Tory council candidate Karen Sunderland suspended for ‘Islamophobic’ tweets comparing Islam to Nazism A Conservative Party candidate for the 2018 local elections has been suspended pending investigation after old tweets emerged where she […]

A Conservative Party candidate for the 2018 local elections has been suspended pending investigation after old tweets emerged where she compared Islam to Nazism.

Karen Sunderland, a candidate for Crofton Park in Lewisham, London, called Islam “the new Nazism” in a tweet last December, and has also been called out for a number of other ‘Islamophobic’ statements.

She sent a tweet in October mocking hijabs, and the following month said she was confused why Muslims would choose to live in the West.

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“Islam has become the new Nazism”

In a since-removed thread including both Piers Morgan and Malala Yousafzai, Ms Sunderland wrote: “Love your optimism. The thing is, religion undermines the hard fought for values and tolerances of progressed countries… suppresses free speech and is auto immune from criticism. This is toxic and where the hostility comes from. Religion is totalitarian. Islam has become the new Nazism.”

In a reply to LBC in November she wrote: “Parents will simply bang on about Islam and their rights blah blah blah. It confuses me so much why people with these views live in the West.”

And her tweet about the hijab from October read: “Such a lame attempt you made to justify hijabs. Self indulgent to think anyone would give a toot that you showed your hair.”

A Conservative Party spokesperson told the i: “Karen Sunderland has been suspended and an investigation is underway.”

Ms Sunderland was tweeting at @ToryKaren on Twitter, but the account appears to have been either deleted or moved. She appears to now be tweeting from a private account @Conservative_K, as it has an almost identical bio and remarkably similar follower numbers.

Lewisham Labour mayoral candidate Damien Egan said to NewsShopper that “We welcome the removal of this candidate following her appalling remarks.”

“Islamophobic comments like this are deeply divisive and they have no place in our community.”

“Lewisham’s diversity and openness is our greatest strength.”