Challenging the Conservatives to adopt a new definition of Islamophobia, the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, claimed that he has been repeatedly subjected to anti-Muslim abuse from Tory members and supporters.
Sadiq Khan in a letter to Theresa May urged the prime minister to order her party to deal with the issue. Saying that it must be among measures taken to reassure British Muslims about their safety in the aftermath of the Christchurch terrorist attack, Khan warns that the massacre demonstrates “the consequences of failing to root out Islamophobia and anti-Muslim sentiment from our society”.
According to The Guardian, dozens of Tory members were suspended over alleged anti-Muslim comments last week. The report added that the number of hate crimes against Muslims reported across Britain increased by 593% in the week after the attack on two New Zealand mosques.
Calling May to back the adoption of a definition of Islamophobia drawn up by the all-party parliamentary group for British Muslims, already accepted by Labour and the Lib Dems, Sadiq Khan writes: “Reassuring British Muslims about their safety in the aftermath of Christchurch is not just about policing and security. It also requires us to relentlessly root out the Islamophobia and anti-Muslim abuse that has crept into the mainstream of our society and political debate. It is vital that our political parties lead from the front in this effort and set the strongest possible example to society.”
Reassuring British Muslims following the Christchurch attacks is not just about policing & security. It also requires us to relentlessly root out the Islamophobia & anti-Muslim abuse that has crept into the mainstream of our society & political debate.
https://t.co/5ru51JkNzq— Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) March 24, 2019
He added that the Conservative party, in particular, needs to do much more to send the clear message that Islamophobia is totally unacceptable.
Claiming that he was also subject to Islamophobic abuse, Khan said, “I myself have repeatedly been subject to Islamophobic abuse from Conservative members and supporters. I have lost track of the number of Conservative councillors and members that have been suspended or faced legal action as a result of making Islamophobic comments towards or about me.”