LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak On Monday, he said the Conservative MP was wrong. Mayor of London is controlled by IslamistsHe denied that the party condoned anti-Muslim bigotry.
Mr Sunak came under pressure to condemn Islamophobia following Lee Anderson’s comments about Mayor Sadiq Khan, amid rising tensions in British politics over Islamophobia. israel-hamas war. The Conservative MP claimed that Islamists had “taken control” of Khan and the City of London. Mr. Khan is a Muslim and a member of the opposition Labor Party.
Mr Anderson, a militant populist, was suspended by the Conservative Party group in parliament on Saturday, the day after his comments.
“These comments were not accepted. They were wrong,” Mr Sunak told BBC Radio on Monday. “Words matter, especially in our current climate of heightened tensions, and I think it’s incumbent upon all of us to choose our words carefully.”
Asked if his party had a problem with Islamophobia, Mr Sunak quickly replied: “No, of course not.”
“Racism and bigotry of any kind is completely unacceptable. This is not British and we must eliminate it where we see it,” he added.
Opponents accused the Conservatives of deliberately escalating tensions in an election year over pro-Palestinian protests that have been taking place most weekends. hundreds of thousands of demonstratorsSince the conflict between Israel and Hamas began in October.Mr Sunak fires his predecessor Interior Minister Suela Braverman in November She called the protests a “march of hate” and accused police of being too lax in their response.
The protests have been overwhelmingly peaceful, but dozens of arrests have been made over signs and chants supporting Hamas, an organization banned in Britain. Some say the large marches create an intimidating atmosphere for Jewish Londoners.
In an interview with right-wing TV station GB News, Anderson criticized the police response to the demonstrations and placed the blame squarely on the mayor. “Islamists… control Khan and they control London,” he said, claiming that Khan had “ceded our capital to his cronies.”
The suspension means Mr Anderson, who until last month was deputy leader of the Conservative Party, will become an independent MP unless he joins another party, such as the right-wing Reform UK (formerly the Brexit Party).
Labor said the Conservatives needed to go further to tackle bigotry, pointing out that Mr Anderson was suspended for refusing to apologize, not for his initial comments about Mr Khan.
Labor Party chairwoman Anneliese Dodds said Mr Anderson’s comments “clearly had nothing to do with Sadiq Khan and were an Islamophobic slur aimed at him”.
On Monday, Anderson said he would not apologize and renewed his criticism of the mayor, saying that Khan had “stood by and watched the disgusting scenes around Parliament.” This is an apparent reference to last week’s pro-Palestinian protests, which featured slogans such as: From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” It was projected onto the Big Ben clock tower in the Houses of Parliament.
Many Palestinians see the slogan as a call for an independent state and an end to Israel’s decades of military rule over millions of Palestinians, while others see it as a call for an independent state and an end to Israel’s decades of military rule over millions of Palestinians, while others see it as a call for an independent state and an end to Israel’s decades of military rule over millions of Palestinians. I see it as a call to action.
Anderson’s suspension is as follows: Tensions surrounding Israel-Hamas war Some MPs have said they have received threats and fear for their positions on the dispute, roiling British politics. Reports of anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim abuse in the UK have soared since the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas that triggered the Gaza war.
last week’s attempt vote in the House of Commons Calls for a ceasefire were thrown into turmoil after Speaker Lindsay Hoyle broke with parliamentary practice by allowing a vote on a three-party motion, triggering strikes by the Conservatives and Scottish National Party.
Mr Hoyle said he had worked to ensure that all MPs had the opportunity to make their positions clear amid the atmosphere of intimidation and intimidation. He is currently facing calls for his resignation.