International
oi-Ashish Rana
Reform
UK’s
newly
announced
London
mayoral
candidate
Laila
Cunningham
has
triggered
a
sharp
political
and
community
backlash
after
suggesting
that
Muslim
women
wearing
the
burqa
should
be
subjected
to
stop
and
search.
UK
Mayor
Candidate
Reform
UK’s
London
mayoral
candidate
Laila
Cunningham
faced
backlash
after
suggesting
stop
and
search
for
Muslim
women
wearing
burqas,
sparking
criticism
from
politicians
and
Muslim
advocacy
groups;
London
Mayor
Sadiq
Khan
warned
against
divisive
rhetoric.
Cunningham,
a
British-born
Muslim,
made
the
remarks
during
a
podcast,
leading
to
accusations
of
deepening
social
divisions.
Her
remarks,
made
during
a
podcast
discussion,
have
drawn
criticism
from
senior
politicians
and
Muslim
advocacy
groups,
who
argue
that
the
comments
risk
deepening
social
divisions
in
the
capital.
Cunningham’s
remarks
on
face
coverings
and
identity
Cunningham
argued
that
covering
one’s
face
has
no
place
in
what
she
described
as
an
open
society.
She
claimed
that
concealment
should
automatically
raise
suspicion,
saying,
“It
has
to
be
assumed
that
if
you’re
hiding
your
face,
you’re
hiding
it
for
a
criminal
reason.”
During
the
podcast,
she
also
described
cultural
changes
in
certain
parts
of
the
city,
stating,
“If
you
go
to
parts
of
London,
it
does
feel
like
a
Muslim
city.
The
signs
are
written
in
a
different
language.
You’ve
got
burqas
being
sold
in
markets.” She
went
on
to
argue
for
cultural
uniformity,
insisting
there
should
be
“one
civic
culture”
and
that
it
“should
be
British.”
Background
of
the
Reform
UK
candidate
Cunningham,
who
is
a
British-born
Muslim
of
Egyptian
descent,
was
named
as
Reform
UK’s
candidate
for
the
2028
London
mayoral
election
last
week.
Her
comments
have
attracted
particular
attention
because
of
her
own
background,
with
critics
saying
this
has
not
softened
the
impact
of
her
remarks
on
Muslim
communities.
Sadiq
Khan
warns
against
divisive
politics
London
Mayor
Sadiq
Khan
responded
by
warning
that
such
rhetoric
weakens
the
city
rather
than
strengthening
it.
He
said
politicians
who
“sow
division”
undermine
London’s
core
values,
adding
that
the
capital’s
strength
lies
in
its
diversity
and
freedom
of
religion.
Strong
backlash
from
Muslim
leaders
and
Labour
MPs
Shaista
Gohir,
chief
executive
of
the
Muslim
Women’s
Network
UK,
condemned
Cunningham’s
comments
as
“dangerous”
and
described
them
as
a
“dog
whistle”
to
racists.
The
Guardian
quoted
Gohir
saying
that
despite
Cunningham’s
background,
she
was
“sending
a
message
to
Muslims
that
they
do
not
belong”
and
“emboldening
people
who
already
abuse
Muslims
and
influencing
those
people
who
are
reading
this
misinformation.”
Labour
MP
Afzal
Khan,
who
represents
Manchester
Rusholme,
also
criticised
the
remarks.
He
was
quoted
by
The
Guardian
describing
them
as
a
“deliberate
and
cynical
ploy,”
adding,
“This
is
all
about
divisive
ideas
being
pumped
into
the
society
deliberately
for
electoral
benefits.”
