A Monty Python star is wading into Britain's culture and immigration fight, siding with a hard-line politician and hitting back at critics who call him racist.

• John Cleese is backing Rupert Lowe, a British politician known for tough talk on immigration and culture.
• Cleese says he is not racist but a "culturalist" — he thinks some cultures are better than others.
• He blasts practices like stoning, wife beating, female genital mutilation, and beheading opponents as things he refuses to respect.
• The comments feed a bigger fight in Britain over immigration, free speech, and whether criticizing other cultures is bigotry.

Outlook: Expect more public figures to be pulled into Britain's heated immigration and culture debate, with each side digging in.