Islamophobia in the UK Conservative Party (2016–present)

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Allegations of Islamophobia in the UK Conservative Party have been made in the 21st century, increasing under the premierships of David Cameron and Theresa May. These allegations have included senior politicians, on both the "liberal" and "conservative" wings of the party, such as Bob Blackman, Boris Johnson, Michael Gove and Zac Goldsmith.

Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, former co-chair of the Conservative Party, said in 2018 that anti-Muslim prejudice had "poisoned" the party and called on party leader Theresa May to condemn it, arguing that she had spent over two years trying but failing to get successive party leaders to address the problem of Islamophobia.^[1] Numerous Muslim party members, speaking to the media anonymously due to fear of backlash, welcomed Warsi's comments, and said that they felt that the issue had been marginalised within the party.^[1]

In 2018, the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) issued numerous calls for an independent inquiry into Islamophobia in the party. These calls have been backed by Baroness Warsi, Baron Mohamed Sheikh and Mohammed Amin of the Conservative Muslim Forum, as well as 350 mosques and 11 umbrella organisations across the UK.

Mayoral campaign of Zac Goldsmith

In 2016, the Conservative Party faced criticism for running a supposedly Islamophobic promoting Zac Goldsmith for London mayor.^[2] Prime Minister David Cameron used parliamentary privilege to link Khan to a Suliman Gani, who Cameron alleged was a supporter of the terrorist state of Islamic State; Gani was in fact a Conservative supporter who opposed the terror group, and instead was a supporter of an Islamic state (i.e. a state based on Islamic principles).^[2] Cameron later apologised for the slur,^[3] and former Defence Secretary Michael Fallon apologised and paid compensation for making similar remarks about Gani.^[4]

Goldsmith was condemned by senior Conservatives, including Baroness Warsi, former chancellor Ken Clarke and Andrew Boff, the Conservative group leader on the Greater London assembly for painting his Muslim opponent Sadiq Khan as an extremist and a risk to UK security.^[2][5] The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) said that the campaign was an example of Tory "dog whistle anti-Muslim racism".^[1]

Other accusations against MPs

Michael Gove's 2006 book on the supposed roots of Islamist extremism, Celsius 7/7, came under criticism at the time of publication for "holding apparent hostile opinions towards Muslims".^[6] Baroness Warsi joked in 2018 that Gove's allegedly Islamophobic views "radicalised" Prime Minister David Cameron into pursuing anti-Muslim terror policies, and that the Conservative Party's rightward shift since 2010 (the "Ukipification" of the party) was attributable to Gove.^[6]

Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson's comments regarding Islamic full-face coverings (i.e. the burqa and the niqab) following Denmark's decision to ban anyone from wearing a "garment that hides the face" in public places – such as saying that people wearing them look like "letterboxes" and "bank robbers" – were criticised by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, Prime Minister Theresa May, and led to Johnson facing an investigation to see whether his remarks breached the Tory code of conduct on Islamophobia.^[7] The MCB accused Johnson of "pandering to the far right" and said the comments were "particularly regrettable in this current climate, where Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred is becoming worryingly pervasive".^[8]

Johnson's comments on the burqa led to a number of Islamophobic messages being left on his Facebook page by his followers; a number of support groups for Johnson on Facebook included "widespread" racism, images ridiculing Muslim women, calls for a ban on Muslim immigration similar to the Trump travel ban to the UK, incitement to violence and murder against Muslims, Islamophobic attacks on London mayor Sadiq Khan, support for Jacob Rees-Mogg to overtake Theresa May as prime minister (termed "Moggmentum"), and support for far-right activist Tommy Robinson.^[9] Some of these Facebook groups included "Tory councillors, officials and agents."^[9]

His comments were seen by some as part of a wider far-right, anti-Muslim sentiment across Europe, as well as an alleged plot by U.S. white nationalist Steve Bannon to overthrow May and replace her with Johnson as leader, which he has previously called upon Johnson to do.^[7][10] Bannon called the comments on the burqa a "throwaway line" which led to the overall message being lost^[11] and, according to The Sunday Times, four cabinet ministers who backed Johnson have criticised May and the party leadership for its supposedly "cack-handed" investigation into his comments.^[12] Johnson refused to comment on or apologise for his comments, instead offering cups of tea to reporters asking for comment.^[11]

In 2018, Conservative MP Michael Fabricant apologised for tweeting an image depicting a balloon caricature of Sadiq Khan (mimicking the Trump baby balloon during the president's visit to the UK) having sex with a pig. The image was condemned by Hope not Hate as well as Baroness Warsi, and Labour MP Wes Streeting raised the issue with the government's chief whip.^[13] No action was taken against Fabricant.

Calls for an independent inquiry

In May 2018, the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) wrote to Conservative chairman Brandon Lewis, urging for an independent inquiry into Conservative Party Islamophobia, to publish an list of Islamophobic incidents and "adopt a programme of education and training" on anti-Muslim prejudices within the party.^[14] This MCB listed numerous examples of Conservative Islamophobia; most notable of these was Tory MP Bob Blackman.^[14] The MCB also listed nine incidents and said there were "more than weekly incidents" of Conservative candidates and representatives displaying anti-Muslim prejudice, which the MCB argued were the "tip of the iceberg" for Islamophobia in the Tory party.^[14]

This call was supported by Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, who accused Conservative Chair Brandon Lewis of a "woefully inept" response to complaints,^[15] and added that MP Zac Goldsmith should receive "mandatory diversity training" following his unsuccessful attempt to beat Sadiq Khan to become Mayor of London.^[15] In July 2018, the Muslim Council of Britain repeated its call for an independent inquiry and accused the Conservatives of turning blind eye to Islamophobia claims.^[16] Baron Mohamed Sheikh,^[17] Mohammed Amin (chairman of the Conservative Muslim Forum),^[18] 350 mosques and 11 umbrella organisations across the UK,^[19] and the leader of the Opposition Jeremy Corbyn^[18] have also supported calls for an independent inquiry into Islamophobia in the Conservative Party.

Support for the Orban government

The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) said that the Conservative Party was giving "bigotry a free pass" and viewing the rights of minorities, including Muslims, as "expendable as support is sought for the government's Brexit position" following the Conservative MEPs supporting the far-right Hungarian leader, Viktor Orbán, against a motion to censure him in the European Parliament. Conservative sources told The Independent that the opposition to the vote was in order to gain "brownie points" from Orban's regime in order to make him more amenable to a post-Brexit trade deal. The Conservatives were the only governing conservative party in western Europe to vote against the censure.^[20]

The Board of Deputies of British Jews accused the Conservative government of defending Hungary's "appalling track record" of "vivid antisemitism" and Islamophobia, saying: "we are very alarmed by the messages at the heart of Orban's election campaign, including his comments about 'Muslim invaders', calling migrants poison, and the vivid antisemitism in the relentless campaign against Jewish philanthropist George Soros." Only one Conservative MEP voted in favour of the motion (Baroness Mobarik), with two abstentions (Charles Tannock and Sajjad Karim).^[20] The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) said that the Conservative Party was giving "bigotry a free pass" and viewing the rights of minorities, including Muslims, Jews and immigrants as "expendable as support is sought for the government's Brexit position".^[20]

Notes

References

See also

• Antisemitism in the UK Labour Party

Further reading

• Warsi, Sayeeda (4 July 2018). "No more excuses. Time for an inquiry into Tory Islamophobia". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 August 2018.