Frontrunner to be Rishi Sunak’s new Islamophobia advisor drops out of running because of threats from extremists

THE frontrunner to be Rishi Sunak’s Islamophobia advisor yesterday dropped out of the race over threats from extremists.

Fiyaz Mughal had been expected to be named as the Government’s first anti-Muslim hatred tsar.

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But the moderate founder of an inter-faith charity pulled out after attacks from the far-right and Islamists, who called him “a sell out”.

He said: “I have suffered for more than a decade with abuse from extremist groups.

“I couldn’t take it anymore.”

Sources close to Mr Mughal say he has been left “drained” by the level of attacks

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It comes as Health Secretary Victoria Atkins yesterday warned that extremist views must not be allowed to “percolate through society”.

Levelling Up and Communities Secretary Michael Gove is currently hardening up the Government’s definition of extremism.

It means groups caught under the new terminology could be blacklisted by ministers and public bodies — and cut off from public funding and engagement.

Mr Gove is expected to set out the new definition in the coming week amid a rise in extremist threats triggered by the war in Gaza.

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He said the action will help “good-hearted protesters decide whether to join pro-Palestine marches”.

He added in the Sunday Telegraph: “If we’re clear about the nature of extremist organisations, then I think some of the people — and there are good-hearted people who go on these marches, I don’t agree with them, but they’re moved by suffering and they want peace — but it may help them question who are organising some of these events.”

Ms Atkins said the new approach would be a “balancing act” between “freedom of speech, but also the right of citizens to go about their daily lives”.

She told Sky News: “There are some people, sadly, who hold views that are contrary to the values that we hold as a country.

“We should not allow those views to percolate through our society”.