Tory peer accuses Nick Timothy of ‘instilling fear’ over Islamic prayers | Conservatives

Shadow justice secretary Nick Timothy has been accused by a Conservative colleague and former counter-extremism minister of “stirring fear” among Muslims with his comments about public prayers.

Tariq Ahmad said British Muslims were openly talking about leaving the Conservative Party and he had conveyed his concerns to the party leadership and expected action.

Lord Ahmad told the Guardian: “I have known Nick for a long time and I am deeply disappointed by his divisive comments. He needs to think carefully about his own words.”

“If he aspires to be Chancellor, he must defend the principles of equality and justice before the law for all, which brings with it that responsibility.”

The intervention of Ahmad, who served in three different ministerial posts in the Theresa May and David Cameron governments and has been a party member for 30 years, came as Kemi Badenoch backed Timothy.

The shadow justice secretary highlighted an incident in Trafalgar Square where London Mayor Sadiq Khan and others prayed as part of an iftar, and claimed public Islamic prayers were intimidating and un-British.

Nigel Farage also commented that Muslim leaders had condemned the Reform UK leader’s call for a ban on Muslim public worship in the UK as bigotry, and warned of a “growing tide of hatred” after Badenoch questioned whether the events conformed to the “norms of British culture”.

Ahmed said he began to encounter anti-Muslim hostility on the streets and believed that was a thing of the past.

“It’s ironic that Nick tries to defend what he said by referring to British values, because defending electoral values, participation and freedoms is exactly what attracted people like me to the Conservative party,” he said.

“Michael Howard was a great mentor to me and said that the party is and should always be a party for all Britons. That’s something we should always reflect, not just in our policies but also in how we present ourselves.”

Ahmad compared Timothy’s comments to what Robert Jenrick and Suella Braverman said about diversity and multiculturalism while they were still in the party.

“Robert left and I remember arguing with him. In fact, it takes a lot to even have an encounter with him to get me going. When he made comments about how people should be arrested for shouting ‘Allahu Akbar,'” she said.

“Nick’s comments about iftar, adhan and Islam were misinformed and he and others need to educate themselves before making statements like his.

“Azan is not about domination. Nick needs to know that. I have known him since my time as counter-extremism minister and he was a special adviser to Theresa May. No one should try to scapegoat any community in this way.

“We’ve had debates about politics, and one of the biggest challenges we face is how do you define terms when addressing issues like the issues posed by extremism, while still allowing people to debate issues openly and respectfully? But Nick is making the case for Muslim collective prayer as being about domination, simply put, it’s wrong. I think he instills fear. He’s not just expressing an opinion.”

Timothy He defended himself in an article published in the Daily Telegraph, arguing that Islamic worship in Trafalgar Square amounted to a rejection of other faiths.

“In a pluralistic society like ours, people are free to believe in the unique truth of Islam if they wish. They are free to proclaim it at home, in mosques and in communities that come together for this purpose,” he said.

“But when such statements are projected onto common civic spaces, including monuments of national history and identity such as Trafalgar Square, the line between freedom of religion and the imposition of religious rituals becomes blurred.”

Businessman Ahmad, who first joined the Conservative Party in 1994 and became his life partner in 2011, also spoke candidly about how everyday racism has resurfaced in his life, similar to recent comments by health minister Zubir Ahmed.

“Recently, racial slurs have been directed at me in a way I don’t remember happening in a long time. This is unacceptable and no community should live in fear of this,” he said.

Ahmad said he had voiced his concerns, adding: “Ultimately, Kemi is someone with deep insights and experiences from her own background and knows that any party that wants to be mainstream must include people of all faiths. We move forward as a nation, working with our communities and for all communities.”