Labour ‘ignored misogyny against Muslim women’

LABOUR has been accused of turning a blind eye to years of “systemic misogyny” against Muslim women who are seeking to become councillors.

The Muslim Women’s Network UK said in a letter to Jeremy Corbyn that it is an “open secret” that Muslim men have barred aspiring female candidates from getting into office.

The organisation said that women seeking office were subject to repeated smears including claims that they were having affairs and criticism that they were too “Western”.

Shaista Gohir, the organisation’s chairman, said: “From our experience, Muslim women are most affected by Labour Muslim male councillors due to the latter’s number in certain towns and cities. As this is an open secret and has been gong on for decades, we can only assume that the Labour Party has been complicit at the highest levels.” Muslim women told BBC2’s News

night of the obstacles they had faced trying to stand for office.

Fozia Parveen claims her efforts to become a Labour councillor in Birmingham in 2007-8 were scuppered by men within the party: “At the time, I was aware of a smear campaign against me, they said that I was having an affair with one of the existing councillors.”

A Labour spokesman said it had the best record of any party when it came to selecting ethnic minority candidates and its selection procedures included “strong positive action”, such as allwomen shortlists.