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Baroness Warsi, a Tory peer, is urging Rishi Sunak to speak out about the growing controversy surrounding Islamophobia and to directly denounce any anti-Muslim language within the party.
Senior members of the Conservative party have deemed the comments made by their former deputy chair, Lee Anderson, as “dangerous”. On Friday, Anderson asserted that “Islamists” have taken over London Mayor Sadiq Khan. However, his party suspended his membership the next day after he refused to retract his statement and apologize.
Baroness Warsi, a former member of David Cameron’s cabinet, advised the prime minister to use appropriate language when addressing Islamophobia.
Some prominent members of the Conservative party are urging Rishi Sunak to address the growing controversy surrounding Islamophobia and to publicly denounce any language or actions that discriminate against Muslims.
She asked the Guardian, “What is preventing the prime minister from acknowledging and condemning anti-Muslim racism and bigotry? Why can’t he simply use those terms?”
When questioned about whether or not Mr Sunak should publicly condemn Mr Anderson’s remarks as Islamophobia, Baroness Warsi stated that he absolutely should. She expressed concern that if we are unable to label racism, antisemitism, and Islamophobia as such, we will never be able to address and solve these issues.
The prime minister has not yet responded to Mr Anderson’s remarks or the increasing issue of Islamophobia in Britain, despite publicly acknowledging a rise in discrimination and antisemitism.
After Mr Anderson’s suspension, Mr Sunak released a statement addressing recent events that are unacceptable. These include pro-Palestinian demonstrations happening nationwide after the 7 October assaults, which have been taken over by radical individuals.
Sayeeda Warsi, a member of the Conservative Party and a former cabinet minister during David Cameron’s tenure, encouraged the current prime minister to use appropriate terminology when addressing the issue of Islamophobia.
Mr Khan denounced Mr Anderson’s GB News segment as “Islamophobic and racist,” accusing him of exacerbating the issue of anti-Muslim bigotry.
Last month, Mr. Anderson, who held the position of deputy chairman for the Tory party, stated on Saturday that he had a conversation with the Chief Whip and now understands the challenging position his comments put them both in. He acknowledges that there was no other choice but to suspend the whip in light of the circumstances.
On Sunday, Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden spoke to the BBC and did not deny the potential for Mr. Anderson to come back after his suspension.
On Friday, former deputy chair Lee Anderson, who identifies as conservative, stated that London Mayor Sadiq Khan is under the control of “Islamists.”
Comments from ex-home secretary Suella Braverman and ex-prime minister Liz Truss sparked backlash this week. Ms. Braverman claimed in a Daily Telegraph article on Thursday that “Islamists are dominant” in Britain, while Ms. Truss stayed quiet during an interview where Steve Bannon praised far-right figure Tommy Robinson as a “hero”.
Baroness Warsi stated that there are individuals who use the term “Zionist” as a cover for their antisemitic beliefs, falsely equating it with being Jewish. This is a deceitful form of antisemitism. Similarly, there are those who use the term “Islamist” as a guise for their anti-Muslim racism.
The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) sent a letter to the Conservative Party on Sunday, calling for an investigation into allegations of “structural Islamophobia” within the party. This request came after a week of senior party members making inflammatory statements and displaying Islamophobic behavior.
Sir Keir Starmer stated that it was appropriate for Mr. Anderson to be suspended from the party due to his “shocking and unacceptable display of racism and Islamophobia.”
According to recent statistics, the amount of Islamophobic occurrences has significantly increased following the 7 October assault on Israel carried out by Hamas and the subsequent Israeli bombing of Palestine. The Islamophobia Response Unit (IRU), a charity based in London, reported a 365 percent rise in incidents of Islamophobia during the month of October.
A recent report by Tell Mama, an organization that tracks anti-Muslim hate incidents, revealed that there were 2,010 reported incidents between 7 October and 7 February. This number is more than triple the 600 incidents reported during the same time frame in the previous year.
Sir Keir Starmer stated that it was appropriate for Mr Anderson to be suspended from the party due to his “abhorrently racist and Islamophobic” comments. The leader of the Labour Party also confronted Mr Sunak about the issue of widespread Islamophobia within the Conservative Party.
Sir Keir stated, “What does the appointment of Lee Anderson as deputy chairman of the party reveal about the prime minister’s decision-making abilities?”
He stated, “The lack of response from Liz Truss regarding Tommy Robinson and Suella Braverman’s radical language, coupled with Rishi Sunak’s ineffectiveness, allows Tory MPs to behave without consequences.”
The source for this information is the Independent, a news website.
This information comes from the Independent, a website that provides news.
