Bob Blackman faces flak over alleged case of 'Islamophobia'

Rupanjana Dutta Tuesday 05th June 2018 23:02 EDT
 
 

Harrow East MP Bob Blackman has come under scrutiny, after a meeting that was attended by Tapan K Ghosh, leader from Hindu Samhati on 18 October 2017, who was visiting UK from India, has become the eye of a politico-religious storm. Blackman, who is adored by the Hindu voters in his constituency, chose him over Labour contestant and 'one of their own' Navin Shah in the 2017 elections and Uma Kumaran in 2015. One voter had then told Asian Voice, “Bob has done a lot for us British Hindus and he deserves our full support.” Bob who has been sympathetic to many community causes, has always extended his support to the diaspora, especially in incidents like the Indian flag desecration on 18 April 2018.

The 'controversial' meeting took place in a committee room of the Parliament and was called 'Tolerating the intolerant. 800 years of Defending Human Rights' and was organised by National Council of Hindu Temples (UK) along with the British Board of Hindu Scholars. The room was booked by Bob Blackman MP, who is the Conservative Chair of the All Parliamentary Group for British Hindus. On the flyer that made rounds said, the 'keynote address' was going to be made by 'Shri Tapan K Ghosh.'

According to media reports, Ghosh in his speech at this event allegedly claimed Hindu “daughters and girls are being snatched away” and that democracy was “making it more dangerous” for Hindus. But somebody who was present in the audience on the day, but did not want to be named, told Asian Voice, “Undue credit has been given to some people. Tapan Ghosh was hardly audible, he mumbled something, he could not even speak. Mohan Singh of Sikh Awareness Society was a speaker there and he was brilliant. He has done a lot of work on sexual grooming. His speech was insightful. The event was not meant for maligning any particular community. But it was meant for talking about certain issues.” He was not available to comment to Asian Voice.

Letter by MCB

The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) wrote a letter to Brandon Lewis, the Chairman of the Conservative Party, accusing Mr Blackman of showing a 'consistent record' of endorsing Islamophobia. They added that he “shared an anti-Muslim post on Facebook this week and was found to have been a member of a number of Islamophobic Facebook groups.” It also highlighted Blackman's re-tweeting of an anti-Muslim post by the far-right anti-Islamic activist Tommy Robinson. The MCB demanded an inquiry into 'racists and bigots' in the Conservative party, highlighting a series of alleged incidents involving activists. Former Tory chair Baroness Warsi also backed this investigation, complaining that the party tended to 'shrug its shoulders' over such claims.

Responding to The Muslim Council of Britain’s letter dated 30 May 2018 a Conservative spokesman said: “We take all such incidents seriously, which is why we have suspended all those who have behaved inappropriately and launched immediate investigations.”

The Charity Commission said, “The Commission has an ongoing compliance case into the National Council of Hindu Temples (UK) to assess concerns raised regarding a speaker at an event linked to the charity held in 2017."

However, in a statement, Bob Blackman told Asian Voice, “I utterly refute this allegation. I was added to Facebook groups without my knowledge or permission and immediately removed myself from them when I became aware I had been added. I did not host Tapan Ghosh in parliament. He was invited by an organisation without my knowledge. In the past I shared a social media post in error which I apologised for at the time. I will continue working will all communities in my constituency and I condemn Islamophobia.”

In the House of Commons last year, Blackman had said, “Tapan Ghosh was invited by the National Council of Hindu Temples to attend that meeting and present evidence of physical attacks, rapes, forced marriages and forced conversions that have taken place in West Bengal and other places.

“I have made clear, and the National Council of Hindu Temples has made clear, that it was only in that capacity - as presenting that evidence - that that individual was invited to this House. He made no abhorrent remarks at the meeting, and I am quite clear that I and the National Council of Hindu Temples do not agree with the views he previously stated.”

Home Secretary's take on it

When asked about the issue on the BBC's Andrew Marr show on Sunday, Sajid Javid pointed out that he had been made Home Secretary in a Tory government - and questioned whether the MCB was a legitimate voice for the muslim community.
Speaking on behalf of the Conservative party dismissing allegations of Islamophobia said, “I have got a lot of time for Baroness Warsi, but I am afraid I don't agree with her,' he said.

“As you just described me, I am Sajid Javid, I am the Home Secretary in this country...

“The MCB does not represent Muslims in this country. You find me a group of muslims that are represented by the MCB.”

Mr Javid, who is a non-practising Muslim said there were issues of 'anti-muslim hatred' as well as 'anti-Semitism' in the UK. But he added that the government and the previous Labour administration had a policy of not 'dealing with' the MCB. He also reportedly suggested members of the council had made 'favourable' remarks about extremists in the past.

MCB's reply

Commenting on Javid's statement, Harun Khan, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain said: “Rather than address the serious concerns raised by our message, Mr Javid has chosen to shoot the messenger. We have identified real weekly cases of Islamophobia in the Conservative Party, which the Party has even acknowledged by suspending members. These real concerns of Islamophobia are shared by two Conservative Muslim Peers, as well as voices across the spectrum, many of them Conservatives. If the response is to instead attack the Muslim Council of Britain, it sadly indicates that the Party has no interest in dealing with this matter with the seriousness it deserves.”

“We have long spoken out and proactively challenged terrorism and extremism, as have British Muslims across the country. The reality of Islamophobia is that Muslims and the Muslim Council of Britain have to deal with the smear of extremism even though they have clearly and consistently condemned violence perpetrated by people who claim to do this in the name of our religion.”

The organisation on their website addressing the Home Secretary further added, “Mr Javid made serious allegations against the Muslim Council of Britain claiming that it does not represent Muslims, that the last Labour government cut ties with the MCB and the usual smear faced by Muslims engaged in the public sphere — that they are somehow associated with extremism – the same dog-whistle tactics used against Sadiq Khan during the 2016 Mayoral election campaign.

“The Muslim Council of Britain is an independent umbrella body with over 500 mosques and Islamic associations affiliated to it. Recent polling data suggests that actually a majority of Muslims appear to believe the MCB does a good job in representing their views. Therefore, even though the MCB does not claim to be a representative body for all Muslims, to ignore its representative status would once again be ignoring the evidence.

“While it is the case that the Labour government briefly cut ties with the Muslim Council of Britain in 2009, this was reversed in early 2010. Furthermore, under the Coalition government, the MCB met with a number of Ministers, including the Minister for Communities, Stephen Williams, at CLG in September 2014, the Energy Secretary Ed Davey in 2014, and the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg at the Cabinet Office in September 2015.”


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