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British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak: “Words matter”

Photo: Paul Ellis / REUTERS

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has rejected allegations that his Conservative Party is Islamophobic.

MP Lee Anderson had previously been expelled from the government group because he said about the Muslim London mayor Sadiq Khan that the social democratic politician had handed over control to Islamists.

Until recently, Anderson was also deputy general secretary of his party.

Sunak called the statements unacceptable in a BBC interview on Monday.

Asked whether his party had Islamophobic tendencies, Sunak replied: "No, of course it doesn't.

And I think it is the duty of all of us, especially those who have been elected to Parliament, not to inflame our debates in a way that is harmful to others." Anderson's statements were false and that is why he is out of the group been excluded.

"Words are important, especially in the current situation where tensions are high, and I think it is incumbent on all of us to choose them carefully," Sunak told the BBC.

Khan, who is particularly committed to fighting anti-Semitism, misogyny and homophobia, said he viewed Anderson's comments as racist and Islamophobic.

They would “add fuel to the fire of anti-Muslim hatred.”

29 percent of Brits see Islamophobia as a problem with the Tories

Anderson made contemptuous comments about Mayor Khan on the right-wing conservative broadcaster GB News on Friday.

He also warned that if Labor won the next general election, more cities would come under Islamist control.

The background was allegations that the London police were not taking decisive action against extremists at pro-Palestinian demonstrations.

The statements sparked outrage across political camps.

Anderson resigned from his post as deputy general secretary a few weeks ago in protest because Sunak's course on asylum policy was not sharp enough for him.

It is not the first time that he has made headlines with controversial statements.

A recent poll by British market research firm Savanta found that 29 percent of Brits believe the Conservatives have a problem with Islamophobia - more than any other major British party.

czl/dpa/Reuters