Mazher Mahmood, the fake sheikh

[Wozza]

Type his name into Google Images and you'll see a picture of him... for now.

Put one of those pics on NSC (no, don't), and Bozza will get a letter from NotW lawyers by the end of the day.

Like this site: http://www.septicisle.info/2006/03/fake-sheikh-exposed-mazher-mahmood-and.html

 

[D'Angelo Saxon]

Ahhhh so there is.

 

[Wozza]

Background info for those who have missed it...

Judge stops Galloway from outing the fake sheikh
Sam Jones and Stephen Brook
Wednesday April 5, 2006

The News of the World obtained a high court injunction yesterday to stop George Galloway publishing pictures of its most celebrated journalist, Mazher Mahmood, the investigative reporter more commonly known as the "fake sheikh".

The MP for Bethnal Green and Bow claimed Mahmood tried to make him the target of a sting late last month by attempting to get him to make anti-semitic remarks and implicate him in illegal party financing at a London hotel.

He has branded Mahmood - whose previous victims include the Countess of Wessex and the England manager, Sven-Goran Eriksson - "an agent provocateur and a disgrace to journalism".

Mr Galloway had made good on his threat to out Mahmood earlier yesterday, when he sent two pictures of the reporter to all MPs and the royal family, as well as posting the pictures on the Respect party website.

The images were later removed from the site.

"The secret's out, I hope your editors will publish his picture," Mr Galloway told reporters gathered at a news conference yesterday.

The News of the World, which has gone to great efforts to make sure that the identity of its star reporter remains a mystery, had asked newspapers not to publish images of Mahmood, who works undercover and is said by the paper to be responsible for the conviction of more than 130 criminals. It had also claimed that Mahmood and his family are the subject of death threats regarded as "serious and credible" by police.

Yesterday afternoon, the paper's parent company, News International, successfully applied to Mr Justice Mitting for a 24-hour high court injunction prohibiting publication of the pictures.

Mr Galloway said last night that he intended to challenge the order as soon as it expires at 4pm today.

"This is exactly what we expected. And now we see just how hypocritical and slight News International's professed commitment to press freedom is," Mr Galloway said.

"Since I broke the news of my encounter with the fake sheikh other interested parties have come forward providing voluminous further evidence of thoroughly unscrupulous methods ... The evidence already coming my way reinforces my determination to see that Mahmood is brought to book.

"If News International were truly concerned with the integrity of the press it would be retiring Mahmood this evening instead of trying to prevent others from being forewarned of his activities."

The News of the World defended Mahmood's meeting with Mr Galloway, arguing that it was part of "wholly legitimate inquiries" into the activities of a number of individuals in relation to the loans-for-honours and party funding scandal.

Earlier this year, Mr Galloway was the victim of a sting by the News of the World's sister paper, the Sun, when an undercover reporter sent him flowers on Valentine's Day and visited his office.

 

[Hannibal smith]

It’s not just Sven and others that he has exposed though. I seem to remember that he exposed criminals that were trying to kidnap Beckham’s kids amongst others. I can understand why he wants to remain off the radar.

Still, I wouldn’t expect Galloway to understand that. Publicity is his middle name.

 

[Richard Whiteley]

It’s not just Sven and others that he has exposed though. I seem to remember that he exposed criminals that were trying to kidnap Beckham’s kids amongst others. I can understand why he wants to remain off the radar.

Still, I wouldn’t expect Galloway to understand that. Publicity is his middle name.

Yeah I'm sure he is a real saint, the New's of the World's star journalist

 

[Hannibal smith]

Yeah I'm sure he is a real saint, the New's of the World's star journalist

I don’t suppose for one minute that he is, or that the real reasons NOTW does not want him revealed is so he can go getting scoops. All I’m saying is that I can understand his reasons for wanting to stay incognito.

What does annoy me is all of this sanctimonious bollocks spouted by Galloway about how he is doing if for everyone else’s good and not because he hasn’t been in the papers for the last 5 minutes.

 

[Wozza]

I seem to remember that he exposed criminals that were trying to kidnap Beckham’s kids amongst others.

Jesis, if you're trying to defend the work of Mazher Mahmood, that's the LAST case you want to bring up.

The case collapsed under very dodgy circumstances.

 

[London Irish]

I don’t suppose for one minute that he is, or that the real reasons NOTW does not want him revealed is so he can go getting scoops. All I’m saying is that I can understand his reasons for wanting to stay incognito.

What does annoy me is all of this sanctimonious bollocks spouted by Galloway about how he is doing if for everyone else’s good and not because he hasn’t been in the papers for the last 5 minutes.

You what? You mean Galloway has no right to feel angered at the entrapment techniques employed by this shining light of campaigning journalism? How would you feel if you were targeted by a newspaper sting operation? Would you just smile and say, unlucky chaps, good try?

How many more libel battles and damages does Galloway have to collect before the press give him a fair shake rather than this kind of "sheik"?

 

[aftershavedave]

well the injunction ended at 4pm didn't it? so why no pic on that link?

 

[readingstockport]

It’s not just Sven and others that he has exposed though. I seem to remember that he exposed criminals that were trying to kidnap Beckham’s kids amongst others. I can understand why he wants to remain off the radar.

Still, I wouldn’t expect Galloway to understand that. Publicity is his middle name.

Nope. Wrong again. He entrapped a group of low-level criminals and attempted to set them up hence all defendants being exonerated and all charges being dropped.

But never mind, why let facts get in the way of a good anti-Galloway rant.

 

[Tooting Gull]

It is hard to feel too much sympathy for Galloway, his shameless past self-publicising makes that nigh on impossible.

To be fair to him though, he may belatedly have found his niche. His new talk show on talkSPORT (modestly dubbed the Mother of all Talk Shows) is actually very good and miles better than the rest of that station's output: intelligent, punchy, controversial, highlighting real issues, led by someone who knows Parliament inside out, and scathing about just about everyone on all sides. Well worth a listen.

 

[London Irish]

It is hard to feel too much sympathy for Galloway, his shameless past self-publicising makes that nigh on impossible.

To be fair to him though, he may belatedly have found his niche. His new talk show on talkSPORT (modestly dubbed the Mother of all Talk Shows) is actually very good and miles better than the rest of that station's output: intelligent, punchy, controversial, highlighting real issues, led by someone who knows Parliament inside out, and scathing about just about everyone on all sides. Well worth a listen.

When is it on usually?

 

[eastlondonseagull]

Where's the pic, then Wozza?

I wanna know what that cunt looks like...

 

[Tooting Gull]

When is it on usually?

Sat and Sun nights, 8-10pm. I'm often driving home at that time, has proved very amusing listening.

Interestingly, it's also drawn a few lefties out of the talkSPORT listener woodwork. Normally they just didn't bother calling the other muppets as they didn't get a fair shake.

 

[Wozza]

Where's the pic, then Wozza?

I wanna know what that cunt looks like...

http://images.google.co.uk/images?q=Mazher+Mahmood&hl=en&btnG=Search+Images

 

[Edward Scissorhands]

The first one?

 

[London Irish]

Sat and Sun nights, 8-10pm. I'm often driving home at that time, has proved very amusing listening.

Interestingly, it's also drawn a few lefties out of the talkSPORT listener woodwork. Normally they just didn't bother calling the other muppets as they didn't get a fair shake.

Ta, gonna give that a go.

 

[HampshireSeagulls]

Mahmood does some good stuff, but he also stoops to meet the low levels of the News of the World. Nice little bio here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazher_Mahmood) including a picture link that they can't get removed.

Can't see the point of tabloid-land getting all uppitty about the security of one of it's own when it would appear to be ever-so-slightly implicated in the murder of Denis Donaldson. (www.whokilleddennis.blogspot.com/)

 

[Hannibal smith]

You what? You mean Galloway has no right to feel angered at the entrapment techniques employed by this shining light of campaigning journalism? How would you feel if you were targeted by a newspaper sting operation? Would you just smile and say, unlucky chaps, good try?

How many more libel battles and damages does Galloway have to collect before the press give him a fair shake rather than this kind of "sheik"?

Haven't we got this the wrong way round - Shouldn't you be defending the journo trade?

As I say, I have no real sympathy for anyone involved here. Galloway is a self publicist and the NOTW reap what they sow.

It just goes to show how much I hate Galloway that I'm more inclined to argue on behalf of the NOTW than him.

 

[London Irish]

Haven't we got this the wrong way round - Shouldn't you be defending the journo trade?

Not at all, if he was consistently involved in public interest journalism, I would be fighting his corner tooth and nail. But his usual modus operandi is just the usual sleazy celebrity/royals-obsessed bollocks so typical of the NOTW gutter.

In this case, he is targeting an anti-war campaigner. What public interest does that serve trying to smear a government critic?

He is not serving any journalistic function, just a political one given to him by Murdoch and the pro-war agenda of News Corp.

This is not journalism, but political smearing. Those responsible for that fully deserve to have their own techniques turned back on them - if that means publishing his picture, f***ing good if that means we get less of his celebrity-obsessed bollocks in future