Racist abuse of councillor condemned by leaders

Council leader Shabina Qayyum said racist and Islamophobic comments directed at Mohammed Jamil were "totally unacceptable"

City council party leaders have united in condemning the racist and Islamophobic abuse faced by a councillor.

Peterborough City Council leader Shabina Qayyum said her Labour colleague Mohammed Jamil had been targeted with online and email abuse over the potential sale of a council asset.

She told a full council meeting "no elected official should have to face a hate crime such as racism".

Conservative group leader Wayne Fitzgerald described it as "abhorrent", while Nicola Day, deputy leader of the Green Party, said she opposed "hate and prejudice".

Shabina Qayyum called on councillors to reject "the normalisation of such online hate, which has no place in our city"

Qayyum was referring to online and emailed abuse that made direct threats to the safety of Jamil, who is the council's cabinet member for finance and corporate governance.

"Everyone should feel free to practise their faith without fear and we must continue to take a stand against all forms of hate and prejudice," said Qayyum.

"Mohammed Jamil has been subjected to a number of racist, Islamophobic comments online and via email over one of our potential asset sales."

An asset typically refers to a building or piece of land owned by the local authority.

Just last week, the city had come together for a multi-faith vigil to remember the victims of the synagogue attack in Manchester and arson attacks at mosques, she pointed out.

Fitzgerald told the meeting: "Nobody should tolerate any disrespect or racism and it's abhorrent and we stand by you on that."

Day said: "We must show allyship to all faiths, residents and community groups whether they be mosques, churches, synagogues, mandirs, or migrants living here."