Comments by ‘Britain’s liberal imam’ Dr Taj Hargey about Sir Keir Starmer are incendiary and racist

But very few would have expected such views to be held by Dr Taj Hargey, the founder of the Oxford Institute for British Islam (OIBI) think tank.

Hargey’s comments about Sir Keir Starmer’s stance on the current conflict in the Middle East being down to the fact that the Labour leader has Jewish family members are incendiary and racist. Not only that but he then goes on to draw comparisons between Jews and Nazis. Hargey is someone who has been described as “Britain’s liberal imam”. He has supposedly been trying to create a space where women can pray alongside men, homosexuals are not excluded. Hargey positioned himself as the poster boy for modern faith in modern Britain.

But repeatedly in his interview with The Yorkshire Post his comments belie all the values that he has espoused in the past.

This was not an accidental slip of the tongue. Nor did Hargey tie himself up in knots through a clumsy choice of words. And it certainly was not a gotcha question presented to him by The Yorkshire Post.

Hargey’s comments are dangerous and reckless, at a time when voices like his are needed to bring together communities.

It is now incumbent on the Charity Commission to clarify whether Hargey remains a fit and proper person to head up the OIBI.

His views certainly should not be used to tarnish Muslim communities across regions like ours.

As Jahangir Mohammed, the founder and director of the Ayaan Institute think tank, says many Muslim communities are “reaching out to the wider community” to foster better relationships with all members of society.