Councillor says Facebook posts were 'thoughtless'

A Doncaster councillor who has been suspended over a number of Facebook posts criticising Islam has said his actions were "thoughtless" following a visit to a mosque.

The posts shared on Paul Cutts' Facebook page, created by other users and shared on his profile, included three which targeted the Muslim faith in a derogatory way, with a fourth criticising niqab face veils, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

Cutts, who represents Wheatley Hills and Intake, was suspended from Reform UK in January.

After visiting Jamia Masjid Sultania Mosque on 1 February, Cutts said he "realised even more now what a thoughtless action it was to share the social media posts I did".

Imam Habeeb Minhas invited Cutts to the mosque and councillor Karl Hughes helped to organise the visit.

Speaking afterwards, Cutts said: "I cannot tell you how informative the visit was. I learnt so much about Islam and Muslims; it was extremely enlightening.

"The Jamia Masjid Sultania Mosque is a truly beautiful building and extremely impressive."

Cutts and Hughes spoke at length with the Imam and listened to a presentation about topics including the hijab and fundamental beliefs regarding the Quran.

Imam Habeeb Minhas said he remained open to further engagement and encouraged members of the council to arrange future visits to the mosque.

Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North