Tory leadership hopeful Robert Jenrick branded a ‘tool’ and accused of ‘textbook Islamophobia’ after he says people shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’ on the streets should be ‘immediately arrested’

Conservative leadership hopeful Robert Jenrick was today accused of ‘textbook Islamophobia’ after he claimed people shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’ should be arrested.

The former immigration minister sparked a fierce row after he criticised the policing of pro-Palestinian protests since the terror attacks on Israel on 7 October.

Mr Jenrick, who is bidding to replace Rishi Sunak as Tory leader, said it was ‘quite wrong’ that somebody could shout ‘Allahu Akbar’ and not be ‘immediately arrested’.

His comments prompted outrage as critics pointed out that ‘Allahu Akbar’ translates as ‘God is Great’.

Mr Jenrick later attempted to clarify that he was referring to ‘aggressive chanting’ that was ‘intimidatory and threatening’ but refused calls for him to apologise.

Labour MP Naz Shah who is vice-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for British Muslims, slammed Mr Jenrick for ‘complete ignorance’ and ‘textbook Islamophobia’.

‘Imagine in this climate, either being that ignorant or deliberately trying to stigmatise all Muslims,’ she posted on social media.

‘He should apologise and speak to Muslim communities and learn more about our faith.’

Tory peer Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, a former Conservative Party chair and the first female Muslim Cabinet minister, branded Mr Jenrick ‘a tool’.

She said: ‘Every day before we start parliamentary business in the Commons and Lords we say a prayer and praise God – we say our parliamentary version of Allah hu Akbars at the heart of democracy – a process Robert Jenrick is a part of.

‘This language from Jenrick is more of his usual nasty divisive rhetoric – he is such a tool.’

Fellow Tory peer Lord Tariq Ahmad, a former Foreign Office minister, warned that Mr Jenrick’s comments would ‘fuel Islamophobia’ at a time when ‘communal tensions are high’.

He told the Conservative leadership contender: ‘Don’t try and ‘qualify’ your comments – just apologise!’

Mr Jenrick stirred up the row during an interview with Sky News this morning as he addressed Britain’s ongoing riots.

Challenged about his past claims of ‘two-tier policing’, he said: ‘I have been very critical of the police in the past, particularly around the attitude of some police forces to the protests we saw since October 7.

‘I thought it was quite wrong that somebody could shout Allahu Akbar on the streets of London and not be immediately arrested, or project genocidal chants onto Big Ben and that person not be immediately arrested.

‘That attitude is wrong and I will always call out the police for it.’

Following the backlash at his comments, Mr Jenrick attempted to clarify his comments in a social media post.

He wrote: ”Allahu Akbar’ is spoken peacefully and spiritually by millions of British Muslims in their daily lives.

‘But the aggressive chanting… is intimidatory and threatening. And it’s an offence under Section 4 and 5 of the Public Order Act.

‘Extremists routinely abuse common expressions for their own shameful ends. All violence must end. All violence must be called out.’

Baroness Warsi replied: ‘No Robert you do not get to go on national broadcasters and say one thing and try and pretend you said something else after!

‘If you genuinely feel your comments on were inappropriate, offensive, incendiary and anti Muslim (which they were) then start by apologising.

‘Then you can go back to pretending you are a responsible candidate for the leadership of our party.

‘Not prepared to let you and other colleagues get away with this gaslighting and playing these games any more – too much damage has already been done to our country and it deserves better than this populist nonsense.’