Conservative council candidate kicked out over anti-Semitic tweets
Obaid Khan published a number of social media posts in which he used the word “Jew” as an insult.
A candidate at the upcoming local elections has been kicked out of the Conservative Party for writing a series of anti-Semitic tweets.
Obaid Khan was due to stand as a councillor in the Hall Green by-election in Birmingham on 4 May.
However, it has now emerged he published a number of social media posts, in which he used the word “Jew” as an insult, in a Twitter exchange about Pakistani politics. In the debate he claimed some of the country’s politicians had been backed by ‘foreign Jew agents’.
The Birmingham Mail was made aware of the 2014 posts and sent them on to the Conservative Party.
Within hours, his Twitter profile had been locked and his campaign material removed from websites and social media accounts of Birmingham Conservatives.
A Conservative spokesman told Jewish News: “He is no longer a member of the party. Views like that have no place in the party or our society.”
Conservative Friends of Israel Parliamentary Chairman, Sir Eric Pickles MP said: “His reported views are incompatible with membership of the Conservative Party. Pleased that he is no longer a member, and that the Party moved quickly to exclude him. There are clear lessons to other political parties that a zero tolerance to Antisemitism coupled with prompt action is the most effective way of dealing with this issue”.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
