A man has been found guilty of racially abusing justice secretary Humza Yousaf on Twitter.
Stuart Smith, 63, claimed the SNP MSP supported “Muslim killers” and raised money for their families.
The message was sent on November 14, 2015 – the day after the Paris terror attack and was in response to a screenshot of Yousaf’s #PrayForParis tweet.
Smith said: “Humza Yousaf, good Scots name I am sure he is 90% backing Muslim killers. Be having a whip round for terrorist families soon.”
Smith was found guilty following a trial at Glasgow Sheriff Court of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner aggravated by religious prejudice.
Yousaf earlier told the trial he saw the tweet from a ‘Stuart Ben Smith’, which included the word ‘Kafir’ in Arabic script on his profile page.
He stated the word meant ‘non believer’ and it was a “derogatory comment” towards Muslims.
Yousaf stated that he had been “singled out because of his faith.”
He said: “I spent the hours before like everyone else shocked at the events and the atrocities in Paris.
“I did nothing but send out a public message supporting the victims
“I was on radio and media asserting my solidarity with the victims.
“It is unacceptable that I would be supporting these terrorists and collecting funds for them despite all the evidence to the contrary.
“To make that suggestion is hurtful and stressful to me.
“There is only one reason why it was directed at me and none of my other colleagues were treated in a similar way
“It’s because of my faith – my Muslim faith.”
Mr Yousaf stated he could be found very easily and have his movements “telegraphed” by “keyboard warriors”.
He said: “I can’t say for certain everyone is a keyboard warrior.
“One could cause me harm and that gives me fear getting a tweet from Scotland with a gun as an avatar.”
Smith denied tweeting the message and even criticised its grammar.
He said: “I would have said Scottish name. I wouldn’t use the word Scots.
“I would never say it was 90%, you can’t be. You are either in favour or against death.”
He insisted his account had been hacked in the past including pornography being posted without his knowledge.
Gun collector Smith, of Gretna, claimed the firearm on his profile was one he used during his military service in his teens and early 20s.
He added: “I was issued it as a young man to go after terrorists.”
Smith’s lawyer Ian McClelland had failed during the trial in a bid to get the charge thrown out.
He had claimed Mr Yousaf was not tweeted directly and that it did not cause fear or alarm to anyone other than the politician.
But, prosecutor Mark Allan stated the tweet was broadcast on a forum which was able to be viewed by the public at large.
Sheriff Sean Murphy QC deferred sentencing until next month.
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