Nus Ghani Islamophobia claim 'lame' as 'it's not apparent' she is Muslim
23 January 2022, 13:57
Michael Fabricant scoffs at Nus Ghani Islamophobia row
Michael Fabricant MP says Nusrat Ghani's claim of Islamophobia 'stinks' as 'she's hardly someone who's obviously a Muslim'.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
"All this is because it's open season on Boris Johnson" the Tory MP told Andrew Pierce, as the Islamophobia row around vice-chair of the 1922 Committee Nusrat Ghani rages.
Tory MP Nusrat Ghani stated that her faith was given as a reason that she was removed from a ministerial role in a "mini-reshuffle" in 2020.
Read more: Raab: Party can't act on Islamophobia claim 'in absence of formal complaint'
Mr Fabricant declared that "prejudice of any kind is pretty pathetic in modern Britain" but told LBC that in this case he is unsure of the authenticity of Ms Ghani's claim.
"The whole thing actually stinks."
Muslim Council head reflects on Nus Ghani allegations
Read more: 'Kindest thing' for Boris Johnson’s legacy would be for him to go, David Davis tells LBC
"For her to say that someone said it's because she's a Muslim, I mean, she's hardly someone who's obviously a Muslim" the Conservative MP went on.
He argued that because Ms Ghani's faith "wasn't apparent" it seems "a rather lame excuse" for her losing her ministerial role.
"The timing is very suspicious" Mr Fabricant reiterated.
Rachel Johnson spoke to Nusrat Ghani MP for Global original podcast Rachel Johnson's Difficult Women. Listen here.
Boris Johnson met with Nusrat Ghani to discuss her "extremely serious claims" that she was sacked as a minister because of concerns about her "Muslimness", Downing Street has said.
A No 10 spokesman said in a statement that the Prime Minister invited her to make a formal complaint but she did not do so.
"After being made aware of these extremely serious claims, the Prime Minister met with Nusrat Ghani to discuss them," the spokesman said.
"He then wrote to her expressing his serious concern and inviting her to begin a formal complaint process. She did not subsequently do so."
The Conservative Party does not tolerate prejudice or discrimination of any kind."
