Raheem Kassam facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Raheem Kassam
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At the 2018 CPAC
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| Born | 1 August 1986 London, England
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| Alma mater | University of Westminster |
| Political party | Reform UK (2019–present) UK Independence Party (2014–2019) |
Raheem J. Kassam, born on August 1, 1986, is a British political activist. He used to be a top editor for Breitbart News in London. He also worked as a main advisor for Nigel Farage, who led the UK Independence Party (UKIP). Some news groups have called his political views 'far-right' or 'right-wing'.
He once tried to become the leader of UKIP in 2016 but decided not to continue before the election. He was also a global editor for Human Events and is now the editor-in-chief of The National Pulse.
Contents
Early Life and School
Raheem Kassam was born in White City, West London. His parents were Tanzanian Muslim immigrants from Hillingdon. They were of Indian background.
He was raised as an Ismaili Shia Muslim. However, he wrote in 2016 that he had not practiced Islam for over ten years. Kassam was once an atheist, meaning he did not believe in God.
He said that Christopher Hitchens' ideas about religion inspired him. Kassam went to Bishopshalt School in Uxbridge. He later studied Politics at the University of Westminster.
Before 2008, Kassam briefly worked for a financial company called Lehman Brothers. This company later went out of business.
Career and Work
Kassam was a member of a youth group called Conservative Future. He also directed a group called Student Rights, which worked against extremism on college campuses. He spoke out against the London School of Economics for taking money from Muammar Gaddafi's government in Libya.
In 2011, Kassam said his heroes were Michael Gove, Margaret Thatcher, and Barry Goldwater. He also admired the free markets in the United States. He called his former university, the University of Westminster, a "hotbed of radical Islam." He mentioned that Jihadi John had attended the same campus as proof.
In 2011, Kassam worked as a campaigns director for the Henry Jackson Society. This group focuses on foreign policy.
Working with News Outlets
Kassam managed election campaigns in the UK and the US. He was also an editor for a blogging platform called The Commentator. He left this group after disagreeing with its founder.
He has been part of conservative research groups like the Bow Group and the Middle East Forum. He also helped start a UK version of the Tea Party movement. Kassam supported the Young Britons' Foundation, which later closed.
He and James Delingpole started the London version of the American news site Breitbart News. Kassam left Breitbart in May 2018.
In June 2018, Kassam helped organize a large protest in London. This event supported activist Tommy Robinson. Kassam also gave a speech at the demonstration.
In 2018, Kassam joined a French institute called the Institut des sciences sociales, économiques et politiques. This institute was founded by far-right politicians.
Later Work and Views
In March 2019, Kassam and a lawyer bought Human Events, an American conservative online publication. Kassam became the global editor-in-chief when it relaunched in May. He left Human Events in August of the same year.
In July 2019, the Australian Labor Party asked for Kassam to be stopped from entering Australia. A politician said he should not be allowed in if he spreads hate speech.
In October 2019, Kassam started co-hosting a radio show and podcast called War Room: Impeachment. He hosted it with Steve Bannon. The show aimed to encourage the White House to respond strongly to the impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump.
During the 2020 US election, Kassam supported claims by Donald Trump. These claims tried to make people doubt the election results.
Kassam describes himself as a nationalist. Many news sources have called his political views far-right.
UK Independence Party Involvement
After working with the Conservative Party, Kassam became a UKIP voter in late 2013. He joined the party in 2014 and soon became a senior advisor to Nigel Farage.
Leadership Campaign
After Diane James resigned as UKIP leader in October 2016, Kassam decided to run for the position. He said he wanted to "stop infighting within UKIP" and "address the deep cultural and social divides" in the country. His campaign slogan was "Make UKIP great again."
In an interview, Kassam said he wanted to fix UKIP's problems. He promised to increase the party's members to 100,000.
Kassam's social media posts have caused controversy. In June 2016, he posted a tweet about First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon. He later deleted the tweet and apologized.
Kassam withdrew from the leadership contest on October 31, 2016. He felt he had little chance of winning and did not have enough money. He also said the media was intimidating his parents.
After the Leadership Race
In October 2016, Kassam suggested that Donald Trump would be a better US President than Hillary Clinton. A few days after Trump won the election, Kassam went with Nigel Farage to meet President-elect Trump. Farage was the first British politician to meet Trump at Trump Tower.
In December 2019, Kassam became the editor-in-chief of The National Pulse. This is an American news website with a political right-wing focus.
See also
In Spanish: Raheem Kassam para niños
