A Pakistan-born British man convicted of running a gang of Pakistani-origin men who sexually exploited young girls in northwest England has launched an appeal against his impending deportation claiming it was a "conspiracy against Muslims".
63-year-old Shabir Ahmed, who holds dual British and Pakistani nationality, is set to be stripped of his UK citizenship under British law and sent back to his country of origin.
But he told an immigration tribunal in Manchester yesterday that he has written to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) claiming his convictions for child sex offences were a "conspiracy against Muslims".
"She (UK home secretary Theresa May) says all her trouble is coming from Muslims, yet she's the biggest trouble causer in the world. It's become fashionable to blame everything on Muslims these days," said Ahmed, who is serving a 22-year prison sentence for child sex and rape offences.
Loss of citizenship is the first stage in the deportation process in the UK.
Ahmed first came to the UK in 1967 aged 14 and was found guilty of leading a group of men who preyed on girls as young as 13 in Rochdale.
Three times married, Ahmed claimed his right to stay in Britain because he had four children living in the UK and had lived in the country for nearly 50 years and had 83,000 pounds in a UK bank account.
Vinesh Mandalia, the lawyer representing the UK Home Office, said:"If you get involved in very serious organised crime then one of the consequences of that is that they will be deprived of their British citizenship".
Presiding tribunal Judge Michael Clements reserved his decision on the appeal, which means a ruling will be announced at a later date.
