Andrea Leadsom, a leading Conservative MP and leader of the House of Commons has suggested that attacks on British Muslims in the UK is a Foreign Office issue.
Andrea Leadsom, a leading Conservative MP and leader of the House of Commons has suggested that attacks on British Muslims in the UK is a Foreign Office issue.
Andrea Leadsom, a leading Conservative MP and leader of the House of Commons has suggested that attacks on British Muslims in the UK is a Foreign Office issue.
After a series of suspensions from the Conservative Party for offensive posts online, Labour MP Naz Shah called on Andrea Leadsom to hold a debate in parliament on the issue of Islamophobia.
The MP for Bradford West made mention of the recent definition by the APPG on British Muslims and the report that went along with it. You can see the video here:
I asked @andrealeadsom to call a debate on #Islamophobia given the scale of it in @Conservatives Party & following the @APPGBritMuslims report & definition. She said : speak to foreign office ministers about Islamophobia.When did attacks on BRITISH Muslims become a foreign issue? pic.twitter.com/idhfQEUKpK
— Naz Shah MP (@NazShahBfd) March 7, 2019
In her response, Ms Leadsom suggested to Ms Shah that the Foreign Office should play a role in adopting a definition.
“She raises a very important point about whether we should seek a definition of Islamophobia and I would encourage her to perhaps seek an adjournment debate in the first instance so she can discuss with Foreign Office officials,” said Ms Leadsom.
Her response, seemingly insinuating that British Muslims are foreign and hence attacks on them should be dealt with by the Foreign Office has angered many and has received a wave of criticism. A leading voice amongst Leadsom’s critics has been the former Conservative Party chair, Baroness Sayeeda Warsi:
Wwwwwhhhhhhaaaaaatttttt? @andrealeadsom
British Muslims are errrrr British 🤦🏽♀️
What is wrong with some of my colleagues🤷🏽♀️
We are in a hole …..stop digging! https://t.co/d708fH9BQ0— Sayeeda Warsi (@SayeedaWarsi) March 7, 2019
Earlier today she penned a piece in the Evening Standard entitled, “British Muslims deserve better than a Tory party that’s deeply Islamophobic”, and today’s events in Parliament only add fuel to the fire that there is a real problem in the Tory party that isn’t being addressed!
Here are a few more responses to Ms Leadsom’s comments today:
Thatcher famously said, "The Department of Agriculture looks after farmers, the Foreign Office looks after foreigners".
It's a novel method of departmental organisation, no doubt, but hardly makes sense when talking about Islamophobia against British Muslims. 🤔 https://t.co/Z1AnhtXOCm
— Umaar Kazmi 🔻 (@UmaarKazmi) March 7, 2019
Amber Rudd calls Diane Abbott "a coloured woman" while Andrea Leadsom says institutional bigotry against British Muslims is an issue for … the Foreign Office.
Just WHAT will it take for institutional prejudice in the Tory party to be taken seriously? pic.twitter.com/jIiFlCVS0D
— Hicham Yezza (@HichamYezza) March 7, 2019
For me personally, Andrea Leadsom suggesting a debate on Islamophobia is one for the Foreign Office to respond to is far worse than Amber Rudd's terrible choice of words. Suggests British Muslims aren't British. https://t.co/S4f51hyp5a
— Arj Singh (@singharj) March 7, 2019
