Connect with us

Published

on

An MP was prevented from boarding a flight to Canada “because his name was Mohammad”, the Commons has been told.

Mohammad Yasin, the Labour MP for Bedford, was due to fly to Canada last week with a group of other MPs from the Commons Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee when he was held back for extra questioning.

Officials from Air Canada asked the MP if he was carrying a knife or any other weapon as well as his place of birth.

The incident was raised by the Labour chair of the committee, Clive Betts, who said he would write to the Canadian high commissioner in the UK about the “racist and Islamophobic nature” of what happened.

Mr Betts told the Commons: “When the committee checked in for their flights at Heathrow, all members got through with the exception of the member for Bedford, who was delayed for questioning for a considerable period.

“He was told it was because his name was Mohammad.”

Politics latest: Sunak announces £20m aid for Gaza and says Palestinians ‘suffering terribly’

More from Politics

Mr Betts added: “He was also asked whether he was carrying a knife, or other offensive weapons, he was also asked where he was born.

“The questioning was undertaken by officials from Air Canada and we believe the Canadian government, and despite him already having been given a visa to enter Canada.

“After proving he was an MP with the help of my committee clerk, he was eventually allowed through.”

Mr Betts said “the same issues” were raised by Canadian immigration at Montreal airport.

“On return at Toronto airport on the way back, he was again challenged and got on his flight with the assistance of my consul general, who was very helpful,” he said.

Mr Betts went on: “He has received apologies from the parliamentary secretary to the Canadian minister for immigration and Air Canada, however, given the racist and Islamophobic nature of these challenges, I believe that it is worth writing to the Canadian high commissioner, which I will do.

“I believe it is important to put these concerns on the parliamentary record. It was completely unacceptable for a member of this house to be treated in this way.

Read more:
Met Police chief appears at odds with No 10 after ‘jihad’ protest chants
Rishi Sunak says al Ahli hospital blast ‘likely caused’ by missile from within Gaza

“But because he was an MP he was allowed on his flight. If, however, he had been one of our constituents who had been so challenged, he might have been refused.

Sir Roger Gale, the deputy speaker replied: “I am sure that the whole House will share the dismay at the treatment of the Member for Bedford.

“It is wholly unacceptable under any circumstances.

“But it is particularly concerning, occurring as it did, in the course of official travel on parliamentary business.”

Sir Roger said he was sure ministers “will also have noticed his comments”.

Continue Reading

Politics

Demographics will ‘leapfrog’ Bitcoin adoption in Pakistan — Bilal Bin Saqib

Published

on

By

<div>Demographics will 'leapfrog' Bitcoin adoption in Pakistan — Bilal Bin Saqib</div>

<div>Demographics will 'leapfrog' Bitcoin adoption in Pakistan — Bilal Bin Saqib</div>

A young and tech-savvy population, combating inflationary pressures, is driving Bitcoin adoption and a new financial system in Pakistan.

Continue Reading

Politics

Tyler Winklevoss claims JPMorgan blocked Gemini over public criticism

Published

on

By

Tyler Winklevoss claims JPMorgan blocked Gemini over public criticism

Tyler Winklevoss claims JPMorgan blocked Gemini over public criticism

Tyler Winklevoss claims JPMorgan paused Gemini’s onboarding after he criticized the bank’s data access fees, calling the move anti-competitive.

Continue Reading

Politics

25% of young children and pregnant women malnourished in Gaza, charity says, as PM vows to fly critical medical cases to UK

Published

on

By

25% of young children and pregnant women malnourished in Gaza, charity says, as PM vows to fly critical medical cases to UK

A charity has warned 25% of young children and pregnant women in Gaza are now malnourished, with Sir Keir Starmer vowing to evacuate children who need “critical medical assistance” to the UK.

MSF, also known as Doctors Without Borders, said Israel’s “deliberate use of starvation as a weapon” has reached unprecedented levels – with patients and healthcare workers both fighting to survive.

It claimed that, at one of its clinics in Gaza City, rates of severe malnutrition in children under five have trebled over the past two weeks – and described the lack of food and water on the ground as “unconscionable”.

Pic: Reuters
Image:
Pic: Reuters

The charity also criticised the high number of fatalities seen at aid distribution sites, with one British surgeon accusing IDF soldiers of shooting civilians “almost like a game of target practice”.

MSF’s deputy medical coordinator in Gaza, Dr Mohammed Abu Mughaisib, said: “Those who go to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s food distributions know that they have the same chance of receiving a sack of flour as they do of leaving with a bullet in their head.”

The UN also estimates that Israeli forces have killed more than 1,000 people seeking food – the majority near the militarised distribution sites of the US-backed aid distribution scheme run by the GHF.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

‘Many more deaths unless Israelis allow food in’

In a statement on Friday, the IDF had said it “categorically rejects the claims of intentional harm to civilians”, and reports of incidents at aid distribution sites were “under examination”.

The GHF has also previously disputed that these deaths were connected with its organisation’s operations, with director Johnnie Moore telling Sky News: “We just want to feed Gazans. That’s the only thing that we want to do.”

Israel says it has let enough food into Gaza and has accused the UN of failing to distribute it, in what the foreign ministry has labelled as “a deliberate ploy” to defame the country.

‘Humanitarian catastrophe must end’

In a video message posted on X late last night, Sir Keir Starmer condemned the scenes in Gaza as “appalling” and “unrelenting” – and said “the images of starvation and desperation are utterly horrifying”.

The prime minister added: “The denial of aid to children and babies is completely unjustifiable, just as the continued captivity of hostages is completely unjustifiable.

“Hundreds of civilians have been killed while seeking aid – children, killed, whilst collecting water. It is a humanitarian catastrophe, and it must end.”

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Israeli military show aid waiting inside Gaza

Sir Keir confirmed that the British government is now “accelerating efforts” to evacuate children from Gaza who need critical medical assistance, so they can be brought to the UK for specialist treatment.

Israel has now said that foreign countries will be able to airdrop aid into Gaza. While the PM says the UK will now “do everything we can” to get supplies in via this route, he said this decision has come “far too late”.

Read more:
WHO: Gaza faces ‘manmade’ starvation
UN: People in Gaza ‘walking corpses’

Follow The World
Follow The World

Listen to The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim every Wednesday

Tap to follow

Last year, the RAF dropped aid into Gaza, but humanitarian organisations warned it wasn’t enough and was potentially dangerous. In March 2024, five people were killed when an aid parachute failed and supplies fell on them.

For now, Sir Keir has rejected calls to follow French President Emmanuel Macron and recognise a Palestinian state despite more than 220 MPs signing a cross-party letter to demand he takes this step.

The prime minister is instead demanding a ceasefire and “lasting peace” – and says he will only consider an independent state as part of a negotiated peace deal.

Continue Reading

Trending