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| Labour suspends Muslim peer after reports of antisemitic comments | Labour suspends Muslim peer after reports of antisemitic comments |
| (7 months later) | |
| Britain's first male Muslim peer has been suspended by the Labour party and faces losing other positions in public life after allegedly blaming a Jewish conspiracy for his imprisonment for dangerous driving. | Britain's first male Muslim peer has been suspended by the Labour party and faces losing other positions in public life after allegedly blaming a Jewish conspiracy for his imprisonment for dangerous driving. |
| The Labour leader, Ed Miliband, reacted on Thursday after the Times published quotes from Lord Ahmed from what it claimed was an interview with an Urdu language TV channel in Pakistan. | The Labour leader, Ed Miliband, reacted on Thursday after the Times published quotes from Lord Ahmed from what it claimed was an interview with an Urdu language TV channel in Pakistan. |
| The peer allegedly said he was given his 12-week sentence, for sending text messages minutes before he was involved in a fatal car crash, following pressure on the courts by "Jewish friends who own newspapers and TV channels", because of his support for Palestinians in Gaza. | The peer allegedly said he was given his 12-week sentence, for sending text messages minutes before he was involved in a fatal car crash, following pressure on the courts by "Jewish friends who own newspapers and TV channels", because of his support for Palestinians in Gaza. |
| Later the appeal court refused to quash the conviction but agreed to suspend the sentence for 12 months so the property developer could continue his work building bridges between Muslims and other faiths. Among the Pakistan-born peer's interests are the Joseph Interfaith Foundation which is dedicated to building better relationships between Jewish and Muslim communities. He is a trustee alongside the Jewish peer Lady Neuberger. | Later the appeal court refused to quash the conviction but agreed to suspend the sentence for 12 months so the property developer could continue his work building bridges between Muslims and other faiths. Among the Pakistan-born peer's interests are the Joseph Interfaith Foundation which is dedicated to building better relationships between Jewish and Muslim communities. He is a trustee alongside the Jewish peer Lady Neuberger. |
| Labour said Ahmed was suspended while it investigated the allegations. In a signal the party will take a hard line if the Times' allegations are proved, Miliband said: "There is no place for antisemitism in the Labour party, and frankly anybody who makes those kinds of comments cannot be either a Labour lord or a Labour member of parliament." | Labour said Ahmed was suspended while it investigated the allegations. In a signal the party will take a hard line if the Times' allegations are proved, Miliband said: "There is no place for antisemitism in the Labour party, and frankly anybody who makes those kinds of comments cannot be either a Labour lord or a Labour member of parliament." |
| On Thursday, Ahmed also faced losing his position at the Joseph Interfaith Foundation. Executive director, Mehri Niknam said: "Serious allegations have been made against Lord Ahmed. The Labour party is investigating. If the allegations are proven to be true Lord Ahmed will resign." | On Thursday, Ahmed also faced losing his position at the Joseph Interfaith Foundation. Executive director, Mehri Niknam said: "Serious allegations have been made against Lord Ahmed. The Labour party is investigating. If the allegations are proven to be true Lord Ahmed will resign." |
| In a statement, Ahmed's solicitors, Wilford Smith, said that there would be no comment issued until they have received a full unedited transcript of the comments the peer is alleged to have made. | In a statement, Ahmed's solicitors, Wilford Smith, said that there would be no comment issued until they have received a full unedited transcript of the comments the peer is alleged to have made. |
| Ahmed was suspended from the Labour party for three months last year over reports that he offered a $10bn "bounty" for the capture of US President Barack Obama and his White House predecessor, George Bush. | Ahmed was suspended from the Labour party for three months last year over reports that he offered a $10bn "bounty" for the capture of US President Barack Obama and his White House predecessor, George Bush. |
| The peer denied making the comments, published in a Pakistani newspaper, and was reinstated after an investigation by Labour Lords chief whip, Lord Bassam. | The peer denied making the comments, published in a Pakistani newspaper, and was reinstated after an investigation by Labour Lords chief whip, Lord Bassam. |
| Ahmed, 55, joined Labour in his teens and was made a life peer in 1998. | Ahmed, 55, joined Labour in his teens and was made a life peer in 1998. |
| In 2009 he was jailed for 12 weeks for dangerous driving after sending and receiving text messages minutes before his car crashed into a stationary vehicle on the M1 near Sheffield on Christmas Day 2007. He was freed by the appeal court after serving only 16 days of his sentence and later supported an AA/Populus poll into mobile phone use among motorists, saying he had "learnt the hard way" about the problem. | In 2009 he was jailed for 12 weeks for dangerous driving after sending and receiving text messages minutes before his car crashed into a stationary vehicle on the M1 near Sheffield on Christmas Day 2007. He was freed by the appeal court after serving only 16 days of his sentence and later supported an AA/Populus poll into mobile phone use among motorists, saying he had "learnt the hard way" about the problem. |
| The Times said it had obtained video and audio recordings of the TV interview, believed to have been broadcast in April last year, in which Ahmed discussed the decision to sentence him at Sheffield crown court, rather than a magistrates' court with lesser sentencing powers. | The Times said it had obtained video and audio recordings of the TV interview, believed to have been broadcast in April last year, in which Ahmed discussed the decision to sentence him at Sheffield crown court, rather than a magistrates' court with lesser sentencing powers. |
| He allegedly said: "My case became more critical because I went to Gaza to support Palestinians. My Jewish friends who own newspapers and TV channels opposed this." Ahmed also allegedly said the judge who jailed him for dangerous driving was appointed to the high court after helping a "Jewish colleague" of former Labour prime minister Tony Blair during an important case. | He allegedly said: "My case became more critical because I went to Gaza to support Palestinians. My Jewish friends who own newspapers and TV channels opposed this." Ahmed also allegedly said the judge who jailed him for dangerous driving was appointed to the high court after helping a "Jewish colleague" of former Labour prime minister Tony Blair during an important case. |
| • This article was amended on Friday 15 March 2013. In the original we wrote Joseph Interface Foundation. It should of course be the Joseph Interfaith Foundation. | • This article was amended on Friday 15 March 2013. In the original we wrote Joseph Interface Foundation. It should of course be the Joseph Interfaith Foundation. |
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