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Trevor Phillips dismayed at Labour suspension over Muslim comments Trevor Phillips dismayed at Labour suspension over Muslim comments
(about 2 hours later)
Former head of EHRC defends view that UK Muslim population is ‘different’Former head of EHRC defends view that UK Muslim population is ‘different’
Trevor Phillips, the former head of the equalities watchdog, has condemned Labour’s decision to suspend him from the party over alleged Islamophobia, while defending his view that the UK Muslim population is “different”.Trevor Phillips, the former head of the equalities watchdog, has condemned Labour’s decision to suspend him from the party over alleged Islamophobia, while defending his view that the UK Muslim population is “different”.
Phillips, a pioneering anti-racism campaigner who previously chaired the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), has been suspended from Labour pending an investigation and could be expelled.Phillips, a pioneering anti-racism campaigner who previously chaired the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), has been suspended from Labour pending an investigation and could be expelled.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Phillips said he was surprised and dismayed at the move, and defended his comments about British Muslims.Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Phillips said he was surprised and dismayed at the move, and defended his comments about British Muslims.
“I’m kind of surprised that what is and always has been an open and democratic party decides that its members cannot have a healthy debate about how we address differences of values and outlook,” Phillips said.“I’m kind of surprised that what is and always has been an open and democratic party decides that its members cannot have a healthy debate about how we address differences of values and outlook,” Phillips said.
“They say I am accusing Muslims of being different. Well actually, that’s true. The point is Muslims are different. And in many ways I think that’s admirable.”“They say I am accusing Muslims of being different. Well actually, that’s true. The point is Muslims are different. And in many ways I think that’s admirable.”
Challenged on whether comments such as his claim in 2016 that the UK’s Muslims were “becoming a nation within a nation” amounted to sweeping generalisations about a disparate population of around 3 million Britons, Phillips rejected this. Asked about his warning in 2016 that Muslims were becoming a “nation within a nation” being adopted by the far-right anti-Muslim campaigner Tommy Robinson, Phillips said he had not heard about this, adding: “As my grandmother says, just because the devil picks up a tune doesn’t mean it is a bad tune.”
But critics said that they were concerned over some of Phillips statements, with Miqdaad Versi, a spokesman for the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), saying that he found the comments “seriously problematic”.
Versi told Today his organisation had not made a complaint to Labour, but added: “What we can say very clearly is that the statements he has made on a number of different things would not be statements that he would make against other communities,” Versi said. “He keeps on cherry-picking information to create this narrative that Muslims are different from everyone else.”
Phillips rejected the contention that comments such as his “nation within a nation” remark amounted to sweeping generalisations about a disparate population of around 3 million Britons.
“There’s all sorts of differences in our society, and the central point of my pamphlet was to say we cannot continue simply to say that differences won’t matter,” he said. “In my view it’s a form of disrespect to say to people: ‘Oh, don’t worry, the differences of values that they have, the beliefs that this or that group have, they’ll get over it.’”“There’s all sorts of differences in our society, and the central point of my pamphlet was to say we cannot continue simply to say that differences won’t matter,” he said. “In my view it’s a form of disrespect to say to people: ‘Oh, don’t worry, the differences of values that they have, the beliefs that this or that group have, they’ll get over it.’”
Asked about his “nation within a nation” phrase being adopted by the far-right anti-Muslim campaigner Tommy Robinson, Phillips said he had not heard about this, adding: “As my grandmother says, just because the devil picks up a tune doesn’t mean it is a bad tune.”
It was correct for Muslims to be judged collectively, he argued. “You keep saying that I make these generalisations. But the truth is, if you do belong to a group, whether it is a church, or a football club, you identify with a particular set of values, and you stand for it. And frankly you are judged by that.”It was correct for Muslims to be judged collectively, he argued. “You keep saying that I make these generalisations. But the truth is, if you do belong to a group, whether it is a church, or a football club, you identify with a particular set of values, and you stand for it. And frankly you are judged by that.”
Phillips later released a copy of the letter announcing his suspension, in which Labour cited prior statements includingone observing how few UK Muslims wore Remembrance Day poppies. Later on Monday morning the Conservative peer and anti-islamophobia campaigner Sayeeda Warsi posted a series of tweets which appeared to refer to the Phillips case, saying: “If you take a negative characteristic of an individual and impose on a whole community that’s racism... the “racialisation” of a group is how we stereotype and demonise groups/communities not whether they all share the same skin colour.”
Phillips released a copy of the letter announcing his suspension, in which Labour cited prior statements includingone observing how few UK Muslims wore Remembrance Day poppies.
The letter was included in a 42-page documents put out by the Policy Exchange thinktank, where Phillips is a fellow. In a statement opening the document, the Labour MP Khalid Mahmood called the suspension “so outlandish as to bring disrepute on all involved in making them”.The letter was included in a 42-page documents put out by the Policy Exchange thinktank, where Phillips is a fellow. In a statement opening the document, the Labour MP Khalid Mahmood called the suspension “so outlandish as to bring disrepute on all involved in making them”.
Miqdaad Versi, a spokesman for the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), told Today his organisation had not made a complaint to Labour, but said he found some of Phillips’ statements “seriously problematic”, and appealing to far-right agitators such as Robinson.
“What we can say very clearly is that the statements he has made on a number of different things would not be statements that he would make against other communities,” Versi said. “He keeps on cherry-picking information to create this narrative that Muslims are different from everyone else.”
Phillips has been a vocal opponent of moves to extend a definition of Islamophobia drawn up by an all-party parliamentary group, as now used by Labour among others. Muslims were a multiracial group “united by a faith and a belief” and could not thus be treated as a race, he told Today.Phillips has been a vocal opponent of moves to extend a definition of Islamophobia drawn up by an all-party parliamentary group, as now used by Labour among others. Muslims were a multiracial group “united by a faith and a belief” and could not thus be treated as a race, he told Today.
Phillips, who chaired the EHRC when it launched in 2006, was among 24 public figures who last year wrote to the Guardian declaring their refusal to vote for the Labour party because of its association with antisemitism.Phillips, who chaired the EHRC when it launched in 2006, was among 24 public figures who last year wrote to the Guardian declaring their refusal to vote for the Labour party because of its association with antisemitism.
The group said the path to a more tolerant society “must encompass Britain’s Jews with unwavering solidarity” and said Jeremy Corbyn had “a long record of embracing antisemites as comrades”. The EHRC is the organisation investigating the Labour party over alleged antisemitism.The group said the path to a more tolerant society “must encompass Britain’s Jews with unwavering solidarity” and said Jeremy Corbyn had “a long record of embracing antisemites as comrades”. The EHRC is the organisation investigating the Labour party over alleged antisemitism.
Last week, a dossier of more than 300 allegations of Islamophobia in the Conservative party was submitted to the EHRC by the MCB, increasing pressure on the watchdog to launch a formal investigation.Last week, a dossier of more than 300 allegations of Islamophobia in the Conservative party was submitted to the EHRC by the MCB, increasing pressure on the watchdog to launch a formal investigation.
Phillips has made two Channel 4 documentaries dealing with race and discrimination – 2015’s Things We Won’t Say About Race That Are True and What British Muslims Really Think, which aired the following year. He chairs Index on Censorship, a not-for-profit group that campaigns for and defends free speech.Phillips has made two Channel 4 documentaries dealing with race and discrimination – 2015’s Things We Won’t Say About Race That Are True and What British Muslims Really Think, which aired the following year. He chairs Index on Censorship, a not-for-profit group that campaigns for and defends free speech.
A Labour party spokesperson said: “The Labour party takes all complaints about Islamophobia extremely seriously and they are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures, and any appropriate disciplinary action is taken.”A Labour party spokesperson said: “The Labour party takes all complaints about Islamophobia extremely seriously and they are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures, and any appropriate disciplinary action is taken.”