WASHINGTON, DC: MSNBC presenter and best-selling author Mehdi Raza Hasan was born in Swindon, England, to immigrant Indian Hyderabadi parents from Hyderabad in the Andhra Pradesh region of South India.
Following Hasan's monologue about the Neo-Nazi mass shooter, Jordan Peterson provoked outrage by saying that Hasan is "not really brown."
As per Daily Mail, the divisive 61-year-old Canadian psychologist made a post on the social media website X, formerly Twitter, after Hasan delivered a monologue following the racist assault in Jacksonville, Florida.
Mehdi Hasan was born to immigrant Indian parents
Hasan was born in Swindon, England, to Indian immigrants who were Shia Muslims from Hyderabad in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh (now Telangana). He currently resides in Washington, DC.
British-American journalist Hasan is the author of 'Win Every Argument: The Art of Debating, Persuading, and Public Speaking.' He is the host of 'The Mehdi Hasan Show' on MSNBC. Hasan has also written for the Washington Post and the New York Times.
Hasan was once a Senior Columnist for The Intercept. He served as the host of the 'Deconstructed' podcast for The Intercept. Hasan also served as the host of 'UpFront' on Al Jazeera English.
Among the people he has spoken with are Gen Michael Flynn, Hamid Karzai, Edward Snowden, and Ehud Olmert.
Additionally, he is the author of two books: an e-book on the financial crisis and austerity economics and a biography of former U.K. Labor Party leader Ed Miliband.
What happened between Mehdi Hasan and Jordan Peterson?
Following Hasan's monologue discussing the racial attack in Jacksonville, Florida on Saturday, August 26, an unexpected tweet from the Canadian right-wing critic was posted.
The 44-year-old newscaster stated in the monologue: "Tonight, this brown Muslim is asking the white conservative community … get your house in order, crack down on the hate preachers … condemn the right of white supremacist ideology."
Hasan's monologue contrasted the treatment of conservatives in the wake of an uptick in extreme, right-wing racist violence to the punishment that Muslim communities endured when certain Muslims committed terrorist crimes.
According to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, the suspect Ryan Palmeter, 21, carried out the attack using an assault rifle decorated with Nazi swastikas.
The victims have been named as Jerrald De'Shaun Gallion, 19, Anolt Joseph "AJ" Laguerre Jr, 29, and Angela Michelle Carr, 52.
Hasan said that since conservatives have inquired as to the source of violence in Muslim communities, he is now urging white conservatives to do the same.
Peterson responded by writing on social media, "You're not really brown. More like a light tan. Just like 'white people'. Plus you're a Caucasian by definition buddy."
"Nothing to see here, just Jordan Peterson, a white man, telling me I'm not brown, I'm actually white. Also, how am I a Caucasian 'by definition?'," wrote Hasan in retaliation to Peterson's remarks.
Peterson responded by writing: "You're not black and you're not Asian. What's left? Caucasian. It's not that difficult and I didn't call you white. Not that I care. I pointed out that your true color is tan which it is more or less like mine."
Later, Peterson responded to Hasan with a quote from Wikipedia claiming that anthropologists thought the Dravidians, one of India's ethnic groups, were "Caucasoid."
Peterson received backlash online for his remarks on Hasan
On X, formerly Twitter, users lashed out at Peterson for making remarks about Hasan that were deemed to be "racist."
One user wrote, "What a deeply weird person you have become. Cut back on the benzos, buddy."
A second user claimed, "I don't care if he ever works again I just hope he finally matures enough to stop being such a bigot."
A third X user seethed: "He was literally born in Britain to parents of Southern Indian descent, you bloviating ignorant windbag."
Another one exclaimed: "Both @mehdirhasan & @jordanbpeterson are fanning the flames of racial tension. It’s getting obvious that the most influential people in the West want a race war. Probably for ratings and subs."
Someone noted: "Every time I think Jordan Peterson couldn't get any more absurd he manages to soar to new heights."
