Indian-origin academic to chair Boris review into party's Islamophobia problem

Britain's ruling Conservative Party, led by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, has appointed an Indian-origin academic to conduct an independent review into dealing with allegations of anti-Muslim prejudice as well as other issues of discrimination within the Tory party ranks.

Swaran Singh, Professor of Social and Community Psychiatry at the University of Warwick, will lead the inquiry aimed at improving the Conservative Party's handling of complaints of all forms of discrimination and prejudice, including Islamophobia. The issue had played out heavily in the run up to the general election earlier this month, with British Muslims accusing the Conservatives of anti-Muslim bias and calling for an independent inquiry.

"I am privileged to have been appointed to chair the independent review into improving handling of complaints of prejudice and discrimination in the Conservative Party, said Singh, who has been a Commissioner of the UK's Equality and Human Rights Commission until recently.

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This independent review will look at how the party can improve its processes - to make sure that any instances are isolated, and that there are robust processes in place to stamp them out as and when they occur, a party statement said on Tuesday. Chairman of the Conservative Party James Cleverly said: "The Conservative Party has always worked to act swiftly when allegations have been put to us and there are a wide range of sanctions to challenge and change behaviour.

"The Conservative Party will never stand by when it comes to prejudice and discrimination of any kind and it is right to hold an independent review, so we can stamp out unacceptable abuse that is not fit for public life."

The timetable of the review will be determined by Singh as the independent chair.The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), an umbrella group which had issued a statement warning that British Muslims were fearful of the future following Johnson's landslide win in the election, expressed concern over the broadened remit of the inquiry beyond Islamophobia.

"This appointment is at risk of being seen in the same light as the Conservative party's customary approach to Islamophobia, that of denial, dismissal and deceit, said MCB general secretary Harun Khan."We were promised an independent inquiry into Islamophobia specifically. Now we have a review that aims to broaden the scope to examine discrimination more generally. A laudable aim if it were not for the fact that the Conservative party is afflicted with a particular type of bigotry that it refuses to countenance, he said.

On the campaign trail, Johnson was forced to apologise for any hurt caused by perceived anti-Muslim conduct within the party ranks. He himself has come under attack for certain controversial references to Islamic clothing in his newspaper columns in the past.

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