Tories making ‘same mistakes’ with Islamophobia as Labour with antisemitism
Antisemitism expert Dave Rich criticises the party in government for its handling of its racism row after 15 councillors accused of hate against Muslims readmitted
A British antisemitism expert has said the Conservative Party are making “exactly the same mistakes” with Islamophobia as the Labour Party made when it came to hatred of Jews.
Dave Rich, an associate at the Pears Institute for the Study of Antisemitism and a deputy communications director at the Community Security Trust (CST) who has authored books antisemitism and the left, made the comments this weekend.
It followed news that 15 Conservative councillors who had been suspended for Islamophobic comments – such as calling Saudis “sand peasants” and likening Asians to dogs – have been quietly reinstated.
“It’s incredible that the Tories are making exactly the same mistakes with Islamophobia that they have watched Labour make with antisemitism,” Rich tweeted in a personal capacity.
The Party is being urged to publish its internal disciplinary procedures in the wake of the councillors’ readmission, and to sign up to a new definition of Islamophobia, as the Labour Party has done.
Labour’s leadership has acknowledges that they were initially in denial about the scale of the antisemitism problem, and this week Conservative Party deputy chairman James Cleverly said he disagreed “deeply” with the idea that the Tories may be institutionally Islamophobic.
The CST gives security advice to the Hindu, Christian, Sikh and Muslim communities in the UK, working closely with Tell MAMA, which records and reports anti-Muslim hatred, and Faith Matters, which supports the governance and security of Britain’s Muslim community.
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