The Quilliam Foundation’s Maajid Nawaz has hosted a debate on his LBC radio show about groping, prompting many a raised eyebrow given his own conduct in the past.
Nawaz was discussing alleged sexual misconduct in Parliament following allegations that serial sex pests are serving in the cabinet and a Labour MP is known to female researchers as “Happy Hands”.
Nawaz said: “Whether it’s true and verified, or it’s just an allegation, it’s got be wrong that a legislator in the Mother of all Parliaments is being called a name that is a euphemism for a groper.”
But whilst standing as a parliamentary candidate in the 2015 election a video of Nawaz was published by the Daily Mail showing him repeatedly trying to touch a semi-naked lap dancer in east London during Ramadan.
The video shows a female performer persistently pushing away Nawaz’s hands as he tried to make contact with her.
This violated the venue’s “no-touching” policy. Staff at the venue said Nawaz had been pestering the girl all night and his actions had been “outrageous.”
Nawaz remained a candidate in 2015 despite calls to the then leader of Liberal Democrat’s, Nick Clegg, for him to be removed for bringing the party into disrepute.
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He has not apologised to the female performer and still professes to be a feminist.
At the time a spokesman for Nawaz said he denied touching the dancer “inappropriately” and added that his reputation for advocating women’s rights was “in the context of Islamic extremism.”
He said he had not been warned about his behaviour, and was not “out of control” through drink or breaching the rules.
The spokesman said: “The evening you refer to was our client’s stag night before his marriage. His best man took him to the gentleman’s club with the full knowledge of our client’s then future wife (now his wife).”
