Cameron-Clegg Coalition Government- A Civil Partnership

Cameron-Clegg Coalition Government:
A Very Civil Partnership

Dr. Mozammel Haque

The UK’s 2010 General Elections ended with the first hung Parliament in 36 years. Labour Party suffered a heavy defeat, losing at least 86 seats including big names, such as Jacqui Smith and Charles Clarke. But Labour fared less badly in the capital than nationally. The Conservatives won the most seats on 6th of May, 2010 elections, but not enough to secure an overall Commons majority. No single party could rule alone securely.

First Hung Parliament in 36 years
The Labour Party suffered a heavy defeat, ended up with just 261 MPs. The Conservatives made record gains of 92-plus seats and won 307 seats. They needed 326 seats for an overall majority. David Cameron did not get an outright majority but he did win the right to govern; the Lib-Dems fell short of their aspirations but won the right to a share of government. Lib-Dems won 57 seats. David Cameron’s failure to secure a majority and Gordon Brown’s drubbing – worse even than Michael Foot’s in 1983 – left the Liberal Democrat as kingmaker.

A historic deal between David Cameron and Nick Clegg was hammered out after a few days of negotiations and a very Civil Partnership – Conservatives-Liberal Democrats – was announced by David Cameron from the doorsteps of 10 Downing Street on 12th of May, 2010.

Tory-Liberal Democrats Coalition
Britain enters an era of ‘new politics’ after the formation of Clegg-Cameron Coalition government accommodating and making concessions of various issues. It is a marriage of convenience but both of the leaders are united for a strong and stable government.

The important feature of Britain’s new coalition government is that it represents the will of the people more closely than any of the mooted alternatives. After waiting 60 years for a Liberal to be in cabinet, five come along at once, plus ministerial jobs across all departments. Not only that, but a deputy Prime Minister from the third party. Both the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister are young of the same age at 43 and both studied in fee-paying public school.

Women in Parliament
The Tories have 48 female MPs, up from 18, Liberal Democrats have seven female MPs, compared with nine before the election, and Labour now has 81, a marginal increase. Overall, the percentage of women MPs in the present Parliament increased from 19.5% to 22% at this election. The Lib-Dems have an appalling record: a 100% all-white parliamentary party with just seven female MPs – and even fewer female candidates than at the last two elections.

Cameron-Clegg Coalition Cabinet
As the head of the much larger party in the new coalition, Mr. David Cameron has kept the top jobs around the top table for the Conservatives: George Osborne as Chancellor; William Hague as Foreign Secretary; Michael Gove as Education Secretary; Liam Fox as Defence Secretary; Kenneth Clarke as Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor; Theresa May as Home Secretary and Iain Duncan Smith as Work & Pensions Secretary.

On the other hand, the Liberal Democrats got five cabinet seats for the first time since the steam age. They are: Nick Clegg as Deputy Prime Minister; Vince Cable as Business Secretary; Chris Huhne as Climate Change and Environment Secretary; Danny Alexander as Scottish Secretary and David Laws as Chief Secretary to The Treasury.

Besides those, there are followings in the cabinet: i) Andrew Lansley as Health Secretary; ii) Eric Pickles as Communities and Local Government Secretary; iii) Andrew Mitchell as International Development; iv) Philip Hammond as Transport; v) Caroline Spelman as Environment; vi) Owen Paterson as Northern Ireland; vii) Cheryl Gillan as Wales Secretary; viii) Jeremy Hunt as Culture & Media Secretary; ix) Lord Strathclyde as Leader Of The Lords and x) Baroness Sayeeda Warsi without portfolio.

Four women were appointed to the cabinet on 12th of May out of 23 cabinet members, such as Theresa May, Home Secretary, Caroline Spelman as Environment Secretary and Cheryl Gillan as Welsh Secretary. The fourth woman, Lady Warsi, is the only minority ethnic cabinet member and has been given the role of minister without portfolio and will be Conservative party chair. She is the first Muslim woman to serve in the cabinet.

Important features of Cameron Coalition Cabinet
There are some special features of the new Cameron Coalition Cabinet. Firstly, at 43 years, David Cameron, the Prime Minister and the leader of the Conservative Party is the youngest Prime Minister in almost 200 years. The last was Lord Liverpool who became Prime Minister when he was 42 years old.

Secondly, the new chancellor is the youngest Chancellor for more than a century. At 38 years, George Osborne became the youngest Chancellor since Winston Churchill’s father in 1886.

Thirdly, most of the Cabinet members are male and private school and Oxbridge-educated. Prime Minister himself Old Etonian. The most senior posts – leader, deputy leader and chancellor – are former public schoolboys. Out of 16 cabinet ministers, nine including Mr. Cameron, attended fee-paying schools, while 11 went to either Oxford or Cambridge Universities, said Labour veteran Margaret Beckett. Of the cabinet, 59% are privately educated and 69% went to Oxbridge. Leading Alastair Campbell, Tony Blair’s ex-spin doctor calls it the “new Eton-Westminster-St. Paul’s government.”

Fourthly, in the 23-strong male-dominated cabinet, there are only four Female Secretaries.

First Muslim woman in Cabinet
Fifthly, there is only one member of the cabinet from the ethnic minority community. Baroness Sayeeda Warsi is the only member of the Cabinet who represents both the ethnic minority community, Muslim community. She is the first Muslim Female to sit at the top table, in the Cabinet. She is unpaid, unelected and a “Minister without portfolio”. She is also the only non-white member of the cabinet. Baroness Warsi is also the first Muslim woman to become the Conservative Party Chair.

Women in Cabinet
Despite increase in female MPs at this election, new politics consists overwhelmingly of men in suits. As Mr. Cameron appointed the Cabinet members for the Conservative-Liberal Democrats Coalition women are notable by their absence. There were only four women at the top table.

From a total of 29 attending cabinet, there were just four women. There are four women in the new coalition cabinet, including the home secretary, Theresa May. All the women in the cabinet are Tories, observed Katharine Viner in The Guardian on 12 May 2010.

This is in contrast to the previous governments, both the Government under Gordon Brown and Tony Blair. Gordon Brown’s first cabinet in June 2007 had five women and a further four with the right to attend. The number of women in his final cabinet was down to four in his June 2009 reshuffle. Just before the formation of the present cabinet of the Cameron Coalition government, the former Labour government had three female Secretaries - Harriet Harman, leader of the House of Commons and equality spokeswoman, Tessa Jowell, Cabinet Office Minister and Yvette Cooper, work and pensions Secretary.

This is also in contrast to the days of ‘Blair’s babes’ in the old cabinet of 1997, which included five women: Margaret Becket, Mo Mowlam, Clare Short, Harriet Harman and Ann Taylor.

Compared to other countries, Britain’s performance in this area is ‘dismal’, as the following statistic shows: Women in European cabinets: Spain 53%, Germany 37%, France 33%, Neth 33%, Italy 27%, Greece 26%, Belgium 23%, Portugal 13%, it was reported in the Telegraph.

Fewer than one in five of Cameron's ministers are women compared with 53% of Spain's cabinet, 50% of Sweden's and 38% of Germany's, according to the Centre for Women and Democracy.

Historic Tory-Lib-Dems Policy Agreement
Seven closely-typed A4 pages contain the historic agreement that underpins the Cameron-Clegg era of coalition politics. The document has 11-sub-headings covering the key policy areas that were addressed in the five days of discussions between the Conservatives and Lib-Dems. The key paragraphs include spending tax, Trident missiles, banking reform, immigration, health and education.

The main provisions of the Tory-Liberal Democrats agreement are all there – the scrapping of the £4.5billion Pounds ID card and the national identity register, the abolition of the £350million Children’s ContactPoint database and the outlawing of fingerprinting of children in schools without parental permission.

There are proposals for fixed five-year term parliament; to raise the number of votes to win a no-confidence vote to 55 per cent of MPs (from 50 per cent plus one at present); to raise the income tax threshold to £10, 000 pounds over the coming years; abolish child benefit for the middle classes; likelihood of VAT going up to 20 per cent and an annual cap on immigration from outside the EU.
London
16 May 2010

British Muslims and UK's 2010 General Elections

UK’s 2010 General Elections
and British Muslim

Dr. Mozammel Haque

UK’s 2010 General elections is a milestone in Britain’s Muslim politics. A number of histories are made in this election. Firstly, British Muslim Members of the House of Commons has been doubled after the 2010 General Elections; first-ever British Muslim woman is elected to the British Parliament; the Conservatives have gained Muslim to be elected in this election and first-ever British-Bangladeshi is elected to enter the House of Commons.

Muslim MPs doubled in 2010 elections
Firstly, the number of British Muslim Members of the House of Commons has been doubled. Eight Muslims are elected to the British Parliament in this 2010 election – six from the Labour Party and two from the Conservatives. Out of the six Labour MPs, there are three males and three females. Sadiq Khan, the former Minister of Transport, is re-elected as Labour candidate from the Tooting Constituency with a majority of 2,524 votes and Khalid Mahmood is re-elected as Labour candidate from Birmingham Perry Bar for the second time, increasing his majority to more than 11,908 votes. In Glasgow Central, Anas Sarwar won the election by increasing Labour’s majority to almost 16,000. He replaced his father, Mohammad Sarwar, who stepped down at this election. Mohammad Sarwar was the Britain’s first Muslim MP in 1979.

First British Muslim woman MP
Secondly, for the first-time British Muslim woman is elected to the House of Commons in this election. Three Muslim women are elected - Yasmin Qureshi, Shabana Mahmood and Rushanara Ali. Barrister Yasmin Qureshi (47) is elected from Bolton South East where Labour had a comfortable majority of over 10,000 votes from retiring MP Brian Iddon, but by a reduced majority of more than 8,600. She was born in Gujarat, moved to Britain in 1972 when she was nine and qualified as a Barrister in 1985. She has worked in the Government Legal Services and the Crown Prosecution Service. She was the Head of the Criminal Legal Section of the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) and later the Director of the Department of Judicial Administration in Kosovo.

Barrister Shabana Mahmood (29) is elected from Birmingham Ladywood. She increased the majority of outgoing former International Development Secretary Clare Short from under 7,000 votes to more than 10,000 in Birmingham Ladywood in Central England. Shabana’s father, Mahmood Ahmed, is chairman of Birmingham Labour Party. Birmingham Ladywood has a Muslim population of nearly 30 per cent.

Rushanara Ali, 35-year old Oxford University graduate, won with a huge majority of 11,000 votes defeating Abjol Miah of Respect Party to the third place in Bethnal Green & Bow Constituency. Ajmal Masroor from the Liberal Democrats in second place. Ali, born in Bangladesh in 1975, moved to the East End of London, United Kingdom with her family at the age of 7 and attended Mulberry School and Tower Hamlets College.

Robert Booth wrote in The Guardian, ”The number of successful black and minority ethnic candidates rose from 16 in 2005 to 27, a rise of two for Labour and nine for the Conservatives. Three Labour candidates, Shabana Mahmood in Birmingham Ladywood, Rushanara Ali in Bethnal Green and Bow, and Yasmin Qureshi in Bolton South East, became Britain’s first female Muslim MPs, with majorities of more than 8,000.” He also wrote, ”With 11 seats still to count yesterday afternoon, Labour had elected 79 female MPs -31% of its total – and the percentage of women in the house rose to 21% from 19.5% in 2005.”

“Female representation in the UK Parliament has long been shameful: after the 2005 election women made up just 19% of all MPs, number 73 in the global league table, behind Norway, South Africa, Austria and Rwanda,” wrote Kira Cochrane in The Guardian on Saturday.

First Conservatives Muslim MP
Thirdly, for the first time the Conservatives have gained their Muslim MP entered into the House of Commons. The First Muslim Conservatives to be elected was Sajid Javid who retained Bromsgrove with an increased majority of more than 11,000 in Bromsgrove, Central England. Another Conservatives Rehman Chisti won by more than 8,500 votes in newly-created Gillingham and Rainham in south-east England. Nadhim Zahawi, the chief executive of online market research agency, YouGov, also became the first Iraqi Kurd to become UK MP by successfully defeating the Conservatives’ 10,000-plus majority in Strafford, Central England.

First British Bangladesh-born Muslim MP
Fourthly, for the first time British-Bangladeshi is elected to the House of Commons. Rushanara Ali, born in Bangladesh, regained the Labour seat in Bethnal Green & Bow constituency. All the Parliamentary candidates in this constituency were from the British-Bangladeshi background and there was a tough three-prong contest between Labour candidate, Rushanara Ali, Respect Party candidate, Abjol Miah and Liberal Democrat candidate, Ajmal Masroor. Ali won the election defeating Abjol Miah of the Respect Party by a majority of 11,000 votes. Though a daughter of a manual worker, she is the first in her family to go to university. She is graduate of Oxford University studied Politics, Philosophy and Economics at the University of Oxford. An ambitious young Labour activist who was listed by The Guardian as one of the most powerful Muslim women in Britain, Rushanara Ali claimed back the once Labour stronghold of Bethnal Green & Bow at the election.

May 6 elections were marked by a swing from Labour to the Conservatives which resulted in one of the two Muslim ministers, Shahid Malik losing his parliamentary seat for Dewsbury in northern England by just over 1,500 votes.

In 2010 UK General election, there were 89 Prospective Parliamentary Candidates (PPCs) of Asian origin compared with 68 in 2005. More than 80 Muslim candidates stood in Britain’s general elections out of which 16 were Muslim female candidates. These 16 Muslim female candidates were selected by different political parties. Labour has four Muslim female candidates; Conservatives six and Liberal Democrats four Muslim female candidates. Only one Muslim female contest election outside these three main parties is Salma Yaqoob who represented the anti-war Respect Party.

Muslim progression in political participation
Muslim has made a great progression in political participation in Britain. In 1992 General Elections, there were 11 Muslim PPCs, 4 from the Conservatives, 1 from Liberal Democrats and 6 from Other but none was elected. In 1997, there were 24 Muslim PPCs, 3 from Labour, 6 from the Conservatives, 4 from Liberal Democrats and 11 from Other but only 1 was elected from Labour, the first Muslim male, Mohammad Sarwar from Glasgow Central, elected into British Parliament in 1997 election as Labour MP. In 2001 general elections, there were 53 Muslim PPCs, 7 from Labour, 8 from the Conservatives, 11 from Liberal Democrats and 27 from Other but only 2 were elected from Labour; Mohammad Sarwar was re-elected and Khalid Mahmood was elected from Birmingham Perry Bar in 2001 election. In 2005 General Elections, there were 79 Muslim PPCs, 13 from Labour, 16 from the Conservatives, 21 from Liberal Democrats and 29 from Other but 4 were elected from Labour. Mohammad Sarwar re-elected, Khalid Mahmood re-elected, Shahid Malik from Dewsbury and Sadiq Khan from Tooting were elected as Labour MPs in 2005 election.

Anti-war Respect Party failed to win a single seat
Another feature of this election is that all the candidates of the anti-war Party, Respect Party - George Galloway, Abjol Miah and Salma Yaqoob, failed to win the election from the constituency - Poplar & Limehouse, Bethnal Green & Bow and Birmingham Hall Green respectively. Writing about Salma Yaqoob, Afua Hirsch observed in The Guardian on Saturday, “One of the highest profile minority casualties was the Respect party’s leader, Salma Yaqoob, who was standing in Birmingham Hall Green and had been described in the Asian press as the most respected Muslim female politician in Britain. Yaqoob came second to the sitting MP, Labour’s Roger Godsiff, following what her campaign manager claimed was a smear campaign against her.”

“Yaqoob would have been the first hijab-wearing MP, and her defeat by Labour is one of the most high profile minority failures,” observed Hirsch.

Humiliating defeat of BNP in Barking
Another feature of this election is that the far-right political party, British Nationalist Party (BNP), suffered a humiliating defeat in Barking as Labour stormed to victory with an increased vote. Labour MP Margaret Hodge fought off the far-Right party’s leader Nick Griffin, in what she described as the “toughest battle of my life”. Mrs. Hodge held on to her seat with 24,628 votes and the BNP in third place with 6,623 votes. Labour MP Margaret Hodge fought off the far-Right party’s leader Nick Griffin, in what she described as the “toughest battle of my life”. Even the BNP failed to make any breakthrough in council elections, losing seats in Stoke, Leeds, Sandwell and Epping Forest. The far-right organisation lost all 12 of its councillors in its supposed stronghold of Barking and Dagenham.

Labour’s victorious candidate, Margaret Hodge, who increased her majority said, as quoted by Mathew Taylor in The Guardian, “The people in Britain, we in Barking have not just beaten but we have smashed the extreme right,” she told her supporters and added, “The lesson from Barking to the BNP is clear: Get out and stay out, you’re not wanted here and your vile politics have no place in British democracy. Pack your bags and go!”

The 2010 General Election ended with the first hung parliament in 36 years. The Conservatives needed 326 seats for an overall majority but aim to govern as a minority government. Labour suffered a heavy defeat, losing at least 86 seats including big names, such as Jacqui Smith and Charles Clarke. But Labour fared less badly in the capital than nationally.

First Muslim woman in
Cameron-Clegg Coalition Cabinet
Cameron-Clegg Coalition government was formed and David Cameron, the Prime Minister, announced the appointment of his Cabinet in which, for the first time, there is only one member of the cabinet from the ethnic minority community. Baroness Sayeeda Warsi is the only member of the Cabinet who represents both the ethnic minority community, Muslim community. She is unpaid, unelected and a “Minister without portfolio”. Baroness Warsi is the firsts in so many respects: the first Muslim Female to sit at the top table, in the Cabinet; the first non-white member of the Cabinet and the first Muslim woman to become the Conservative Party Chair.

Rushanara Ali-First British Bangladesh-born Muslim MP

Rushanara Ali First British
Bangladesh born Muslim MP

Dr. Mozammel Haque

Rushanara Ali, British Bangladesh-born Muslim woman, becomes the first Member of the British Parliament (House of Common). The dream of British-Bangladeshi fulfilled. The dream comes true. 6th of May 2010 will remain the historic golden day in the life of the British Bangladeshi when Rushanara Ali was declared the Member of the Parliament (House of Common).

British-Bangladeshi in Britain
British-Bangladeshi is proud of her. Bangladeshis have been living in this country for a long time. It is their dream, desire, aspiration and target to be a Member of Parliament. Bengalis had been present in Britain as early as the 19th century. Throughout the 17th to early 20th centuries, the British East India Company brought over thousands of South Asian scholars, lashkars or seamen and workers, who were mainly Bengali Muslims to Britain. Naval cook also came, many of them from Sylhet, the north-eastern part of what is now Bangladesh. There are also records that people from Sylhet went onboard the sea-faring ships bound for the British Isles. Some of them jumped off ship in UK ended up settling in London, Liverpool and Bristol. These Sylheti seamen are identified as pioneer migrants of Bengal.

One of the most famous early Bengali Muslim migrants to Britain was sake Dean Mahomet (Shaikh Dean Mohammad), a captain of the British East India Company. In 1810, he founded London’s first Indian restaurant, the Hindoostane Coffee House. There are other records of Sylheti working in London restaurants since at least 1873. By the time World War 1 began, there were 51,616 South Asian Lashkars living in Britain, the majority of whom were of Bengali descent.

The early migrants came to find work; they were not educated and found their jobs as labourers in different industries. Most of these early migrants settled down and took local white British wives.

Large numbers of Bangladeshi men immigrated to London to search for employment during the 1950s and the 1960s. The majority of these people settled in Tower Hamlets, particularly around Spitalfields and Brick Lane. Many of them came from the Sylhet region. By the late 1970s the Brick Lane area had become predominantly Bengali, replacing the former Jewish community which had declined.

According to 2001 Census, 283,063 Bangladeshis lived in the UK, i.e. 0.5% of the total population. 54% of the Bangladeshi population lived in the Greater London area and a high proportion of these London inhabitants were located within the inner boroughs. Indeed, the ‘heartland’ of the London Bangladeshi community is to be found in Tower Hamlets, which contained 65,553 Bangladeshi residents or 22.8% of the UK Bangladeshi population.

The third generation of Tower Hamlets’ Bangladeshi population – those ‘born and bred’ in the area - constitutes approximately half of the community. Tower Hamlets can be seen as part of an inner ring of London boroughs running from Westminster, Islington and Camden round to Hackney, Newham and Southwark. In 2001, 118,346 Bangladeshis - 41.8% of the British Bangladeshi population - lived in this inner London ring.

The largest Bangladeshi population outside London is located in Oldham – 9,817 in 2001 or 4.5% of the city’s population, while 20,836 are scattered across Birmingham (2% of the city’s population), 7,642 in Luton (4%) and 4,967 in Bradford (1%). It is a very English urban population - very few live in Scotland or Wales.

Most of the British-Bangladeshi population, believe in one religion, Islam. Nearly all Bangladeshis in the UK are Sunni Muslims and mostly from Sylhet. Around 80% of “Indian Restaurants” in the UK are actually more accurately Bangladeshi restaurants – Bangladeshi owned, and selling food based on what’s eaten in the region.

Dream of Bangladeshi MP
Peter Shore was MP of the Bethnal Green & Stepney constituency during the period from 1964 to 1997. British-Bangladeshi was so much happy and satisfied that they did not think of any other person, not even from their own community, to represent them as Member of Parliament, because Peter Shore was their friend. But Peter Shore stood down from Parliament at the 1997 General Elections and took a life peerage as Baron Shore of Stepney. In the same year, this constituency was renamed Bethnal Green & Bow Constituency. British-Bangladeshi realised now that they should have their MP from their own community.

Bethnal Green & Bow Constituency
Bethnal Green & Bow constituency is one of the poorest constituencies in London, and also one of the most ethnically diverse with a large minority being Bangladeshi. Within this constituency, there is Tower Hamlets which has a proud history of taking in different people over the years. Huguenots, Irish, Jews, Bengalis and, more recently, Somalis have all found a welcome in the East End of London. Tower Hamlets is the third most deprived borough in the country, with 50% of children receiving free school meals, and it is the Bangladeshi community that experiences this most keenly.

Bangladeshis are more than 40% of the local population. As mentioned earlier, traditionally, throughout history, particularly, the last two/three decades, this area was Labour supporting area. The majority of Bangladeshis are what could be termed “natural Labour supporters.” But an unusual result took place in 1997 general election when there was a swing of 5% to the Conservative Party. This was happened over the decision of Labour Party to “parachute” in Oona King to take the seat after Peter Shore retired. Many in the local area would have preferred a candidate from a Bangladeshi background.

The loyalty of Bangladeshis was again tested by the British participation in the invasion of Iraq and the Iraq War, an action deeply unpopular with the Muslim community in the constituency but supported by Oona King. The former Labour MP, George Galloway, who was expelled from the Labour Party for his strong opposition to the invasion of Iraq, won Bethnal Green & Bow seat for Respect in the May 2005 General Election, beating the Labour black Jewish MP Oana King by a small majority of 823 votes. He received strong support from the constituency’s more than 39 per cent Muslim population, mostly from Bangladesh.

George Galloway promised that if elected, he will serve only one term and publicly pledged to put forward a Muslim candidate of Bangladeshi heritage to stand on the Respect platform next time round. Galloway kept his promise by selecting Abjol Miah as Respect candidate for the Bethnal Green & Bow constituency while himself stood as a Respect candidate for the newly created constituency, Poplar and Limehouse constituency. The other mainstream parties failed for so many years to nominate Bangladeshi candidates. We are aware the Conservative Party previously put up a Bangladeshi candidate.

British-Bangladeshi Candidates
In the 2010 General Elections, George Galloway selected, Abjol Miah, British Muslim of Bangladeshi origin, as a candidate for Respect Party and indirectly forced all other parties to put a candidate from the Bengali Muslim community. All the main political parties selected Bangladeshi Muslim candidates, and the largest Bengali population in the country was hoping finally to have a voice in Parliament.

There were seven candidates from different parties for the Bethnal Green & Bow constituency and all of them were British-Bangladeshi Muslim: Rushanara Ali from Labour, Zakir Khan from Conservative, Ajmal Masroor from the Liberal Democrat, Abjol Miah from Respect, Hasib Hikmat from the United Voice, Farid Bakht from the Green Party and Barrister Ahmed Malik as an Independent.

Rushanara becomes first British-Bangladeshi MP
All the Parliamentary candidates in this constituency were from the British-Bangladeshi background and there was a tough three-prong contest between Labour candidate, Rushanara Ali, Respect Party candidate, Abjol Miah and Liberal Democrat candidate, Ajmal Masroor. Labour Party not only selected Rushanara Ali as its candidate but had given serious political support to regain the Labour seat in Bethnal Green & Bow constituency. Former Labour leader Neil Kinnock and the Energy Secretary Ed Miliband attended her campaign launch as well as campaign trail.

Roushanara won the election defeating Abjol Miah of the Respect Party by a majority of 11,000 votes. Rushanara, born in Bangladesh in 1975, moved to the East End of London, United Kingdom with her family at the age of 7 and attended Mulberry School and Tower Hamlets College, is a British politician of Bangladeshi origin. Though a daughter of a manual worker, she is the first in her family to go to university. She is graduate of Oxford University studied Politics, Philosophy and Economics at the University of Oxford.

Rushanara Ali is the Trustee of the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, and Member of the Tate Britain Council and also Member of Labour Friends of Palestine and the Middle East. She was a Member of the Home Office Working Group on Preventing Extremism established after the 7/7 London bombings. Currently working as an Associate Director at the Young Foundation, Ali has a strong provenance in Labour politics, having worked for Lord (Michael) Young, the author of Labour’s 1945 manifesto.

An ambitious young Labour activist who was listed by The Guardian as one of the most powerful Muslim women in Britain, Rushanara Ali claimed back the once Labour stronghold of Bethnal Green & Bow at the election. Congratulation to Rushanara Ali for winning a Membership of the British Parliament as a British-Bangladeshi representative.

Poverty, unemployment and racial tensions are some of the key constituency issues in Bethnal Green and Bow. There are officially 23,000 on the council’s housing waiting list and officially over 15,500 families in overcrowded conditions and yet less than one in five homes being built in the largest building programme in London are earmarked to address this housing scandal. It is hoped that Rushanara’s experience will be useful to tackle these problems.

Congratulation to Prime Minister David Cameron and his new Government

Congratulation to Prime Minister David
Cameron and his new government

Dr. Mozammel Haque

I congratulate the appointment of David Cameron, MP, as Prime Minster and welcome Deputy Prime Minister Neil Clegg, MP. I convey my good wishes to the new government who is determined to govern for the national interest and work for the common good.

The Conservatives Party formed an historic coalition with the Liberal Democrats for the first time in the United Kingdom since the Second World War. In a message to supporters, Mr. Cameron said it marked a “new era for Britain” adding “Now let’s get to work”.

David Cameron’s appointment as Prime Minister and arrival in Downing Street marked the end of 13 years of Labour rule. David Cameron, the Conservative leader, who is six months younger than Tony Blair was when he won power in 1997, is the youngest Prime Minister since 1812 and the first Old Etonian to hold the office since the early 1960s.

New Cabinet
The new cabinet includes David Cameron, MP, Prime Minister; Neil Clegg, MP, Deputy Prime Minister; William Hague, MP, Foreign Secretary; George Osborne, MP, Chancellor; Vince Cable, MP, Business/Banking Secretary; Liam Fox, MP, Defence Secretary; Andrew Lansley, MP, Health Secretary; Chris Huhne, MP, Energy/Climate Secretary, MP; Ken Clarke, MP, Justice Secretary and Theresa May, MP, the Home Secretary.

The 2010 General Election ended with the first hung parliament in 36 years. Labour suffered a heavy defeat, losing at least 86 seats including big names, such as Jacqui Smith and Charles Clarke. But Labour fared less badly in the capital than nationally. The Conservatives won the most seats in 6 May, 2010 General Elections, but not enough to secure an overall Commons majority, resulting in a hung parliament.

Review of the Year 2009 - Turning Point for Peace

Review of the Year 2009: A Turning
Point for Peace in Global History

Dr. Mozammel Haque

The year 2009 is a turning point in the global history of progress towards peace and harmony instead of war and conflict. The terror which was unleashed by the former President of the United States of America, George W. Bush, in 2001 ended with the victory in the US Presidential election by Barrack Obama who came to power with the election campaign slogan “Time for change”. At the same time, from the east, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz ibn Saud, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques of Saudi Arabia came with the initiative of peace and harmony through interfaith dialogue. Both these leaders had a vision to bring peace and harmony in the world through recognition of the existence of different religions, cultures, people of different faiths and cultural backgrounds.

These two ventures opened the doors of peace and harmony instead of war and conflict in the world. But the year 2009 also witnessed a rise of Islamophobia in the western world, particularly in Europe. However, in the United Kingdom, it came to light that the British Muslims are most loyal citizens. The British Muslims made a great progress in different fields during the year 2009 in spite of rise of Islamophobia in some sector and the rise of far-right extremists.

At the beginning it will be demonstrated how the speeches of the two great leaders as well as heads of state will make the change in the social and political environment of the world.

King Abdullah’s Historic Conference
for Dialogue to bridge gaps and establish peace
King Abdullah began this journey of interfaith dialogue in the Holy City of Makkah, when he called on all 57 Muslim Heads of State to meet in Islam’s holiest city to ponder the issues of extremism and call for a Muslim renaissance. The King reiterated that message in words and deed. The King traveled to Vatican and met Pope Benedict offering him peace and friendship on behalf of the Muslim world. The visit heralded a new era in the relations between two Abrahamic faiths. Abdullah’s mission to Vatican was perhaps the strongest message of peace and good will to emanate from Arabia since the dawn of Islam in Makkah.

In June 2008, King Abdullah hosted a first historic Interfaith dialogue conference of hundreds of Islamic scholars in the Holy City of Makkah to discuss ways of promoting tolerance and more robust interfaith dialogue with the outside world. This Conference brought together more than 500 scholars, thinkers, officials of Muslim organizations and dialogue centres and academics from all Muslim countries and Muslim minorities living in various countries.

King Abdullah called on Muslims to counter challenges of rigidity, ignorance, narrow-mindedness so as to make the world accommodate the concepts and prospects of the message of Islam. “We are the voice of justice and moral values, we are the voice of rational and just co-existence and dialogue, the voice of wisdom and admonition, and dialogue with the best way possible as Allah says in the Holy Qur’an, ‘Invite all to the way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching and discuss with them in ways that are best’,” King Abdullah said. “The way to the others will be through the common values: the values that the Almighty has sent for man’s goodness, the values which discard unfaithfulness and that protect from crimes and fight terrorism, values that belittle lies and establish moral principles, truth, honesty and justice and enforce family ties,” the King said.

King Abdullah immediately within a month came to the West, to Europe and selected the most suitable country, Spain. The World Conference on Dialogue in Madrid took completely a new direction. All previous conferences for dialogue were held between religions where participants presented views of their religions. The Madrid gathering was completely different which assembled the followers of different religions, cultures and civilizations, who presented their views on issues facing mankind.

The conference focused on a common vision and principles acceptable to all as its aim was to focus on human issues and challenges facing the world and avoid theological questions. The conference stressed the need to build a bridge of mutual understanding and co-existence between various people so that the world would be free from the evils of war, injustice, violence, terrorism, drugs and depravity. Speaking about the Madrid conference, Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, Vatican City, said, “Since the very beginning of our meeting, King Abdullah has focused the objectives of this conference on Dialogue with a courageous speech when he declared: “If we wish this historic meeting to succeed, we must focus on the common denominators that unite us, namely faith in God, noble principles, and lofty moral values which constitute the essence of religion.”

Then King Abdullah went to the United Nations and told world leaders, in the first speech by a Saudi monarch to the United Nations in 51 years, that the time has come to learn from the unjustifiable bloodshed and destruction caused by fanaticism from religious and cultural differences throughout history, and to gather around common values “for a more peaceful, more just, and more tolerant world.”

King Abdullah called for dialogue as a good beginning for humanity and urged world leaders to open a new era of peace, leaving behind the bloody past, and mobilize their resources to fight poverty, provide treatment to patients and boost development. “We had enough of killings, enmity and rights violations,” the king said and added, “If countries in the world had turned to peace and kept away from wars and conflicts and spent their time and energy to fight poverty and engage in humanitarian work we would not have seen these diseases and poverty.”

President Obama Seeks a New Beginning
between the US and the Muslim World
Similarly, the US President Barack Hussein Obama issued an ambitious seven-point manifesto for better ties with the world’s 1.5 billion Muslims in his long-awaited, long promised historic address to the Muslim world at Cairo University in Egypt. His 55-minute speech before a 3,500 invited audience of politicians, opposition leaders, scholars and human rights activists was the centrepiece of his journey. It was billed as an effort by the President to soothe grievances of more than one billion Muslims across the world.

President Obama quoted from the Qur’an, paid homage to the cultural and intellectual achievements of Muslims and noted his middle name and his father’s ties to the faith. President Obama paid tribute to Islam’s influence in culture and civilization in his well-admired speech in Cairo. Obama said, “As a student of history, I also know civilization’s debt to Islam. It was Islam – at places like Al-Azhar University – that carried the light of learning through so many centuries, paving the way for Europe’s Renaissance and Enlightenment. And throughout history, Islam has demonstrated through words and deeds the possibilities of religious tolerance and racial equality.”

Weaving his personal biography and America’s biography into his speech, Obama said, “So I have known Islam on three continents before coming to the region where it was first revealed. That experience guides my conviction that partnership between America and Islam must be based on what Islam is, not what it isn’t. And I consider it part of my responsibility as President of the United States to fight against negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear.” At the same time, he said the same principle must apply in reverse. “Just as Muslims do not fit a crude stereotype, America is not the crude stereotype of a self-interested empire.”

Rise of Islamophobia in Europe
These two great leaders attempted to bring some sort of calmness, peace and harmony, not only between the West and the Islamic world, but also between different cultures, religions and faiths. No doubt, it brought some sort of understanding at the international level but at the same time, the world unfortunately noticed rise of Islamophobia in Europe, such as Burqa in France, Hijab murder in Germany, Islamophobic Film in Netherlands, Minaret ban in Switzerland and rise of far-right in Britain.

In France, President Nicolas Sarkozy made his attack on a small minority of Muslim women in his ‘state of the nation’ speech, stating that the burqa was not welcome in France, home to the largest Muslim community in Western Europe – five million and growing. President Sarkosy said, “The problem of the burka is not a religious problem, it's a problem of liberty and women's dignity. It's not a religious symbol, but a sign of subservience and debasement. I want to say solemnly, the burka is not welcome in France. In our country, we can't accept women prisoners behind a screen, cut off from all social life, deprived of all identity. That's not our idea of freedom.”

In Germany, On July 1, 2009, Marwa Ali El-Sherbini, a pharmacist who was three months pregnant, was brutally killed in a courtroom in the German city of Dresden while she was giving her testimony on how the defendant known only as Alex W insulted her for wearing the hijab on a playground last summer. It was at this point that Alex W calmly walked across the courtroom and frenziedly stabbed her 18 times. Her three-year-old son Mustafa was forced to watch the savage attack on his mother who died on the scene.

The German Government has been sharply criticised for its slow response to the Islamophobic murder. Secretary General of Germany’s the Central Council of Muslims, Aiman Mazyek, said the German neo-Nazis had been rousing up a climate of Islamophobia in Germany for years, which was led by the rise of far-right National Democratic Party in the country.

In Netherlands, Dutch Freedom Party MP, Geert Wilders, describes the Holy Qur’an as a “fascist book” and compared it to Hitler’s Mein Kampf. He has called for the Qur’an to be banned. Mr. Wilders also links the Islamic Holy Book to terrorism. The film ‘Fitna’ caused outrage across the Muslim world when it was posted on the internet in 2008. Mr. Wilders faces trial in his own country for inciting hatred. Earlier, this year (2009), a Dutch court ordered prosecutors to put Mr. Wilders on trial for inciting hatred and discrimination by making anti-Islamic statements.

In Switzerland, the proposal to ban the building of minarets had been put forward by the Swiss People's Party, (SVP), the largest party in parliament, which says minarets are a sign of Islamisation. The Swiss ban on the building of minarets has been treated with the derision it deserves as being totally irrational. There are only 4 minarets in Switzerland. Still, the majority voted to ban new ones being built. It breaches many of the fundamental principles that European civilisations have been built on.

The Amnesty International said, Swiss minaret ban would be discrimination against religion. “Contrary to the claims of the initiators of the referendum, a general prohibition of the construction of minarets would violate the right of Muslims in Switzerland to manifest their religion,” said Nicola Duckworth, Europe and Central Asia Programme Director at Amnesty International. She also added: “A ban on the construction of minarets while, for example, allowing those of church spires would constitute discrimination on the basis of religion.”

Former London mayor, Ken Livingstone, said: "The ban on minarets in Switzerland, a country that only has four minarets, is an attack not only on Muslims, but on the most basic freedoms in society.” "Let this referendum be a rallying call for all democrats - we must challenge Islamophobia and racism if we are to stop the far right," he added.

Britain is unique in Europe for its respect for Islam and other minority faiths and their practises. However, with the coming general election, there are dangers that Muslims may be ‘easy fodder’ to win cheap support. There are already indications that UKIP, under its new Chairman, Lord Pearson, may be prepared to play the BNP anti-Islam card.

There were some incidents of violence and targeting Mosques by the far-right extremists in Britain during the year 2009. Communities Secretary, John Denham, MP, conjured up visions of a return to 1930s fascism, following the rise of far-right groups, who are provoking violence and targetting mosques. He drew parallels with Oswald Mosley’s British Union of Fascists (BUF), uniformed as ‘Blackshirts’. “The tactic of trying to provoke a response in the hope of causing wider violence and mayhem is long established on the far-right and among extremist groups,” Denham said following the latest clashes at the new Harrow Central Mosque.

Achievements of British Muslim
Community During 2009
Though there is rise of far right groups, Britain is a country which has opened doors to Muslims for hope and glory, for their successes and achievements. During the year 2009, British Muslims made some progress in different fields of life, such as politics, media, both broadcasting and printed media, religion and culture. This was possible due to their loyalty and law-abiding and peace-loving character. Recently, Gallup conducted deeper studies in three European nations – the United Kingdom, France and Germany. In England, Germany and France, the three countries surveyed, Muslims are twice as likely as the general public to suppose that Muslims are loyal citizens.

The survey found that 77% of British Muslims were loyal to Britain compared to only 36% of the general public. However, nearly half of the British public (49%) said British Muslims were not loyal to Britain. Contrary to the prevailing stereotype, more British Muslims (67%) prefer to live in mixed neighbourhoods than the British public (58%). British Muslims have more confidence in democratic institutions than the general public: judicial system (76% against 55%), financial institutions (62% against 56%), honesty of elections (83% against 57%) and national government (40% against 32%). However Muslims have less confidence in the military than the general public (52% against 86%).

The first important achievement of the British Muslim community is the formation of Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board (MINAB). The British Muslim community itself proactively took the initiative to deliver a self-regulating body. As a result, Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board (MINAB) was formed. MINAB aims to work with mosques to understand the needs of their communities and help them to deliver their services to the highest possible standards.

In political participation, first ever Muslim joins Privy Council and for the first time Muslim is appointed as Cabinet Minister. A Muslim MP, Sadiq Khan, son of a bus driver, became the first ever Muslim to join the Cabinet as the Minister of State for Transport. The 38-year-old father of two is also the first Muslim to join the Privy Council. He was named as one of the most influential politicians in London in a series of lists compiled by the Evening Standard. The description in the paper reads, “The first Muslim privy counsellor attends Cabinet regularly and is increasingly making an impact.”

In broadcasting media, the BBC has appointed its first Muslim head of religion. Aaqil Ahmed becomes jointly the head of Religion and Ethics and Commissioning Editor for Religion TV. His biggest project at Channel 4 was the recent 8 part series on Christianity: A History, which included programmes presented by Howard Jacobson and Cherie Blair.

In printed media, Mehdi Hasan, Channel 4 News Editor, has been appointed as the new Senior Editor (Politics) at New Statesman. Since joining C4, Hasan has commissioned five different ‘Dispatches’ documentaries. Hasan commissioned the C4 ‘Dispatches’ film, ‘It Shouldn’t Happen to a Muslim’, which addressed the issue of rising Islamophobia since 7/7. Hasan joins New Statesman in June, 2009. At 29, he is the youngest editor in commissioning at C4 and has been nominated for the Royal TV Society Young Journalist of the Year Award.

For the first time in its 90 year history, the National Federation of Retail Newsagents (NFRN) has elected a Muslim to lead the 17,000 strong trade organisation. Suleman Khonat from Blackburn was voted in as the new National President at the NFRN’s Annual Conference in June, 2009.

In religion and culture, Hijab uniform for Fire service Muslim workers. The Lancashire Fire Service unveiled on March 2009, thirty a new uniform designed to increase recruitment of Muslim women. The uniform which includes full-length skirts, Hijab and long-sleeved shirts is designed only for wearing round the station and for outings such as school trips. For the first time, women will get their own fire-fighting suit designed to protect their upper body.

Besides the above achievement and success by the Muslim community of Britain during the year 2009, another very important event took place in the area of religion, i.e. the second extension of the East London Mosque at Whitechapel, East London.

Shaykh Dr. Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais, the Head Imam and Khateeb of the Masjid Al-Haram of Makkah al-Mukarramah launched second extension of the East London Mosque on the 4th of August, 2009 and unveiled the plaque of the foundations for the second phase of the East London Mosque, Whitechapel, London. After unveiling the plaque of the Mosque, the Head Imam of the Haram led the Maghreb prayer and gave a short speech to a congregation, with over 15,000 people. Shaykh Al-Sudais mentioned about Tauheed, the Oneness of Allah and said that we have to follow the Book of Allah the Almighty, The Holy Qur’an and to follow the Sunnah, the Traditions of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him.) Allah the Almighty sent him to us as the Mercy for the whole Mankind. We have to follow his character.

Elections 201 0 - A Milestone in Britain's Muslim Politics

UK’s 2010 elections – A milestone
in Britain’s Muslim Politics

Dr. Mozammel Haque

UK’s 2010 General elections is a milestone in Britain’s Muslim politics. A number of histories is made in this election. Firstly, British Muslim Members of the House of Commons has been doubled after the 2010 General Elections; first-ever British Muslim woman is elected to the British Parliament; the Conservatives have gained Muslim to be elected in this election and first-ever British-Bangladeshi is elected to enter the House of Commons.

Firstly, the number of British Muslim Members of the House of Commons has been doubled. Eight Muslims are elected to the British Parliament in this 2010 election – six from the Labour Party and two from the Conservatives. Out of the six Labour MPs, there are three males and three females. Sadiq Khan, the former Minister of Transport, is re-elected as Labour candidate from the Tooting Constituency with a majority of 2,524 votes and Khalid Mahmood is re-elected as Labour candidate from Birmingham Perry Bar for the second time, increasing his majority to more than 11,908 votes. In Glasgow Central, Anas Sarwar won the election by increasing Labour’s majority to almost 16,000. He replaced his father, Mohammad Sarwar, who stepped down at this election. Mohammad Sarwar was the Britain’s first Muslim MP in 1979.

Secondly, for the first-time British Muslim woman is elected to the House of Commons in this election. Three Muslim women are elected - Yasmin Qureshi, Shabana Mahmood and Rushanara Ali. Barrister Yasmin Qureshi (47) is elected from Bolton South East where Labour had a comfortable majority of over 10,000 votes from retiring MP Brian Iddon, but by a reduced majority of more than 8,600. She was born in Gujarat, moved to Britain in 1972 when she was nine and qualified as a Barrister in 1985. She has worked in the Government Legal Services and the Crown Prosecution Service. She was the Head of the Criminal Legal Section of the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) and later the Director of the Department of Judicial Administration in Kosovo.

Barrister Shabana Mahmood (29) is elected from Birmingham Ladywood. She increased the majority of outgoing former International Development Secretary Clare Short from under 7,000 votes to more than 10,000 in Birmingham Ladywood in Central England. Shabana’s father, Mahmood Ahmed, is chairman of Birmingham Labour Party. Birmingham Ladywood has a Muslim population of nearly 30 per cent.

Rushanara Ali, 35-year old Oxford University graduate, won with a huge majority of 11,000 votes defeating Abjol Miah of Respect Party to the third place in Bethnal Green & Bow Constituency. Ajmal Masroor from the Liberal Democrats in second place. Ali, born in Bangladesh in 1975, moved to the East End of London, United Kingdom with her family at the age of 7 and attended Mulberry School and Tower Hamlets College.

Thirdly, for the first time the Conservatives have gained their Muslim MP entered into the House of Commons. The First Muslim Conservatives to be elected was Sajid Javid who retained Bromsgrove with an increased majority of more than 11,000 in Bromsgrove, Central England. Another Conservatives Rehman Chisti won by more than 8,500 votes in newly-created Gillingham and Rainham in south-east England. Nadhim Zahawi, the chief executive of online market research agency, YouGov, also became the first Iraqi Kurd to become UK MP by successfully defeating the Conservatives’ 10,000-plus majority in Strafford, Central England.

Fourthly, for the first time British-Bangladeshi is elected to the House of Commons. Rushanara Ali, born in Bangladesh, regained the Labour seat in Bethnal Green & Bow constituency. All the Parliamentary candidates in this constituency were from the British-Bangladeshi background and there was a tough three-prong contest between Labour candidate, Rushanara Ali, Respect Party candidate, Abjol Miah and Liberal Democrat candidate, Ajmal Masroor. Ali won the election defeating Abjol Miah of the Respect Party by a majority of 11,000 votes. Though a daughter of a manual worker, she is the first in her family to go to university. She is graduate of Oxford University studied Politics, Philosophy and Economics at the University of Oxford. An ambitious young Labour activist who was listed by The Guardian as one of the most powerful Muslim women in Britain, Rushanara Ali claimed back the once Labour stronghold of Bethnal Green & Bow at the election.

May 6 elections were marked by a swing from Labour to the Conservatives which resulted in one of the two Muslim ministers, Shahid Malik losing his parliamentary seat for Dewsbury in northern England by just over 1,500 votes.

In 2010 UK General election, there were 89 Prospective Parliamentary Candidates (PPCs) of Asian origin compared with 68 in 2005. More than 80 Muslim candidates stood in Britain’s general elections out of which 16 were Muslim female candidates. These 16 Muslim female candidates were selected by different political parties. Labour has four Muslim female candidates; Conservatives six and Liberal Democrats four Muslim female candidates. Only one Muslim female contest election outside these three main parties is Salma Yaqoob who represented the anti-war Respect Party.

Muslim has made a great progression in political participation in Britain. In 1992 General Elections, there were 11 Muslim PPCs, 4 from the Conservatives, 1 from Liberal Democrats and 6 from Other but none was elected. In 1997, there were 24 Muslim PPCs, 3 from Labour, 6 from the Conservatives, 4 from Liberal Democrats and 11 from Other but only 1 was elected from Labour, the first Muslim male, Mohammad Sarwar from Glasgow Central, elected into British Parliament in 1997 election as Labour MP. In 2001 general elections, there were 53 Muslim PPCs, 7 from Labour, 8 from the Conservatives, 11 from Liberal Democrats and 27 from Other but only 2 were elected from Labour; Mohammad Sarwar was re-elected and Khalid Mahmood was elected from Birmingham Perry Bar in 2001 election. In 2005 General Elections, there were 79 Muslim PPCs, 13 from Labour, 16 from the Conservatives, 21 from Liberal Democrats and 29 from Other but 4 were elected from Labour. Mohammad Sarwar re-elected, Khalid Mahmood re-elected, Shahid Malik from Dewsbury and Sadiq Khan from Tooting were elected as Labour MPs in 2005 election.

Another feature of this election is that all the candidates of the anti-war Party, Respect Party - George Galloway, Abjol Miah and Salma Yaqoob, failed to win the election from the constituency - Poplar & Limehouse, Bethnal Green & Bow and Birmingham Hall Green respectively.

Another feature of this election is that the far-right political party, British Nationalist Party (BNP), suffered a humiliating defeat in Barking as Labour stormed to victory with an increased vote. Labour MP Margaret Hodge fought off the far-Right party’s leader Nick Griffin, in what she described as the “toughest battle of my life”. Mrs. Hodge held on to her seat with 24,628 votes and the BNP in third place with 6,623 votes.

The 2010 General Election ended with the first hung parliament in 36 years. The Conservatives needed 326 seats for an overall majority but aim to govern as a minority government. Labour suffered a heavy defeat, losing at least 86 seats including big names, such as Jacqui Smith and Charles Clarke. But Labour fared less badly in the capital than nationally.

Shabana Mahmood the first British Muslim woman elected Member of Parliament

Shabana Mahmood the First British Muslim
woman is duly elected as Member of Parliament

Dr. Mozammel Haque

Barrister Shabana Mahmood (29) is duly elected from the Birmingham Ladywood as Labour candidate. She got 19,950 votes and Ayoub Khan from the Liberal Democrats party got 9,845 votes. Shabana Mahmood is declared duly elected as Member of Parliament.

Barrister Mahmood is the first British Muslim woman who becomes the Member of the British Parliament.

Shabana Mahmood is the daughter of Mahmood Ahmad, who is chairman of Birmingham Labour Party.

Birmingham Ladywood has a Muslim population of nearly 30 per cent.

Sadiq Khan is duly re-elected Member of Parliament in 2010 General elections

Sadiq Khan is duly re-elected Member of Parliament in 2010 general election

Dr. Mozammel Haque

Sadiq Khan is duly re-elected from the Tooting Constituency as a Labour candidate in the 2010 general elections. He got 22,038 votes and the Conservative party candidate got 19,514 votes. Khan won by 2,524 votes majority.

Sadiq Khan was the first-ever Muslim to join in the Cabinet as Minister of Transport. He was first elected from the Tooting Constituency as Labour candidate in 2005 general elections.

After winning the election, Khan said, this election gives the "power to the people". He also said, "This is the highest vote Labour received since 1997."

Vote is your right. Choose honest, trustworthy Muslim-friendly candidate

Vote is your right. Choose honest, trustworthy,
Right-thinking and Muslim-friendly candidate

Dr. Mozammel Haque

This is the Election season. I would like to make the voters aware of their duties and responsibilities in a democratic process where they can make their voices heard. 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 from participating in the political process where they are living.

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. For this reason, I interviewed Muslim personalities from different fields, such as member of British Parliament, member of Muslim Think-tank, Muslim member of Judiciary and community leaders. Let us start, first, with the member of the British Parliament, Lord Ahmed of Rotherham.

Lord Ahmed
In reply to my queries about the importance of this year elections, Lord Ahmed said, “I think this is going to be the most historic elections in our times because most of the 114 seats which are marginal are going to be dependent on ethnic minorities, i.e., black, Asian, Afro-Caribbean Muslim and Hindu votes. So if we cannot make impact on this occasion, then for the next foreseeable future we cannot see anything happening. This is the time when we should be campaigning to make sure that our people turnout to vote. We are not a single topic community. We are not homogeneous community. We have to vote in accordance with our beliefs and in accordance with our thinking. But I think that we have to make sure that we first turnout for votes; secondly, we need to make sure that good candidates are supported and thirdly, I would say: support Labour.”

“In this election, there have UK Independent Party (UKIP) and British Nationalist Party (BNP) which are very anti-Muslim parties because UKIP is not only supporting Geert Wilders but also the Lord Pearson down here leader of the Party is very anti-Muslim and we have to make sure that our people turnout and vote for the major political parties and reject this extremist in our society,” added and advised Lord Ahmed.

Dr. Muhammad Manazir Ahsan
I have the opportunity to meet and interview two respected personalities at the Annual General Meeting of Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board (MINAB) in Leicester. I was very much worried the way Muslim vote will be split in the Bethnal Green & Bow constituency. I requested Dr. Muhammad Manazir Ahsan, Director-General of the Islamic Foundation, Leicester, to comment on the situation and give his advice. Dr. Ahsan said, “Our aim is to bring a good Muslim who can serve the community, who can also serve the cause of Islam and the wider community; who is honest, trustworthy; and who has have a background. So this is what we are trying to do. Unfortunately, the temperature of election is so high that everybody thinks he will win. This is something which is bad. We are trying our best from behind.”

“It is quite obvious if the Muslims fight amongst themselves, they will not be able to get the seat,” said Dr. Ahsan and argued, “We cannot ask them; we can only request them from outside. What we are seeing observing, this is not a good sign for them. If somehow they could come together, make some sort of adjustment that would be the best thing to do, Insha Allah.”

Judge Khurshid Drabu
I also interviewed Judge Khurshid Drabu, the first Muslim Judge in the UK and requested him to advice the constituents on the May 6 elections. Judge Drabu said, “I would like to take this opportunity of emphasizing and making the point most strongly that we, as Muslims, have a duty in this country to participate effectively in the election process. This country is a free country; we must take advantage of that freedom and each one of us is an ambassador of our faith. We have a moral and religious duty to ensure that we follow our faith and the laws of this country. We have a duty to engage in the political process of this country.”

“We have freedom here and we can actually make a difference by engaging in political discourse and in the political process if more and more Muslims partake in election and ensure that Muslim-friendly government comes into being, we will be much richer and much better community all round. Because Islam as a faith practise properly and true to spirit and letter, is the best deen in the world. There is no doubt about it. We can only do the Dawah of Islam if we actually take the opportunity to engage in the process, which then gives us the power to make the difference,” added Judge Drabu.

While emphasizing on choosing for Muslim-friendly candidates, not the parties, Judge Drabu argued, “I don’t care which party they represent; as long as they are understanding of Islam and support you and your aspirations that matters.”

Sir Iqbal Sacranie
Sir Iqbal Sacranie, former Secretary General of Muslim Council of Britain (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 the Union of Muslim Organisation of the UK & Eire (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 members 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.

Conclusion
From the above, it becomes clear that a tiny minority group is trying to dissuade people from neither participating in election 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 elections; turnout in large numbers on the election day, i.e. on May 6; cast your votes tactfully and intelligently or choose a honest, trustworthy, sincere, right-thinking and Muslim-friendly candidate and thereby participate in the political process of the country.