Labour councillor who was forced to resign as a school governor after saying there was 'no proof' ISIS exists is now working to protect children from radicalisation

• Safia Akhtar said people should 'stop pointing fingers' after Westminster attack
• She quit as school governor after writing: 'There is no ISIS and there is no proof'
• But she was elected as a Birmingham Labour Councillor at the May elections
• Now she has won council role helping protect city's children from radicalisation

Safia Akhtar Noor posted a number of controversial Facebook messages after a terror attack on British soil and was forced to resign as governor 

A Labour councillor suspended as a school governor after claiming there was 'no proof' that ISIS exists has won a key council role - helping protect the city's children from radicalisation.

Safia Akhtar Noor had also previously posted on Facebook that people should 'grow up and stop pointing fingers' after the Westminster terror attack which left five dead.

She was suspended as a governor by Yew Tree Community School in Witton, Birmingham, which said her statements had breached its code of conduct - and later resigned her role of governor.

Yet despite the controversy sparked by her comments, the law student was allowed by Labour to stand in May's local elections, where she won a seat for Small Heath.

She is known as Councillor Akhtar in municipal circles, and in Birmingham City Council papers.

Now, it has been revealed Cllr Akhtar has been appointed to the Children's Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Alex Yip, Conservative councillor for Sutton Wylde Green, questioned her selection to the committee, which will include ensuring that children are protected from radicalisation.

Cllr Yip said: 'It is shocking to think that the Labour administration would appoint Councillor Akhtar, of all the ones available, to this scrutiny committee.

'Although she has apologised for saying they [her social media postings] should have been worded more carefully, they still represent her views.

'Considering that the school at which she was a governor suspended her, saying her comments breached its code of conduct, it beggars belief that Labour think it appropriate for her to oversee safeguarding of children, including protecting them from the threat of radicalisation.'

She suspended as a school governor after this message claiming there was 'no proof' that ISIS exists has won a key council role  helping protect the city's children from radicalisation.

How Labour councillor sparked controversy with 'no proof ISIS exists' Facebook posts 

Safia Akhtar Noor sparked controversy when she posted on Facebook that people should 'grow up and stop pointing fingers' after the Westminster terror attack which left five dead.

In another message posted in March last year, Ms Noor said: 'So someone got stabbed after the attack last week as a result of media and government claiming that SO CALLED ISIS HAD CLAIMED RESPONSIBILITY.

'There is no ISIS and there is no proof.'

She later apologised for her comments but was suspended as a school governor and later forced to resign.

Despite the controversy, the law student was allowed by Labour to stand in May’s local elections, where she won a seat.

Now she has been given the role of working to protect children from radicalisation by the council.

On March 22 last year, Birmingham terrorist Khalid Masood mowed down innocent victims on Westminster Bridge, killing four, before stabbing police officer Keith Palmer to death.

On the same day Cllr Akhtar - who was not a councillor at the time - posted on Facebook: 'Can people relax and stop fighting on Facebook?

'Sadly people died in Westminster today but people die everyday in Syria, Palestine, Africa, Rohingya, Kashmir.. Need I carry on?!!

'Grow up and stop pointing fingers!'

In another message posted the same day only to her followers, Ms Noor said: 'Terrorist attack... and even the terrorist died?! Let me guess, he was a Muslim!'

On March 27 last year, she commented on a newspaper article which carried the headline 'Westminster attacker Khalid Masood had interest in Jihad - police'.

Cllr Akhtar posted to her followers: 'So someone got stabbed after the attack last week as a result of media and government claiming that SO CALLED ISIS HAD CLAIMED RESPONSIBILITY.

Safia Akhtar Noor has been pictured with senior MPs including Shabana Mahmood and Liam Byrne (top image) and Yvette Cooper, who she backed above Jeremy Corbyn to be Labour leader

'There is no ISIS and there is no proof.'

Cllr Akhtar, who has posed for photographs with Labour MPs including Yvette Cooper, Jess Philips and Shabana Mahmood, previously issued a statement apologising for her postings.

Cllr Akhtar said previously: 'Having read these comments back, I accept I should have chosen my words more carefully,' she said.

'I didn't intend to cause any offence and I apologise to anyone who found those comments offensive or upsetting.

'I completely condemn all terrorist acts.' 

Cllr Akhtar was unavailable for comment.

But Birmingham Labour Group Party secretary, Councillor Martin Straker-Welds, said: 'The Labour Party undertook a preliminary investigation that revealed not only that the posts had been removed very shortly after being posted but that Ms. Akhtar had also issued a statement where she offered an unreserved apology and condemned all terrorist acts.

'Councillor Akhtar has our full support.' 

How ISIS is one of the world's most notorious terror groups having carried out more than 140 attacks across the world in just four years 

ISIS is one of the world's most notorious terrorist groups having carried out or inspired more than 140 attacks in 29 countries other than Iraq and Syria since 2014.

These atrocities have killed at least 2,043 people and injured thousands more.

It is estimated that more than 33,000 people have been killed by ISIS-linked extremists since the terror group was formed in 2002. That equates to around 26 per cent of terrorism deaths over the past decade.

The has been an increase in 'lone-wolf'-style attacks on Western cities, with Britain hit by four last year alone.

Six people were killed in the Westminster attack by Khalid Masood on March 22, 22 in the Manchester Arena bombing on May 22 and eight in the London Bridge attack on June 3. 

A further 29 were injured last September when a crudely-constructed improvised explosive device (IED) failed to fully detonate on a packed Tube train at Parsons Green.

ISIS also claimed responsibility for the Paris attacks that killed 130 in November 2015, the Bastille Day atrocity in Nice which left 84 dead in July 2016 and the Barcelona outrage which killed 16 last August.

However, with a massive campaign continuing to defeat ISIS in Iraq and Syria, there is evidence their number of fighters is diminishing.