Newcastle Councillor Gets 15 Death Threats A Week

10 October 2014, 06:13 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

A Newcastle councillor has revealed he receives up to 15 racist death threats a week.

A Newcastle councillor has revealed he receives up to 15 racist death threats a week.

Dipu Ahad has represented the Elswick ward, which has a strong Muslim community, since 2007.

He’s regularly sent abusive messages in the post, which he tries to hide from his young family.

The dad of two, whose wife is also expecting twins, admits he often “fears for his life.”

Mr Ahad told Capital:
“I have death threats everyone so often, the most recent one is people saying they want to behead me and post me on Youtube.

I get death threats because of my colour, I’ve got regular campaigns against me and racism comes from all angles – especially social media.

All the time I fear for my life and probably every night I come home thinking ‘could this be my last’.”

Last month he was wrongly arrested by Israel Defense Forces in Palestine while watching a peace protest with a delegation from Newcastle City Council.

But despite that ordeal and his constant abuse, he refuses to quit and vows to continue the fight against racism in the city.

“There’s a lot of times I’ve said ‘enough is enough’, I might be an Asian councillor but my priority is to support people of all backgrounds and all faiths.

What gives me strength is my faith and my supporters give me strength.”

You can hear all of what Dipu Ahad's told us about racism below