Asif’s spoken out after The Apprentice cuts him for alleged antisemitism, and he’s not sorry

Dr Asif Munaf was fired on last night’s The Apprentice, after the news broke he’d been cut from spin-off show You’re Fired following accusations of antisemitism. Asif has spoken out on Twitter / X after the episode aired, and he’s not holding back on what he has to say.

Writing on Twitter / X, Asif said “In appeasing the Zionist lobby, the broadcaster has inadvertently scored the greatest own goal. Nobody respects cowards. In an industry obsessed with eyeballs, watch viewing figures now plummet. Long-term loss for short-term appeasement.”

“Principles over pounds.” He then continued: “Better to die upon your principles than to live an unauthentic life looking over your shoulder.”

He also clarified his stance on the antisemitism claims, saying he isn’t antisemitic but anti-Zionist. “Deliberate, not-so-slick PR tactics to conflate hatred of a race/faith with hatred of a fascist apartheid regime. Antisemitism is truly deplorable, anti-Zionism is commendable. Keep speaking the truth.”

Regarding the Asif on The Apprentice and You’re Fired backlash, the BBC said initially “After filming had taken place, we were made aware of concerns over social media posts that Asif had made after he had left the process. As soon as we were alerted, we took immediate action and spoke to Asif in detail on this. Asif took part in specialised training to understand why his posts may cause offence. We are committed to providing an inclusive environment on and off screen.”

A BBC source subsequently told The Independent: “We can confirm that the individual concerned will not feature as a guest on any additional upcoming BBC content relating to The Apprentice.”

Danny Cohen, former BBC programming boss, told Deadline “I would advise BBC managers to stop telling Jewish employees what is and isn’t antisemitism. This simply would not happen if the issue involved racism against any other minority community.

The Apprentice 2024 Series 18 continues on Thursdays on BBC One and BBC iPlayer – for all the latest reality TV and entertainment news, memes and gossip, like Pop Culture Shrine on Facebook. 

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