Four councils back motion to classify ‘Asian grooming gangs’ as an Islamophobic term
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Four local councils have reportedly endorsed a national motion to classify the term “Asian grooming gangs” as Islamophobic. Oxford, Newcastle, Manchester, and Calderdale councils are expected to back a report claiming the phrase perpetuates harmful stereotypes about Islam.
The report, produced by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for British Muslims, states: “The term ‘Asian grooming gangs’ [promotes] age-old stereotypes and tropes about Islam [of] sexual profligacy and paedophilia, or Islam and violence… [they] heighten the vulnerability of Muslims to hate crimes.”.
According to The Times, the government has put the report forward for further discussion. Earlier this week, MPs rejected a Conservative bid to push for another national inquiry into grooming gangs. The controversy reignited after Elon Musk accused Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer of being "complicit in the crimes" of child sex offenders during his time as chief prosecutor. Musk also targeted Home Office Minister Jess Phillips, labelling her a "rape genocide apologist.".
Sir Keir shot back that the Twitter boss was “spreading lies and misinformation”and other European leaders criticised Mr Musk attempting to “intervene directly in elections”. Nevertheless, minister Alex Davies-Jones has called for “less talk and more action”on the issue. Professor Alexis Jay previously led a seven year inquiry into the issue, which found in 2014 that 1,400 children “at a conservative estimate” had been sexually exploited in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013.
