Alsalamu Alikum, I am eager to read the full statement of the BNP but what are they trying to tell us..We Muslims of the UK know them quite well and we are not naïve thanks to god.. I am going to vote for Sajad Karim… Any advice?
Answer
The Muslim Council of Britain does not issue recommendations on which candidates to vote for. That is a matter for each individual voter to decide for themselves. What the MCB does do is to urge everyone including Muslims to properly question all the candidates on issues that are of importance to them and then vote accordingly. And even that is just the bare minimum. As citizens we should be taking a keen interest in the society around us and not just marking a cross on a ballot paper every four or five years. Our mosques and Islamic organisations need to take the lead in ensuring that British Muslims are taught to work with our fellow non-Muslim citizens to help shape a kinder and more compassionate society for all of us to live in. This must include joining mainstream political parties and campaigning for greater social justice at home and abroad.
Name
Ihsan Khan
- Belgium
Profession
House Wife
Question
How do you reply to the claims from BNP and other European parties that the MCB is a platform for radical British Muslims and that it targets the islamization of UK?
Answer
The Muslim Council of Britain (www.mcb.org.uk) is simply the UK's largest and most diverse Islamic umbrella body. Over 500 mosques and Islamic organisations are affiliated to it.
The MCB's remit is to increase cooperation and coordination amongst UK Muslim groups with a view to seeking the common good for all British citizens.
I do not know what you mean by 'radical' but the MCB certainly contains a wide variety of Muslim organisations from different schools of thought and trends. And rightly so.
As for the smear about the "Islamization" of the UK – that is an accusation deployed by far right groups and others with the aim of inciting fear and hatred of Muslims. We quite simply seek to peacefully propagate the teachings our faith. People are free to accept or reject the message.
Name
Tahera
- United Kingdom
Profession
Question
How do you evaluate the role of European Muslims in the coming European Parliamentary Elections and can they work on kicking far-right extremist parties out while being a minority?
Answer
About 375 million people in 27 countries will be able to vote in the European elections this week. European Muslims are thought to number at least 25 million. We believe that it is incumbent on them to work with other European citizens to ensure that far-right groups do not make further inroads into the European parliament.
European citizens are being asked to elect 736 Members of the European Parliament who will spend the next five years voting on laws which will govern the way we live in Britain. The European Parliament has a direct impact on 60 to 80 per cent of national legislation. The UK is divided into 12 regions and each region has between three and 10 MEPs.
There are fears the far right British National Party could win its first seat in the European Parliament by claiming just eight per cent of the vote in the UK.
The BNP have already gained 55 seats on local councils in the UK, including a seat on the Greater London Authority. Now it is contesting every UK seat at the European elections and there have been predictions that it could win overall control of Stoke City Council.
The BNP clearly believe that they can capitalise on the anti-Muslim hatred that is stoked up daily by our media in the UK. The BNP leader, Nick Griffin, is on record as openly saying:
"We should be positioning ourselves to take advantage for our own political ends of the growing wave of public hostility to Islam currently being whipped up by the mass media."
The Muslim Council of Britain has at the forefront of working with Unite Against Fascism who are a group dedicated to educating the public about the true face behind far right groups like the British National Party.
Name
Iman El-Deeb
-
Profession
Student -- Birmingham
Question
How can Muslims in UK participate politically as British citizens while having an integration problem that was formed by the GOV's ongoing accusations that Muslims are all terrorists, radical and threatening UK's security?
Answer
Recent years have admittedly been very turbulent ones for British Muslims. We have seen our UK government take part in two very unpopular wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
We have also seen an increase in violent extremism in the UK with terrorist attacks in London undertaken by four British Muslims and a number of other plots that have – thank God – been foiled by the police.
Any sensible anti-terror strategy must see British Muslims being treated as valued and respected citizens of this country and as full partners in the struggle for justice and against violent extremism. Any other approach will only make matters worse.
At the same time, it is vital that the government too should ask itself serious questions about how some its actions overseas have provided the fuel for extremism.
There have been some encouraging signs lately with the UK Foreign Secretary, David Miliband, admitting just last week in an important speech delivered at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies that the UK needs to learn from its many mistakes.
Miliband’s speech along with the response from ENGAGE can be read here:
I am British born Muslim and I am 29 but I feel totally isolated from the community. I just feel British because I have no other nationalities but can't get in touch with Muslim communities here, a very diverse and weird community, nor can I approach the British community with all its sins…
How can you expect me to vote for anyone while having a problem with the identity?
Answer
I do not know your personal circumstances so I cannot really comment on why you seem to be having difficulty getting in touch with Muslim communities in the UK. There are now thought to be over 2.4 million Muslims in the UK and they are spread all over the country. Wherever you live in the UK, you cannot be very far from a sizeable Muslim population. I suggest you contact the MCB and ask them to put you in touch with a respectable Muslim organization near you.
As for voting – all of us have an individual responsibility to work for the common good of our society. We will all be asked about how we spent our time on this planet. It makes sense to seek out like-minded people and join hands to build a better future for us and our children. It is not just voting, it is about being more engaged, responsible and active citizens.
Name
A UK Muslim
-
Profession
Question
What role can the European Muslim candidates play in the European parliament that has no real authority when it comes to the European Governments' decisions?
Answer
It is not all necessarily about voting for European Muslim candidates. It could well be that the better qualified and more honest candidate in a particular constituency is a non-Muslim rather than a Muslim. You should vote for whichever candidate you believe is willing to work for a better and more just society for all of us.
The European Parliament is playing an increasingly important role in all our lives. The legislation passed in Brussels is thought to have a direct impact on between 60 to 80 percent of national legislation. We simply cannot afford to ignore it.
Name
Wael
-
Profession
Question
Alsalamu Alikum
Do you think that British Muslims' low turnout to such elections would lead to more frustrated situations and challenges to be faced by them later on?
Answer
Yes, absolutely. Historically, the voter turnout for European elections is much lower than for national elections. This gives a boost to smaller parties like the racist British National Party because it magnifies the scale and effectiveness of their vote.
That is why the MCB and the vast majority of Islamic scholars (‘ulama) utterly oppose the stance taken by groups such as Hizb ut-Tahrir who have misguidedly declared voting in these elections to be forbidden (haraam).
Thankfully, Islamic scholars have issued declarations calling upon UK Muslims to vote and become more engaged citizens:
We believe it is crucial that Muslims take an active part in politics and that includes joining the mainstream political parties and playing an active role within them to help shape their policies for the better.
Name
Iqbal Mostafa
-
Profession
Question
I go for MCB's calls we should all work on having a more moderate Europe with a real vision of Islam and Muslims…Our role is not only to vote for moderate European parties or Muslim candidates but to behave with Islam manners so that we could prove how Islam is all about peace not terrorism..
Political engagement is important but the day-to-day life unleashes the misconceptions about Islam and Muslims…
Answer
Yes, I believe you are quite right in saying that our individual conduct must reflect the values of justice and fairness. However, there is no dichotomy here. Political engagement is not supposed to be a one-off occasion every four or five years. Political engagement should become part and parcel of our daily lives. Our political engagement should be a demonstration of our commitment to justice and fairness.
Name
Yasmine Rahman
-
Profession
Question
Does the MCB cooperate with any other Muslim organizations all over Europe in its plan to kick the right-wing parties outside the EU parliament did you have this idea/ strategy before?
Answer
Not really – the MCB’s activities are largely confined to the UK due to resource issues. The MCB works with UK-based organisations to raise awareness of the danger posed by racist parties.
