50 peers accuse the IHRC charity of ‘primitive and dangerous antisemitism’
Top peers from across all parties have responded to claims made by the pro-Iran IHRC that 'Zionist financiers abroad' fuelled UK far-right riots
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
A letter signed by 50 senior peers has accused the Islamic Human Rights Commission of “primitive, dangerous and disgraceful antisemitism” after the charity’s chair blamed “Zionist financiers abroad” for the far-right riots in the UK.
The peers – who included Lord Finkelstein, Lord Watson, Lord Mendelsohn, Lord Wolfson of Tredegar KC, Lord Palmer of Childs Hill, Lord Polak, Lord Pannick KC, Baroness Altmann and Lord Pickles – wrote to the Times in response to claims made by the IHRC”s Massoud Shadjareh.
In an open letter to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper published on Tuesday, Shadjareh said: “Enabled by their Zionist financiers abroad, far-right elements have weaponised the tragic murder of three young girls in Southport to incite the country into pogroms against Muslims and people of colour.”
Shadjareh’s letter added: “It is now more critical than ever to tackle the racism that drenches our media, social and political discourse. This is the mood music that has emboldened the racists and brought us to the brink of national race wars.”
Responding, the peers letter, also published by The Times, noted the IHRC letter “dated August 6 to the home secretary and police chiefs asserts (with, of course, no factual foundation) that ‘far-right elements’ have been ‘enabled by their Zionist financiers abroad.
“Such primitive, dangerous and disgraceful antisemitism needs to be called out and condemned.”
The peers, who represented all mainstream parties and crossbenchers, also contrasted the IHRC’s claims with a letter also written this week by Sir Ephraim Mirvis, the Chief Rabbi, Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Sayed Razawi, Chief Imam of the Scottish Ahlul Bayt Society, and other faith leaders pointing out that an appropriate response to the outbreak of hatred, violence and vandalism is to work on building “a cohesive and harmonious society for all”.
The IHRC chair has responded with another letter, published on their website, which sites an article published in Israel looking at the funding of far-right groups by “US pro-Israel lobby groups.”
The IHRC have repeatedly aligned themselves with Iran’s hardline regime, and in 2020 claimed: “Zionists have started to implement an insidious strategy to build ties with the Muslim community in Britain in order to normalise Zionism and the brutal illegal occupation of Palestine.”
They are also behind the notorious Al Quds Days march, at which one of the charity’s leading figures was exposed for attempting to blame the Grenfell fire tragedy on “Zionists.”
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