Bethnal Green & Bow Constituency -Constituents, Candidates & Concerns

Bethnal Green & Bow Constituency:
Constituents, Candidates and Concerns

Dr. Mozammel Haque

The British-Bangladeshi community is going to make history on May 6. No matter who wins the race in Bethnal Green & Bow constituency, the elected Member will be the first British-Bangladeshi Muslim Member of the House of Commons. The simple reason is this that all the main political parties have selected the Prospective Parliamentary Candidates from the British-Bangladeshi background.

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 Bangladesh. 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. 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 selection of a Labour Party’s decision 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 is standing as a Respect candidate for the newly created constituency, Poplar and Limehouse constituency. He said I kept my promise by nominating a Bangladeshi candidate and now you keep your promise by electing him. 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 election, George Galloway has selected a long-time youth worker and community activist, Abjol Miah, British Muslim of Bangladeshi origin, as a candidate for Respect Party and indirectly forced all the parties to put a candidate from the Bengali Muslim community. All the main political parties have selected Bangladeshi Muslim candidates, and the largest Bengali population in the country will finally have a voice in Parliament, and hopefully, one of those candidates will become the first British-Bangladeshi Member of Parliament.

The sitting MP George Galloway of the Respect Party has stepped aside to allow Respect councillor of Tower Hamlets, Abjol Miah to stand. The Conservative has chosen Zakir Khan, who has earned praise for his work on issues as poverty and the environment. The Conservatives have made concerted efforts to gain support in the local Bengali community by fielding a candidate from the Bangladeshi community in previous elections. Labour has selected Rushanara Ali as its candidate and she has been given serious political support by her party which arranged former leader Neil Kinnock and the Energy Secretary Ed Miliband to attend her campaign launch.

So, there are seven candidates from different parties for the Bethnal Green & Bow constituency and all of them are British-Bangladeshi Muslim. It is not unusual to find Muslims standing against each other as candidates for different parties. A striking example is the East London constituency of Bethnal Green & Bow where seven Muslim candidates are standing: 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 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, 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. She said, ‘Monday night’s ‘Dispatches’ programme emphasized the challenge that exists in uniting the community – but working together to tackle our common problems is what the people of Tower Hamlets truly want and desperately need. That is what my campaign for Parliament is all about.”

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 aims to claim back the once Labour stronghold of Bethnal Green & Bow at the election.

Her opponent, again Bangladeshi, Respect Party candidate, Abjol Miah, an anti-war campaigner, seeks people’s votes in Bethnal Green and Bow Parliamentary election. Abjol Miah, born in Sylhet, Bangladesh in 1971, moved with his family to Tower Hamlets when he was six months old, studied at Goldsmiths College, University of London, where he received his degree in Social Anthropology and Sociology. At the age of 23, he represented Britain at the 1994 World Stick Fighting Championships in the Philippines and he is a UK Silver medallist in the sport, as well as a black belt in Taekwondo.

Abjol has worked as a drug prevention education officer and at the Drug Action Team. He has long standing roles in voluntary sector community organisations in Bethnal Green and Bow. Abjol Miah has been a Councillor for the London Borough of Tower Hamlets since 2006; and from that time has led the Respect Opposition Group. Councillor Abjol was the founding chair of the Tower Hamlets Muslim Advisory Group to the Metropolitan Police Borough Commander. He is one of those first members of Respect Party as a British-Bangladeshi.

Her Liberal Democrat counterpart, Ajmal Masroor, a British imam, politician and television presenter, is perhaps the best known of the candidates – a large part of that is due to his being television presenter on political discussions and appearances on national and community television channels.

Ajmal Masroor, born in Bangladesh in 1970, came to Britain with his parents at the age of one, moved back to Bangladesh at the age of nine years and returned to East End of London again at the age of 13. He was brought up in Shadwell, attended the Bluegate Fields School on Cable Street and studied Politics and Arabic at School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, after his GCSEs and A Levels. He was very active in student unions and Islamic Societies.

At the age of 19, Ajmal challenged his father who attempted to force him into a marriage in Bangladesh, saying forced marriage is not acceptable in Islam. He then married a Hungarian, Henrietta Szovati (who had converted to Islam) and they now have two children.

Ajmal is well-known activist, associated with a variety of associations such as the Islamic Society of Britain, the Muslim Council of Britain and the ‘Forward Thinking’ network. His appearances on Islam Channel have also made him a Muslim household name. Ajmal is a local imam, who only leads Friday prayers weekly at four different mosques in London: Goodge Street Mosque, Palmsers Green Mosque, Weasr Easling Mosque and Wightman Road Mosque in Haringey.

Zakir Khan has been selected as Conservative Parliamentary candidate for Bethnal Green and Bow constituency. He has worked for Canary Wharf Group PLC in the Public Affairs Department for the past ten years and established and maintained a strong productive network of individuals and organisations both in the statutory and voluntary sectors.

There are other candidates in the Bethnal Green & Bow Constituency, Farid Bakht of the Green Party and Barrister Ahmed Malik, who is standing as an independent. They are also British Muslims of Bangladeshi heritage.

Barrister Ahmed Malik, Independent Candidate, “I am very disappointed that the Muslims along with other mainstream party candidates in this general election are very shy to talk about the problems faced by the British Muslims,” said Barrister Ahmed A. Malik, Chairman of the Muslim Weekly newspaper, who announced his candidacy as an Independent Member of Parliament for London’s Bethnal Green and Bow constituency. He pledges to raise your voice against Islamophobia, Anti-Muslim hatred and Discrimination and vows to fight for better housing, education, healthcare and reducing crime.

At a press conference recently, Mr. Malik said, “Islamophobia is still on the rise with BNP and English Defence League gaining popularity in various part of the country. There have been numerous attacks on Muslims on the street, in their businesses, women wearing hijab are frequently being abused, harassed, arson attacks and vandalisms are regular occurrences on the Mosques, Muslim graveyards. There are continuous discrimination against Muslims and other minority communities in areas like employment, education and housing.”

Constituents’ concerns and candidates
British-Bangladeshi Muslims are divisive across the secular versus religious, Sylheti versus non-Sylheti and above all, they are very much influenced by the back home politics, Awami League versus Jamaat-BNP. The major political parties of Bangladesh have their branches and supporters among the British-Bangladeshi community living in this constituency. Many people are articulating the concern voiced by many constituents, of other faiths and backgrounds that the intricacies of Bengali community politics – intimately connected as these are with the politics of Sylhet, the north-eastern region of Bangladesh from where the majority of Britain’s Bengali community originate.

The election contest in this constituency will be three-pronged between Labour, Respect and Liberal Democrat; it is essentially between the three candidates, Rushanara Ali from Labour, Abjol Miah from the Respect Party and Ajmal Masroor from the Liberal Democrats.

The British-Bangladeshi community is very much sensitive about the issues such as war in Iraq and Afghanistan, Palestine issue, Islamophobia and civil liberties. Poverty, unemployment and racial tensions are some of the key constituency issues in Bethnal Green & Bow which all candidates will have to engage with during the election. There are officially 23,000 on the council’s housing waiting list and officially over 15,500 families in overcrowded conditions in the area. So the key issues which need to be addressed in this constituency are the housing estates including crime and anti-social behaviour and other issues such as health, education, transport, community safety, housing, preventing extremism and the environment and creating jobs for local people.

There was a lively YouElect Hustings recently chaired by The Guardian’s Jonathan Steele and took place at Wapping’s Ensign Youth Centre where there were moments of controversy throughout the night. The husting revealed some key policy differences between the candidates: Ajmal Masroor called for a negotiated withdrawal of British troops from Afghanistan, while Abjol Miah called for an immediate withdrawal. Disagreement also emerged surrounding the sensitive issue of Palestine. While Abjol Miah was clear about his intention to pursue George Galloway’s policy of placing Palestine at the forefront of his agenda.

The feeling on the ground is that what Bethnal Green & Bow needs a man or woman prepared to take courageous stands and reflect the constituency’s views and aspirations.

16 British Muslim Female PPCs for 2010 elections

16 British Muslim Female Prospective Parliamentary

Candidates for 2010 General Elections

Dr. Mozammel Haque

UK 2010 General election will make history on May 6 when the first-ever British Muslim female will be elected to the British Parliament. Major political parties have fielded Muslim female candidates in safe winnable seats and there may be a handful of women politicians from the Muslim community in the House of Commons by the summer.

A record 22 Asian women are running to become Labour, Liberal Democrat and Conservative MPs in England and Scotland in 2010 election. It must be pointed out that the first Asian male MP was elected in 1892, when Dadabhai Naoroji, an Indian, took the seat of Finsbury, Central London, for the Liberals. Almost 120 years later nine Asian male MPs have been elected, but still no Asian woman.

The first Muslim male, Mohammad Sarwar from Glasgow Central, elected into British Parliament in 1997 election as Labour MP followed by second Muslim Labour MP, Khalid Mahmood from Birmingham Perry Bar in 2001 election and Shahid Malik from Dewsbury and Sadiq Khan from Tooting also elected as Labour MPs in 2005 election; but no Muslim female as yet.

In 2010 UK General election, there are 89 Prospective Parliamentary Candidates (PPCs) of Asian origin compared with 68 in 2005. More than 70 Muslim candidates are standing in Britain’s general elections next month out of which 16 are Muslim female candidates.

These 16 Muslim female candidates have been selected by the different political parties to contest in this election. Labour has selected four Muslim female candidates; Conservatives six and Liberal Democrats four Muslim female candidates. Only one Muslim female who is contesting election outside these three main parties is Salma Yaqoob who is representing the anti-war Respect Party.

Labour has three Muslim women standing in safe seats at this election. Labour has selected three Muslim female candidates – Yasmin Qureshi, Shabana Mahmood and Maryam Khan, to defend Labour seats respectively in Bolton South East, Birmingham Ladywood and Bury North. Barrister Yasmin Qureshi (47) is almost certain to be elected in Bolton South East where Labour had 57 per cent of the vote in 2005. She is inheriting a comfortable majority of over 10,000 votes from retiring MP Brian Iddon. 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 standing in safe constituency - Birmingham Ladywood - where former International Development Secretary Clare Short was re-elected as Labour MP for the constituency in 2005 with nearly 52 per cent of the vote, followed by the Liberal Democrats with 31.5 percent. Shabana’s father, Mahmood Ahmed, is chairman of Birmingham Labour Party. Birmingham Ladywood has a Muslim population of nearly 30 per cent.

Maryam Khan (27) is representing Bury North. She will replace the current Labour MP David Chaytor who is stepping down. Maryam became Manchester’s youngest councillor in 2006. Her father, Afzal Khan, was the first Asian and first Muslim Pakistani Lord Mayor of Manchester from 2005 to 2006. If elected, the 27-year old solicitor will not only become the first Pakistani Muslim female MP, but also the youngest in Greater Manchester.

Besides those three safe constituencies, Labour has selected 35-year old Oxford University graduate, Rushanara Ali, who was born in Bangladesh, to try to regain Labour seat in Bethnal Green and Bow where George Galloway MP, the darling of the anti-war movement and outspoken champion for dispossessed Palestinians, won against Labour black Jewish MP Oona King by a small majority of 823 votes in 2005 election. Keeping his “one term only” promise, George Galloway, the sitting MP of the Respect Party, is standing down in Bethnal Green & Bow to stand as Respect candidate in the newly created constituency of Poplar and Limehouse constituency against Labour MP Jim Fitzpatrick. Rushanara Ali is a local Tower Hamlets resident and a reputed brainbox with an Oxford PPE. She is currently a director at the Young Foundation.

Another potential Muslim female candidate is Salma Yaqoob who is contesting outside the main three political parties from the Respect Party, set up in 2004 as an anti-war party. Salma Yaqoob, born in Bradford but raised in Birmingham, scored an impressive result in the 2005 election when she came second with a total of 10,498 votes in Birmingham’s Sparkbrook & Small Heath constituency, the population of which was nearly 49 per cent Muslim. She came second to Labour with 27 per cent of the vote, and slashed the majority of the Labour MP Roger Godsiff from 16,000 to just over 3,000. In May 2006 she was elected councillor for the Sparkbrook ward in Birmingham.

Salma Yaqoob has addressed numerous demonstrations and meetings all protesting against the war in Iraq and the Israeli occupation of Palestine. She has continued to fight for civil liberties in Britain and against all policies that target those freedoms and liberties. In the new constituency of Birmingham Hall Green which is 35.7 per cent Muslim, Salma Yaqoob, a prominent anti-war activist and Respect’s co-founder member and vice-chair, is standing as a candidate for the tiny and fractured Respect party, again against Godsiff.

Under the caption entitled, “A small revolution: the British Muslim who could make history,” Madeleine Bunting, a Guardian columnist and its associate editor, wrote in The Guardian, Salma Yaqoob could become Britain’s first Muslim woman MP.

Professor Anwar notes that at least Labour has selected three Muslim women for safe seats at the 2010 general election but that the other parties have not selected Muslims for safe seats.

Among the Muslim male candidates, Labour has four sitting Muslim MPs, three of them, Sadiq Khan, Shahid Malik and Khalid Mahmood are seeking re-election, while in Glasgow Central, Anas Sarwar is seeking to replace his father, Mohammad Sarwar, who is stepping down.

The Conservatives have selected two Muslim candidates – Sajid Javid and Nadhim Zahawi in safe constituencies. The Liberal Democrats have 17 Muslim candidates, including four women.

Whatever happens, one thing is certain: this election is likely to see an increase on the current 4 Muslim MPs and the election of the first Muslim women MPs with candidates such as Yasmin Qureshi standing in a safe seat in Bolton. (If parliament reflected the British population there would be 19 Muslim MPs.)

Sir Iqbal Sacranie is of opinion that Yasmin Qureshi would be the first-ever Muslim Female MP in the British Parliament after the election. Sir Iqbal thinks we will get a sort of five or six Muslim MPs maximum. “If seats reflected the make-up of the population as a whole, there would be more than 60 ethnic minority MPs and 70 peers, rather than the present 15 in the Commons and around 30 in the Lords,” Professor Anwar said.

Sir Iqbal said, “If you look at the percentage of the Muslim community, the number of candidates still less than 25%. We are 3% of the total population.”

Muslim should vote or not to vote

ELECTIONS 2010
Muslim should vote or NOT 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 dissolution of the Parliament. The three main political parties, Labour Party, Conservative Party and Liberal Democrat Party are going to declare their Election Manifestoes. The Prime Minister revealed Labour’s manifesto on Monday, the 12th; the Tories published their manifesto on Tuesday, the 13th, with the Liberal Democrats following today, Wednesday, the 14th of May. There will be election for 650 Parliamentary seats at the 2010 general election. There is a rise of four on the number of seats contested in 2005.

In the last general election in 2005, Labour won 355 seats; the Conservatives won 198, while the Liberal Democrats took 62. 15 MPs were elected at the 2005 general election 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
Like last general elections in 2005, a very tiny minority anti-voting brigade was telling everyone NOT to vote and also distributing anti-vote leaflets, especially after the Friday Jumah prayer near Mosques. Now the question naturally comes to the average people who are confused 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 MP, 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 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, Dr. Jamal Badawi from Canada, Mufti Ibrahim Desai from South Africa and also the opinions of Islamic scholars, such as Shaykh Ibrahim Mogra, Shaykh Suhaib Hasan and Shaykh Abdur Raheen from the United Kingdom.

Shaykh Taha Jabir al-Alwani, Muslim World League, Makkah;
OIC Islamic Fiqh Academy
“...it is incumbent upon Muslims to actively participate for the following reasons: 1) In order to protect our rights as citizens, we must be involved in politics. 2) Our involvement can facilitate our support of our fellow Muslims around the world. 3) Our interaction with non-Muslims and our involvement will help to spread Islam's message. 4) It helps to convey the universality of Islam... Our participation is an obligation in Islam, and not merely "a right" that we can choose to forfeit at will. It affords us the opportunity to protect our human rights, guarantee the fulfillment of our needs, and work for the improvement of living conditions for Muslims and non-Muslims in America and abroad... 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 Muhammad ibn Adam al-Kawthari, Dar al-Iftaa;
Darul Uloom; student of Mufti Taqi Usmani
“...In a situation where there is no worthy candidate (as in non-Muslim countries, where at least the ideologies and beliefs of the relevant parties are contrary to the teachings of Shariah), then the vote should be given to the one who is the better and more trust worthy then the other candidates... Vote should be given to the candidate that one believes will give people their rights, prevent oppression, and so on... If it is thought that a particular candidate or party will be of benefit to the general public in their day to day affairs, then the vote should be given to him. And by voting a particular party, it will not be considered that one agrees with all their ideologies and beliefs... At times, voting becomes necessary. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (rAa) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (sAas) said: "If people see an oppressor and don't prevent him, then it is very likely that Allah will include all of them in the punishment" (Sunan Tirmizi & Sunan Abu Dawud). Therefore, if you see open oppression and transgression, and despite having the capability of preventing this oppression by giving your vote, you don't do so, then in the light of this Hadith you will be sinful...”

Dr. Jamal Badawi, Islamic Society of North America;
Islamic Information Foundation, Halifax, Canada
“I'll just give you one specific example. Suppose you have two candidates for president, for example. Both of them might be not even sympathetic to just Muslim causes, suppose. In most cases that is actually the situation... However, in terms of relative harm and benefit which is a rule of Shariah it may be the collective wisdom, for example, of Muslim voters that one of them would do even greater harm to Muslim causes than the other... Well in that case, obviously, the lesser of the two harms, i.e. electing or voting for someone who will do less harm to Muslims obviously would be much better than sitting on the sidelines and just criticizing both and doing nothing about it... Voting for them and supporting them in elections is not necessarily an agreement with everything that the law, by way of laws and regulations. But at least it would be for that particular, limited purpose.”

Mufti Ibrahim Desai, Darul Ifta, South Africa
“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, Graduate of Dar-ul-Uloom, Holcombe
Al-Azhar University; S.O.A.S, London
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. I support marching in the streets to raise awareness about certain issues. However, if we really want to change the status-quo then we have to influence those who walk the corridors of power. Muslims need not only to vote but put forward Muslim candidates in all the mainstream and serious independent parties. We need to be represented or be present at the tables around which policies are discussed, made and agreed.

Sayyiduna Yusuf (as) put himself forward in the political process of Egypt - the rest is history! [Refer to Quran 12:55]. He saved countless lives, united people with God and showed how rulers ought to rule. Are Muslims in our country saying they do not want to unite people with God and save them from eternal doom? Do we want to remain "slaves" under the dominion of others without power of any sort? Or do we want to become masters; just, caring and merciful? The right to vote is one of Allah's blessings over us which we can use to benefit society. There are many in the world who do not have this blessing.

Allah says in the Quran: "Allah presents an example: a slave (who is) owned and unable to do a thing and he to whom We have provided from Us good provision so he spends from it secretly and publicly. Can they be equal? Praise be to Allah! But most of them do not know." [Quran 16:75]

So get up and use that blessing!”

Shaykh Suhaib Hasan, Secretary, Islamic Sharia Council of Great Britain; Graduate of Islamic University at Madinah
“Looking at the situation of the Muslim community and their need to have their interests met, it becomes advisable for the Muslims to achieve this purpose through the available political system. Through voting, a man can bring to Parliament such candidates who sympathise with the Muslim cause. The vote can be treated either as a good intercession (Ayah 85, Surah An-Nisa), or as Naseehah (hadith narrated by Tamim Ad-Dari in which Naseehah is to be advanced for the betterment of the Muslims in general), or it can be treated as Tawkeel (deputising someone on your behalf to achieve a certain task). Whichever you take, by voting you can bring a better change in the affairs of this country.

Shaykh Abdur Raheem Green
Central Mosque, London
“However, having read and listened to the sayings of many scholars on this issue, and being faced with the reality of a growing Muslim population here in the UK, who for all intents and purposes consider this their home, it has become clear to me that we must participate in every aspect of society as much as possible to ensure our rights and continued existence and well being in this society. This participation most certainly includes voting for whichever party or candidate best serves the needs and interests of the UK and indeed world wide Muslim population.

“This does not mean approval or acceptance of the ideal of democracy, but the intention is to use the means and avenues available to benefit the Muslims. The Prophet (saws) did not approve of the system of tribalism in Arabia, in fact he condemned it, but this did not stop the Prophet (saws) from accepting the protection of his uncle and the tribe of Banu Haashim. In addition to that it seems to me that the evil of participation is far less than the evil that will befall the Muslims if we do not, and the Shariah teaches us always to choose the path of lesser evil. This has been expounded and clarified by the scholars.”

Muslim leaders and organisations in the UK
Following the guidance of Islamic scholars all over the world, the Muslim leaders as well as Muslim organisations in the UK 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, 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 & Eire (UMO), Judge Khurshid Drabu and the Muslim Student Community, FOSIS.

Imam Shahid Raza
Chairman MINAB
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
Former Secretary General of MCB
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
General Secretary UMO
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. MAB President Al-Amin Belhaj said “Muslim voters must give their votes to those best able to serve the British people as a whole without any kind of segregation or alienation towards any section of the society”.

“The Muslim Association of Britain suggests to the Muslim community to vote for the best candidates belonging to the major political parties including the Labour Party, the Liberal Democrats and the Conservative Party and according to the best manifesto serving the social justice, the environment and a more humane policies in fighting poverty, Islamophobia and any kind of occupation of other people countries’.

“MAB is urging the Muslim Community to participate and vote in UK 2010 General Election and inviting Muslim Community to participate in media campaigns and a series of TV adverts being broadcasted on Islam Channel and others,” said the press release.

Judge Khurshid Drabu
Judge Khurshid Drabu said to me in an interview, “We are free to practice our deen, we are free to make a difference; that is the beauty that we have here. The youth of this country, the Muslim youth, have a duty, just as the elderly folk has duty, to engage in the political process and to make sure that our voice are heard.”

“We can not continually keep mourning about the image created by the media. We have to look within ourselves as well and make sure that we give out good stories,” Judge Drabu observed and added, “Of course, there is Islamophobia, we all know that.”

Muslim Student community - FOSIS
FOSIS is calling upon Muslim students, led by Islamic Societies, to make a change. That change can be delivered, with the permission of Allah, this Spring through the general election.

FOSIS said in its message: “The general election presents an awesome opportunity to help shape the future of this country. And it only comes every half a decade. You now decide who the politicans will be and shape what they should stand for. The politics of those who spread fear and difficulty must be overcome, the politics of those who share our common concerns must be promoted, and policies must now be shaped around what we - the electorate - demand. Politics must change.

“We urge you to get involved, firstly for the sake of Allah to gain His pleasure and through that to benefit justice for Muslims and for Britain. We aren’t saying that we can change the world tomorrow, but at the very least we can have a significant impact in a number of local seats as per our calculations,” the FOSIS Message runs.

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.

Islamic scholars also said that as for participation in politics itself, we should consider that if the parliaments and congresses of these countries do not have any Muslim members, then this will pave the way for the opposition to come forth with their harmful views and policies, which will consequently be incorporated into the laws of their countries and bring harm to the Muslims. That’s why, Shaykh Mogra considers Muslim political participation, especially in a non-Muslim country, ‘as a form of Jihad’ and Mufti Desai considers not to vote ‘be tantamount to transgression and breach of trust in the eyes of Shariah’.

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.

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.

Dr. Syed Aziz Pasha receives Lifetime Achievement Award

Dr. Pasha Receives Lifetime
Achievement Award

Dr. Mozammel Haque

Dr. Syed Aziz Pasha, the General Secretary of the Union of Muslim Organisations of the United Kingdom & Ireland (UMO), was given The Editor’s Lifetime Achievement Award at The Muslim News Award for Excellence Annual Ceremony, held at London’s Grosvenor House, on Monday, the 15th of March, 2010.

Over 800 people celebrated the Tenth Annual The Muslim News Awards for Excellence - Britain's longest standing Muslim awards event. The coveted award ceremony recognised the very best of Muslim contribution to British society. Special guests included Communities Secretary, John Denham, MP, and Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Grayling, MP. They were joined by civic and religious leaders, as well as representatives from the worlds of politics, business, sport and the arts, to honour unsung heroes and heroines of the community.

Presenting the Editor’s Lifetime Achievement Award to Dr. Pasha, Mr. Ahmed J. Versi, the Editor and Publisher of The Muslim News, said, “As we mark the tenth year of The Muslim News Awards, this new accolade recognises those who have made exceptional contributions to the life of Britain’s Muslim community. Unlike the other Awards – whose recipients are chosen by a strictly independent panel of judges – this tribute is granted by the Editor of The Muslim News.”

“The winners of this Award personify the spirit of this entire initiative. They are our community’s unsung heroes who have diligently, courageously and persistently expended energy and striven to improve the lot of British Muslims,” said Versi.

Dr. Syed Aziz Pasha
On receiving the Editor’s Lifetime Achievement Award, Dr. Pasha said, “I was surprised to receive this Award as I was not expecting it. I do remember Mr. Ahmed Versi attended our first annual conference of Union of Muslim Organisations of the United Kingdom & Ireland (UMO) 40 years ago. Since then he has been consistently supporting our organisation and giving prominent coverage to our conference particularly our Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi celebration which is our main daw’ah activity, for which Allah the Almighty will reward him.”

“Regarding the acceptance of this award, I am hesitating whether I am violating the commands of Allah the Almighty for whose pleasure I have been doing little service to Islam and the Muslim community,” said Dr. Pasha and mentioned, “In the Holy Qur’an, it is made clear in one verse that Allah the Almighty has said: Paradise is reserved for those who do not aspire to greatness in this world nor seek mischief but piety is their guiding principle. However in another verse, he said: seek what is best for the life Hereafter (Akhirah) but do not neglect your share in this world.”

Dr. Pasha also said, “In this spirit, I am accepting this award which I hope will not affect my reward in the Akhirah. I commend Mr Versi’s enterprising spirit to provide this platform to the Muslim community to prove that practising the tenets of Islam in no way inhibits their ability to reach the top of their professional and academic positions.”

The Home Secretary, Alan Johnson, MP
Earlier, the Guest of Honour, Home Secretary, Alan Johnson, MP, said, “The Muslim News Awards are an excellent opportunity to celebrate the fantastic contribution that British Muslims across the country make to the UK.”
The Home Secretary also said, “we are celebrating the enormous contribution that Muslims make in every aspect of British life - whether that’s in politics, academia, law, sport, the arts, healthcare, humanitarian aid, the military, business and finance, or indeed, cuisine

The Home Secretary presented the Al Biruni Award for Excellence in community relations and said, “Al Biruni is not only celebrated as one of the fathers of modern mathematics – he was also an outspoken campaigner against intolerance and prejudice between Muslims and Hindus in 11th century India.”

“Each of the nominees exemplifies this spirit – whether it’s by building bridges between faiths, improving relationships between Muslim communities and the police, or promoting understanding and awareness of Islam through important cultural events such as the Edinburgh festival,” the Home Secretary added.

The Home Secretary mentioned, “Our history and our values are deeply entwined – Muslim communities have been part of British life for many centuries, long before the waves of emigration from the Commonwealth in the 50s and 60s. There are references to Islamic scholarship in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and there have been sizeable Muslim communities in this country since at least the 17th century.”

“Just as we have a shared history, so we also have shared values. The key principles of Islam – the right to life, the right to worship, freedom of expression, justice and tolerance – are universal,” said the Home Secretary and added, “They are echoed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights drawn up in 1948.”

Alan Johnson, MP, said, “There is a responsibility on government to tackle social exclusion, deprivation and discrimination in all its forms – we know that in our schools and universities, only a fraction of the potential of young Pakistanis and Bangladeshis is realised, despite significant improvements in recent years. And we know that there are Muslim communities in the UK which are disproportionately affected by poverty and unemployment, who struggle to access services or face discrimination and harassment because of their faith or ethnicity.”

“Tonight’s award winners and nominees exemplify the talent, passion and commitment among Muslim communities to making the UK a fairer, more tolerant and safer place and I’d like to thank all of them for their contribution to the wellbeing and prosperity of this country and its citizens,” said the Home Secretary.

Editor of the Muslim News, Ahmed Versi
Earlier, while welcoming the distinguished guests, ministers, religious leaders and community leaders, Editor and Publisher of The Muslim News, Ahmed J. Versi, said, “We began this event ten years ago because we wanted to acknowledge the noble accomplishments and displays of distinction within the British Muslim community and showcase the tremendous contributions British Muslims make to Britain. We wanted also to identify and highlight Muslim role models for the younger generation.”

Versi said, “I wrote then that the contributions of British Muslims to our society and economy, was not readily acknowledged and that Islam and Muslims suffered under the glare of an excessively negative media. I said then too that ‘I look forward to the day when Islamophobic stereotypes will become an anachronism and as unacceptable as racism is now.’ Sadly, things haven’t moved on much since then.”

“On the contrary, Islamophobia has considerably worsened and stories reflecting positively on Muslims and Islam are a rare thing indeed,” said Versi and argued, “This is an unfortunate state of affairs because there are enormous contributions being made by British Muslims in all sectors of our society. Yet, in the face of our many visible successes, there are those who refuse to relent and insist that Muslims are in ‘need of integration’.

Versi also mentioned, “A decade ago Muslims were in the main observed and viewed through the lens of fundamentalism. A decade on they’ve come to be observed and seen through the prism of extremism and terrorism. The preoccupation with the actions of a tiny violent extremist minority and a small vocal provocative fringe has come to eclipse the everyday achievements of the British Muslim majority.”

As the general elections are approaching, as an Editor of The Muslim News, Versi touched upon “over a decade of the Government and reflect on how matters have fared for British Muslims, particularly for those of us working in the media.”

Speaking about the Labour Party, Versi mentioned, “Labour picked the first Muslim for a safe Parliamentary seat and appointed Muslim peers, as well as Muslim advisors for a host of initiatives. There are now four Muslims in the House of Commons, all of them Labour. And we have the first Muslim minister attending the Cabinet, the Rt Hon Sadiq Khan.”

“The Government fulfilled many of our longstanding requests: A question on religion to be included in the national census of 2001; funding of Muslim schools; Shari’ah compliant financial products working within UK financial regulations; outlawing of religious discrimination at work place and in service delivery in public institutions and outlawing of incitement to religious hatred,” he mentioned.

The editor of the Muslim News, said, “However, since the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the subsequent invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, and more so since the July 7 2005 bombings in London, relations between the Government and Muslim organisations have suffered from episodes of severe strain.”

“Muslims, especially young men and university students, are predominantly viewed by the Government through the lens of extremism,” said Versi and argued, “This certainly cannot be healthy for nurturing of active citizens for tomorrow’s Britain.”

Speaking about The Conservative Party, Versi mentioned, “It was under William Hague that we saw Britain’s first Muslim member of the European Parliament. This change has continued under the current leadership of David Cameron. There are now two Muslim Tory peers and one of them Sayeeda Warsi, is a member of the shadow cabinet.”

Speaking about the Liberal Democrats, Versi said, “And the Liberal Democrats too have made strides in supporting Muslim issues and they have one Muslim peer. They aptly reflected the society’s feeling on war on Iraq by taking a robust stand against it. Nick Clegg demanded that our Government and the European Union halt arms sales to Israel during Operation Cast Lead in which hundreds of innocent Palestinian civilians, including many children were killed.”

There is a pressing need for whichever party comes to form the next Government “to re-visit policies that improve relations with the Muslim community and help rejuvenate community cohesion” and “Questions like ‘are you a Muslim first or British first’ or ‘are you from Pakistan’ will, such is our hope, no longer feature in the discourses of the future,” said Editor of the Muslim News and the main sponsor of the event.

Winners and Presenters of Award for Excellence
This Awards ceremony is about recognising those individuals who aspire to attain their very best as members of the British Muslim society. It is those British Muslims and non-Muslims that have proven themselves worthy of recognition for their contribution to Britain that we are here to honour this evening.

Al Biruni Award for Excellence in Community Relations was awarded to Shaykh Ibrahim Mogra. This Award was presented by Rt Hon Alan Johnson, MP, Home Secretary. Ibn Battuta Award for Excellence in Media was awarded to Faisal Al Yafai. This Award was presented by Liberal Democrats.

Ibn Khaldun Award for Excellence in promoting understanding between global cultures and faiths was given to Salma Abbasi. This Award was presented by John Denham, MP, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. Sankore University Award for Excellence in Education was given to Dr Nadia Durrani. This Award was presented by Irfan Akram, UK Fundraising Manager of Muslim Hands.

Annemarie Schimmel Award for Championing a Muslim Cause was given to Tim Cooper. This Award was presented by Samia Ahmed, PA to UK Director of Islamic Relief. Ummul Mu'minin Khadijah Award for Excellence in Enterprise was awarded to Iqbal Wahhab. This Award was presented by Karim Saad, Founder, Halaltrip.com.

Malcolm X Young Person’s Award for Excellence was given to Zain Haider Awan. This Award was presented by Meral Hussein, Religion and Belief Commissioner, Equalities and Human Rights Commission. Uthman Dan Fodio Award for Excellence in Community Development was awarded to Mohammed Mangera. The Award was presented by Dale Simon, Director, Equality and Diversity, Crown Prosecution Service.

Alija Izetbegovic Award for Good Citizenship was given to Wakkas Khan. This Award was presented by Sir Iqbal Sacranie, Chair of Board of Trustees, Muslim Aid. Imams Hasan and Husayn Children's Award for Excellence was awarded to Abdul-Akbur Ali. This Award was presented by Salmi Kidwai, Muslim Council of Wales.

Faezeh Hashemi Award for Excellence in Sport was given to Kolo Abib Touré. This Award was presented by Mrs Faezeh Hashemi, President, Islamic Federation of Women Sport. Alhambra Award for Excellence in Arts was awarded to Mohammed Umar. This Award was presented to him by Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain.

Fazlur Rahman Khan for Excellence in Engineering, Science or Technology was awarded to Dr Haifa Takruri-Rizk. This Award was presented by Rt Hon Chris Grayling, MP, Shadow Home Secretary. Ibn Sina Award for Health was awarded to Sohail A Khan. This Award was presented by Dominic Grieve, MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Justice.

Imam wa Amal Special award was given to Dr Gill Hicks. This Award was presented to him by Fatima Hussain, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist and Chair of the independent panel of judges.

Say [O Messenger]: If you love God, follow me; God will love you - Al-Qur'an

“Say [O Messenger]: If you love God, follow me:
God will love you.” – Al-Qur’an

Dr. Mozammel Haque

The Messenger taught his Companions to love God, and the Qur’an taught them in return: “Say [O Messenger]: If you love God, follow me: God will love you and forgive you your sins.” (Al-Qur’an; 3:31)

This is the month of Rabi al-Awwal, when Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the last and final Prophet of Almighty Allah, was born in Makkah. The Holy Qur’an, the Final Revealed Book, was revealed to him through Angel Gabriel. I was reading a book: The Messenger: The Meanings of the Life of Muhammad, (peace be upon him) by Tariq Ramadan and I am presenting some of his thoughts and ideas through this column, as promised earlier. “He (The Prophet) received and transmitted the last revealed book, the Qur’an, which repeatedly insists on the eminent and singular position of the Messenger of God, all at once a prophet, a bearer of news, a model, and a guide. He was but a man, yet he acted to transform the world in the light of Revelation and inspirations he received from God, but also fully accepted his own humanity in what makes Muhammad an example and a guide for the Muslim faithful.” (page ix)

Intimate relationship of trust and love
While pointing out the intimate relationship of love and trust, Professor Ramadan wrote: The essence of the Islamic message is wholly expressed in this intimate relationship of trust and love with the Most High, establishing a direct link between the individual and his or her Creator, Who has chosen to demonstrate exemplary behaviour through a messenger, a human being, whom He has set as a model. Three verses were later to synthesize the exact substance of this teaching: “When My servants as you concerning Me; I am indeed close [to them]: I respond to the prayer of every supplicant when he or she calls on Me.” (Al-Qur’an; 2:186)

The Prophet (peace be upon him), at the heart of this intimate relationship, opens the way: Allah the Almighty said: “Say: If you love God, follow me: God will love you and forgive you your sins.” (Al-Qur’an; 3:31)

The Prophet is the epitome of the human being aspiring to the divine beyond the finitude of life: Al-Qur’an says: “You have indeed in the Messenger of God an excellent example for the person who hopes in [aspires to get close to] God and the final Day and who remembers God intensely.” (Al-Qur’an; 33:21)

Not to compromise principles for wealth and power
In the early years in Makkah when the situation was getting increasingly difficult for Muslims, when insults, rejection, and ill-treatment became the rule, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) began looking for a solution to alleviate the trials and suffering endured by the first Muslims. He was thought of approaching Walid, the chief of the Makhzum clan. Professor Ramadan wrote the story thus: “While he was setting forth his arguments and trying to win Walid’s support, the Prophet was interrupted by a blind man, poor and old, who had already converted to Islam and was asking him to recite some surahs from the Qur’an for him. Muhammad first turned aside calmly, but he soon became irritated by the insistence of this old man, who was preventing him from presenting his case to Walid. The chief, full of contempt, eventually refused even to hear the matter. A surah was to be revealed as a result of this incident, requiring Muslims to draw a lesson from it for eternity:

“In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. He (the Prophet] frowned and turned away, because the blind man came to him. But what could you tell but that perhaps he might grow in purity? Or that he might receive admonition, and the reminder might profit him? As to one who regards himself as self-sufficient, you attend to him, though it is no blame to you if he does not grow in purity. But as to he who came to you striving earnestly, and with fear [in his heart], of him you were unmindful. By no means [should it be so]! For it is indeed a message of remembrance. Therefore let who will, keep it in remembrance.” (Al-Qur’an; 80:1-12)

“The Prophet, moved by his desire to protect his community, is here reproached by his Educator, who teaches him never to turn away from a human being, regardless of whatever difficult circumstances the Prophet might be facing, even though the person might be poor, old and blind. Seeking the protection of a person of distinction, socially and politically useful, Muhammad (peace be upon him) had neglected a poor man, apparently of no significance to his cause, who was asking for spiritual solace; this mistake, this moral slip, is recorded in the Qur’an, which through this story teaches Muslims never to neglect a human being, never to turn away from the poor and needy, but rather to serve and love them. The Prophet was never to forget this teaching, and he repeatedly invoked God, saying: “O God, we implore You to grant us piety, dignity, [spiritual], wealth, and love of the poor.”

Commenting on this Professor Ramadan wrote: “No one must ever let power or social, economic, or political interests turn him or her away from other human beings, from the attention they deserve and the respect they are entitled to. Nothing must ever lead a person to compromise this principle of faith in favour of a political strategy aimed at saving or protecting a community from some peril. The freely offered, sincere heart of a poor, powerless individual is worth a thousand times more in the sight of God than the assiduously courted, self-interested heart of a rich one.” (page 48-49).

“History, with its many examples of how the thirst for power and wealth has led individuals to compromise their principles, has since taught us how true this intuition was. In this respect, another of the Prophet’s warnings echoes in our minds, addressing his spiritual community for the centuries to come: “For every [spiritual] community there is an object of discord, tension, and disorder [fitnah], and for my community, this object is money.”, quoted by Professor Ramadan (page 49).

Begin every act invoking the Name
of Allah the Almighty
While writing the biography of the Prophet (peace be upon him), Professor Ramadan mentioned another incident. The Quraysh were at a loss about how to prevent the Prophet’s message from spreading further. They decided to send a delegation to Yathrib to ask Jewish dignitaries. The Rabbis suggested the people of Makkah should ask him three key questions. Back in Makkah, they went to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and asked him the three questions. The Prophet replied almost instantly: “I shall answer your questions tomorrow!” (page 57)

But the next day, the Angel Gabriel did not appear. There was no Revelation. Nor did the Angel come the day after. Professor Ramadan said, “Two weeks later, he received a Revelation and an explanation: “Never say of anything, “I shall do that tomorrow,” except: “If God so wills,” and remember your Lord [Rabb, “Educator”] when you forget, and say: “I hope that my Lord will guide me ever closer than this to the right course.” (Al-Qur’an; 18:23-24)

“This Revelation once again involved and a teaching: it reminded the Prophet that his status, his knowledge, and his fate depended on his Rabb, on the One and Sovereign God, and that he must never forget it. This is how one should understand the meaning of the phrase Insha Allah, “if God so wills”: it expresses the awareness of limits, the feeling of humility of one who acts while knowing that beyond what he or she can do or say, God alone has the power to make things happen. This is by no means a fatalistic message: it implies not that one should not act but, on the contrary, that one should never stop acting while always being aware in one’s mind and heart of the real limits of human power. For the second time, the Prophet was called to account by the Transcendent. Whatever adversity one faces, one’s strength and freedom on earth consist in remaining constantly aware of one’s dependence on the Creator.” (page 57)

“Only later was the Prophet to receive the answers to the three questions he had been asked. The delay was paradoxically to strengthen the believers’ conviction and to baffle the Prophet’s interlocutors: his initial inability to answer and then the belated communication of Revelation proved that Muhammad (peace be upon him) was not the author of the Book that was being constituted and that he did actually depend on his Rabb’s will,” wrote Professor Ramadan (Page 58).

Remember God’s Infinite Power and never
pronounce final judgement on anybody
While narrating the story of Umar’s conversion, Professor Ramadan wrote: Umar had gone out of his home determined to kill the Prophet, blinded by his absolute negation of the One God; there he was, a few hours later, changed, transformed, as the result of a conversion induced by a text and the meaning of God. He was to become one of the most faithful Companions of the man he had wished dead.”

Commenting on Umar’s conversion, Professor Ramadan wrote: “This heart’s revolution was a sign, and it carried a twofold teaching: that nothing is impossible for God, and that one should not pronounce final judgements on anything or anybody. This was a reminder of the need of humility in all circumstances: for a human being, remembering God’s infinite power should mean healthy self-doubt as to oneself and suspending one’s judgement as to others. Thus, the more he moved forward with God, every day becoming more of a model for his Companions and for eternity, the more the Prophet was attaining humility and modesty as expressed in being, knowledge, and judgement.” (Page 65).

Sheikh Muhammed Sayed Tantawi

OBITUARY:
Sheikh Muhammad Sayed Tantawi

Dr. Mozammel Haque

I had the opportunity to meet and talk with Sheikh Muhammad Sayed Tantawi, a prominent voice of the Islamic world and the Head of Al-Azhar University, at the Masjid al-Haram, Makkah, in front of the Maqam-e-Ibrahim, at the Tawaf area, two/three times. It was specially when he used to come to Saudi Arabia on the occasion of the King Faisal Award-giving ceremony in Riyadh.

Now again, he came to Saudi Arabia on last Tuesday to participate in the award-giving ceremony of the King Faisal International Prize. On his way back to Cairo, while boarding an early morning flight he suffered severe pain and fell on the stairs. He was rushed to the Amir Sultan Hospital in Riyadh where doctors pronounced him dead, Inna Lillahe wa innah elaihe razeyoun.) He was 81. Tantawi’s burial took place in Jannatul Baqee cemetery in Madinah after funeral prayers at the Prophet’s Mosque.

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and Crown Prince Sultan, deputy premier and Minister of Defence and Aviation of Saudi Arabia, sent messages of condolences to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on the death of Tantawi. Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh also expressed his deep sorrow at the demise of the Egyptian scholar.

Several heads of government, leaders, scholars and Islamic workers from across the world have sent their condolences to the Egyptian government.

“Sheikh Tantawi, who was currently serving as chairman of the International Islamic Council of Dawah and Relief (IICDR), will always be remembered as a warrior for Islamic causes and for his reconciliatory approaches on issues of different religions and practices,” said IICDR’s Secretary General Dr. Abdullah Omar Naseef, who had been working with Tantawi for the last several years.

Dr. Naseef, who also served as Deputy Chief of the Shoura Council of Saudi Arabia, said that Tantawi’s death “was a shock as he was in better health” despite his old age. He said that Tantawi had taken a keen interest in the affairs of the IICDR, an international body representing 86 major Islamic organizations from across the world.

“The Islamic rulings (Fatwas) of Sheikh Tantawi, which at times were dubbed as controversial, carried great influence across the world and particularly in Egypt,” he said.

Sheikh Tantawi was born on 28 October 1928, in the village of Selim El-Sharqia in the Upper Egyptian governorate of Suhag. He went from the village at his youth to a religious institution in Alexandria and studied and memorised the Holy Qur’an in Alexandria and from there, he entered Al-Azhar University, graduating from the Faculty of Religious Studies in 1958. He went on to teach. In 1966, Tantawi was awarded PhD in Hadith (the sayings of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), Islam’s second source after the Qur’an itself) and Tafsir, interpretation of the Holy Qur’an. He completed his own massive exegesis of the Qur’an, and this art of interpreting the Holy Book and fundamental juridical sources has remained his specialty.

By 1980, Tantawi was the head of the Tafsir department of the Islamic University of Madinah, in Saudi Arabia, a position he was hold until 1984.

In 1986, Sheikh Tantawi became Grand Mufti of Egypt and he held this position for almost 10 years, until he joined Al-Azhar in 1996. Tantawi used his position as Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar University to defend traditional interpretations of Islam against challenges from radical groups such as the Taleban and Al-Qaeda.

Since 1996, Tantawi served as Sheikh of Al-Azhar University and Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Mosque. He was the leader of the most prestigious institution of Islamic learning in the world of Sunni Islam.