A recent incident has reopened controversy for the Conservative Party which has been accused of being Islamophobic for years. In the year 2018, PM Boris Johnson was accused of Islamophobia after allegedly saying Muslim women wearing burkas "look like letter boxes".
49-year-old Conservative MP for Wealden in East Sussex, Nusrat Ghani was sacked as the transport minister in Feb 2020. A source told her that her "Muslimness was raised as an issue" at a meeting in Downing Street. She told The Sunday Times her experience was "like being punched in the stomach. I felt humiliated and powerless".
Ghani said she was also told that her "Muslim woman minister status was making colleagues feel uncomfortable" and that there were concerns "that I wasn't loyal to the party as I didn't do enough to defend the party against Islamophobia allegations".
Ms Ghani said that the experience made her consider quitting as an MP, adding, "I will not pretend that this hasn't shaken my faith in the party."
On Monday, Johnson launched a Cabinet Office inquiry into these allegations, after Ghani accused the Prime Minister of showing unwillingness to “get involved.” A spokesperson of Downing Street said Johnson “has asked officials to establish the facts about what happened…As he said at the time, the prime minister takes these claims very seriously”.
Welcoming this, Ghani said, “As I said to the Prime Minister last night all I want is for this to be taken seriously and for him to investigate. I welcome his decision to do that now. The terms of reference of the inquiry must include all that was said in Downing Street and by the Whip.”
The “source” has now come out to identify himself. Chief Whip Mark Spencer said in a statement: "To ensure other whips are not drawn into this matter, I am identifying myself as the person Nusrat Ghani MP has made claims about this evening. These accusations are completely false and I consider them to be defamatory. I have never used those words attributed to me. It is disappointing that when this issue was raised before Ms Ghani declined to refer the matter to the Conservative Party for a formal investigation.I provided evidence to the Singh Investigation into Islamophobia which concluded that there was no credible basis for the claims to be included in the report."
Muslim Women’s Network Co-Chair, Dr Iram Sattar MBE, said, “Rather than viewing Nusrat Ghani as enriching British politics, it appears that some MPs have considered her as an outsider because of her identity. It is shocking that her ‘Muslimness’ was apparently regarded as problematic. When Muslim women join political parties, they should not have to abandon their Muslim identity. If this is what is being said about Ms Ghani, who does not wear a headscarf, it suggests that hijab-wearing female members of the party are even more likely to face discrimination.”
Anneliese Dodds, Labour's Shadow Women and Equalities Secretary and Party Chair, commenting on Nusrat Ghani's claim that she was sacked for her Muslim faith, said, “These are extremely serious allegations for the Conservative Party. Boris Johnson and Oliver Dowden must launch an urgent investigation into what happened and sanction anyone who targeted Islamophobic comments at a female Muslim MP.More than six months since the Singh investigation into alleged discrimination in the Conservative Party, and with the party apparently still unwilling to even use the term ‘Islamophobia’, it seems the Tories still have a lot of work to do to root out this insidious hatred from the top to the bottom of their party.”
Dr Nikita Ved, Co-Founder, 1928 Institute said, “We welcome the inquiry into the circumstances surrounding Nusrat Ghani's firing and are pleased to see the PM taking steps to tackle any form of discrimination. Our research found that this is unfortunately not an isolated incident, with 80% of British Indians facing discrimination due to their identity. Many explained this discrimination occurs in the workplace and perpetuates the unequal access to resources faced by ethnic minorities. We look forward to seeing the outcome of this investigation and hope it contributes to the critical issue of addressing discrimination in the workplace.”
Azhar Qayum, CEO of Muslim Engagement and Development (MEND), said, “While technical recommendations regarding complaints procedures are welcome, the limited scope and diluted language of the Singh Report betrays its lack of moral integrity and purposeful refusal to hold the Conservative Party to account. The report fails to address the pervasive climate of Islamophobia across the party which produces complaints in the first place, instead of dismissing such issues as merely giving the ‘impression’ of Islamophobia – a conclusion that is little more than gaslighting. MEND has thus had no choice but to insist that the EHRC launch its own investigation.”
