Muslims have civic responsibility to exercise their right to vote

ELECTIONS 2010

Muslims have the civic responsibility
To exercise their right to vote

Dr. Mozammel Haque

The long-anticipated general elections in Britain for 6 May 2010 kicked off on 6th of April this year as Prime Minister Gordon Brown, 59, stepped out of Buckingham Palace to ask Queen Elizabeth to dissolve Parliament in preparation for a May 6 vote, the final step before campaigning begins. Queen Elizabeth declared the end of the Parliament. The three main political parties, Labour Party, Conservative Party and Liberal Democrat Party have already declared their Election Manifestoes. There will be election for 650 Parliamentary seats at the 2010 General Elections. There is a rise of four on the number of seats contested in 2005.

In the last General Elections in 2005, Labour won 355 seats; the Conservatives won 198, while the Liberal Democrats took 62. 15 MPs were elected at the 2005 General Elections from an ethnic minority background out of that four were from Muslim community. 61.4 per cent voter turned out at the 2005 election, the figure was up from the 59.5 per cent who voted in 2001 but down drastically from 1997, the year Labour returned to power, when 71.4 per cent turned out to vote.

Muslims must register
The 20th of April, 2010 is the last date of registration for voters. Muslims must register them. This right of voting and participating in the electoral process is the fundamental right of citizens, through which they can take part indirectly, through their representative, in the policy-making and decision-making process. Tuesday is the last day for registration.

Historic Novelty in Britain’s General Elections
This 2010 General Election has some historic novelties. For the first time ever in British history there was a live Television debates of the leaders of the three political parties. On Thursday (15 April) night’s historic first election TV debate between the three party leaders, Gordon Brown of Labour Party, David Cameron of the Conservatives Party and Nick Clegg of Liberal Democrat Party, was watched by 10 million viewers across Britain. Around a quarter of British viewers watched the 90-minute ITV special and snap polls declared that Mr. Clegg’s performance was regarded as the best by the public.

Secondly, this is, for the first time, three candidates are going to contest elections that have never run for Prime Minister before.

The third novelty is that during this election, blogs, internet, Face book, Twitters and newspapers all online are playing a major role in the election campaign. Commentators and bloggers continued to debate the role the web would play on the polls amid suggestions of an “internet election”. With communications undergoing a dramatic transformation with the growth of the internet, political parties have attempted to reach out to the millions who are online. This is the political sofa nerd’s election. In the United States Barack Obama’s team capitalised on the potential of social networking sites such as Twitter and Face book to build support and funding for his presidential bid.

This sense of novelty is compounded by a string of innovations. For the first time, most people expect a hung Parliament with no party having an overall majority. Opinion polls suggest no single party will secure an overall majority in the General Election that the UK will have its first post-election hung parliament since 1974. The election is thus Britain’s first in almost 20 years with an unpredictable outcome, and the first in almost 40 years that might not produce a majority. Most analysts believe the Conservatives would need a 10-point lead to win a majority. Brown reportedly plans to continue governing even if Labour wins fewer seats than the Tories, as long as non-Tory seats add up to 50 percent. A minority government, known as a “hung parliament” in Britain, is a likely possibility. Whitehall is preparing a way for a parliament in which no single party has an absolute mandate to rule.

Behind this uniqueness and innovation, there will be some new record after the General Elections. Whichever Party wins this election, this will create a record. The 2010 General Elections might create record if Labour Party wins this election. Labour has been in power for 13 years already. If Labour Party under Gordon Brown’s leadership wins this election, then it would be the fourth continuous victory which was not happened in British history. This will be the first record.

Secondly, the opinion polls and electoral system tells us an outright David Cameron victory is far from certain. Now if the Tory Party wins the election then its leader David Cameron would be the Prime Minister. In that case, he would be the youngest Prime Minister after Lord Liverpool in 1827. Thirdly, Liberal Party was never in power since the First World War. After merging with the Social Democratic Labour Party in the 80s, it becomes Liberal Democrat but still it did not have electoral victory. The present leader of Liberal Democrat Party is optimistic about 2010 elections. If Liberal Democrat Party wins this election then it will also create a record.

In the last General Elections in 2005, Labour won 355 seats; the Conservatives won 198, while the Liberal Democrats took 62. 15 MPs were elected at the 2005 General Elections from an ethnic minority background out of that four were from Muslim community. 61.4 per cent voter turned out at the 2005 election, the figure was up from the 59.5 per cent who voted in 2001 but down drastically from 1997, the year Labour returned to power, when 71.4 per cent turned out to vote.

Vote or not to vote
When there will be novelty, innovations and uniqueness in British history, a very tiny minority anti-voting brigade of Muslim, like last General Elections in 2005, revisited and was telling everyone NOT to vote and also distributing anti-vote leaflets, especially after the Friday Jumah prayer near the Mosques. Now the question is whether Muslim will participate in the voting and elect their candidates to take part and participate in the policy making and decision-making process of the country or they will abstain from casting their votes and electing their representatives.

In this connection, I would like to point out that the First Muslim, Mohammad Sarwar, being elected entered the British Parliament, House of Commons in 1997. The First Muslim Peer, Lord Nazir Ahmed of Rotherham, being appointed entered into the House of Lords in 1998. The First Muslim Baroness, Lady Manzila Pola Uddin, being appointed, entered the House of Lords in 1998. The First Muslim Privy Councillor, Sadiq Khan, was appointed in 2009 and the First Muslim MP, Sadiq Khan, was promoted to sit in the Cabinet, in 2009.

One must not forget that all these successes were achieved due to the Muslim participation in the voting system and in the participation in the political process. It must also be remembered that all these First Muslim MP, First Muslim Peer, the First Muslim Baroness, the First Muslim Privy Councillor and the First Cabinet Minister were members of the Labour Party and from the Labour Party. Labour Party opened the doors followed by the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats. There was no MP from the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats in the House of Commons but there was Baroness Warsi from the Conservatives and Lord Hameed from the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords. We are expecting Muslim MPs from the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats in the 2010 Elections.

Muslims are living in this country as citizens and it is their civic and Islamic responsibility to cast their votes and participate in the political process. Both the Islamic scholars and Muslim leaders and organisations inside the country and around the world expressed their opinion that nothing prevents Muslims Islamically to participate in the political process where they are living.

Islamic Point of View
Followings are the opinions of the Islamic scholars of the Muslim World League, OIC Islamic Fiqh Academy from Saudi Arabia, Mufti Ibrahim Desai from South Africa and also the opinions of Islamic scholars, such as Shaykh Ibrahim Mogra from the United Kingdom.

Shaykh Taha Jabir al-Alwani, Muslim World League, Makkah and OIC Islamic Fiqh Academy, said: “...Whatever helps us to achieve these noble goals becomes Islamically obligatory. This includes: ... Supporting (both politically and financially) those non-Muslim candidates whose beliefs and values are most compatible with ours as Muslims, and who most address and support our issues and causes... Registering to vote and then voting. Although separate acts, they are both an essential part of the electoral process. Our participation in that process is mandatory.”

Mufti Ibrahim Desai, Darul Ifta, South Africa, said: “Since seeing that voting is a testimony (giving Shahadah) and being aware that a particular party will be more willing to fulfil our Islamic rights, not to vote for this party will he tantamount to transgression and breach of trust in the eyes of Shariah.”

Shaykh Ibrahim Mogra, Former Chair, Mosques and community relations committee at the MCB; Graduate of Dar-ul-Uloom, Holcombe and Al-Azhar University; S.O.A.S, London, said: “I consider Muslim political participation, especially in a non-Muslim country, as a form of jihad. This is our country and it would be foolish not to participate in the political processes which eventually shape our future and that of Islam.”

Muslim leaders and organisations in the UK
Following the guidance of Islamic scholars all over the world, the Muslim leaders as well as the Muslim organisations in the United Kingdom are advising Muslims to exert their civic and Islamic responsibility to cast their votes and participate in the elections. Followings are the messages and advice from Imam Shahid Raza, the chairman of MINAB, Sir Iqbal Sacranie, former Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), Dr. Syed Aziz Pasha, General Secretary of the Union of Muslim Organisations of UK 7 Eire (UMO), and the Muslim Student Community, FOSIS.

Imam Shahid Raza
Imam Shahid Raza, chairman of Mosques & Imams National Advisory Board (MINAB) said to me in an interview: “I am very very strongly recommending to vote and participate in this general election because through this institution we can exercise our civil power in the best interest of the Muslim community and Britain.”

“Those who are saying not to vote and quoting Qur’an, they are misinterpreting references they are quoting from the Qur’an. In our opinion, voting and elections provide us a mechanism through which we can express our opinion in the form of Mushwara (Shoura),” said Imam Raza.

In reply to another question, Imam Raza said, “Yes, I believe that from the Islamic perspective, it (voting) is permissible and it is the opinion of the vast majority of Muslim scholars and Ulemas in this country and all over the world.”

Sir Iqbal Sacranie
Sir Iqbal Sacranie, former Secretary General of MCB and presently Chairman of Muslim Aid, said to me in an interview: “During this election, Muslim vote will be very crucial in determining who is elected as the MP in more than 50 constituencies around Britain.”

“It is now becoming apparent that the guidance given by prominent Islamic scholars around the country as well as all major Muslim organisations that it is their duty as a responsible citizen who cares for the welfare of the community in which he lives that he exercises his fundamental right to vote in the election,” said Sir Iqbal.

Dr. Syed Aziz Pasha
Dr. Syed Aziz Pasha, General Secretary of UMO said to me in an interview, “Our position in this regard has always been we should participate fully in the mainstream of society and make our contribution for the welfare of the society as a whole retaining our religious and cultural values. Therefore, elections is a good opportunity to express their views on the manifestoes of the political parties and ensure that numbers to the Parliament should be elected who are favourable to the requirements of the Muslim community in terms of all aspects of their day-to-day life, like equality in jobs, housing, financial institutions, society as well as religious needs like planning permission for Mosques, Halal foods in school, workplace, hospital and at all public places and application of Muslim Family Laws.”

“From the Islamic perspective, we are living in this country and we should avail of every opportunity to promote the cause of Islam and eradicate all misunderstandings surrounding our religious practices. Therefore, voting is one of the opportunities Muslims have which they should not abdicate and they should not abdicate their responsibilities,” said Dr. Pasha.

Muslim Association of Britain (MAB)
Muslim Association of Britain has issued a press release on 6th of April, urging Muslim to vote in the UK 2010 general elections and also calling upon the Muslim community to exert its civic and Islamic duty by making sure to come out and vote in the next general elections.

Conclusion
From the above, it becomes clear that a tiny minority group is trying to dissuade people through their anti-vote brigade from participating in elections which has neither the support nor the backing from the Islamic scholars or Muslim leaders and organisations. Rather the Islamic scholars and Muslim leaders and organisations are urging the Muslim community to exercise their fundamental right to vote in elections because during this election, Muslim vote will be very crucial in determining who is elected as the MP in more than 50 constituencies around Britain.

So do join in the elections, cast your votes and participate in the political process of the country. In the next issue, I will, Insha Allah, try to give you the clear picture of the candidates, constituencies and the analysis of the manifestoes for your consideration to choose and select whom to vote, whether the candidate or the party.