Labour is, and always has been the Party of British Muslims. Although Iraq was wrong, the Lib Dems have failed to support a number of other important areas for Muslims.
Our guest writer is Rt Hon Sadiq Khan, Member of Parliament for Tooting since 2005 and Labour candidate again in 2010.
Labour is, and always has been the Party of British Muslims, and indeed that of all religious and ethnic minorities.
I don’t pretend we’ve been perfect – indeed, in terms of our relationship with British Muslims there have been some problems – but I do believe if you really look at our record and that of the other parties you’ll agree that for British Muslims, Labour’s the only way to go. Something new always has a draw, an excitement. And it’s easy to think of the Liberal Democrats as a benign left-wing option, one that has not been tainted by power. But before deciding to switch take a look of the details of what they’ve actually said and done.
Labour believes, and always has believed, that it is our duty to promote equality and to tackle the problems faced by the most vulnerable in society. This isn’t empty rhetoric, Labour Governments have delivered time and time again, from founding the NHS to introducing the minimum wage. So it’s no surprise that we’ve always had a strong relationship with the British Muslim Diaspora.
It was a Labour Government that gave independence to India and Pakistan; it was Labour-friendly trade-unions that encouraged new arrivals to become union members and improve their working conditions; and it was a Labour Government that passed the first ever laws outlawing discrimination on the grounds of race. And over the past thirteen years we’ve continued to deliver. But not with the support of the Lib-Dems.
We’ve brought the law up to date to prevent discrimination on the basis of religion. The Racial & Religious Hatred Act’s made it illegal to threaten people because of their religion or to stir up hatred against a person because of their faith. The Liberal Democrats voted against our original proposals and have diluted the provisions of this Act (as did the Conservatives). Labour’s made it illegal to discriminate against someone because of their religion or belief in employment or when accessing goods and services. And we have now passed the Single Equality Act – although the Liberal Democrats tried to scupper a key part of this that helps Muslims.
In areas where minority ethnic communities are disproportionately excluded, we’ve introduced targeted programmes. The ‘Race for Health’ programme is helping to drive forward improvements in health for minority ethnic people. The Minority Ethnic Achievement Programme helped narrow the gap in educational attainment between minority ethnic pupils and the national average.
Like many others, I believe the invasion of Iraq was wrong and Labour must, and is, working to repair its relationship with Britain’s Muslims which has been damaged by the war. I was pleased that one of the first Acts Gordon Brown did when he became Prime Minister was to withdraw British troops from Iraq.
While the war in Iraq, and other aspects of our Foreign Policy. remain a huge issue, don’t let this obscure the work the Government has done for Muslims abroad. Bilateral Aid to Bangladesh and Pakistan has doubled and we continue to provide millions in humanitarian support in Gaza. Overall, Labour has trebled the aid budget since 1997, we’ve cancelled debt and increased trade with the poorest countries.
Looking at the makeup of the parties is illuminating too. Labour’s had the first black MP, the first Muslim MP, the first Black Cabinet Minister, the first black Leader of the Lords, and the first Asian Minister in the Commons. I’ve been lucky enough to be the first Asian, and Muslim, Minister to attend Cabinet. And we have dozens of Parliamentary candidates of Muslim faith standing in safe seats at this election. The Lib-Dems don’t have a single Black or Asian MP and are nowhere near having one.
So, come May 6th, I urge you to think about which party has done the most for British Muslims in the past, and with whom you can trust your future.
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31 Responses to “Khan: Labour’s the only way for British Muslims”
TD
The Liberals had Britain’s first Asian MP (Dadabhai Naoroji) back in 1892! And Parmjit Singh Gill will definitely win back Leicester South for the Lib Dems, where he was previously MP but lost to the Labour candidate Sir Peter Soulsby in 2005.
Shami
As a muslim, I cannot believe the hypocrisy of this man. Labour have token muslims – everyone knows that. It is the same with all the parties.
sinosimon
in the interests of openess and honesty could you tell us if labour are promising to invade and devastate two more muslim countries if re-elected? or, being nu-labour, are they going to improve efficiency and make it three? whilst lying to parliament about intelligence of course…..perhaps you could put it on a pledge card?
A J Scott
I thought these Muslims etc were supposed to British citizens, equal before the law, sharing their newfound privileges as British citizens, not harping on about their special rights etc? I have been a Labour supporter, but this appeal to sectionalism, any sectionalism, is not the way to go. We simply do not need this separatist, tribal, religious based stuff.
Ousman
The article claims that the Labour party is the best option for Muslims as they gave independence to India and Pakistan. I find this disgusting for the following reasons
(a) By ‘giving’ independence he suggests that India and Pakistan belonged to Britain and was theirs to benevolently give to the people.
Those who fought for the independence of Pakistan and India did so because they were claiming back what was rightfully theirs. Taking away the rights and liberties of millions of people and giving them back hundreds of years later is NOT something that Britain can feel smug about.
(b) By using this statement to show ‘why muslims should like Britain’, he infers that Muslims should be grateful to Britiain
Millions of Indians and Pakistanis celebrated the end of foreign rule by a colonial power. Independence had been demanded decades previously and thousands died in this pursuit. To suggest that Muslims should be grateful is like thanking a burglar for wiping his feet before entering your living room.
(c) By using this statement in the context of why Muslims should vote for the Labour Party he suggests that it was because of the labour party that independence was given.
Actually, it was because of the protesters of all backgrounds who collectively resisted, many giving their lives for the cause of independence. It was also because of promises made by the British that they would leave if India supported the British in all their wars and also because after WW2 Britain was so far in debt that it could not afford to continue colonial rule in India. To suggest that it was because of the Labour party is extremely patronising and undermines those of who gave their lives for independence struggle.
Sadiq Khan – your article is disgusting