A Birmingham Labour candidate in the local elections has condemned antisemitic posts allegedly linked to her husband's social media account. Samarah Zaffar, who is standing in the Lozells ward, said she was 'deeply appalled' by the posts, which included a fabricated quote attributed to Adolf Hitler.
Candidate's Response
Samarah Zaffar confirmed she would be standing as a candidate in Lozells to continue the 'legacy' of her brother, Waseem Zaffar, a long-serving councillor and clean air campaigner who died earlier this year at age 44. In her campaign material, she wrote that her brother 'never flinched' in his 'fierce love' for the community and called for an end to division.
However, with the local elections taking place this week, Samarah issued a statement after it emerged that her husband, Khayam Kamal's Facebook account allegedly posted several antisemitic messages. One screenshot, seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), showed a fabricated quote attributed to Hitler: 'I would have killed all the Jews of the world, but I kept some to show the world why I killed them.' Another showed a photo of Mr Kamal on the campaign trail with Samarah.
Samarah said: 'I do not share these views and unequivocally condemn antisemitism in all its forms.'
Labour Party Condemnation
A West Midlands Labour Party spokesperson described the posts as 'absolutely abhorrent' and 'the most vile forms of antisemitism'. They added: 'The Prime Minister has been clear antisemitism is a poison and we won't stop in our fight to defeat it.'
Earlier this week, Sir Keir Starmer said 'every part of society' has a responsibility to tackle antisemitism, describing a recent spate of attacks against British Jews as 'a crisis'.
Mr Kamal has been approached for comment.
Candidates for Lozells Ward
The full list of candidates standing in the Lozells ward is as follows:
- Rafael Costa, Independent
- Qiam Ud Din, Green Party
- Peter Charles John Hinton, Reform UK
- Raja Asim Khan, Independent
- Andy King, Liberal Democrats
- Nufayej Rayean, Independent
- Dean Sisman, Conservatives
- Taj Uddin, Independent
- Samarah Zaffar, Labour Party
A full list of candidates standing in the local elections in Birmingham can also be found on the city council's website.
