The newly elected Labor councilor in Birmingham apologized after posting historic “anti-Jewish” messages on Facebook. Shabina Bano accused municipal waste entrepreneur Veolia of being a “Zionist supporter” in one post.
In other posts on the Facebook account of the newly elected councilor from Small Heath, she wished that the defendant died in court – a child who survived cancer. Historical publications came to light when she faced a separate Labor investigation into Covid’s conflicting comments.
Cllr Bano contacted BirminghamLive about the “discriminatory” comments earlier this week and initially said he did not remember making them. But tonight she publicly apologized and said she would undergo “awareness training”.
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A statement posted on her new Facebook account said: “In recent days, my historical posts on social media have come to light. I take full responsibility for them, admit that they are completely unacceptable and apologize unreservedly for them. I also regret the damage they have done, especially to the Jewish community.
“Since joining the Labor Party, my views on many issues have changed and these historical posts reflect ignorant views that I no longer support.
She added: “I will undertake further awareness-raising training and look forward to meeting with Jewish communities in Birmingham to discuss what else we can do to eliminate anti-Semitism in our city.
“There is no room for racism or discrimination in our society, and I remain committed to serving all the people in Small Heath who trusted me in last year’s election.”
The messages were posted to friends from Ms. Bano’s previous Facebook account back in 2014. One account met someone who asked for comments on not paying the TV license fee and ostensibly criticized Veolia, the city council-appointed waste collectors. At the time, the council’s executor was under public fire for his work on waste management in Israeli settlements in Palestine.
The future adviser’s account replied: “Even our rubbish is given to the Zionists. The government is destroying our souls, we can’t even get rid of the garbage without feeling guilty! Veoli (sic) is a supporter of Zionism! b in a country you call (sic) your own; but your guide is sympathetic to evil dogs. “
In another 2014 release, Ms. Bano’s account was responsible for an article in the Jewish Chronicle about former Labor leader Ed Miliband. The account commented: “Brothers, most of the UK is run by Zionists, even the site we are commenting on is run by a Jew! Time (sic) he is a Zionist or not, I don’t know.”
In an obvious discussion about gender and children, Ms. Bano’s account had also posted: “Will gender not be mentioned in birth certificates now? Certainly this must also be stopped, as the government wants the child (sic) to choose his or her own gender. Dr. (sic) should no longer have the right to say he is a boy or a girl. Seriously, it’s so unfortunate. “
In a 2020 statement, ostensibly referring to a defendant in a Birmingham court case, the same Facebook account posted: “His lawyer says he has ‘cancer as a child’, a shame he never died from it, because as his only one has become (sic) a loss of space on earth. “
Cllr Bano’s apology came after an official complaint to the Labor Party about the comments. The complainant said: “She has grossly discriminatory views, which are clearly seen in her Facebook posts. I hope that the Labor Party shares my concerns that these views are unacceptable in society, let alone being a Labor adviser and representing your party in office. “
A Labor spokesman said: “The Labor Party takes all complaints seriously. They are fully investigated in accordance with our rules and procedures and all appropriate action is taken. “
When she first contacted our reporter, Ms Bano said she did not remember making the comments and said she did not think she had made the comments. She said she had previous problems with her Facebook account and has been excluded since February this year.
She also said she gained access to her Facebook account via her laptop and said it was possible that someone had gained access to it that way. Regarding Veolia, she praised the company and said they were “great” and denied believing that the Zionists ruled the United Kingdom.
The Birmingham City Council said: “The matter has been referred to the Council Monitoring Officer in order to continue the council’s procedures with regard to the elected members. A new statement will be issued at the end of this process. The Council continues to support the COVID-19 vaccination program and to promote equality and anti-discrimination practices. ”
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Controversial Facebook posts about Covid surfaced last week by Cllr Bano in 2020. In response to a separate post alleging that coronavirus deaths were exaggerated, Ms Bano’s account said: ” I am sure that the government must reach a certain number of deaths before the blockade ends. So they play (sic) the game at our own expense. ”
Ms Bano’s account commented on another post about two people suffering from allergic reactions to a vaccine, saying: “The death of six means nothing. The masses must die before any legal action can be taken. ”
Councilor Bano apologized “wholeheartedly” for Covid’s comments and acknowledged that they were “deeply inappropriate.” “I am not an anti-vaccine and I am grateful for the Covid vaccination.
A Labor spokesman in Birmingham told Covid’s comments last week: “We will look into these comments and ensure that our members are reminded of the behavior they are expected to do on social media.”
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