Blair Cottrell, leader for anti-Islam group United Patriots Front, found himself in hot water last night after he tried to give Muslim community advocate and lawyer Lydia Shelly a lesson in Islam on Live TV.
His lecture took place during a heated debate on Australian patriotism on ABC’s The Hack where he stated he did not think it was not possible for Lydia to consider herself both Muslim and Australian.
“If you’re going to live by Australian standards you’re kāfir, your brothers abroad would consider you kāfir [kāfir being the Arabic term for someone who is not Muslim]…” he started, but Lydia soon cut him off.
“Oh I am? You’re a scholar of Islam and I didn’t even know it.”
Blair wasn’t done though and continued to cite the Koran to Lydia who again, cut him off.
“You don’t need to school me on Islam,” she stated.
The debate fire continued to rage with Blair stating Muslims are not living the Australian way of life, a belief which left many Twitter users reeling.
“Hack Live is delayed by 30 minutes, Blair Cottrell is delayed by 80 years,” one person tweeted.
“The freedom to have an opinion shouldn’t be the freedom to be spread hate,” wrote another.
In the promo for the program, Blair was filmed screaming: “You’re either Australian or a bloody enemy and you can get out.”
Watch: UPF leader Blair Cottrell schools Muslim community advocate Lydia Shelly on Islam
