Anti-immigration election poster causes outrage among British Hindus

22 Apr 2005

A poster about immigration used in the British election campaign has angered Hindus and Muslims, who say it demonises ethnic minorities. The Conservative Party's advertisement carries the slogan: "It's not racist to impose limits on immigration", has been widely used as part of the party's general election campaign. But its decision to put one on a billboard opposite a Hindu temple in south-east England has prompted accusations of racial insensitivity. The temple, which is a focal point for about 250 Hindu families in the area, has stressed that it is independent of party politics and does not support any one candidate over the others. But individuals who worship at the temple have spoken out against the placement of the poster, which was taken down this week. Dr Abduljalil Sajid, a Muslim leader and chairman of the Muslim Council for Religious and Racial Harmony, said: "There is no difficulty with talking about asylum and immigration, but the problem is the spin which is being given to it.