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 An American "terrorism expert" on the right-wing Fox News channel has declared that Birmingham is "a totally Muslim" city "where non-Muslims just simply don't go". 
 
 Steve Emerson made the claim, which may come as a surprise to the hundreds of thousands of non-Muslim residents of Britain's second-largest city, during a television discussion about no-go zones in Europe where Muslims are apparently in complete control. 
 
 "In Britain, it's not just no-go zones, there are actual cities like Birmingham that are totally Muslim where non-Muslims just simply don't go in," he said. 
 
 Mr Emerson, who describes himself as "an internationally recognised expert on terrorism", did not stop there. 
 
 In our retraction this morning we highlighted that as much as 21% of Birmingham, GB, is Moslem, as opposed to our error last night. — Fox News Press Team (@FoxNewsPress) January 12, 2015 
 
 "Parts of London, there are actually Muslim religious police that actually beat and actually wound seriously anyone who doesn't dress according to Muslim, religious Muslim attire," he proclaimed, without giving examples. 
 
 Terrifying photo of how a typical Muslim from Birmingham guards the city gates against infidels. #foxnewsfacts pic.twitter.com/w1TJt93VEi — Pavilion Opinions (@pavilionopinion) January 11, 2015 
 
 He described Birmingham as one of a number of European cities "where sharia courts were set up, where Muslim density is very intense, where the police don't go in, and where it's basically a separate country almost, a country within a country." 
 
 Mr Emerson is a regular contributor to Fox News and was appearing on Judge Pirro, a show hosted by the failed Republican politician Jeanine Pirro. 
 
 Armed Muslim women seize control of Birmingham streets... #foxnewsfacts pic.twitter.com/0gcLcHAYs6 — David Broadfield (@David_Link2) January 12, 2015 
 
 Ms Pirro responded to her guest's claim that the British government doesn't "exercise any sovereignty" in Birmingham by saying: "You know what it sounds like to me, Steve? It sounds like a caliphate within a particular country." 
 
 Steve Emerson tells the Fox news anchor that Birmingham is a no-go area for non-Muslims 
 
 Disgruntled Brummies took to Twitter to express their disdain for Mr Emerson's characterisation of their home city. 
 
 <noframe>Twitter: Daniel Knowles - According to Fox News, Birmingham, my hometown, where my parents still live, is a no go zone for non-Muslims <a href="https://t.co/trbunXmoIu" target="_blank">https://t.co/trbunXmoIu</a></noframe> 
 
 And others quickly joined in, posting sarcastic retorts under the hashtag #foxnewsfacts. 
 
 Birmingham City Mosque is among the tallest and most sacred in all Islam. #FoxNewsFacts pic.twitter.com/4DPUoaz6CV — Peter Moore (@petermoore) January 11, 2015 
 
 <noframe>Twitter: Rob Crilly - The Bull Ring is where Christians were put to death <a href="https://twitter.com/search?src=hash&q=%23foxnewsfacts" target="_blank">#foxnewsfacts</a></noframe> 
 
 After being contacted by The Telegraph, Mr Emerson released a fulsome apology, saying he "clearly made a terrible error for which I am deeply sorry". 
 
 He added he was going to make a donation to a Birmingham charity and take out an ad in a Birmingham newspaper. 
 
 This is a picture from the Aston Villa-Birmingham derby. #FoxNewsFacts pic.twitter.com/qUn9gQFyyk — Robin Wigglesworth (@RobinWigg) January 11, 2015 
 
 Here's the apology in full: 
 
 You may quote me on this as I will be posting this and taking out an ad in a Birmingham paper. I have clearly made a terrible error for which I am deeply sorry. My comments about Birmingham were totally in error. And I am issuing an apology and correction on my website immediately for having made this comment about the beautiful city of Birmingham. I do not intend to justify or mitigate my mistake by stating that I had relied on other sources because I should have been much more careful. There was no excuse for making this mistake and I owe an apology to every resident of Birmingham. I am not going to make any excuses. I made an inexcusable error. And I am obligated to openly acknowledge that mistake. 
 
 Steve 
 
 PS. I intend to make a donation to a Birmingham charity. 

 Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Steven Emerson: "I made an inexcusable error" 
 
 An American terrorism commentator has apologised for describing Birmingham as a "Muslim-only city" where non-Muslims "don't go" during a Fox News interview. 
 
 Steven Emerson told the channel that in London "Muslim religious police" beat "anyone who doesn't dress according to Muslim, religious Muslim attire". 
 
 He later issued an apology for his "terrible error". 
 
 His comments have come in for ridicule, with the hashtag #FoxNewsFacts trending on Twitter. 
 
 Mr Emerson, who founded a group called The Investigative Project on Terrorism, was giving his perspective on the terror attacks in France to Fox presenter Jeanine Pirro. 
 
 'Check your facts' 
 
 Birmingham City Council said Mr Emerson's "curious" comments had no foundation, and welcomed his apology, while Birmingham Edgbaston MP Gisela Stuart described the remarks as "stupid". 
 
 Image copyright Twitter 
 
 Image copyright Twitter 
 
 On social media, Mr Emerson has been the butt of jokes, while he has been accused of "speaking nonsense" by people posting on his investigative website. 
 
 One Twitter user said: "As someone born and raised in Birmingham, I must admit there was a pressure to read the Kerrang." 
 
 "I was supposed to go to Birmingham last week but I forgot my passport," said another. 
 
 The Guardian's Simon Ricketts on #FoxNewsFacts 
 
 I was at home and the video of the Fox News "expert" Steve Emerson had popped up on my Twitter feed and people were rightly expressing their disbelief at what he had said. 
 
 I thought it might be funny to counteract the anger with silliness, so I wrote a tweet and stuck the hashtag (#FoxNewsFacts) on it. 
 
 Sometimes the best response to such nonsense is satire and mockery, rather than anger and outrage. 
 
 Immediately, that proved successful and the people of Twitter did what they do best at times - took an idea and ran with it. 
 
 Take the BBC quiz to find out if you know #RealBrumfacts 
 
 Speaking on Radio 4's PM programme, Mr Emerson said: "I don't want people to use this to claim there's no such thing as radical Islam." 
 
 He said he "absolutely" stood by comments about "vigilante Muslim groups" in some parts of London. 
 
 Mr Emerson said he had been "living under a death threat" since an assassination attempt in the mid 1990s. 
 
 In terms of Birmingham, however, he admitted that he had "made an egregious error here in not doing my homework", adding: "I deserve what I got." 
 
 He said he had relied on sources he had used in the past, but accepted "responsibility" for his comments and did not know how his reputation would be affected in the long term. 
 
 Mr Emerson said he also wanted to apologise to "all the residents of Birmingham". 
 
 Image copyright Thinkstock Image caption Birmingham's art gallery is one of the city's many cultural offerings 
 
 Image copyright Thinkstock Image caption Birmingham has more canals than Venice - a point repeatedly made by Twitter users 
 
 'Cosmopolitan city' 
 
 Kings Heath resident Penny Hughes, 27, said she really missed the city when she moved away. 
 
 "I moved to Leamington Spa for work which was completely different but I wanted to come back, so I did two or three years later. 
 
 "I grew up in Handsworth which was a very Asian and multicultural area." 
 
 Image caption Shabir Vanat runs a shop in Kings Heath 
 
 Shabir Vanat, a 61-year-old Muslim who left Uganda for Birmingham almost 40 years ago, described it as "a very cosmopolitan city". 
 
 He said: "I've been in this shop for 29 years and I've never had one single problem - I am a big fan of Birmingham." 
 
 Responding to the controversy, Birmingham City Councillor James McKay said: "We are amazingly diverse, and that's one of the things that makes us brilliant - all this fuss is a reminder of how it's always best to check your facts before getting into a debate. 
 
 "Maybe Fox News could come and visit some time, and see for themselves what a great city we have here?" 
 
 Edgbaston MP Ms Stuart said Mr Emerson's comments had "no redeeming features". 
 
 "I checked whether this was some kind of early April Fool spoof, and then I thought he was talking about Birmingham, Alabama, but then I realised he was just utterly and completely wrong," the Labour MP said. 
 
 Birmingham's religions 
 
 Image copyright PA 
 
 The city's population estimated at 1,073,045 
 
 Christian: 494,358 
 
 Muslim: 234,411 
 
 Sikh: 32,376 
 
 Hindu: 22,362 
 
 Buddhist: 4,780 
 
 Jewish: 2,205 
 
 Other: 5,646 
 
 No religion: 206,821 
 
 Religion not stated: 70,086 
 
 Source: Census 2011 
 
 As well as earlier apologising for his remarks, Mr Emerson has offered to make a donation to Birmingham Children's Hospital. 
 
 "I have clearly made a terrible error for which I am deeply sorry," said Mr Emerson, a witness called to testify to at least one Congressional committee. 
 
 "I do not intend to justify or mitigate my mistake by stating that I had relied on other sources because I should have been much more careful. 
 
 Image copyright Twitter 
 
 Scott Lucas, professor of American Studies at the University of Birmingham, said Mr Emerson's comments, however inaccurate, would appeal to some in the US. 
 
 "He speaks in sound bites that some people want to hear," he said. 
 
 "Some people want to hear it's us versus them, it's America versus the rest of the world, that it's white Americans versus - let's be honest - those who aren't white and those who profess a different faith. 
 
 "Unfortunately, if you tap into that you will be in demand for certain media outlets who give you your 15 seconds of infamy." 
 
 More than 1,000 people have signed an online petition calling for Mr Emerson to make an "on-air apology to the people of Birmingham UK for saying non-Muslims cannot enter our beloved multi-cultural city". 
 
 Maryam Snape, who started the petition, said: "The fact of the matter is the American people saw this story and they are still going to believe it is the truth until he puts it right." 
 
 BBC Asian Network - reaction 
 
 Callers to BBC Asian Network's Nihal Show gave their reaction to the controversy. 
 
 One man sent a text to the show saying as a Sikh he felt certain areas of the city were intimidating for non-Muslims. 
 
 Another caller said there were other areas where Muslims would feel intimidated and perhaps worry about being attacked. 
 
 Most callers, however, criticised Mr Emerson's claims, which were described as "dangerous" and "absurd" and having the potential to harm community relations. 
 
 The Birmingham-born creator of BBC 1 sitcom Citizen Khan Adil Ray said Mr Emerson's comment was completely baseless and he was "instilling fear" in people. 
 
 But he said people had responded in the best way possible. 
 
 "It's a great sign that in Birmingham we don't take ourselves too seriously and it's the best way to react with contempt and with satire and humour."
– The residents of Birmingham, England, may have been startled to learn from a Fox News terrorism "expert" that their city is a "Muslim-only" one where "non-Muslims just simply don't go." Steven Emerson, founder of the Investigative Project on Terrorism group, also claimed there are parts of London where there are religious police "that actually beat and actually wound seriously anyone who doesn't dress" in religious Muslim attire, the Telegraph reports. After his remarks were widely mocked on social media by residents of Birmingham—where the most recent census found that 14.3% of its million residents were Muslim—the pundit apologized profusely and promised to make a donation to a children's hospital in the city, reports the BBC. "I have clearly made a terrible error for which I am deeply sorry. My comments about Birmingham were totally in error," he said. "There was no excuse for making this mistake, and I owe an apology to every resident of Birmingham." The apology hasn't stopped people from lampooning his comments under the hashtag #FoxNewsFacts. "Due to Sharia law, Birmingham is now called 'Birming,'" quipped one user.