Equality watchdog writes to Tories following Islamophobia complaints

An equality watchdog has given the Conservative Party a month's time to respond to request for information about complaints of Islamophobia in the party.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHCR) is in touch with the Conservatives and is awaiting response before contemplating what their next step will be, reported ITV News.

A Conservative spokesperson said: “The Conservative Party will always be happy to work with organisations who support equality, tolerance and human rights.”

The Conservative Party has faced immense pressure to deal with Islamophobia in the party. In March. the party was accused of trying to “sweep Islamophobia under the carpet” after quietly reinstating 15 councillors who were suspended over racist media posts.

The party has also faced criticism for refusing to adopt a definition of Islamophobia that was put forward by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims.

Speaking in the Commons, Labour’s Naz Shah, a Muslim MP, accused Conservatives of being a “party in denial.”

“If it is down to women to define the experience of feminism, the experiences of people of colour to define racism, the experience of Jews to define antisemitism, the experience of the LGBTQ+ communities to define homophobia, I ask the minister how dare he tell the British Muslims that our experiences cannot define Islamophobia,” she said.

“If that isn’t a pernicious form of racism then what is it?”

Shah also revealed that she feared for her life.

“I ask, which Muslim’s life must go next for us to simply recognise and understand Islamophobia?” she said.