Action Alert: Submit a complaint against Lord Ian Austin to the House of Lords for his Islamophobic tweet
Monday February 12 2024
On 10 February 2024, Lord Ian Austin posted a highly offensive and Islamophobic tweet on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter which read: “before you go to bed, nip down and check you haven’t inadvertently got a death cult of Islamist murderers and rapists running their operations downstairs”.
This is a breach of the House of Lord’s Code of Conduct under which the use of inappropriate language or stereotypes constitutes harassment, reflecting the definition set out in Section 26 of the Equality Act 2010.
The tweet not only causes division amongst communities, but is distressing and highly upsetting to Muslims, the vast majority of whom live in peaceful coexistence in British society. While some users condemned Lord Austin’s tweet as Islamophobic, a number of individuals lauded and approved his statement. This is very concerning and needs to be addressed, as hate against Muslims cannot be allowed to be normalised.
We call on you to make a complaint against Lord Austin under the House of Lords Code of Conduct for harassment towards Muslims and his use of humiliating stereotypes.
ACT NOW by following this step-by-step guide:
Step 1: Download the House of Lords Code of Conduct complaint form
https://www.parliament.uk/globalassets/documents/lords-commissioner-for-standards/complaint-to-commissioner-form.pdf
Step 2: Under the section ‘Your details’ – enter your personal details.
Step 3: In the section ‘Member or member’s staff concerned’ – enter ‘Lord Ian Austin of Dudley’.
Step 4: ‘Substance of complaint’ – enter the following:
‘On 10 February, Lord Ian Austin posted an Islamophobic tweet on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter. His tweet read: “Everyone, better safe than sorry: before you go to bed, nip down and check you haven’t inadvertently got a death cult of Islamist murderers and rapists running their operations downstairs. It’s easily done”. This tweet is highly offensive and distressing to Muslims as it promotes negative stereotypes and causes divisions within British society. While many condemned Lord Austin’s tweet as Islamophobic, a number of individuals lauded his statement and expressed agreement. Not only is Lord Austin’s tweet a form of harassment but has encouraged others to engage in hate speech. This is very concerning and needs to be addressed, as hate against Muslims cannot be allowed to be normalised.’
Step 5: ‘Aspects of the Code engaged’ – enter the following:
‘Lord Austin’s tweet is in breach of the Behaviour Code of the House of Lords Code of Conduct. Paragraph 19 of the Code states that behaviour that amounts to bullying, harassment or sexual misconduct constitutes a breach of the Code. This includes online communication such as social media, and unacceptable or inappropriate language or stereotypes. Lord Austin’s conduct on the social media platform X creates a humiliating, hostile and offensive environment for Muslims, which constitutes harassment both under the House of Lords Code of Conduct and Section 26 of the Equality Act 2010.’
Step 6: ‘Any other supporting details or evidence’ – enter the following:
https://twitter.com/lordianaustin/status/1756443194978340976?s=46&t=xhs8jCOgbM1lVBaPEJaDIQ
Step 7: Save the document to your device. Click ‘Click here to email your completed form’ at the bottom of the form. Attach the document to your email and click send.
“On 10 February, Lord Ian Austin posted an Islamophobic tweet on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter. His tweet read: “Everyone, better safe than sorry: before you go to bed, nip down and check you haven’t inadvertently got a death cult of Islamist murderers and rapists running their operations downstairs. It’s easily done”. This tweet is highly offensive and distressing to Muslims as it promotes negative stereotypes and causes divisions within British society. While many condemned Lord Austin's tweet as Islamophobic, a number of individuals lauded his statement and expressed agreement. Not only is Lord Austin’s tweet a form of harassment but has encouraged others to engage in hate speech. This is very concerning and needs to be addressed, as hate against Muslims cannot be allowed to be normalised.”