New member of Government’s Working Group on Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Definition has history of inflammatory online activity
Shaista Gohir, Baroness Gohir has been appointed as a member of the Government’s new Working Group on Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Definition.
Lady Gohir is a crossbench peer in the House of Lords and the Chief Executive Officer of Muslim Women’s Network UK.
In 2022, Campaign Against Antisemitism wrote to the Honours Forfeiture Committee regarding several posts published on Lady Gohir’s social media. We have not yet received a decision from the Committee on the status of her OBE.
In 2013, a post on Lady Gohir’s X profile read: “Who controls America’s foreign policy? ISRAEL – they would be the ONLY beneficiaries of a US attack on Syria.”
According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Making stereotypical allegations about the power of Jews as collective, such as the myth of Jews controlling the government,” is an example of antisemitism.
We can underscore “stereotypical”: the idea that the Jews – or, now, the Jewish state – have excessive and secret political power is about as old a trope as they come.
Another post read: “Will Israel influence the US vote on whether to invade Syria? Are the AMericans [sic] really on [sic] control of their own decisions? #JustAsking.”
In 2014, a post on her profile read: “US warns Israel over Palestine talks failure. I bet Israel are quaking in their boots – NOT! Don’t they control US? http://bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-26416958”
Another post the same year read: “The hold Israel has over world leaders including Muslim ones is extraordinary that they continue to murder Palestinians and get away with it.”
According to the Definition, “Using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism, e.g. blood libel, to characterise Israel” is an example of antisemitism.
Another post read: “It’s a shame that media does not highlight all those Jews who are against the Israeli aggression against Palestinians even in Israel.”
According to the Definition, “Holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the State of Israel” is an example of antisemitism.
In 2016, another post on X read: “Very worrying that increasingly anyone criticising Israeli govt is deliberately being accused of antisemitism to prevent debate.”
This is an example of the antisemitic ‘Livingstone Formulation’, which holds that Jews level baseless allegations of antisemitism in order to silence criticism of Israel.
The EHRC, in its investigation of the Labour Party, found that this formula was part of the unlawful harassment of Jewish people by the Party.
We will be writing to Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Angela Rayner.
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Baroness Gohir’s social media is riddled with antisemitic tropes. Lady Gohir has no place on a Government committee that is supposed to tackle hatred. You can’t fight bigotry with bigotry. There is an irony that someone who has breached one Government definition is chosen to work on another: is the Government even serious about these definitions? Clearly this appointment must be rescinded.”
