UK Tory Councilor Suspended for Racism
British Conservative councillor Chris Joannides has been suspended and is under investigation after he allegedly posted anti-Muslim comments on the social networking website Facebook.
Joannides’s Facebook page contained material that compared Muslim women who wear the burqa based on their Islamic beliefs to rubbish bags.
The Conservative councillor was suspended over the comments, which are now being investigated.
In another posting, Joannides appears to have “liked” a picture of an Arab woman holding her injured child.
Joannides's Facebook page is also alleged to contain sectarian material that could offend those of Turkish-Cypriot heritage.
He is Greek Cypriot and the borough of Enfield in Greater London is home to thousands from both communities.
"This is a shocking example of institutionalised and normalised Islamophobia. We expect the Conservative party to take a robust stand against this behaviour and prove that their drive to engage with black minority ethnic communities isn't tokenistic,” chair of the Muslim Safety Forum Azad Ali said.
This comes as British Prime Minister and Conservative leader David Cameron is planning to try and increase the low levels of support his party gets from ethnic minority voters by becoming more inclusive.
Joannides’s Islamophobic remarks on Facebook will count as a blow for Cameron’s efforts to try and lure ethnic minorities in Britian into supporting his party.
Source: Press TV
The Conservative councillor was suspended over the comments, which are now being investigated.
In another posting, Joannides appears to have “liked” a picture of an Arab woman holding her injured child.
Joannides's Facebook page is also alleged to contain sectarian material that could offend those of Turkish-Cypriot heritage.
He is Greek Cypriot and the borough of Enfield in Greater London is home to thousands from both communities.
"This is a shocking example of institutionalised and normalised Islamophobia. We expect the Conservative party to take a robust stand against this behaviour and prove that their drive to engage with black minority ethnic communities isn't tokenistic,” chair of the Muslim Safety Forum Azad Ali said.
This comes as British Prime Minister and Conservative leader David Cameron is planning to try and increase the low levels of support his party gets from ethnic minority voters by becoming more inclusive.
Joannides’s Islamophobic remarks on Facebook will count as a blow for Cameron’s efforts to try and lure ethnic minorities in Britian into supporting his party.
Source: Press TV
