Chairman of far-right Reform UK party quits after burqa row
Briefly

Zia Yusuf has resigned from the Reform UK party, citing concerns over internal calls to ban the burqa, which he deemed 'dumb.' His resignation follows a period marked by rising Islamophobia accusations against the party. Yusuf, who publicly identifies as a British Muslim patriot, criticized Reform UK lawmaker Sarah Pochin for her suggestion to ask Prime Minister Keir Starmer about such a ban. Despite the party's electoral successes, Yusuf expressed disillusionment with its handling of sensitive issues regarding Muslim communities and personal convictions.
"I no longer believe working to get a Reform government elected is a good use of my time, and hereby resign the office," Zia Yusuf stated on X.
Yusuf criticized party member Sarah Pochin for suggesting a ban on the burqa, calling it "dumb for a party to ask the PM if they would do something the party itself wouldn't do."
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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