The Channel 4 News presenter Cathy Newman has offered her “sincere apologies” for causing a “great deal of offence” after claiming she was ushered out of a south London mosque, saying she would now be take a break from Twitter.
Newman sparked controversy after she tweeted that she was “ushered out of” the South London Islamic Centre in Streatham after trying to enter it as part of Visit My Mosque day.
However, the Huffington Post obtained CCTV footage that appeared to show Newman had left the mosque on her own. She was seen speaking to someone inside the mosque, then appeared to look confused before leaving.
Newman, who was sent a string of abusive messages on Twitter, used the social media site on Thursday to offer a further apology and said she had sent a letter to the mosque, which had received death threats in the days after her tweets.
1/4 I have written to South London Islamic Centre and offered my sincere apologies for tweets sent in haste after I visited there in error.
— Cathy Newman (@cathynewman) February 12, 2015
2/4 I accept my tweets were inappropriate and regret the use of the word “ushered”.
— Cathy Newman (@cathynewman) February 12, 2015
3/4 My language was poorly chosen and has caused a great deal of offence. I deeply regret that this happened.
— Cathy Newman (@cathynewman) February 12, 2015
4/4 I shall now be taking a break from Twitter.
— Cathy Newman (@cathynewman) February 12, 2015
Newman said in a statement earlier this week that she had visited the wrong mosque “in error” and had later received a “wonderful warm welcome” at another mosque, the nearby Hyderi Centre.
Channel 4 News editor Ben de Pear visited the Streatham mosque on Wednesday to deliver two letters, one from Newman and one of his own in which he offered an “unreserved apology for the considerable distress caused by recent events”.
“I have spoken to her at length and expressed my disappointment at her actions,” said de Pear.
“Her language was poorly chosen and caused your mosque untold and undeserved hurt. This was never her intention and we deeply regret that it had happened,” de Pear told Wasim Niaz, secretary of the South London Islamic Centre.
Newman, in her letter to Aslam Ijaz, the chair of trustees at the Islamic Centre, said: “After leaving your mosque, I hastily tweeted my interpretation of events. I accept my language was poorly chosen and has caused offence. This was never my intention and I would like to offer my sincere apologies.
“Channel 4 News has a particularly strong relationship with the Muslim community and we pride ourselves on representing your views with balance and accuracy - a responsibility we take very seriously.”
Newman said she wanted to express “my deepest regret at the events of the past week”.
She said she had set out to film a “positive news story about Visit My Mosque day - an initiative to be commended, particularly in these difficult times”.
She added she would “welcome the opportunity to visit your mosque once again to discuss how we can all work together more positively in the future”.
Newman, Channel 4’s former political correspondent who became a presenter of Channel 4 News in 2011, will return alongside Jon Snow on Thursday evening. She last presented the show on Friday last week.
