Starmer cancels Ramadan event after JC flags organiser’s views
LABOUR LEADER Sir Keir Starmer has pulled out of an interfaith event organised by a Muslim outreach group after the JC asked questions about the controversial views of the group’s CEO.
Sir Keir had been due to attend a virtual Iftar, the fast-breaking meal, hosted by an organisation called the Ramadan Tent Project on Wednesday.
The group describes its mission as “bringing communities together to better understand each other”.
But Sir Keir cancelled the event after the JC highlighted how its chief executive officer, Omar Salha, had backed controversial groups such as Cage on Twitter. In 2015, Cage’s research director hailed the notorious Isis terrorist known as Jihadi John as a “beautiful young man”.
The JC approached Labour after the Board of Deputies’ Tal Ofer highlighted Mr Salha’s views on Twitter.
It comes as Sir Keir’s aides face intense questions about their judgment after the Labour leader was thrown out of a pub by an angry landlord in Bath this week while on the campaign trail ahead of the local elections in May.
In 2017, Mr Salha tweeted: “Time for those who stand for the values of justice and liberty to support UK Cage and not be intimidated by the powers that be.”
In its report this year, the Commission for Countering Extremism urged the government to crack down on organisations such as Cage.
The report was welcomed by the
Board of Deputies, which branded Cage a “toxic group”.
In March, 2019, the Ramadan Tent Project’s own Twitter account praised the Muslim advocacy group Mend as a friend and supporter.
In 2016, the Board of Deputies said it was “unable” to work with Mend as its approach risked “increasing hostility and suspicion between the Jewish and Muslim communities, rather than building trust and empathy”.
Writing on Twitter, Mr Ofer highlighted a tweet shared by Mr Salha in March that expressed support for a boycott of Israeli dates.
“This #Ramadan, Don’t Eat into #Palestine”, the tweet said.
The Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, while popular with the Labour left, has not been officially adopted as party policy.
In his social media posts, Mr Ofer said: “Who in Keir Starmer’s team did due diligence before agreeing to participate in this event and will Starmer re-consider?”
Speaking to the JC, Mr Ofer said:
“I don’t really understand why Keir Starmer is going to participate in an event of an organisation whose CEO’s views are clearly unsavoury.”
Mr Ofer added: “His team should check the background of the people in these organisations.
“It’s all out there in the open, so I am hoping Starmer’s office will reconsider his participation in this event because I am not sure it is good for the image the Labour Party is trying to portray.
“We expect the actions to be louder than the words. They should be judged on the actions not just on the words.”
Just hours before the Iftar, Labour yesterday confirmed that Sir Keir had pulled out.
It is understood this was in response to the concerns raised by the JC and Mr Ofer.
This week, Sir Keir was thrown out of The Raven pub in Bath by irate landlord Rod Humphris, who said he was unhappy with Labour’s response to government lockdown measures.
The fracas, which attracted widespread media coverage, was deeply embarrassing for Sir Keir and the Labour Party.
And earlier this month Sir Keir came under fire for visiting a church linked to a pastor opposed to equality legislation and gay marriage.
The visit to Jesus House, led by Agu Iruku, prompted a complaint by the LGBT+ Labour group and led to an unreserved apology by the leader.
The Ramadan Tent Project failed to respond to the JC’s inquiry.
Mend and Cage deny all allegations of extremism.