Sir, You write that “the Conservative Party is afflicted with a particular type of bigotry which it refuses to countenance” (‘Tories trivialise Islamophobia inquiry’, The Muslim News, December 27.) As a member of the party, I refute that and can say from my 10 plus years of experience of the party, as a local chairman and a county councillor, I have never come across anything of the sort.
To say that no Conservatives are prejudiced against Muslims would be foolish. To say the party is “bigoted” is equally foolish and does your cause no good.
This sort of reaction is behind the inhibition that many feel about criticising Islam in any way, and that leads to Britons turning away from abuse by those from the sub-continent for fear of being classed as racist or Islamophobic.
I hope you will welcome the inquiry, and by all means, criticise its findings, but do not start having made up your minds as to the reality of the situation. Bad experiences of some, yes, but wholesale prejudice by the party, no!
Yours,
Ken Pollock
Worcestershire