June 20th 2023.
Mohammed Nazam, the recently elected mayor of Keighley, West Yorkshire, took part in the flag-raising ceremony for LGBTQ+ Pride in Bradford Town Square on June 16th. After taking part in the event, which has been held every year since 2019, he posted an apology on a private Facebook page.
In the apology, Nazam said that his involvement “contradicts [his] personal religious beliefs”, and that he should have respectfully declined the request at the time. He expressed hope that the community who had placed their trust in him would forgive him for this “lapse in judgment”.
However, this apology was met with calls for Nazam to resign from locals, politicians, and LGBTQ+ campaigners. Jane Hudson said that Nazam “need[ed] to resign immediately”, while Jooles Webster-Wright noted that the community “clearly doesn’t include everyone”.
Yesterday, the council announced that Nazam had indeed resigned “with immediate effect”, and that a meeting would soon be held to elect a new mayor. The council also noted that the Pride flag will continue to fly proudly in the Town Hall Square for the remainder of Pride Month, as planned.
In a statement following his resignation, Nazam refused to back down while stressing he meant “no harm” to LGBTQ+ people. He said that any elected Muslim representative attending an LGBTQ+ event would need to apologise to the Muslim community, and that by his apology, he did not mean to harm any member of his constituency. He also expressed his belief that people should have the freedom to express their beliefs and live their lives as they wish to, regardless of their communities and religious beliefs.
Nazam added that he will now be on the council as an independent, and that he has learnt a lot from this humbling experience. He also thanked everyone for their love and support.
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