George Galloway has called in his lawyers over Jemima Khan's claim that he converted to Islam in a 'phantom' ceremony more than a decade ago.
The socialite had said the maverick MP took part in a 'shahadah' conversion, attended by members of the Muslim Association of Great Britain.
Mrs Khan, who herself became a Muslim ahead of her failed marriage to cricketer Imran Khan, claimed she knows someone who attended the event in north-west London in an article in the New Statesman magazine.
But Mr Galloway, who was elected to Parliament as MP for Bradford West in a by-election last month, angrily denied that any ceremony had taken place.
Last night, he issued a statement saying: 'The further allegations from the New Statesman in response to my rebuttal moves the issue into the area of defamation.
'Jemima Khan asked me on tape about this phantom ceremony in Kilburn and I told her it was a lie and whoever told her it was a liar.
'No trace of this exchange appears in the New Statesman piece, which is predicated upon it. Now that they are denying my denial it places the matter in the hands of my solicitor.'
The four times married 57-year-old had refused to deny claims that he is a Muslim. Read on and comment » | Rob Cooper and Leon Watson | Friday, April 27, 2012
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