Senior councillor resigns after alleged "Islamophobe" comment

A senior Muslim politician, Muhammad Afzal, who is the lord mayor elect of Birmingham, as well as the chairman of Birmingham Central Mosque, who was asked to resign after he allegedly denounced David Cameron as being an “Islamophobe” has resigned from his position. It is also said that the politician allegedly accused Christians for the majority if domestic violences due to them being drunk.

The 72-year-old politician was also accused of disregarding the domestic violence threat to the mosque by the Muslim Women's Network UK charity, as well as allegedly denying that forced marriage was a problem in Muslim communities.

In a letter calling for the mosque to ask Afzal to resign, chairwoman of the Muslim Women's Network UK, Shaista Gohir, claimed that during a meeting, Muhammad Afzal stated that forced marriage is no longer an issue as “women these days are strong and educated”, and allegedly added that “more men than women suffered from domestic violence these days”.

Shaista Gohir wrote, “He [Muhammad Afzal] went on to state that 'domestic violence was happening mainly in the Christian community because they get drunk'. I explained that the problem was also significant in Muslim communities and that women have been murdered as a result.”

Gohir also allegedly mentioned that Afzal was unfit for positions of authority due to his “misogynistic attitudes”.

Afzal, who has been a councillor for 33 years, had previously denied making such comments on David Cameron. However, as reported in The Times, The Birmingham Mail obtained a recording where he described the Prevent anti-radicalisation programme as racist, while also saying that “the prime minister himself has got too much Islamophobia”.

However, after days of pressure, the Labour councillor decided to call it quits. He said, “I consider it a huge honour to be chosen by the Labour Group to be the party's nominee as the next lord mayor. If the council had agreed to this nomination to be the first citizen of such a great city, it would have been the highlight of my career and a great privilege. However, recent publicity in the local media has given rise to unfair and indeed untrue comments being ascribed to me. I have tried to put the record straight but sadly, it has not been possible to do so as rumour and innuendo has replaced facts.”