House of Commons SW1AOAA Tel: 0207 219 8603 Email: naz.shah.mp@partiament.uk NAZ SHAH MP ‘Member of Parliament for Bradford West HOUSE OF COMMONS LONDON SWIA 0AA Rt Hon Brandon Lewis MP Chairman of the Conservative Party Conservative Campaign Headquarters 4 Matthew Parker Street London SW1H 9HQ Monday 6" August 2018 Dear Zrondow | am writing to both of you as Minister for Women and Equalities and Chair of the Conservative Party to raise very serious concerns about Boris Johnson's most recent article in the Daily Telegraph and to ask what action will be taken. | would hope that you do not need reminding that in the course of a few hundred words, the former Foreign Secretary said of Muslim women who wear the nigab that it was “absolutely ridiculous that people should choose to go around looking like letter boxes”; compared them to bank robbers and rebellious teenagers; and described the expression of Islamic faith as "a problem" and its customs as "bizarre and unattractiv ‘As a Muslim woman and Labour's Shadow Equalities Minister, | am appalled that this kind of ugly and naked Islamophobia has been published in a national newspaper and so far appears to be tolerated by your Party leadership. Mr Johnson's suggestion that he should be “fully entitled” to ask a constituent who came to him for advice or assistance to remove her veil so he “could talk to her properly” is not only grossly insulting and Islamophobic, it would also potentially be unlawful if he were to carry it out. Section 29 (2) (a) of the Equality Act 2010, states that service providers — including politicians — must not discriminate “as to the terms which A provides the service to B”. The Act, as you will know, outlaws discrimination based on protected characteristics, including ‘religion and belief’ and ‘sex’. West Riding House 41 Cheapside Bradford, BD1 4HR Tel: 01274 725171 Email: naz.shah.mp@parliament.ukIt defies belief that Mr Johnson has written this while noting in the same column that Muslim women who wear the nigab or other forms of religious clothing are being attacked in the street. | agree with Mohammed Amin, chair of the Conservative Muslim Forum, who said this kind of language would be seized on by the far right - something that is particularly troubling in light of the revelations that Mr Johnson has recently been communicating with Steve Bannon. | also agree with Mohammed Mahmoud, the hero imam of Finsbury Park mosque, who has said today that your Government has been “lacklustre, or worse, in denial!” about the need to tackle Islamophobia, In June, Mr Lewis, you announced that you would “stamp out” Islamophobia in the Conservative Party and that diversity training would be set up for members. If no action is taken against Mr Johnson — for example, at the very least requiring him to attend a course of training and engagement with the Islamic community — what faith can Muslim people have in your public statements? Yours Sincerely IN : Naz Shah MP ‘Member of Parliament for Bradford West cc Rt Hon Penny Mordaunt MP Minister for Women and Equalities Government Equalities Office Piccadilly Gate Store Street Manchester ™M12WD