seemed to take this in his stride, retweeting various stories about his post going viral. He went on to post a 15 minute Youtube video repeating his claims.
In a tweet on Sunday morning he wrote: "Zionists organised over twitter over this campaign of intimidation of Muslim speakers. They really trying to hide something. Too late [sic].”
The Muslim Public Affairs Committee UK describes itself as a grassroots civil liberties organisation that works to “expose and counter the sinister and toxic anti Muslim narrative that permeates mainstream politics and media". It has been accused of being an extremist and anti-Semitic militant body and is banned from many universities as a hate group.
After escaping from my Zionist captors by the skin of my laces, @AsgharBukhari I'm coming home! #MossadStoleMyShoe pic.twitter.com/BGC1YFe9aP
— Asghars shoe (@asgharslostshoe) June 14, 2015
