At the launch of his campaign to be leader of the Conservative Party and the next Prime Minister, Sajid Javid indicated he would be happy for an external investigation to take place into Islamophobia in the Party – a call first made by the Muslim Council of Britain following the Party’s Islamophobic campaign for Mayor of London.
Harun Khan, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain, responded: “We welcome this important first step and hope that these words will be followed by action. There is an urgent need for an independent inquiry to tackle the Party’s fundamental failures in dealing with Islamophobia.”
He added: “We look forward to similar statements and support for an inquiry from all the leadership candidates.”
“As the Conservative Party elects its next leader, it is crucial that it gets to grips with Islamophobia before it takes further hold. We also caution against leadership candidates from the temptation to take the lowest common denominator in order to gain votes. Talk of speaking ‘directly’ should not be an excuse to scapegoat minorities as some candidates have done in the past.”
[ENDS]
Notes to Editors:
1.The Muslim Council of Britain is the UK’s largest Muslim umbrella body with over
500 affiliated national, regional and local organisations, mosques,
charities and schools.
2. For further information please contact:
The Muslim Council of Britain
PO Box 57330
London
E1 2WJ
Tel: 0845 26 26 786
Fax: 0207 247 7079
media@mcb.org.uk