Labour councillor suspended over alleged anti-Semitic remarks

Labour councillor Mohammed Iqbal has said he is an active campaigner against all forms of racism

A councillor has been suspended after allegedly making anti-Semitic comments at a meeting, it has been reported.

Mohammed Iqbal, a Labour councillor in Lancashire, allegedly made the remarks in a council debate discussing tensions between Israel and the Palestinians.

Mr Iqbal, the opposition leader for Pendle Council, revealed the suspension himself in a statement and denied being anti-Semitic.

A Labour Party spokeswoman said: "We don't comment on individual cases."

The comments were reportedly made during Pendle Council's recent annual meeting, during which an emergency motion was put forward to fly the Palestinian flag above Nelson Town Hall.

The gesture was to mark solidarity with Palestinians after the killing of journalist Shireen Abu Aqla in the occupied West Bank in May.

Politicians from all sides spoke during the debate and unanimously supported the motion.

Complaint made

The Jewish Chronicle quoted Mr Iqbal as saying: "The fact is that what's going on in Ukraine, Palestine, and other areas I've mentioned, reminds me, I barely passed my GCSE history at school, but many people in this room will remember what justification Hitler had for what he did to the Jews in the Second World War."

The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of anti-Semitism, which has been adopted in full by the Labour Party, states that any comparison of contemporary Israeli policy to that of Nazi Germany could be anti-Semitic.

In a statement, Mr Iqbal said: "Following a complaint made against me to the Labour Party alleging recent comments I made in a council meeting were anti-Semitic, I have been suspended as a councillor until the matter is investigated."

He added: "I wish to publicly state I am not anti-Semitic and have campaigned all my life against all forms of racism and sexism and will continue to do so.

"I will work with the Labour Party and anyone else to uphold the principle of everyone living side-by-side in peace and harmony."

Correction 4th October: This article has been amended to include Mr Iqbal's quote from the meeting, as reported by the Jewish Chronicle. We have also amended a reference to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of anti-Semitism to make clear that it says that any comparisons between contemporary Israeli policy and that of Nazi Germany could be anti-Semitic.

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