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Tuesday, 7 August 2018

I’m a Tory councillor. The party needs to get a grip on Islamophobia | Hashim Bhatti

Anti-Muslim imagery and rhetoric, like the kind used by Boris Johnson, are hurting my party. It’s time for an inquiry

I joined the Conservative party because it was a party of aspiration, one that promised I could realise my dreams if I worked hard. It’s the only party I have ever joined. And why wouldn’t I? It has produced the first female Muslim cabinet minister (Baroness Warsi), the first Muslim home secretary (Sajid Javid) and the first Muslim MEP (Syed Kamall).

I am a dedicated member of the party and a councillor in Windsor. I chair the youth wing of the Conservative Muslim Forum. I have been active in Conservative politics for more than eight years, and in all that time, I never had any bad feeling directed towards me because of my religion. However, I have been alarmed recently by the direction in which the party is going in tackling Islamophobia.

Related: Boris Johnson's burqa remarks offensive, says Foreign Office minister

When Zac Goldsmith fought Sadiq Khan for London ​​mayor in May 2016, the Conservatives ran a disgraceful campaign

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from Islam | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2vMmt9x

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