Walney must apologise and refer himself to Standards Committee for Islamophobic attack on Begg

London - CAGE International demands an apology from John Woodcock, known as Lord Walney, for his discriminatory attack on its Senior Director, Moazzam Begg and calls on him to refer himself to The Committee on Standards in Public Life for abusing his position in the House of Lords. 

Lord Walney had last month singled out Begg from some 700 others arrested since July for defying the proscription of Palestine Action. He publicly called for Begg’s passport to be revoked. 

Begg was amongst 532 arrested at a Defend our Juries’ demonstration at Parliament Square on 9 August, where protesters carried placards reading: "I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action". 
Given Begg’s race and religion, the attack - levelled against him alone - can only be underpinned by racism and Islamophobia.

A House of Lords peer, Lord Walney is mired in scandal. He is a former chair of Labour Friends of Israel and a lobbyist for the oil and arms industry, with well known right-wing and authoritarian views. 

CAGE International wrote to Lord Walney, demanding an apology for his “scandalous and defamatory” statements. He failed to respond. 

*CAGE International's Head of Public Advocacy, Anas Mustapha, said: *

"It is telling that Begg has been specifically targeted. Why isn't Lord Walney calling for the passports of the reverend, ex-government adviser and former British army colonel – all of whom were also arrested for opposing Palestine Action’s banning - to be revoked? Does his outrage at defying this law stop with his racism?"