UK Govt sacks minister for being Muslim

[bigtoughralf]

An ex-minister sacked by Boris Johnson's Conservative Party has revealed being explicitly told that her colleagues did not like that she was a Muslim, who has now gone public after attempts made by her colleagues to bully her out of the party completely:

A Muslim MP says her faith was raised by a government whip as a reason why she was sacked as a minister in 2020.

Ms Ghani was appointed to a post at the Department for Transport in 2018, becoming the first female Muslim minister to speak in the Commons.

She lost that job in a mini-reshuffle of Mr Johnson's government in February 2020.

Speaking to the Sunday Times, Ms Ghani said that when she asked for an explanation, a government whip had told her that "Muslimness was raised as an issue" during discussions about the reshuffle, and her status as a "Muslim woman... was making colleagues uncomfortable".

The Wealden MP is quoted as saying she dropped the matter after being told that if she "persisted" in asking about it she "would be ostracised and her career and reputation would be destroyed".

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-60100525

[saxitoxin]

Ridiculous. I could understand sacking her for being a woman because women tend to be irrational and aren't really suited for government jobs and such, but for being a Muslim? Highly discriminatory and not cool.

[jusplay4fun]

An ex-minister sacked by Boris Johnson's Conservative Party has revealed being explicitly told that her colleagues did not like that she was a Muslim, who has now gone public after attempts made by her colleagues to bully her out of the party completely:

A Muslim MP says her faith was raised by a government whip as a reason why she was sacked as a minister in 2020.

Ms Ghani was appointed to a post at the Department for Transport in 2018, becoming the first female Muslim minister to speak in the Commons.

She lost that job in a mini-reshuffle of Mr Johnson's government in February 2020.

Speaking to the Sunday Times, Ms Ghani said that when she asked for an explanation, a government whip had told her that "Muslimness was raised as an issue" during discussions about the reshuffle, and her status as a "Muslim woman... was making colleagues uncomfortable".

The Wealden MP is quoted as saying she dropped the matter after being told that if she "persisted" in asking about it she "would be ostracised and her career and reputation would be destroyed".

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-60100525

Let me get this correct. There is (only) one Muslim and small-ralf is alleging anti-Muslim discrimination, BUT there are two other Muslim Women in the Cabinet of Boris Johnson and in Parliament? Below is from ralf's source. They are calling for an investigation, but did not allege racism or anti-Muslim behaviors. What did I miss, except that ralf is using the vaxi/saxi technique of advancing a false narrative and Fake News (as the picture has been indicated by his same source)?

In a tweet, Nadhim Zahawi, the education secretary, said there was "no place for Islamophobia or any form of racism" in the Conservative Party, adding that the allegations had to be "investigated properly and racism routed out".

Health Secretary Sajid Javid also said the matter needed "a proper investigation" and that he would support Ms Ghani "in making a formal complaint". "She must be heard," he added.

[bigtoughralf]

there are two other Muslim Women in the Cabinet of Boris Johnson and in Parliament

...

Nadhim Zahawi, the education secretary,

...

Health Secretary Sajid Javid

Nadhim Zahawi:


Sajid Javid:


Women? No.
Muslim? No.
Brown? Yes.

jp, sounds like a career in the Conservative Party might await you.

[saxitoxin]

there are two other Muslim Women in the Cabinet of Boris Johnson and in Parliament

...

Nadhim Zahawi, the education secretary,

...

Health Secretary Sajid Javid

Nadhim Zahawi:


Sajid Javid:


Women? No.
Muslim? No.
Brown? Yes.

jp, sounds like a career in the Conservative Party might await you.

How do you know they're not women?

[Dukasaur]

there are two other Muslim Women in the Cabinet of Boris Johnson and in Parliament

...

Nadhim Zahawi, the education secretary,

...

Health Secretary Sajid Javid

Nadhim Zahawi:


Sajid Javid:


Women? No.
Muslim? No.

Strictly speaking, they are from Muslim families even if they don't actively practise.

[bigtoughralf]

The Chief Whip didn't tell Nusrat Ghani her Muslim parents made her colleagues uncomfortable, they told her that her Muslim faith made her colleagues uncomfortable.

The Conservative Party being able to tolerate a Muslim just so long as that Muslim never worships, practices or even mentions their religion isn't particularly impressive tbh.

[jusplay4fun]

there are two other Muslim Women in the Cabinet of Boris Johnson and in Parliament

...

Nadhim Zahawi, the education secretary,

...

Health Secretary Sajid Javid

Nadhim Zahawi:


Sajid Javid:


Women? No.
Muslim? No.
Brown? Yes.

jp, sounds like a career in the Conservative Party might await you.

Well, If so, I would learn more about my party members. BUT I have no plans to meet you or them in person.

I did not bother to look up the gender of both. So? They are not obviously important to me. I never heard of them until I looked up an the article about the allegation that you cited. They are of Middle East origin or family. They were likely Muslim, even if they do not now submit.

And of course ralf did not answer my conjecture of the nature of the lack of racism or bias that hw wants to claim, my main point. He is using red herrings, again.

At least I know that peanuts are not real nuts, and can read which nuts are tree nuts. That was right in front of ralf and only required READING, not looking up links to persons I have never heard of before reading one article about ralf's silly Fake News.

I also know that small-soft-ralf is stoopid and a NUT, too. Keep trying, ralf the failure.

[bigtoughralf]

They are of Middle East origin or family.

Javid's family are Pakistani. Keep digging.

[JdeV 100]

They both have Muslim backgrounds, and neither is religious. One reason Islam is so poorly received by the establishment is that the Muslim communities spent decades tolerating and incorporating the extremism of Hizb-ut-Tahrir, which the left didn't question, and therefore we have Tories, the British majority quietly warned but snowflakes don't listen to quiet people, they are too busy freaking out about pictures and stuff. However you might note Tim Farron thinks Christian faith doesn't go down any better. It is because it is a lot of dictatorial bullshit, and most people would be happy to discuss it but religious communities are hostile to criticism.
None of which justifies her being fired because of her faith. It is worth mentioning because there are tolerant and progressive people such as I who want minorities to be better protected, and there are intolerant and regressive people who only want their own to be better protected. And there are tories.
RT is a poor choice of media. 100% anti-western agitprop. Western media may be ignorant, biased and corrupted but they are not following the orders and prejudices of a dictator. We should not support those news sites that do not invite honest discussion. There is not an article on RT critical of Vladimir Putin like all the articles in other media critical of western leaders, and it is because they know there is some likelihood Vladimir Putin would assassinate the author, so imo we should hate that.

[bigtoughralf]

One reason Islam is so poorly received by the establishment is that the Muslim communities spent decades tolerating and incorporating the extremism of Hizb-ut-Tahrir [here JdeV accuses the UK's Muslims of protecting and living by the misson of a proscribed jihadi group]

...

there are tolerant and progressive people such as I who want minorities to be better protected [here JdeV states he is a progressive guy who hopes Muslims can be protected from Islamophobia]

[bigtoughralf]

Baroness Warsi, a serving member of the UK's upper house who used to be chairperson of the Conservative Party, today responded to Nusrat Ghani's claims by saying that the few Muslims in the party are constantly afraid their careers will be ended if they don't 'keep their heads down' and avoid mention of Islam:

Conservative Muslims feel they have to “keep their heads down” and not speak on issues affecting the wider British Muslim community for fear of hindering their political careers, a former Cabinet minister and ex-party chairman has said.

Speaking to i after Boris Johnson commissioned an inquiry into Ms Ghani’s treatment, Lady Warsi said she herself had been warned not to “flex your Muslim muscles” inside the party.

“There is a widely-held view amongst British Muslims that if you are going to join the Conservative Party and you are a Muslim then you have to keep your Muslimness at a tangent, do not flex your Muslim muscles, keep your Muslim head down.

“And if you are going to raise your Muslimness then only do so on issues that can be weaponised against British Muslim communities as that can help build rather than hinder a political career. I want to challenge this view and for that political culture in the party to change.”

https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/baron ... wn-1420613

[JdeV 100]

One reason Islam is so poorly received by the establishment is that the Muslim communities spent decades tolerating and incorporating the extremism of Hizb-ut-Tahrir [here JdeV accuses the UK's Muslims of protecting and living by the misson of a proscribed jihadi group]

...

there are tolerant and progressive people such as I who want minorities to be better protected [here JdeV states he is a progressive guy who hopes Muslims can be protected from Islamophobia]

They were not proscribed. But I do accuse the mainstream community of that. It's the truth about Hizb-ut Tahrir in most British Sunni mosques throughout the 90s and 2000s, trying to turn a community into a threatening political entity.

I am strongly opposed to any of those Britain First etc. or anyone who would not know the difference between the Hizb and the mosque. Racist discriminating involves lumping. We can be more discriminating if we mean being honest and exercising free speech. The Life of Brian was a great achievement.

idk what policies or other contributions or mentions of Islam Baroness Warsi is describing, from that article, but I'm satisfied that getting the other stuff off my chest isn't what you think it is, and perhaps when I do understand the complaint I will sympathise.

[bigtoughralf]

It's interesting how you think the existence of some fringe extremist Islamist group is an indictment of all Muslims. I wonder if you consider the ongoing resurgence of neo-Nazism to be an indictment of all white people. If not then you might perhaps be in with a shot of becoming the Conservatives' new chief whip.

[JdeV 100]

I didn't say anything like that, ralf. I said they were mainstreamed in the 90s. The British establishment has appointed some Muslims to prominent roles but apparently has a suspicion of Muslim politics, and I think that is because eg MPAC rather than the MCB was speaking for the community and has a ht outlook. Because I don't know what said politics are I said I will wait for details of the complaint. I do not agree with Tim Farron, he says "my religion is either totally right or totally wrong and I'm offended at the suggestion it is wrong", but idk if this is like that. I just don't automatically assume religious people know prejudiced opposition from reasoning, being slaves to a faith. Political parties are the same.

[bigtoughralf]

And now existing as a Muslim = 'Muslim politics'

'I support your right your right to be Muslim and all, but do you have to do it around me?'

[JdeV 100]

And now existing as a Muslim = 'Muslim politics'

'I support your right your right to be Muslim and all, but do you have to do it around me?'

What I wrote is true and doesn't defame anyone. This was about Warsi, who spoke about "raising Muslimness" and - the journalist's words, idk hers - not speaking "on issues affecting the wider British Muslim community" and all I was saying is idk what that describes at this time, it may be that she was discriminated against, it may be that just those issues don't get a fair hearing, and I may yet agree or disagree. Is that OK? Or do I need to check in with anyone else?

[bigtoughralf]

If you read the two articles quoted in this thread and don't understand exactly how Ghani or Warsi have been discriminated against or the specific topics Warsi thinks are suppressed then I think the issue is probably the hands placed over your eyes.

[JdeV 100]

Baroness Warsi left government over political differences and she possibly has a case that she was being ignored and discriminated against, but in that article we have not been given details of any incident, and I don't know why it is so obvious to you, but you prefer the snowflakey presumption that this is Islamophobia, whereas I'm a lot more specific.

Saying ht is fringe is not correct, or was not. You might think those rephrasings are a smart reply, but I was not attacking Muslims. I really hate ht and MPAC and I do think it would be good to hear them loudly disavowed. Some people would call me an Islamophobe if I depicted Mohammed (pbuh), not even doing anything. Whereas some people would reserve that for fascist scum, who represent an actual threat but are likelier to convert to Islam than draw that picture. They genuinely just feared anything different, like religious nutters.

In the first case I was clear there's no excuse to discriminate, but explained something of recent British Islamic political representation that you want to overlook like Putin accusing us now of being Russophobes, whereas he spent a long time fomenting hostility.

[jusplay4fun]

It should now be clear that small-soft-ralf is very biased and cannot see much beyond his nose. He will defend Muslims, Arabs, Palestinians, and Pakistanis. He will not acknowledge:

1) terrorist acts by Muslim extremists;

2) that there are A FEW Muslim terrorists who do commit heinous acts;

3) that he himself is is extremely biased;

4) that he is at least one or more of the following: anti-Christian, anti-Semitic, anti-US, anti-UK, anti-West, anti-French,

5) that he is at least one or more of the following: pro-Muslim, pro-Muslim terrorist, and pro-Palestine.

Your responses to JdeV adds to the body of proof of ALL this. You fail again, ralf. Try to jump higher and set worthy and lofty goals.

[JdeV 100]

He just fancies me and we share a love of this cutting-edge gaming tech software website and even if in some games dice are awful we will feel our snuggly way to an understanding, the likely outlook.

tbh I like being a rude bastard but can't sign that. Like, probably 1 and 2 are straight untrue, and possibly 3 (that he'd acknowledge it) and it's not a sin to be pro-Palestine. This is a lot to take on.

I can't say I'm all that holier than thou because I joke about Mohammed (pbuh) (so v edgy af in 2022 UK) but I have to make a big deal of drawing a line (like, right under the Prophet (pbuh)).

Peace and love all.