(Photo: Lorie Shaull/Wiki Commons)
On July 23, the Government announced appointments of independent advisors on anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. However, there were glaring disparities in the way the appointments were made.
Former Labour MP, John Mann, who chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group Against Anti-Semitism, will advise on the most effective methods to tackle anti-Semitism.
He was appointed by then Prime Minister, Theresa May.
When it came to appointing an independent advisor on Islamophobia, instead of the Prime Minister appointing him, May delegated her job to the then Communities Secretary, James Brokenshire! And unlike for anti-Semitism appointment, May sought to appoint two people for the Islamophobia job. However, the second appointment has yet to be confirmed.
Prime Minister, Boris Johnson’s Spokesman, told The Muslim News that they were in a process of appointing the second “expert” and that the Government is “wholeheartedly committed to ensuring Muslims are not targeted for hatred, persecution or discrimination and we are appointing experts for this.”
Deputy Chair of the Government Anti-Muslim Hatred Working Group, Imam Qari Asim, has been given a narrow remit of establishing a definition of Islamophobia. He has not yet begun his work as he is still waiting for the second appointee, the Imam told The Muslim News.
When Energy Minister, Kwasi Kwarteng, was asked on September 13 by BBC
Today’s Mishal Husain on an update on the independent inquiry into Islamophobia in the Conservative Party, he replied, “It is underway.” Who is leading it? He said: “We are trying to get grips into this problem…The party has enough structure and focus to try and deal with this problem.”
Interestingly, he did not even use the word “Islamophobia”, instead he says “this problem”! This just shows that the Conservative Government is not serious about tackling Islamophobia, not only in society but also in the Tory party.