"her knee-jerk reaction is to smear others as Islamophobic"
A peer involved in a row over the Manchester Airport attack accused the wrong police force of Islamophobia, it has emerged.
Baroness Shaista Gohir, who is advising ministers on the definition of Islamophobia, shared a 2019 video she believed showed Humberside Police arresting a British Muslim man.
Six officers were shown restraining the man, with one appearing to repeatedly strike his head.
Baroness Gohir, chief executive of the Muslim Women’s Network UK, labelled the force’s actions “racism” and “Islamophobia”, calling the arrest “disgraceful” and “unnecessary use of excessive violence”.
It later emerged that the arrest involved West Midlands Police officers, who were cleared of wrongdoing. A referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct found the force used “necessary and proportionate” measures.
Baroness Gohir is one of five members of a Government working group advising on the definition of Islamophobia.
The group has faced criticism over concerns that the definition could have a “chilling effect” on free speech. Ministers insist it is independent and will give “evidence-based advice”.
The peer was criticised in July 2025 over comments on the 2024 Manchester Airport incident. Mohammed Fahir Amaaz was convicted of breaking PC Lydia Ward’s nose and assaulting PC Ellie Cook.
Two days after footage appeared online, Baroness Gohir compared the incident to George Floyd’s 2020 murder and condemned Greater Manchester Police’s conduct as “police brutality”.
But she said she welcomed Amaaz’s conviction and “never defended his actions”.
Robert Jenrick, Tory shadow justice secretary, called for her removal from the working group.
He said: “Baroness Gohir should be kicked off the working group immediately.
“Time and again, her knee-jerk reaction is to smear others as Islamophobic without knowing the full details.
“The fact that someone with her track record is working behind the scenes on this issue shows the whole process is a shambles.”
Baroness Gohir claimed her critics were carrying out “smear campaigns and misinformation to stop the vital task of the Working Group on a definition of anti-Muslim hatred/Islamophobia”.
She said in 2019 she reposted the video from an anti-Islamophobia activist, believing it showed Humberside Police officers who had been suspended.
Her accompanying post read: “Another day of #racism #islamophobia. This time at @Humberbeat [Humberside Police] – Disgraceful and unnecessary use of excessive violence.
“Why hit him on the head? He wasn’t resisting arrest! Why shut the door? Without footage police would have got away with it. No one would have believed [the] victim.”
Humberside Police confirmed the footage was not of its officers. West Midlands Police later said the clip was “not wholly representative” and found no evidence of racial discrimination.
In 2024, Baroness Gohir also accused Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice of “applauding” police brutality after the Manchester Airport attack. Tice had called the video “reassuring” on TalkTV.
The assault occurred on July 23, 2024, when Amaaz and his brother went to collect their mother from the airport. He allegedly headbutted a passenger in Starbucks before lashing out at officers. Video appeared to show PC Zachary Marsden kicking and stamping on him during the arrest.
Marsden and another officer face possible gross misconduct charges and could be dismissed if found guilty.
Baroness Gohir told The Telegraph: “I have never defended the criminal actions of Mohammed Fahir Amaaz and I welcome his conviction.
“My concern centred on the conduct of the police officer once the situation had already been brought under control.”
“The UK rightly prides itself on upholding the rule of law, and it is essential that this is applied fairly and consistently, without selective enforcement.
“Scrutiny of police actions, and of public commentary by figures such as Richard Tice, is therefore both appropriate and necessary in any democratic society.
“The resurfacing of old and disingenuously framed social media posts is clearly part of a wider, coordinated strategy by bad actors who are intent on derailing the definition process and preventing Muslims in Britain from receiving full protection against rising anti-Muslim hatred.
“The sustained wave of hostile media coverage gives the strong impression that some believe they can intimidate both the working group and the Government into abandoning this work.
“This campaign reveals far more about their attitude towards Muslims than it does about me and that should alarm anyone who believes in fairness, equality, and justice.”
Addressing remarks by Mr Jenrick, she said: “It is ironic that Mr Jenrick accuses me of knee-jerk reactions and smearing others, when he and his political allies repeatedly seize on, or even seek out, stories involving Muslims, turning them into controversies without bothering to grasp the full context or facts.
“This pattern suggests a cynical willingness to inflame tensions for political gain, rather than fostering informed and constructive debate.
“It is deeply disappointing, though not surprising, that certain individuals continue to resort to smear campaigns and misinformation in an attempt to stop the vital task of the Working Group on a definition of anti-Muslim hatred/Islamophobia.
“Despite the noise and deliberate distractions, I remain committed to developing a definition that upholds free speech while protecting individuals from hatred.”
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