HUMZA Yousaf’s family have received firebomb and death threats, according to his wife, who has hit out at the “sickening” abuse they receive.
Nadia El-Nakla claims there is an “underbelly of racism” in Scotland as she describes the threats aimed towards her family in recent days.
It comes as the Daily Record reported the couple lodged a complaint with the Care Inspectorate over allegations their daughter was discriminated against when she was refused a place at Broughty Ferry’s Little Scholar’s Day Nursery.
The nursery insists it is open to all and “refute in the strongest possible terms” any claims “to the contrary”.
Since going public, the family have suffered a catalogue of abuse, as Ms El-Nakla explained to The Courier.
READ MORE: Humza Yousaf seeking legal advice after Scots nursery 'rejected daughter over ethnic name'
She said: “People are saying we are ‘playing the race card’, and ultimately they will have some kind of view, whether that is racism, Islamophobia, a dislike of Humza or our colour, and to me that shows the underbelly of racism in Scotland.
“What frustrates me is people who have never experienced discrimination in their life are telling me how I should deal with it.
“It is victim blaming at the highest level.”
She added that while this level of abuse in the public eye is new for her, it is more common for the Health Secretary.
She said: “Humza has experienced it for years and what he faces is disgusting.
“We have had emails saying our house deserves to be firebombed and the kids burned in the car.
“When my daughter got her baby box we put it on Twitter and someone wrote back saying she deserves to be drowned.
“I felt sad for that person – what kind of black heart do they have to type that?
“What bothers me is the hidden, veiled racism and it has made me determined to speak out.”
READ MORE: Uzma Mir: Humza Yousaf's story of heartache and discrimination is real for too many
Commenting on the family’s complaints, a spokesperson for Little Scholars Day Nursery said: “Our nursery is extremely proud of being open and inclusive to all and any claim to the contrary is demonstrably false and an accusation that we would refute in the strongest possible terms.
“In addition to our owners being of Asian heritage, across more than a decade we have regularly welcomed both children and staff from a range of different religious, cultural, ethnic and racial backgrounds including two Muslim families currently.
“We have also regularly made arrangements to accommodate different lifestyles by, for example, providing a halal menu for those children who come from Muslim families.
“We note Mr Yousaf’s call for a Care Inspectorate investigation and this is something we would absolutely welcome.
“We have nothing to hide and look forward to the opportunity to demonstrate the policies and procedures we have in place to ensure we are a nursery that is open and welcoming to all.”
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