Reform UK candidate apologises for posts on Charedi Judaism
Dr Shadman Zaman clarifies past comments
A Reform UK local election hopeful in Bury has expressed regret for past comments in which he said the Charedi Jewish population has created a “demonic social structure” and compared it to Al Qaeda and ISIS.
Dr Shadman Zaman, the candidate for Pilkington Park, wrote a series of blog posts in 2020 after abandoning a conversion to Orthodox Judaism.
Dr Zaman accused the group of “shallowness and hypocrisy” but has stressed his record for subsequently challenging “antisemitism and in support of the Jewish community and Israel.”
Zaman now describes himself as a “Zionist, politician, NHS, journalist.”
He now aims to become a councillor in Pilkington Park, a ward within the Metropolitan Borough of Bury in Greater Manchester, which is recognised for having a significant Orthodox Jewish population.
It is located near the areas of Whitefield and Prestwich, which together comprise one of the largest Jewish communities in the UK outside of London
But in posts on Facebook he once stated: “I tried to be the best version of what the Torah said, but the Charedis have created a demonic social structure in the name of Hashem and Torah to which I refused to subscribe.
“Humanity is lucky that most Jews in the world are not religious, as we would not have been blessed with Niels Bohr, Albert Einstein, etc.”
Elsewhere, he compared the Charedi community directly to terrorist groups Al Qaeda and ISIS.
Asked about his posts, Dr Zaman said: “The posts you are referring to were made several years ago during a very personal and difficult period in my life, when I was going through an ultimately unsuccessful stage within an Orthodox (Charedi) Jewish conversion process.
“That was an emotional time, and I expressed myself in ways that, with hindsight, I would not use today.
“What matters is how I have conducted myself since. I have consistently stood against antisemitism and in support of the Jewish community and Israel.
“Through my experiences and continued engagement, I have developed a deep respect for the diversity within Jewish life and identity.
“I want to be clear: I reject antisemitism in all its forms, and I do not support or endorse language that generalises or demeans any part of the Jewish community.”
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