On Friday, during an interview with the Daily Mail newspaper, UKIP member Coburn compared Scottish Government Minister Humza Yousaf to convicted Islamist cleric Abu Hamza.

EDINBURGH (Sputnik), Mark Hirst – Scotland's first Muslim minister on Tuesday formally asked the European Parliament to investigate Islamophobic comments made by David Coburn, a UK Independence Party (UKIP) member of the European parliament for Scotland.

The comments prompted cross-party calls for Coburn's resignation, with the Scottish National Party (SNP) urging UKIP leader Nigel Farage to sack UKIP's only elected member in Scotland – something Farage is so far hesitant to do.

Yousaf said he had written to the President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz urging him to investigate the remarks and calling for disciplinary action to be taken against Coburn.

"David Coburn's Islamophobic insult has caused serious offence and anger to the Muslim community in Scotland, the UK and further afield. It is not acceptable and action must be taken," Yousaf, Scotland's first Muslim minister, said in a statement issued on Tuesday.

Yousaf expressed hope that the European Parliament would take action against Coburn, saying that such "bigotry" should not be tolerated.

"The European Union rightly prides itself on its promotion of tolerance and inclusion – something David Coburn’s remarks are completely at odds with," Yousaf said.