"We are acutely aware of the concerns that have been raised"
A week after being fired from The Apprentice, Dr Asif Munaf has now been suspended from the medical register pending a General Medical Council (GMC) investigation.
It also comes after the BBC edited him out of the spin-off show for making “anti-Semitic remarks”.
Since he was announced as a contestant on the business show, Asif has been embroiled in controversy.
The backlash began when his tweets came to light, which included calling Zionism a “satanic cult” and Zionists “odiously ogre-like.
Asif subsequently received diversity and inclusion training from the BBC.
However, he continued to share similar posts, prompting calls for him to be removed from the series.
Danny Cohen, the former director of BBC Television, had said:
“The BBC’s inaction sends a message.
“You can be racist towards Jews and there are no consequences.
“You can enjoy fame on the BBC even if you are the kind of person whose views painfully remind Jewish viewers of Nazi propaganda.
“Once again, the Jewish community has been failed by the BBC.”
The third episode showed Asif Munaf being fired and on the spin-off show You’re Fired, he was edited out.
Following further calls from outraged viewers, Asif Munaf has been suspended from the medical register and is under investigation.
A GMC spokesperson said: “Dr Mohammed Munaf has been interim suspended pending the conclusion of a full GMC investigation.
“An Interim Orders Tribunal of the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service imposed the interim suspension on his practice yesterday.
“We are acutely aware of the concerns that have been raised regarding Dr Munaf, and we will take action where concerns suggest patient safety or the public’s confidence in doctors may be at risk.”
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said:
“The remarks that Dr Asif Munaf allegedly made are vile and have no place in the medical profession.
“Given the gravity of these allegations, it is right that the GMC has suspended him pending an investigation, following our complaint.
“The GMC must send a message of zero tolerance of antisemitism. We will be monitoring this case closely.”
Asif Munaf previously addressed calls for him to be struck off the medical register, saying:
“They have tried to get me struck off by referring me to the General Medical Council.
“They think this will shake me. It only strengthens me.
“Don’t they know that the exact amount of money I will make before I die was written before I was even conceived?
“I have absolute conviction in my Lords Decree.”
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