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Complaint sent to Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre regarding John Cleese: I am writing to express serious concern about your decision to provide a platform to John Cleese at Bournemouth Pavilion on September 15, and to urge you to reconsider his appearance. Cleese’s social media activity has for several months gone well beyond reasonable criticism of a religion. He has repeatedly promoted gross generalisations and demonstrably misleading claims about Islam and Muslims to an audience of millions of people. In March, Cleese wrote on X that: “The Koran's teaching is ALL about acquiring power, killing 'infidels' and imposing Islam on everyone.” This is not serious criticism or theological debate. It is a sweeping and inflammatory misrepresentation of a scripture followed by nearly two billion people around the world, including millions of British citizens. To tell an audience of millions that the Qur’an is “ALL about” killing non-Muslims and imposing Islam on everyone is simply indefensible as an accurate description of the religion. Nor is this an isolated example. Cleese has repeatedly associated Islam and Muslims with beheading. He has suggested that life would be “less hard for Muslims if they stopped talking about beheading people who don't want to convert to Islam” and has argued that an “infidel's fear of being beheaded” is a rational reason to fear Islam. The insinuation that Muslims as a group advocate beheading people who refuse to convert is an extraordinarily serious allegation. It bears little resemblance to the beliefs or everyday lives of millions of Muslims in Britain and around the world, yet Cleese is broadcasting such rhetoric to millions of followers. Over recent months, he has also described Islam as a “mediaeval woman-hating religion”, claimed that Islam “has a superiority complex”, declared that “Islam does not want multiculturalism. It wants uniculturalism”, stated that “traditional British values are under attack from Muslim belief systems”, and suggested that the construction of mosques may be evidence of the “Islamification” of Britain. Taken together, these comments paint an unmistakable picture: Islam is presented as violent, expansionist, misogynistic and fundamentally threatening to British society, while ordinary Muslims are repeatedly associated with some of the most extreme practices imaginable. There is a legitimate and important distinction between criticising Islamic beliefs and spreading sweeping misinformation about Muslims and their religion. Cleese has repeatedly crossed that line. This becomes even more concerning when viewed alongside the political material Cleese has chosen to amplify. He has repeatedly amplified or responded sympathetically to material from Tommy Robinson, one of Britain's most notorious anti-Muslim activists. He has also expressed explicit support for the Islamophobic Restore Britain MP Rupert Lowe, stating publicly: “I trust this man more than any of the other leaders,” and has repeatedly promoted and defended him. Bournemouth and the surrounding area are home to a diverse population, including a significant Muslim community. Those residents are entitled to ask why one of the area's most prominent cultural venues is providing a prestigious platform to someone who tells millions of people that their holy book is “ALL about” killing non-Muslims, repeatedly associates their religion with beheadings, and portrays their growing presence in Britain as “Islamification”. This is not a freedom of speech issue. John Cleese is entitled to express his opinions, including opinions about Islam. Equally, Bournemouth Pavilion is not obliged to provide him with a stage, promote his appearance or financially benefit from ticket sales to his performance. I therefore urge Bournemouth Pavilion to reconsider John Cleese’s scheduled appearance on September 15. I would appreciate a substantive response addressing these concerns.