The allegations by Conservative MP Nusrat Ghani that she had lost her ministerial role because of her Muslim faith, are extremely concerning for the Muslim community.

This isn’t the first time that the Conservative Party has been accused of Islamophobia. Back in May 2021, the Singh investigation report into Islamophobia in the Conservative Party concluded that anti-Muslim sentiment “remains a problem” within the party. The report found that there had been 727 incidents of alleged discrimination, with a staggering 68% of these relating to Islam, with many clear examples presented in the report.

At the time, former Tory cabinet minister Baroness Sayeeda Warsi said, “each section reveals a deep and embedded issue of a party at best unable and at worst unwilling to deal with the issue of racism.”

After the Singh investigation report was issued, Green Lane Masjid & Community Centre (GLMCC) welcomed the comments by the Conservative party to start making tangible changes within the Party. However, the failure by the Conservative Party to accept a definition for Islamophobia, as proposed by an All-Party Parliamentary Group in 2019 and adopted by other political parties, points to a deeper issue, one in which anti-Muslim hostilities are not allowed to be proactively identified and addressed.

The question now is whether the conservative leadership will take these new allegations seriously enough to investigate them further.

Mohammed Saeed, Chair of Trustees at GLMCC commented:

“It is our responsibility to campaign against all forms of racism and inequality so that the current and future institutional systems being implemented by our government do not unfairly discriminate against or harm people.

Racism at all levels robs people of equality. If accusations of racism exist in the corridors of power within our country, we have a responsibility to have them properly investigated.”

Green Lane Masjid & Community Centre

For any press queries. please contact Haniya@greenlanemasjid.org

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Green Lane Masjid and Community Centre is a leading UK mosque situated in the heart of Birmingham serving the community since 1979.  Operating from its award-winning grade II listed Victorian building, GLMCC fulfills its mission of inspiring, educating and serving through its educational college, outreach work, welfare services, international humanitarian wing, as well as its fully functional mosque which is attended by thousands every week.

Recognised internationally, GLMCC is a multi-award-winning mosque, having won the 2019 British Muslim Award for Mosque of the Year and the Beacon Awards for ‘Best Run Mosque 2019 and ‘Best Covid Response 2020’.

For more information about or work and services visit: www.greenlanemasjid.org

Or access our annual report at: https://greenlanemasjid.org/about/annual-reports/