Reform UK MS fails to respond to questions about whether there is a link between his attacks on Islam and hate crimes

Martin Shipton

A Reform UK MS who has been criticised for making Islamophobic comments has failed to respond to concerns that his rhetoric has increased the likelihood of hate crimes against Muslims.

Joe Martin represents Caerdydd Penarth, which includes the Grangetown district of Cardiff, where last week one of his constituents was the victim of an unprovoked assault in which she was punched and had her hijab ripped off. A man and a woman have since been arrested.

Ibby Abdi, the husband of the woman who was assaulted and a member of Cardiff’s Somali community, posted a passionate video to Instagram in which he expressed his shock and upset at what had happened.

Mr Abdi said on the video: “My wife is a revert [someone who converted to Islam]. She chose Islam. She chose to wear the hijab. And now she’s questioning whether the hijab puts a target on her back. That hurts me, because anyone who knows me knows how much I promote my own city. I carry the city everywhere I go. I talk about our culture. I talk about our communities, I talk about our diversity. I’m very proud to be Welsh. I’m very proud to be from Cardiff. But how am I supposed to feel now? I’m promoting my city to the world, but my own wife doesn’t feel safe to walk in these streets.”

Since being elected to the Senedd in May, Mr Martin has made a series of “culture war” statements focussed on Reform’s favourite topics of migration and Islam.

In June some MSs walked out of a Senedd plenary session during a speech he made about international spending.

During the session, the Reform MS cracked jokes about illiterate students and claimed Welsh nurses were signing up for universal credit because their jobs were being given to Indian workers.

Several Labour and Plaid Cymru Senedd Members, along with Welsh Green Party leader Anthony Slaughter, walked out during proceedings in protest at Mr Martin’s speech.

‘Disturbing’

It came the day after he was accused of making “vile” and “disturbing” comments about asylum seekers during questions to the First Minister.

The Reform MS claimed that supporters of the Welsh Government’s Nation of Sanctuary scheme oppose its abolition because no Ukrainian refugees had “beheaded people in the streets” yet.

“The same cannot be said for Sudanese asylum seekers,” he added.

Welsh ministers alleged that Mr Martin had breached the Senedd’s conduct rules.

Trefnydd Heledd Fychan branded his remarks “outright racism”, adding that the Reform MS had brought the Senedd into disrepute.

The Llywydd issued a warning to all Senedd Members to “avoid using language that has the potential to inflame debate”.

Huw Irranca-Davies repeated his warning following Mr Martin’s comments during the international spending debate.

Islamophobia

Earlier this month Mr Martin called on Cardiff council to abandon its adopted definition of “Islamophobia”, arguing that some aspects of Islam are “psychopathic” and “deserved hate”.

In a letter to Cardiff councillors, he warned that the city authority was playing a “dangerous game” that seeks to “undo centuries of western enlightenment”.

He argued that the term Islamophobia should not be used to describe criticism of Islam, saying religions are systems of belief rather than races.

The Equality, Human Rights and Social Justice Committee member claimed the meaning of Islamophobia has shifted from describing hostility towards Muslims to discouraging criticism of Islam.

Mr Martin lambasted Cardiff council’s adoption of the definition proposed by the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on British Muslims in November 2022.

It describes Islamophobia as “rooted in racism” and a “type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.”

Mr Martin argued that Muslims come from a wide range of ethnic and national backgrounds and therefore said the definition was “baseless”.

Mr Martin concluded by urging the city authority to abandon its adopted definition of “Islamophobia”, warning that retaining it risked restricting free speech and returning Wales to what he described as “medieval blasphemy laws”.

‘Hate’

In a later video posted on Facebook, the Reform MS said that some aspects of the religion of Islam “deserve hate” as he urged residents in council areas that have adopted the APPG definition of Islamophobia to write to their councillors calling for it to be scrapped.

Mr Martin concluded by urging the council to abandon its adopted definition of “Islamophobia”, warning that retaining it risked restricting free speech and returning Wales to what he described as “medieval blasphemy laws”.

Dr Abdul-Azim Ahmed, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Wales, told Nation.Cymru: “We’ve seen a number of troubling Islamophobic attacks in Wales in recent months. This includes the targeting of mosques and Muslim individuals in Cardiff, Swansea and Neath. The responsibility to challenge this lies with all of us, but particularly our elected leaders in the Senedd.

“Our community has been distressed by the statements made in debates, as well as active attempts to undermine work challenging Islamophobia and hatred. We must all be committed to building a fair and cohesive Wales, and we will work with any partners and parties willing to do so.”

Welsh Labour MS Huw Thomas, who also represents Caerdydd Penarth, said: “I stand in solidarity with Cardiff’s Muslim communities, who are right to be worried. Just days after a local Reform MS took issue with a definition of Islamophobia, we’ve seen a horrifying incident in Cardiff where a woman’s hijab was violently ripped off. Politicians must understand that words have consequences. Discrimination based on religion, race or any other protected characteristic has no place in Cardiff, and I’d expect every political party to be making that crystal clear.”

‘Responsibility’

Nation.Cymru wrote to Mr Martin stating: “You may be aware of the story that we ran over the weekend about an appalling incident in which one of your constituents was assaulted and had her hijab ripped off.

“Leaders of the Cardiff Somali community, quoted in the story, believe that the Islamophobic rhetoric of Reform UK politicians has encouraged and empowered the perpetrators to engage in such behaviour.

“You yourself have made public statements that it is accurate to characterise as Islamophobic.

“Do you take any responsibility for what happened? Do you unequivocally condemn the attack on your constituent? What would you say to those who may be tempted to undertake similar attacks? Will you desist from making inflammatory comments about Islam in the future?”

Mr Martin did not respond.

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