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Miqdaad Versi
@miqdaad
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My latest in the @guardian on the Conservatives turning a blind eye to Islamophobia in their Party despite the scale of the issue.

This thread will highlight some of the "monumental weight of evidence" of the problem.

theguardian.com/commentisfree/…
The campaign for Mayor of London was called "dog whistle racism" by senior Conservatives such as Andrew Boff, who said the idea of painting Khan as an extremist was "outrageous".
theguardian.com/politics/2016/…

Ken Clarke said it was "ludicrous"
huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/zac-gold…
But it's not just Zac Goldsmith who should be held responsible, although his comments were particularly awful. The entire party machinery supported him.

Cameron (PM at the time) even libelled an Imam as he tried to slur Sadiq Khan

independent.co.uk/news/uk/politi…
The Defence Secretary Michael Fallon had to pay damages to an Imam he libelled as part of the same campaign to slur Sadiq Khan

theguardian.com/politics/2016/…
Even our current Prime Minister slurred Sadiq Khan by trying to link him to extremists
dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3…
What this showed was that politics mattered more than the damage it would cause to Muslim communities on the ground - and when many called for an inquiry into Islamophobia at that stage, it was - you guessed it - ignored.

independent.co.uk/news/uk/politi…
This campaign showed how embedded the challenges were. But some wrongly argue that is just politics (apparently racism is okay when politicking?)

So let's move onto the behaviour of some MPs.

Bob Blackman RTed an anti-Muslim post from Tommy Robinson

thetimes.co.uk/article/anti-m…
You might argue - this is just one re-tweet, it doesn't show a pattern of behaviour. But he then RT-ed another account that seems to specialise in hurling abuse at Muslims

And then he hosted Tapan Ghosh in Parliament - a man who called the UN to control the birth rate of Muslims & even praised the genocide of Rohingya Muslims in Burma

See thread with details of how bad Tapan Ghosh is here:


independent.co.uk/news/uk/politi… …
Blackman then shared an anti-Muslim article on Facebook

independent.co.uk/news/uk/politi…
And he was exposed to have been a member of racist Facebook groups vice.com/en_uk/article/…
What action was taken against him, you ask? Well here is the Prime Minister campaigning *with* him after no action was taken.

What about Tory MP Nadine Dorries. She RTed Tommy Robinson too, used far-right tropes against Sadiq Khan and Muslims more generally and – despite being personally against same-sex marriage – weaponised gay rights to attack Muslims

For more detail, see:
What about Ben Bradley MP - who was the Vice Chair of the Party - and yet he not only defended a Councillor's anti-Muslim Facebook posts, he then appeared to try and cover it up!

buzzfeed.com/alexspence/tor…
The Party even refused to confirm if Ben was being investigated, when asked by @alexGspence - still think there is no problem?

Let's not forget also the Conservative Party's former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson who wrote that 'Islam is the problem' and defended Islamophobia as a 'natural reaction'
businessinsider.com/boris-johnson-…
Or how Boris Johnson chose to use Trump-like tactics of using de-humanising language about a minority, to pander to the far-right
independent.co.uk/news/uk/politi…
You may think - that doesn't really matter. But it does. And it unleashed a whirlwind of hate against Muslims, with real-world consequences of Muslim women being mocked on the street

And it caused a wave of anti-Muslim racism on sites like Conservative Home - this was clearly - in the view of mine and many others - the plan. Sacrifice some Muslim women for political purposes.

vice.com/en_uk/article/…
Johnson even appears to be strategising with Steve Bannon- who was the architect of the Trump anti-Muslim campaign, and who famously praised Tommy Robinson as representing the working class!

newstatesman.com/politics/elect…
Another one who met Steve Bannon was Michael Gove, who apparently "has same 'crazy' anti-Muslim policies as Donald Trump"
independent.co.uk/news/uk/politi…
Or let's not forget Andrew Rosindell, whose Facebook account part of "Free Tommy" group

ICYMI: Users cannot be added to a public or private group by another person without accepting an invitation to join or requesting to join themselves.

thetimes.co.uk/article/tory-m…
And the Tory MPs and councillors who were amongst membership of Facebook group riddled with Islamophobia

theredroar.com/2018/06/tory-m…
Can any independent individual not see why all these from MPs, might cause real hurt to Muslim communities?

But okay, let's go further, and ask what Muslim members of the Conservative Party, think about Islamophobia in the Party.
Let's start with the former Chair of the Party - someone who has seen the inner workings of the party.

She says the Tory Party Showing 'Tell-Tale Signs Of Institutional Racism' Over Islamophobia
huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/signs-of…
She said there was a "simmering underbelly of Islamophobia" in the Party amongst a host of concerns which have been consistently raised internally - the Party "shrugged its shoulders" in response

news.sky.com/story/muslim-c…
She says Islamophobia is "very widespread" in the Party and it goes "right up to the top" - unclear how much more strongly she can make the point.

independent.co.uk/news/uk/politi…

businessinsider.com/islamophobia-s…
Conservative peer and loyalist Lord Sheikh called on No 10 to address Conservative Islamophobia as a ‘matter of grave concern’ in a letter calling for an inquiry into Islamophobia

independent.co.uk/news/uk/politi…
The Conservative Muslim Forum chair Mohammed Amin said the Party had failed to tackle Islamophobia in its ranks out of fear for the political consequences

thetimes.co.uk/article/tory-m…
The senior party activist warned that the Conservatives were hoping Islamophobia issue 'will magically go away'

independent.co.uk/news/uk/politi…
The reality is so many members have raised their concerns internally & had problems with Islamophobia within the Party e.g. being told they are not British enough, told good Muslims are only from one sect or being told what Islam says about women working!

theguardian.com/politics/2018/…
Ask former Parliamentary candidate Shazia Awan:

As a Muslim member of the Tory party, I saw Islamophobia firsthand newstatesman.com/2018/06/muslim…
Or former Tory candidate Kishan Devani who quit party due to ‘uncomfortable lurch to the right which caused Islamophobia scandal’ independent.co.uk/news/uk/politi…
If the direct issues with Members of Parliament were not enough, if the fact that Muslims in the party saying it's an extremely serious problem, is not enough - well what about Tory representatives?

Let's do a few - only because this thread is getting so long!
Conservative councillor Mike Payne who shared an article which called Muslims "parasites" who "live off the state and breed like rabbits"

inews.co.uk/news/uk/tory-c…
A senior Tory claimed Islamic extremists were raping British women to create "Muslim babies"

politicshome.com/news/uk/politi…
Jeff Potts shares sentiments like calling on the *deportation* of ALL Muslims & other disgusting Islamophobia. And he was apparently welcomed back to the Conservative Party.

birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-…
Tory councillor Ray Bray posted abusive Islamophobic comments such as "Muzzie rapists" and that Muslims were “Not here to integrate”
examinerlive.co.uk/news/twitter-a…
Tory Councillor Stephen Ardley said it was "unbelievable" Sadiq Khan, a Muslim, was elected London Mayor in a Christian country.

independent.co.uk/news/uk/politi…
Tory Councillor Bob Frost has now resigned (note not expelled) for a range of Islamophobic tweets

The number of Tory reps who have had involvement in Islamophobia or spreading hate about Islam, is astonishing

Last example: see how Tory representatives are *running* a Facebook Group where members joke about BOMBING MOSQUES & SHOOTING IMMIGRANTS

evolvepolitics.com/excl-tory-poli…
And when it comes to Tory members and Tory voters, it gets extremely worrying

The Online ‘Home’ of the Tory Party Is a Hotbed of Islamophobia vice.com/en_uk/article/…
The second largest pro-Tory group on Facebook according to Red Roar, is riddled with Islamophobia

theredroar.com/2018/06/jacob-…

politicshome.com/news/uk/politi…
And the abuse that Muslims in the public domain have faced, is astonishingly bad - often from Conservative Party voters. Just look at the most prominent Muslims in public life: Sadiq Khan, Naz Shah or Sayeeda Warsi (or even Sajid Javid) e.g. see businessinsider.com/ethnic-minorit…
ICYMI: Mainstream views of Tory voters:
- 42% believe Robinson highlights issues ignored by media
- 47% falsely believe there are no-go areas where sharia law dominates & non-Muslims can't enter
- 49% see Islam as a threat to the British way of life

hopenothate.org.uk/wp-content/upl…
So it is established that there is a problem at MP level, representative level, member level and voter level in the Party.

It is established that Muslims in the Party have been raising it and have said nothing is being done.

What about Muslim communities more generally?
The largest umbrella of Muslim organisations in the UK has called consistently for an inquiry into Islamophobia in the Party after highlighting the problem
theguardian.com/politics/2018/…
If you don't like the MCB, what about councils of mosques across the country representing 100s of mosques - this figure is actually way over 500 now (not only 350) who have also called for an inquiry

independent.co.uk/news/uk/politi…
Well what about women's groups - what about the most well known national women's group who has also called for an inquiry into Islamophobia in the

What about secular groups - well what about the British Muslims for Secular Democracy
What about young people - well what about the largest umbrella of student groups FOSIS, which has also supported the call for an inquiry into Islamophobia.
So there is a serious problem of Islamophobia across all levels of the Party, Muslims in the Party have highlighted and complained about a lack of action, Muslim communities across the UK have requested an inquiry.

And what's being done? Nothing. Actually it's worse than nothing
Shaun Bailey - the Tory candidate for Mayor of London - chooses to respond to accusations of Islamophobia in the Tory Party by saying:"I’m a black man in the Tory Party and I don’t feel the racism".

Tory MP @KemiBadenoch claimed the Muslim community's calls for an investigation into Tory Islamophobia have a "political motive"

Earlier this week, @HenrySmithUK dismisses the issue as he hasn't seen any himself!
Sajid Javid denies the Conservative Party has an Islamophobia problem. He said the evidence was "My name is Sajid Javid. I am the Home Secretary" as he attacked the messenger

mirror.co.uk/news/politics/…
Even James Cleverly has denied it is a problem, disagreeing with the concerns of Baroness Warsi

The Conservative Party has an Islamophobia problem at ALL levels from MP to member, which is hurting Muslim communities & its response is:

1. Denial
2. Attack Muslim groups raising the issue
3. Claims it's "political"
4. Have not personally seen it
5. "We have Muslim MPs"

/END
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Miqdaad Versi
@miqdaad
Owen mentions how the Sun has systematically whipped up hatred against Muslims, migrants, refugees, LGTBQ people, and the left. This thread highlights the hatred whipped up against Muslims /1
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Miqdaad Versi
@miqdaad
There are many "liberal" journalists who think it's a legitimate argument to say Islamophobia is not real (even if they disagree) - but do not hold the same view about anti-Semitism.

Islamophobia is real - and here's evidence (1)
Let's start with physical assaults:

Police said Mickey Sage, 24, “pulled a knife on people asking them if they were Muslim” in Camberwell Green in the early hours of 7 June.

Note - this is targeting Muslims because they are Muslim. (2)

independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/…
Man who ripped off woman's veil while shouting "You f***ing stupid Muslim” is jailed.

Again clear and unambiguous targeting USING the word "Muslim" - not for another reason. (3)

independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-n…
Read 15 tweets
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Miqdaad Versi
@miqdaad
Last night, why did Nadine Dorries spread a nonsense story from 2008 by an Anne-Marie Waters supporter, who considers Tommy Robinson to be a "truth teller" (before deleting)...

It is worth noting it was about Muslims (1/?)
ICYMI: When Sadiq Khan talked about hate crime, Nadine Dorries had the audacity to ask him about grooming gangs. Now, what makes Sadiq Khan have any responsibility for grooming gangs?

Playing to far right tropes about Muslims is #Islamophobia (2/?)

ICYMI: Nadine Dorries was disappointed that Boris' de-humanising comments about Muslim women who wear the burqa being "bank robbers" and "letterboxes" , "didn't go further"
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