The Respect Annual Conference was held in Birmingham this year.
The Respect annual conference took place in Birmingham on Saturday with 210 delegates attending. The event revolved around the three key themes of our general election campaign: anti-racism and defense of multiculturalism, opposition to the cuts agenda of the mainstream parties, and international solidarity.
The opening session was introduced by Respect party leader Salma Yaqoob. Salma laid into New Labour for creating the conditions under which the BNP has grown; with its attacks on the Muslim community and increasingly anti-immigrant rhetoric.
Salma Yaqoob
She described how, since 9/11, Labour has resisted any examination of the disastrous role of its own foreign policy in creating a homegrown terrorist threat, leaving the impression that there is something intrinsic to the religon and culture of British Muslims that presents a threat to British society. She cited Jack Straw’s attacks on Muslim women who wear niqab; the attacks on mainstream Muslim organisations like the MCB and MAB for “sitting on the sidelines” in the fight against terrorism from the former Secretary for State for Communities, Ruth Kelly; and the Preventing Violent Extremism agenda, now described by Liberty as the ‘biggest spying operation’ since the Cold War.
Conference delegates
Similarly when Gordon Brown says that he wants ‘British jobs for British workers’, or ‘local homes for local people’, or curbs on immigration, he is stoking the fires of fear and intolerance that the BNP are the primary beneficiaries of. Salma challenged myths about immigrants being responsible for the recession or shortages in housing and concluded by emphasising Respect’s twin track approach in tackling racism: On the one hand, upholding and defending multiculturalism and challenging all forms of racism; and on the other hand, challenging the social inequality that allows the politics of resentment and division to breed.
The following discussion was by far the best of the conference. Not only was the quality of contributions largely very impressive, but they also conveyed a deep sense of commitment to tackling racism and an engagement in that struggle.
George Galloway
The second session was introduced by George Galloway, focusing on the recession and the politics of an alternative to economic crisis. Unfortunately, the discussion became distorted by those advocating the yet to be born ‘son-of-No2EU’.
An account of what followed, by an observer from the Green Left, accurately conveyed George’s response: ‘Galloway absolutely hammered No2EU in particular for standing against Peter Cranie in the North West… and refused to entertain any talk of coalition with the son of NO2EU.’ In addition to hammering NO2EU for effectively letting the BNP in (‘if the left had united it would have been Peter Cranie on Question Time not Nick Griffin’) he was scathing about the exaggeration being peddled about son-of-NO2EU. Contrary to claims by Ian Donovan, there were not ‘three national unions’ supporting this initiative; the reality was that three national union secretaries addressed a meeting in a personal capacity on working class political representation. George predicted the FBU would not support any so-called ‘new coalition’ and ridiculed the idea that the Prison Officers Association were now in the vanguard of building a far-left of Labour alternative, saying this would come as a bit of a surprise to any prisoner, especially those black, Irish or Muslim prisoners who had been on the receiving end of dealings with ‘screws’.
A sharp tone was adopted by both George and Salma towards an increasingly marginal current of opinion in Respect that sees our future as part of a coalition of the far left. The tone reflects the degree of frustration with an argument, just 6 months before a General Election, over backing a coalition with no name, no policies and no electoral credibility.
Nick Wrack
It also reflects a clear difference of strategy. As both George and Salmaexplained, we are focused on building unity and working with others, but we reject the narrow conception of left unity that gives pride of place to organizations with absolutely no popular support. Respect’s former National Secretary, Nick Wrack, came in for particular criticism, with Salma pointing out the irony of his calls for ‘left unity’ when he was one of those insisting that Respect should stand against the Greens in the North-West European region.
The message was delivered loud and clear: we wish all those who want to join the ‘coalition with no name’ well on their journey, and where we can establish friendly relations with any other progressive party or coalition we will do so, but we have an opportunity to advance the left by getting Respect MPs elected. If we fail, it will not be for the want of trying.
Andrew Murray
The final session was introduced by Andrew Murray who received a standing ovation for his passionate call for opposition to the war in Afghanistan and for Respect to use its strengths to help Stop the War reconnect with its core support. He was followed by Francisco Dominguez from the Venezuela Solidarity Campaign, who painted a vivid picture of the Bolivarian revolution 10 years on, the threats it faces, and the importance of international solidarity. Finally, Kevin Ovenden outlined exciting new developments in Palestinian solidarity, describing the way that Viva Palestina was fast becoming a global campaign, finding new and significant support in Malaysia among other places, and deepening its productive relationship with the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign.
Delegates vote
There was genuine and sharp debate at this conference. And the outcome was clear. Respect’s leadership is absolutely determined that the influence of the ultra-left will remain marginal. There is no place for the kind of political sectarianism that is indifferent to a Tory victory or bitterly hostile to cooperation with the Green Party. Such views, often articulated by politically irrelevant grouplets of the far left, are an obstacle to the growth of a radical party of the left. The potential for a serious radical and left-wing party will be determined by its ability to speak to the millions who are essentially disillusioned Labour
Respect Conference
supporters, and its ability to provide convincing alternatives to the politics of war, racism and cuts.
I fully expect the new National Council, on which the more sectarian voices are a shrinking minority, to drive through this perspective more forcefully in the coming year.
A report by Ger Francis
[Videos for this event will be available soon. Picture gallery on the Birmingham Respect facebook group: here]
“The English Defence League claimed they only came to protest against Islamic extremism but they actually came to spread hatred and division.
One of their ringleaders, Paul Ray, made his intentions very clear when he stated, on TalkSport Radio, ‘his opposition to all Muslims practising their faith in Britain’.
Everyone has a right to their opinions but no one has the right to incite hatred on the basis of faith or race.
I am concerned there is an equivalence being made between these people, who came to provoke trouble, and people who stand against fasicsm and racism. There is no equivalence and it is wrong that people have been allowed to come into the city centre with this intent for trouble.
The fascists wants to see social disorder, especially scenes of violence between Muslim youth and white people, because then they can hold it up as ‘evidence’ of the ‘failure’ of multiculturalism.
Of course, our message is ‘do not be provoked’. We don’t want to see any scenes of violence in our Birmingham city centre; but the reality is they know some of these tactics have worked as in the past in Burnley, Oldham and Stoke where they instigated race riots and since that polarisation, they have benefited in their votes.
I believe the English Defence League’s so-called ‘protests’ are simply a repeat of this formula which they want to bring to Birmingham and other cities across the country.
I call on politicians from all parties, civic leaders and faith representatives to condemn the racist intent behind these so-called demonstrations and also call for the banning of any future such protests in our city.
Luton has also seen protests by the EDL and Casuals United, which have resulted in violence, and the police there have actually responded to a public outcry about this by calling for a ban.
Chief Superintendent Andy Frost, Divisional Commander for Luton police, said: “The risk the proposed marches pose to public safety has left us with no alternative but to apply for a banning order.”
Alan Johnson, the Home Office Minister, granted this banning order in Luton, because he received over 14,000 letters directly to himself and the Chief Constable there, saying that they wanted a ban.
I urge people in Birmingham to write to Alan Johnson, as well as to the Chief Constable here to urge for a similar ban.
I love being a Brummie, I’m proud that Birmingham is a multicultural and diverse city. Let’s not be divided by the racists.”
Birmingham city councillor Salma Yaqoob, joined by Adrian Goldberg, Khalid Mahmood MP, John Hemming MP, Cllr Judy Foster, Chief Insp Adrian Atherley and Apache Indian, calls on the West Midlands Police to ban a march by far-right groups planned for September; following the violence erupted amidst an EDL – Casuals United demonstration on 8th August in the city.
Date: Sunday 23rd August 2009
Venue: Birmingham Council House, Victoria Square, Birmingham, B1.
Birmingham united against the EDL and Casuals United
Birmingham united against the EDL and Casuals United
Images from the cross-party meeting in the Birmingham Council House calling for a ban on EDL and far-right marches in the city; attended by Adrian Goldberg, John Hemming MP, Khalid Mahmood MP, councillor Judy Foster, councillor Salma Yaqoob, Apache Indian and Chief Insp Adrian Atherley. Chaired by Waseem Zaffar.
An English Defence League (EDL) supporter taunts police. Pic:Birmingham Mail
West Midlands Police have been urged to step in and ban a far right group from holding a march in Birmingham next month to avoid a repeat of the shocking scenes of violence witnessed earlier this month.
White nationalist organisation The English Defence League (EDL) and an associated group, Casuals United, are due to hold a rally against Islamic extremism in the city on September 5.
Their first demonstration on August 8 ended with violence and bloodshed as supporters clashed with anti-racism campaigners.
One of those calling for a ban was Respect councillor Salma Yaqoob, who expected more street violence if EDL returned.
“When it comes to public safety we have every right to intervene,” she said.
“But the ‘just stay away’ message we are hearing won’t wash with today’s Muslim youngsters who won’t put their heads down and carry on walking when they are subjected to racist taunts – they will react and fight back.”
Adrian Goldberg, Khalid Mahmood MP and John Hemming MP also attended the public meeting calling for an EDL ban. Pic: John Tyrrell
Yesterday, those at a public meeting to discuss how the city should deal with the group’s next visit voted unanimously that the police should have the demonstration banned.
West Midlands Police were urged to join forces with Birmingham City Council to apply to the Home Secretary for a banning order under the Public Order Act.
Luton is one of the places which has banned the EDL and other right-wing groups from holding marches for three months to avoid violence.
But a senior police officer said there were no current plans to do so as the EDL had a legitimate right to hold its march.
The Birmingham rally saw 35 people arrested, and running battles between protesters and police in riot gear in Victoria Square and New Street.
Chief Insp Adrian Atherley, head of West Midlands Police’s diversity and community cohesion unit, told yesterday’s meeting how both groups involved, the EDL and the Anti Facist League, acted within the law and the problem lay with their supporters.
“The people fighting were Brummies fighting each other. Why? Because they had been wound up and provoked by the groups who had left by then,” he said.
He said to obtain a ban they would have to jump through numerous legal and bureaucratic hoops.
“We have considered it, but section 13 of the Public Order Act is very specific about marches,” he said.
“In Birmingham the situation is very different to Luton where the Chief Constable felt he could not police that event. We did not lose control on August 8 , there were no major injuries or damage, and in terms of disorder there was no loss of control.”
He added: “Obtaining a section 13 ban requires the Chief Constable to go to the local authority to say in the event of a march I cannot police the streets and the local authority has to apply to the Home Secretary.”
But he said their decision was constantly reviewed and he would feed back comments to the Chief Constable.
Also at the meeting was Birmingham councillor Judy Foster, vice-chairman of the West Midlands Police Authority, who said she would be raising the issue of a ban during a meeting with the Chief Constable Chris Sims today.
Salma Yaqoob with supporters at the UAF protest in Birmingham
THE scuffles and clashes which followed recent anti-extremism demonstrations are under the spotlight at a public meeting featuring city MPs and community leaders this weekend.
Rival protests – one by anti-Islamic extremism campaign group the English and Welsh Defence league and the other by the UAF or Unite Against Facism – brought scenes of chaos to Birmingham City Centre two weekends ago and resulted in 33 arrests.
Now a group of community activists have called a public meeting aimed at Birmingham’s young people tomorrow to respond to the problems before a second series of protests are held on September 5.
Among guest speakers are Perry Barr MP Khalid Mahmood, Yardley MP John Hemming, Sparkbrook Councillor Salma Yaqoob and a representative from West Midlands Police.
Co-organiser Wasim Zaffer, a Muslim and magistrate, said: “Following the disgraceful events in Birmingham City Centre, there has been immense discussion and debate in a number of forums. However, we feel that there has been a lack of engagement with young people from across the city.
“Scenes of young people, white and Asian, running through streets does nothing for Birmingham and reflects badly on our community relations. We need to discuss, debate and encourage a peaceful form of activity against any fascist elements, including encouraging young people to stay away from the City Centre.”
The accused, Stuart Collins, made a threat to kill Cllr Salma Yaqoob (pictured)
A MAN appeared in court yesterday charged with threatening to kill a Birmingham councillor.
Stuart Collins, 48, of Birmingham, appeared before city magistrates over claims abusive threats were sent to Respect councillor Salma Yaqoob.
She is the councillor for Sparkbrook and her party’s national leader.
A West Midlands Police spokesman confirmed: “Following an investigation, a 48 year-old has been charged with racially aggravated harassment, religiously aggravated harassment and making threats to kill.
“He appeared at Birmingham Magistrates Court and was bailed until August 31.”
Coun Yaqoob chairs the anti-war movement in Birmingham and is an active pro-Palestinian campaigner.
She is an outspoken commentator on Muslim issues, and regularly appears on TV and radio current affairs programmes.
After standing as a Respect candidate in the 2005 election, she was elected in the Sparkbrook ward in the 2006 local elections.
Over 200 private hire drivers and operators attended a meeting in the Birmingham’s Council House on 11th August, to voice their concerns about driver safety.
The event was organised by Respect Cllr Salma Yaqoobfollowing the murder of cab driver Mohammed Arshad (pictured left) two weeks ago and was addressed by union and police representatives, licensing chiefs and city councillors.
The meeting commenced with a minute’s silence in memory of the 36-year-old father-of-three who, according to the meeting chairwoman Cllr Salma Yaqoob, was a “completely innocent man killed in a most disgusting and brutal way”.
Cllr Yaqoob explained that she called the meeting because since Mr Arshad’s murder she had been inunduated with calls from taxi-drivers concerned about the safety of their profession and anxious that the city authorities were not taking those concerns seriously enough.
Birmingham taxi drivers congregate in the city's Council House
Drivers complained that they were treated like ‘second class citizens’ by the Police. Racist abuse and assault was a common experience yet when drivers these the response was poor. Two senior West Midlands Police officers present apologised for the inconsistent response of the police and agreed to take the message of the meeting back to the “very top”.
Cab drivers have called for new measures to protect themselves including security cameras, safety screens, convex mirrors, a police hotline and a city-wide blacklist of violent customers. City council head of licensing Pete Barrow added that such measures can ‘be allowed by the licensing committee, but there is still the problem of cost. We will see if there is funding for at least a contribution to the costs.”
Cllr Salma Yaqoob with Perviz Khan and Waseem Zaffer
Wasim Zaffer, of the Unite union representing cab drivers, said that private hire adds £3 billion a year to the UK economy.
“It should stop being treated like a third-rate industry. There are more than 5,000 drivers in Birmingham, we need to have our concerns heard,” he said.
Both he and Cllr Salma Yaqoob reteriatied the need for private hire drivers to join a union. One driver commented that if the authorities did not respond to their concerns cabbies would ‘strike and bring the city to a standstill’.
The meeting ended with a commitment from Cllr Yaqoob to reconvene again shortly to review what action had been taken on the proposals of the cab drivers.
Multicultural Birmingham comes out in full force against far-right threat
Below are a few useful links to news stories relating to last week’s English Defence League protest in Birmingham City Centre and Unite Against Fascism’s counter-protest, in which Respect party leader and Birmingham City Councillor Salma Yaqoob spoke against racism and fascism.
Councillor Salma Yaqoob commented:
“The instigators of this demonsrtration are fascist thugs. They are coming to our city with one intention only; to sow racist division by stirring up anti-Muslim hatred.
“One of their ringleaders made their intentions very clear when he publicly stated his opposition to ‘all Muslims practising their faith in Britiain’, and admitted links with the BNP.
“The police have assured me that they will deal with any troublemakers. I am concerned, though, that the West Midlands Police are playing down the racist nature of this protest, and the links the protesters have with far-right organisation. Everyone has a right to voice their opinions, but no-one has the right to incite hatred against others on the grounds of race or religion. It is very important that the West Midlands Police act firmly to deal with any incitement to racist hatred.
“Birmingham is a multi-cultural city and proud of it. It is also important that people of all faiths and cultures stand together in the spirit of peace and unity. We must show these people that they are not wanted here, and that Birmingham will not be divided by race or faith”.
Respect party Leader Salma Yaqoob has issued a statement as follows
“A by-election will soon be called in Sparkbrook ward, Birmingham following the resignation of Councillor Nahim Ullah Khan.
Due to personal financial difficulties Nahim is being subjected to Bankruptcy Restrictions Orders and can no longer continue to serve as a councillor. Our thoughts and best wishes are with Nahim and his family in the difficult times they now face.
I am sorry that the residents of Sparkbrook will have to go back to the polls to elect a new councillor. From 2006 they have given their support to the Respect Party in three successive elections. We are deeply appreciative of that support and are committed to working hard for the best interests of all the people of Sparkbrook.
Respect will be selecting a candidate to contest the by-election shortly.”
will be leading a public meeting tomorrow (Saturday 18th October 2008) at the Birmingham Central Mosque at 2pm.
The Respect Member of Parliament will be supported by Cllr Salma Yaqoob and others on ‘Pakistan in Crisis’, in the city’s premier mosque in Highgate. Everyone is invited and to attend, and encouraged to bring family and friends.
A selection if images from the ‘Crisis in Pakistan’ public meeting, held by Birmingham Respect at the Birmingham Central Mosque on Saturday 18th October, 2008.
Salma Yaqoob
Salma Yaqoob and George Galloway
Salma Yaqoob
Salma Yaqoob
George Galloway MP and Cllr Mohammed Ishtiaq
George Galloway in Birmingham
Birmingham Central Mosque
George Galloway in Birmingham Central Mosque
Pakistani and Somalian community in Birmingham
Cllr Salma Yaqoob, Yvonne Ridley and Cllr Naeem Ullah Khan
George Galloway shadowed by Malcolm X
Yvonne Ridley speaks with Muslim sisters
George Galloway MP, Cllr Mohammed Ishtiaq, Cllr Salma Yaqoob, Cllr naeem Ullah Khan and sister Yvonne Ridley, all of the Respect party
A public meeting entitled ‘Pakistan in Crisis’, held by Respect at the Birmingham Central Mosque in the Highgate area of the city on Saturday (18th Oct), was attended by over 250 people.
Salma Yaqoob, city councillor for Sparkbrook, set the tone for the meeting by condemning the recent US military operations in Pakistan which have created numerous civilian casualties; and spoke of the hypocrisy of the British media for failing to report these attacks “on a sovereign nation”.
“We care about every single human being, whether they’re in Birmingham, Baghdad or Pakistan. We do not have the double standards of the British government and media,” she said.
She called for a genuine democratic Pakistan that would not tolerate US military attacks on its own people and explained the current crisis in Pakistan could only be resolved by ordinary people struggling for peace, justice and equality.
Salma Yaqoob speaks about Pakistan
“I want to see a democratic Pakistan, a peaceful Pakistan, free of all corrupt influences. We need a Pakistan without religious intolerance, that’s what most Pakistanis want. They don’t need Western leaders lecturing them on religion.”
George Galloway, Respect’s MP for Bethnal Green and Bow, spoke at length on the recent history of Pakistan and Kashmir, and received a rousing reception upon declaring the “people of Kashmir have every right and dignity to fight for the freedom of their land.”
He briefly focused on “The Hangman” Zia-Ul-Haq (a reference to General Zia’s execution of former PM Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in 1979), highlighting how Zia became America’s favourite in a line of ‘dictators’. Galloway went on to challenge the corrupt nature of General Pervez Musharraf and how his craven support for US policy in the region had not protected the Pakistani people but exploited them for financial gain.
The outspoken Member of Parliament told a diverse audience that recent bombings in the south Asian state were a direct result of the unstable war in Afghanistan. He also claimed the ‘War on Terror’, which has recently spilled into the country with US bombing strikes frequently targeting South Waziristan, was being allowed due to the complacency of British Pakistani MPs.
Audience at Birmingham Central Mosque
“I love Pakistan, all my life I have loved it, even before it became two countries,” he said. “We are reminded that there are four Pakistani MPs in Parliament. A fact I nearly forgot as none of them has raised a finger or voice against the US-led attack on Pakistan. They’re just there to be reeled in when their political leaders want to justify an attack on Muslims in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia or Pakistan.”
Galloway also noted the political silence of another MP, Labour’s Roger Godsiff, whose Parliamentary Hall Green seat Salma Yaqoob intends to challenge at the next General Election. His views were echoed by Yaqoob herself, who urged Muslims from the region to increase pressure on Asian councillors or deny them their vote.
“We need to tell these people who come to our homes asking for our votes, and there are over twenty Asian councillors in Birmingham, we need to tell them they will not get our votes unless they do something to help the people of Pakistan,” she explained.
“They [US/UK coalition] haven’t learnt from the past and are taking their war into Pakistan. As people from all backgrounds, and I stand here as a proud British citizen, we cannot allow this to happen in our name.
“We have that special responsibility as British citizens to pressure our government to stop bombing Afghanistan. If Afghanistan hadn’t been bombed, Pakistan would have never been bombed,” she added.
The meeting was primarily attended by members of the Pakistani, Somali and Arab community, many of whom identified with the political climate in Pakistan. Galloway also touched on the crisis in Somalia, reminding the audience their taxes contributed towards the conflict in the African country.
“In Somalia, the country is occupied by Ethiopian armed forces, paid for by you. Perhaps you didn’t realise the British government is supplying and paying for a foreign army to occupy Somalia.
“They’re doing so using your money while children still suffer a famine on both sides.”
He concluded by imploring those in attendance to support Salma Yaqoob’s campaign to become MP for the Birmingham Hall Green constituency, in an effort to highlight, challenge and resolve many of the issues that had been discussed.
George galloway in Birmingham Central Mosque
“Can you imagine if Salma Yaqoob was standing in Parliament as an MP. You might not see her in Downing Street but you’d see her in Parliament day after day speaking out against the oppression of the downtrodden people in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia and Pakistan. So you have to support and raise funds for Salma’s campaign so she can become the MP for Hall green in Birmingham.”
His appeal was reiterated by fellow speaker and activist Yvonne Ridley.
“There are many reasons to support Respect and for supporting Salma Yaqoob. We need as much help as we can get to continue holding rallies like this and getting Salma Yaqoob into Parliament is going to cost money.
The Birmingham Respect team with George Galloway and Yvonne Ridley
“We don’t have corporate fat cats throwing money towards us and that’s a good thing. Please dig deep and give generously. You have a fantastic candidate in Salma Yaqoob, someone who cares about issues locally, nationally and internationally.”
The gathering was chaired by Councillor Mohammed Ishtiaq. Other speakers included Councillor Naeem Ullah Khan, local activist Richard Hutcher and Pakistani political commentator Choudary Tasadiq Arvi.
Cllr Salma Yaqoob will be getting her campaign to represent the people of Hall Green as MP into gear tomorrow (Saturday 29th Nov) by hosting a special meeting for members of the public who wish to support her in the campaign for a better Birmingham.
The event takes place at the Birmingham Central Mosque in Highgate, at 1.15pm.
Following the gathering, on Sunday (30th Nov) she joins veteran Civil Rights activist Rev. Jesse Jackson at the Mount Zion Community Church in Aston in Birmingham, one of the UK’s most deprived areas, for the Annual Equanomics UK Convention.
Venezuela
In the coming week, Salma will be representing the Venezuela Information Centre at an event entitled ‘Venezuela Now, Another World is Being Built!’, to be held at Carrs Lane Church Centre in Central Birmingham on Wednesday 3rd December at 7.30pm. Further information on these events can be found on the Events page of this site (see menu on right). This event also has a facebook page here.
College helps challenge stereotypes The Asian News, UK - 26 Nov 2008 The panel of distinguished speakers comprised of Salma Yaqoob, the Vice-Chair of the Respect Party, Shahid Akmal from the Education Committee of the Muslim …
Government’s PVE agenda is failing to tackle extremism The Muslim News, UK - 28 Nov 2008 By Salma Yaqoob The recent convictions of three young Muslim men on charges of conspiracy to cause explosions highlight the ongoing and real threat of …
The Daily Telegraph leads the Mumbai Attacks news story with an irresponsible headline
Calls for investigation after ‘baseless’ claims Asian Image, UK - 30 Nov 2008 Respect MP George Galloway and the party’s leader, Cllr Salma Yaqoob, have called for an urgent investigation by the Press Complaints Commission into newspaper claims the Mumbai terrorsits hailed from Britain…
Respect MP George Galloway and the party’s leader, Cllr Salma Yaqoob, have today called for an urgent investigation by the Press Complaints Commission into “reckless, inaccurate and inflammatory” claims by several newspapers about the …
Salma Yaqoob and fellow Respect councillors with boxer Amir Khan in Small Heath, Birmingham
Respect Cllr Salma Yaqoob relived old memories this month, as she visited her old school to see her son perform in in his first Christmas nativity play, in the same week as she joined champion boxer Amir Khan at a charity fundraiser in Birmingham.
“Today I had a proud mum moment. I went to watch my son, Aslan, perform as the inn keeper in his infants school nativity play! I was taken aback by how grown up and confident he seemed on stage,” she said.
Cllr Salma Yaqoob with her youngest son Aslan
“It was especially poignant because he is my youngest at six years old. He attends Colmore Infant School. The teachers are brilliant and I have a special affection for the Head Teacher, Viv Randall, who was my teacher when I was at junior school. The school manages that rare balance of fun and learning.”
On Sunday 14th, Cllr Yaqoob was at a charity fundraiser with the boxer and Olympic champion Amir Khan.
“We were raising money for a hospital to be built in Pakistan so that poor people could access free health care. On a night when he could mixing with stars at the glitzy BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year Award event, he chose to come to Small Heath in Birmingham to support a worthy cause.
“I was impressed with his humility and commitment. The event was attended by hundreds of people. It was organised by Councillor Shoukat Ali Khan and hosted with panache by Respect’s own Councillor Mohammed Ishtiaq, who managed to get people to donate with his enthusiasm and humour,” explained Salma.
Salma Yaqoob and residents sing Christmas carols in Sparkbrook, Birmingham
Birmingham’s Cllr Salma Yaqoob spent the week before Christmas out carol singing and delivering hampers to the needy – and hopes it will inspire others to seek out new ways to create a more united community.
“I went out carol singing [18th Dec] to some of our local old people’s homes in the ward on Thursday evening! Some people may think it is odd as I am a Muslim so let me explain. Firstly, Muslims do believe in the Virgin Birth, and indeed view Jesus as a Messiah, so many of the carols are relevant, and I can genuinely share in some of the spiritual significance of Christmas. Theology aside, however, it was just a wonderful experience to see the genuine happiness that such a small act brought to some of our elderly residents.
“There was a group of us – some from Balsall Heath Forum, some from local churches, as well as some other Muslims. I took my eldest son Hamza with me, and really enjoyed seeing how he was touched by the responses of many of the residents who shook his hand and had tears in their eyes (although he did point out that could have been because of my bad singing!)
“I do have to point out though that as Muslims are strictly ‘monotheistic’ – believing in the Unity of God – I had the delicate job of ensuring Hamza and I avoided singing anything which contradicted this, resulting in some uneven singing! Upon such details are interfaith experiences built…
Overall though it was a lovely, genuinely uplifting evening, and I would highly recommend it!”
On the evening of 17th December, Cllr Yaqoob was invited to the Institute of Asian Businesses‘ End of Year dinner at Sher Khan’s in Star City, Birmingham, describing the event as “a good opportunity to network as well as to meet a few old friends”.
Salma explained she was struck by the number of businesses approaching her concerning raids on their shops in relation to the possible employment of illegal immigrants.
“They were concerned about the aggressive and frequent manner in which this was happening, saying they understood that the police have a job to do, but that they could do the same job in a more subtle way. For example, in one raid twenty officers turned up, and closed the shutters down just to check which staff worked there (nothing illegal was found). Observers may well have thought a terror raid was happening, and it could impact on the reputation of the business. I shall certainly be taking up this issue, as clearly it is causing a lot of distress,” she said.
Cllr Salma Yaqoob delivers Christmas hampers in Birmingham
Earlier thet day, Salma joined Balsall Heath Forum wardens who were delivering Christmas hampers for elderly people in the area. Over 100 vulnerable residents had been identified and were being visited over the Christmas period.
The food for the hampers was gathered by local schools, Ombersley Road Mosque and local church groups.
Of the effort, Salma explained: “One of the things I love about my job is seeing how the community comes together, and the difference being made. The banter and camaraderie in putting the hampers together, delivering, talking to residents is great!
“One elderly black lady questioned Abdullah, who works as a warden and is Asian; ‘Why are you giving me this when I’m not one of yours?’ He replied: ‘But you are one of ours!’ She broke down in tears and gave him a big hug. This simple exchange is not the kind of thing you see in the scaremongering headlines, but is certainly the stuff that makes me proud to me a Brummie!”
Over 700 demonstrators attended an anti-Israel aggression protest at the Bullring, Birmingham
Respect Party councillor Salma Yaqoob joined Labour MP Richard Burden and hundreds of protesters in central Birmingham last night in protest at the Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip.
Up to 700 placard-waving supporters called for a halt to the violence at the protest, during which an Israeli flag was burnt in front of hundreds of Christmas shoppers.
They chanted “free Palestine” and waved the state’s flag as well as holding aloft a bloodied doll to represent the deaths of children killed during three days of air strikes by Israeli jets.
Among the protesters was a relative of five young girls killed in an Israeli air strike in Gaza.
Four-year-old Lama Hamdan killed by an Israeli missle
“Israel is committing a shocking series of atrocities by using modern weaponry against a defenceless population – attacking a population that has been enduring a severe blockade for many months.”
The UN Human Rights Council
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STOP GAZA MASSACRE
Hands Off Gaza: Stop the Bombing: Free Palestine
Saturday 3rd January 2009
Assemble 12:30pm | Embankment, London, WC2
Nearest tube Embankment. View map >> Called by Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Stop the War Coalition, British Muslim Initiative, CND and many other organisations.
Speakers include Salma Yaqoob, Jeremy Corbyn, George Galloway, Tony Benn and more…
“The Israeli Government, armed and supported by President Bush, with its savage attack on the people of Gaza now represents the greatest threat to security in the Middle East and the world peace movement is mobilizing on a massive scale to defeat this aggression.
I appeal to everyone who can possibly do so to attend the many demonstrations that are being held here so that the British government is left in no doubt as to the strength of opposition there is to this war. “
Vigil: Please bring black flags, Palestinian flags and candles
Time: 5pm-6pm (Speakers from 5.30pm)
Speakers : Hanna Khamis, Free Gaza, M. Hassassian (or his deputy), Clare Short MP, Cllr Salma Yaqoob, John Hemming MP, Nicola Jones, Lynne Jones, Mohammed Balousha, JJFP, IAW
Organisers and stewards: Meet at 4pm Friday at BHS store (New Street); be at venue by 4.30pm.
Supported by West Midlands Palestine Solidarity Campaign, MPSC, BRTI, MP and Stop the War Coalition.
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MONDAY 5th JANUARY 2009
Event: Birmingham Stop the War Coalition Emergency Public Meeting: Stop the Bombing of Gaza – Justice for the Palestinians
Venue: Committee Rooms 3 & 4, Council House, Victoria Square, Birmingham | Time: 6.30pm (tbc)
Speakers:Salma Yaqoob, Cllr Ayoub Khan (Lib Dem), Cllr Tahir Ali (Lab), John Rose (Jewish anti-Zionist author) and others from the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign and the Birmingham Ramallah Twinning Committee.
Images from the first national demonstration against the Israeli massacre in Gaza. The demonstration and rally took place on Saturday 3rd January, 2009 and attracted 100,000 demonstrators.
More images at the Birmingham Stop the War Coalition facebook group here.
Salma Yaqoob addresses the crowds at the Gaza meeting in Birmingham
Report by Mark Anthony France
RESPECT National Committee
On Sunday 18th January 2009, following the 5,000-strong Demonstration through the streets of Birmingham the day before, over 500 people packed into the Bordesley Centre Camp Hill for the ‘Justice for Palestine’ meeting organised by Birmingham RESPECT.
As the size of the audience grew so did the atmosphere of excitement. This felt like a confirmation that RESPECT was a real force to be reckoned with in Birmingham politics. The audience was reflective of the local community and included a much higher number of young people and in particular young women than Respect Public meetings held in 2008
Aisharr Mahmood and Mariam Khan speak about Gaza
Mark Holland, who has been active in the Birmingham Labour movement for three decades, chaired the meeting and first to speak were two young women who have played a key role in mobilising solidarity with the people of Gaza over the past 3 weeks. Miriam Khan and Aisharr Mahmood spoke of the success of their work in using Facebook groups as a method of connecting with and organising young people and they received cheers from the audience. Miram and Aisha talked of how children and young people all over the planet have been affected by the images of slaughter caused by Israeli weapons.
Former US marine and Guantanamo Bay guard Chris Arendt speaks on Palestine
Then Mark Holland introduced Chris Arendt a 24-year-old former Guantanamo Bay Prison Camp Guard who has been working with Moazzam Begg in a recent Caged Prisoners speaking tour. Chris talked about how impressed he is by the size and enthusiasm of the Palestinian Solidarity movement here in Birmingham he said “I am more used to speaking to small groups of concerned Christians and Liberals”.
Next up was the radical Anglican cleric Ray
Church minister Ray Gaston supports Gaza
Gaston who congratulated the audience for their hard work over the past three weeks in building the Boycott Israeli Goods campaign across the city. Ray explained how he was inspired to join RESPECT, he said “I was inspired by this woman [pointing to Salma Yaqoob] to join and to proudly stand as a candidate for RESPECT”. Ray went on to talk about the dangers of ‘Demo fatigue’ and noted that there was another national mobilisation called for London next weekend. Ray questioned whether now might be a better time to ‘think globally and act locally… to deepen the effectiveness of our campaign where we live’. Ray talked of the mobilisation tomorrow in nearby Lichfield against the factory that was manufacturing engines for the Israeli Drone aircraft used against the people of Gaza.
Ray was followed by Councillor Mohammed Ishtiaq who talked about the successes of RESPECT leading the way on Solidarity with Palestine in the Council Chamber using the clear moral arguments to bring New Labour, Lib Dem and Tory Councillors on Board with the Boycott Israel campaign. Cllr Ishtiaq talked about how many of these forces have now back tracked he said “Lip Service is no good….we need action in practice”, to growing applause Cllr Ishtiaq stressed that “the Boycott should start in our own homes”
At this point in the meeting George Galloway arrived and to rapturous applause joined Mohammed Ishtiaq on stage.
Kevin Ovenden [George Galloway’s Political Assistant and RESPECT National Committee Member] also joined the platform and after bringing greetings from the RESPECT activists of London’s East End spoke in some depth on the origins of the Zionism and its connection to the imperialist system that developed in 19th century Europe. When Kevin talked of the expulsion of Jews from Spain in 15th Century and described how they were given refuge by the Islamic peoples of the Levant and Mahgreb he reiterated that the “slurs against us that we are Anti Semetic…anti Jewish have no foundation…and have never had foundation… to stand up to the Israeli State is not to be Anti-Jewish”.
Salma Yaqoob on Gaza
When Councillor Salma Yaqoob took the microphone it was to prolonged and warm applause. She said “I haven’t come here to inspire….. I have come here to be inspired by you!” and the applause started again. At some points in Salma’s heartfelt speech individuals in the audience began to cry at other points there was smiles and laughter. She talked of the energy she gained from the mass mobilisations of ordinary working class Brummies. She explained why she put so much effort into attempting to construct the broadest political coalition to give practical support to the Palestinian people. Salma said she “didn’t regret arguing till midnight with councillors from other political parties to finally win agreement on the Boycott Israel Campaign”.
Salma began to say how proud she was of the role of the RESPECT Councillors and members in piling on the moral pressure. At this point the meeting exploded in spontaneous chanting of ‘FREE, FREE PALESTINE! FREE, FREE PALESTINE!’ Evoking the spirit of 3 weeks of mass action…Others began to chant “SALMA IS OUR MP!”
There was a standing ovation for Salma before George Galloway RESPECT MP for Bethnal Green and Bow took the microphone.
George Galloway encouraged support for the Gaza Aid convoy
George spoke of the double standards and hypocrisy of the media focusing on the failure of the media to describe Hamas as ‘the Democratically Elected Government of Gaza’ and spoke of his disgust at the news earlier in the day that Brown is sending the British Navy ‘not to bring aid to Gaza but to tighten the siege’ to ‘prevent Hamas from getting weapons’… George said ‘What is wrong with the Palestinians having weapons to defend themselves from Israeli state aggression?’… ‘The Palestinian people need arms to defend themselves’. Towards the end of his speech George talk of the plans to establish a Convoy…. A Convoy of Aid to travel from Scotland through all the major population centres of the UK across to the continent …. through France, Spain across to Morocco and through all of North Africa to Egypt.
George said … ‘…and when we get to Rafah, if the Egyptian government will not let us through we will smash our way through!” Our aid to Gaza will get through!
After a second standing ovation the meeting began to disperse. Hundreds of people had signed contact sheets to become more involved with RESPECT’s work, Hundreds of pounds were collected for RESPECT and over 100 copies of ‘the RESPECT Paper were sold.
The end of this meeting marked the consolidation of the mass base in the working class that RESPECT activists in Birmingham have been building over the past year. This mass base has been tested through 3 weeks of intensive internationalist struggle, fighting for Justice for the Palestinians.
Birmingham RESPECT is in a powerful position to turn this mass base into a electoral breakthrough with the election of Salma Yaqoob as the MP for Hall Green in the next General Election.
EVENT:Public Meeting: Aid Gaza! Boycott Israel SPEAKERS: Respect Councillor Mohammed Ishtiaq, Ray Gaston VENUE: St Andrews Methodist Church, Pump Street [off High Street], Worcester DATE: Tuesday 27th January 2009 | TIME: 7.30pm CONTACT: 07966866837
EVENT: Building Real and Lasting Links with Palestine VENUE: Birmingham City Council House, Victoria Square, Birmingham, B1 DATE: Wednesday 28th January | TIME: 7.00pm
INFO: The Birmingham-Ramallah Twinning Initiative is hosting a practical public meeting on how to build grass root links with Palestine. Find out how you can help. Facebook event page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=119798500570
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GAZA EVENT: Boycott Israeli Apartheid Campaign Keeping up the pressure for Gaza and Palestine… VENUE: Muslim Student Institute, Moseley Road, Balsall Heath, Birmingham, United Kingdom DATE: 29th January 2009 | TIME: 7.00pm CONTACT: 07812172885
INFO: Continuing the pressure on the Israeli state for the massacre in Gaza and the daily war crimes committed in Palestine, the next step is a meeting to establish a stronger and broader Boycott Israeli Apartheid Campaign.
Convened by Stop the War Coalition, Salma Yaqoob, Palestine Solidarity Campaign and Muslim Association of Britain. Facebook event page:http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/event.php?eid=46282874563
Birmingham Respect councillor Salma Yaqoob will again appear on BBC political panel show Question Time tonight, alongside fellow politicians and analysts answering questions and concerns from the British public.
The leader of the Respect Party and Chair of the Birmingham Stop the War Coalition will be joining presenter David Dimbleby and airing her views alongside Birmingham Hodge Hill Labour MP Liam Byrne – who failed to speak out against the recent attacks in Gaza, Conservative MP Justine Greening, former Sun editor Kelvin MacKenzie, and television gardener and writer Monty Don.
The show will be broadcast from Bath at 10.35pm on Thursday, 12thFebruary 2009 on BBC 1.
Salma Yaqoob will feature on The Politics Show on Sunday
Salma Yaqoob will also appear on the West Midlands edition of BBC current affairs programme the Politics Show, which will be broadcast at 12.30pm on Sunday 15th February 2009, following the main national show at midday.
Respect leader and Birmingham City councillor Salma Yaqoob featured on this week’s Question Time panel, joining presenter David Dimbleby and alongside Labour MP Liam Byrne, Conservative MP Justine Greening, former Sun editor and columnist Kelvin MacKenzie and television gardener and writer Monty Don.
Salma spoke on a number of issues including Dutch MP Geert Wilders, the economy and banking, child truancy, climate change and the drug reclassification policy.
Salma Yaqoob on BBC Question Time
On yesterday’s UK entry ban of controversial Dutch MP Geert Wilders, she said:
“Personally, I am uncomfortable with censorship. Does Mr Wilders have the right to provoke or even be offensive? Yes, he does under freedom of speech, and if he’s being barred from the country simply because he offends people’s religious sensibilities then no matter how personally distasteful I might find his views, I wouldn’t support a ban.
“However, society does have a right and indeed a duty to protect itself from people who incite hatred and incite violence and if he was deemed to be in breach of our laws in this regard then, in that context, a ban would be justifiable.”
“Although I find his [Wilder's] indignation about being banned and calling for the upholding of the freedom of speech abit hypocritical considering he advocates banning the Qur’an,” she added.
Salma Yaqoob challenges Kelvin MacKenzie on Question Time
She also spoke on the state of our economy and finances and whether certain employees of banks, that were saved using public money, deseved bonuses. She challenged Sun columnist Kelvin MacKenzie, who claimed such bank employees were ‘talented people’ who couldn’t be stopped.
“Talented people? They have wrecked our economy! It’s absolutely shameless and digusting,” she responded.
“These are people who’ve wrecked our economy and I don’t believe a word of this ‘contract’ argument. These people would not have a job now were it not for the British tax payers bailing out the banks. They’re lucky they’re on a salary, never mind the cheek to ask for a bonus in these circumstances.
“It’s also politicians who should be in the dock because it was their decision to take away the safety mechanism, to introduce de-regulation which allowed the unvetted greed. It allowed the bankers to make the risky decisions without any proper scrutiny. It freed them up to reward themselves with these incredible bonuses and at the same time politicians from the Conservative party as well as the Labour party championed this neo-liberal economic orthodoxy which has brought us this disaster,” explained Salma.
Salma Yaqoob on BBC Question Time
“I think it’s really disgusting that we have now a public culture where if you commit huge crimes, which are resulting in millions of ordinary people losing their jobs and their homes, you only have to come up with a half-hearted apology, no accoutability, no sanctions, no punishments – and if you’re a politician you can lead our country into war on a lie and not have to resign – there is something really deeply wrong with a democratic system we have where instead of people being made an example of, we now have the lesson that ‘you can do this in the future, you can be this reckless because there’ll be no deterrent’,” she concluded.
Watch the complete programme on BBC iPlayer via the links below (UK only).
The new issue of The Respect Paperis out. With news, views, debate and discussion the Respect paper keeps you up to date with all that’s happening in the movement. Each issue contains regular columns by George GallowayMP, Salma Yaqoob and Respect’s local councillors.
To read Salma Yaqoob’s Gaza article ‘A deep anger is growing‘, click here.
To read more articles or to subscribe to The Respect paper, click here.
Respect Cllr Salma Yaqoobcautiously welcomes a new government advertising campaign initiated in a bid to ’soften’ the perception of Britain by displaying images of British Muslims on billboards in Pakistan in a bid to curb terrorism.
However, she challenges Labour MP Khalid Mahmood on whether the campaign highlights or even addresses the real cause for a lot of the Pakistani population’s discontent with the British state: foreign policy.
Salma Yaqoob on the BBC Politics Show
Following the deaths of 200 people in Pakistan by British-supported US raids in Pakistan last year alone; and a further 40 Pakistani civilians being killed by US attacks only last week, Salma doubts the new campaign will appease the serious concerns of ordinary Pakistanis and the radicals terrorists who exploit them.
Watch the report & debate on the Politics Show here (begins at 38:17).
Originally broadcast at 12.30pm on Sunday 15th February 2009, on BBC One.
Wednesday 8th April 2009 : Cllr Salma Yaqoob attends the Birmingham City Council Planning Committee Meeting on the Edgbaston cricket ground decision.
Cllr Yaqoob argues her case for why extensive changes to the ground should not be made at the expense of local residents whose quality of living would deteriorate as a result.
Salma Yaqoob features in the Muslim Women Power List 2009
Respect party leader Salma Yaqoob has been included in a specially commissioned Power List of Muslim Women, compiled by the Equality and Human Rights Commission in conjunction with The Times newspaper and Muslim lifestyle journal emel magazine.
The list was chosen by a panel of judges chaired by Trevor Phillips, Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission. The judges were asked to select women who had demonstrated significant results through strong leadership, successful performance in their chosen career and inspired their colleagues and peers.
Emel magazine
Conservative peer Baroness Sayeeda Warsi was declared Britain’s most powerful woman in a list which included comedian and New Statesman columnist Shazia Mirza, emel editor Sarah Joseph, Muslim Voice UK Director Shaista Gohir MBE and BBC news presenter Mishal Husain.
The complete official list can be found here, while the current issue of emel magazine features a pictorial and editorial on the top 13 women, including Salma Yaqoob.
SUPPORTERS of Worcestershire RESPECT will be out on the streets of Dodford on St George’s Day collecting signatures for a people’s charter, which aims to create a “fairer Britain.”
The organisers of the modern day People’s Charter, based on the charter of the same name created in the 19th century, aim for a million signatures under the slogan ‘we need change, we need hope, we need a fairer Britain’ and hope to influence politicians to create more and better jobs, decent homes and improved services.
Mark Anthony France, Bromsgrove Respect
“Many of us are now losing hope and our family, friends and neighbours are paying a heavy price for an economic crisis we didn’t create.”
Mark Anthony France, secretary of Bromsgrove RESPECT, said: “Many of us are now losing hope and our family, friends and neighbours are paying a heavy price for an economic crisis we didn’t create.” “This incompetence and corruption infects our own community here in Worcestershire – there is no need to give examples for they are many and well known.
“Frustrated by the failure of establishment politicians, some people are becoming attracted by the siren calls of racism and a misplaced nationalism.
“Fortunately, there is an alternative and a reason to hope. Let us all celebrate St George’s Day, let us slay the dragon, restore hope, banish hatred and welcome spring.” More information about the charter, including how you can sign up and find out how to make donations, can be found by visiting www.thepeoplescharter.com
Respect leader Salma Yaqoob condemns plans to deport 11 Pakistani men innocent of alleged involvement in a terror plot:
“Everybody in the Muslim community understands that the police have to act if they suspect a terrorist threat. We also understand that innocent people might occasionally be arrested and subsequently released. That is the nature of policing.
But these recent arrests are indicative of a worrying pattern developing.
Firstly, far too many of the most high profile raids and arrests lead to no charges at all. The release of these 11 Pakistani men and one Briton without charge follows February’s high-profile arrests and detentions and release without charge in the north-west of nine men on unspecified overseas intelligence linked to a supposed terrorist activities outside Britain. Some of those arrested were in act from a convoy taking medicines, computers, toys and such to Gaza – all were innocent. And in the past we have also had lurid allegations about terrorist plots to blow up Old Trafford football stadium, the so-called ‘ricin’ plot and the police raids and shooting in Forest Gate East London of a supposed ‘bomb factory’– all claims later shown to be unfounded.
Secondly, there is a real danger that manner in which these raids are dealt with by the politicians is both prejudicial to any notion of a fair trail and also damaging to community relations.
When the government starts talking about ‘a very big terrorist plot’ before any case goes to court they show contempt for fair legal process and undermine the principle of ‘innocent until proven guilty’.
When policing is conducting is such a high profile way in the media in advance of any trial it creates sensationalist headlines. This climate of fear damages relations between the Muslim communities and other communities and undermines trust between Muslim communities and the Police.
The trend of trial by politicians and media has to be reversed. This means politicians and police officers refraining from premature briefings before cases have come to court where actual evidence can be evaluated. Such restraint in one stroke would not only restore the principle of innocent until proven guilty, but would help restore confidence in the government and police.
These 11 men should now be allowed to rebuild their lives. Given that they have been released without charge it is a further smear on their characters and extension of their horrendous ordeal that they are facing deportation with more unsubstantiated claims hanging over them”.
Does politics matter? Well on Saturday 9th May, the Electoral Reform Society are holding Birmingham Votes’09, an opportunity for the people of Birmingham to make politics work for them.
The day will be an chance for local community campaigns, faith groups, NGOs and the public to discuss how they can make their voices heard in the June election and beyond.
Respect party leader and Birmingham City councillor Salma Yaqoob will be attending the event and participating in the Democracy Question Time alongside Birmingham’s John Hemming MP and Richard Burden MP.
Birmingham Votes ‘09 is organised by the Electorial Reform Society and will take place from 11am at the Quaker Meeting House, Bull Street, Birmingham B4 6AF. To register for the event or to find out more, click here.
On Saturday 9th May, 2009, Councillor Salma Yaqoob attended the Birmingham Votes ’09 event held by the Electoral Reform Society at the Quaker Meeting House in central Birmingham.
Salma spoke at the event’s Question Time segment alongside cross-party city representatives including John Hemming MP (Lib Dem) and Richard Burden MP (Labour).
Electorial Reform Society Political Campaigns Officer Michael Calderbank said:
“We all face a real challenge in raising the profile of the European Elections and the importance of democratic representation and we hope that the event made some contribution towards this effort.”
Councillor Salma Yaqoob is backing the national ‘March for Jobs’ taking place in Birmingham this Saturday, 16 May. She is calling for a bigturnout to send a strong message to the government that protecting jobs must come first.
Councillor Yaqoob said:
“There is hardly a family in the country which has not been affected by the recession. With unemployment now over 2.2 million, every day brings new job losses, and people across Birmingham are worried for their future. Huge sums of money have been used to bail out the banks. We need to see the same commitment to keeping people in jobs, and investing in vital industries to see them through this crisis.
“The government has its priorities wrong; with billions earmarked for wasteful and unnecessary projects like ID cards and the renewal of theTrident nuclear weapons system. It is time to send a strong message to the government that protecting jobs must be its first priority. That is theright way to protect individuals and families, but also to boost the economy at a time of economic crisis.”
The demonstration, organised by the Unite union, will assemble at 11am on Saturday 16 May at Highfield Road, Edgbaston (corner of Hagley Road), and march to Centenary Square for a rally.
Salma Yaqoob is backing Green Party MEP caniddate Felicity Norman
Prominent Birmingham Councillor and Leader of the RESPECT Party, Salma Yaqoob is calling for progressive West Midlands voters to go Green and vote for Felicity Norman at the European Elections on 4th June.
Salma Yaqoob, who is a Sparkbrook Councillor and Westminster Candidate for Birmingham Hall Green constituency is endorsing Felicity for her commitment to fight the BNP at the European election and for the Greens’ progressive policies on job creation in new industries.
Councillor Yaqoob said:
“With the country facing the deepest recession in generations, Labour and the Tories offer us nothing but rising unemployment and cuts in services. Those of us who want a new politics based on social justice need to work together. The candidate closest to my own views on the environment, anti-racism and foreign affairs is Felicity Norman and I hope my supporters will back her on 4 June.”
At the last European election, the Greens secured 5.2% of the vote in the region. Respect got 2.4% of the votes. When combined, the 7.6% vote share is just greater than the BNP’s 7.5%. Only around 10% of the vote is needed to gain a seat at the European election next month and with the Greens, RESPECT and the BNP all having grown in the past five years, it is a tight race to the finish line on 4th June.
The Green Party is running its strongest ever campaign to elect a Euro-MP in the region to join the two other UK Green Party MEPs already elected.
Salma Yaqoob commented:
“The racist British National Party is hoping to make a breakthrough in these elections. Under the system of proportional representation it is essential that everyone who opposes the BNP uses their vote. The higher the turnout, the lower the chance of the BNP being elected. Whatever you do please use your vote against the BNP. But if you care about peace, justice, equality, anti-racism and the environment, vote Green in the European elections”.
Felicity Norman, the top Green Party Euro-MP candidate said:
“A Green vote at these elections says yes to positive politics and no to racism and it says yes to investing in jobs-rich industries to tackle recession and climate change.
“The Green Party is running a serious campaign to fight the BNP. In this proportional voting system, it’s normally a small party that takes the final seat, which could mean the BNP or the Greens. We know that if a Green is elected, there is no room for the BNP. The battle for fourth place at the European election is more important than ever and with Salma’s endorsement, our combined support ensures we’re in the game”.
Salma’s endorsement of Felicity is the second boost for the Greens in a week after news that Green Party candidate numbers for the County Council elections this year are treble the figure of the last County elections in 2005.
City councillor for Birmingham Sparkbrook Salma Yaqoob attends the national March for Jobs – organised by Unite and held in Birmingham – and explains the importance of supporting the call for British jobs to be saved in the midst of a recession.
Date: Saturday 16th May 2009
Venue: March from Highfield Road (B15) to Centenary Square, Central Birmingham.
West Midlands Respect activist Mark Anthony France and local pub landlord Gianni D’Anaello speak to Sky News in Bromsgrove about the MP’s expenses scandal, following the furore surrounding the expenses of their local Member of Parliament.
Worcestershire MPJulie Kirkbride is currently at the centre of a fresh expenses scandal which has reached right into the heart of the Conservative Party.
Ms Kirkbride had registered a property in her Bromsgrove constituency as her second home, allowing her to claim expenses on it, while her husband Andrew MacKay – the MP for Bracknell in Berkshire – had registered a property in London as his second home, allowing him to claim expenses on that one.
Mr MacKay quit as Mr Cameron’s policy adviser after it emerged the pair were both claiming for second homes despite sharing properties.
Mark France, a constituent who has independently been collecting signatures for Julie Kirkbride to resign, said:
Mark Anthony France on Sky News
“We got about 150 signatures in just three quarters of an hour and we’ve now set up a little group and we aim to collect 10,000 signatures in the next 10 days. We’ll present them to Rita Dent, Julie Kirkbride’s constituent secretary, on June 1st and we’re saying that Julie Kirkbride should resign. “
When pressed by the reporter over whether he was using the recent events as an opportunity to promote the Respect party, Mark made it clear her was working independently of any party by responding:
“No, I’m a local lad who believes in justice, truth, decency and honesty. We have 1,200 people made redundant in the Bromsgrove area just in the past 3 months. There’s a lot of hardship, there’s a lot of people who are fidning that everything they’ve worked for is just collapsing around them and there’s a lot of anger and this is the last straw.”
The above interview was broadcast on Sky News on 16th May 2009.
The controversial and offensive Conservative election leaflet for the Lozells East and Handsworth by-election suggests Salma Yaqoob supports their candidate Raja Khan. A 'disgusted' Salma accused the party of deception and is planning legal action.
Respect Councillor Salma Yaqoob has blasted the Conservative party for using her photograph on election material, without permission, to imply support for their candidate in the forthcoming Lozells East and Handsworth by-election.
Cllr Yaqoob said: “I am outraged and disgusted that the Tory candidate in Lozells East and Handsworth [Raja Khan] has produced an election leaflet using my photo and implying that I am supporting him.
“Nothing could be further from the truth. Mr Khan approached me for a photo on the recent trade union defend jobs demo in Birmingham. I agreed on the explicit condition that it not be used in any way for party political purposes.
“The use of my image on Tory publicity is a deliberate attempt to mislead the voters of Lozells East and Handsworth. It is a disgraceful abuse of the political process and flies in the face of David Cameron’s calls to ‘clean-up’ politics.
“The public are sick and tired of deceitful politicians. Now that they have been exposed I hope the voters Lozells East and Handsworth punish the Conservatives for their willful deception.
“In the meantime, I am seeking legal advice on what recourse I have against them’.
Injured men are seen near the site of the car bombing in Lahore, Pakistan on Wednesday, May 27, 2009. (AP / K.M. Chaudary)
Respect leader and Birmingham Stop the War Coalition chair Salma Yaqoob will be speaking alongside George Galloway MP at a meeting on the crisis in Pakistan this weekend.
The public event, which will be taking place at the Bordesley Centre in Birmingham’s Sparkbrook area, will explore the current deepening crisis in Pakistan.
Over the last few months a million people had been displaced by the fighting in the province of Swat and this week saw a massive car bomb in Lahore kill 23 people.
Lord Nazir Ahmed, Green Party’s MEP candidate Felicity Norman, Labour Councillor Tahir Ali and Lib Dem Councillor Tariq Khan will be among a host of speakers discussing the growing instability in the region.
The meeting is organised by the Stop the War Coalition. Its Chairperson Salma Yaqoob said:
“US drone strikes on Pakistani territory and Pakistan’s support for the Western occupation of Afghanistan continues to severely destabilise the country. Stability in the Pakistan is intimately tied up with a resolution to the war in Afghanistan where the conflict is increasingly deadlocked, the death toll of British soldiers continues to rise and Taliban are growing in strength.
“This meeting will outline what positive measures our government can pursue to help bring peace to the region. It is free entry and everybody is welcome to attend”.
The meeting begins at 2pm on Sunday 31st May atthe Bordesley Centre in Stratford Road, Camp Hill, Birmingham, B11 1AR.
Councillor Salma Yaqoob, Hall Green parliamentary candidate for the Respect Party, says it is time for a clear out of greedy MPs in the wake of revelations about MP Roger Godsiff’s expense claims.
Salma Yaqoob commented:
Salma Yaqoob confronts Roger Godsiff MP
“I represent one of the poorest areas in Birmingham. Thousands of my constituents are struggling to make ends meet in the face of a recession that is causing pain to many people. It is hardly surprising that there is deep anger at the spectacle of MPs enriching themselves at our expense.
“Roger Godsiff’s family live in a London home and are registered to vote there, making it his main residence in most people’s eyes. However, by claiming it as his ‘second home’ he has claimed £87,000 of tax payers’ money for it in the last four years.
“He should pay back this money.
“He has also made thousands of pounds worth of claims on his Sheldon home in Birmingham for ‘guttering’ and ‘shower repairs’, and even claimed for a lawn mower under ‘office sundries’. Oddly this home is not even in his constituency!
Salma Yaqoob slashed Roger Godsiff's election majority in 2005
“Roger Godsiff’s behaviour smacks of contempt for his constituents and raises more questions about MPs abuse of the expenses system.
“We have heard enough to know that none of the three big parties have clean hands. Everywhere we look there is a new scandal. Enough is enough. It is time for a clear out.”
Salma Yaqoob reflects on Barack Obama's Cairo speech
President Obama has given his first major speech on relations between the United States and the Muslim world.
Birmingham Councillor and Respect party leader Salma Yaqoob gave her response:
“President Obama’s call for a ‘new beginning’ in relations between the United States and the Muslim world is very welcome.
“The absence in his speech of any bellicose threats to Iran stands in stark contrast to his predecessor, George W Bush, as do his comments about the ‘intolerable’ situation facing the Palestinians.
“However, in view of the damage done to the United States’ reputation across the Muslim world, actions not words will be required to really mark a new beginning.
“Many Muslims in Britain are of South Asian origin and are alarmed at how the US intervention in Afghanistan is also destabilising Pakistan.
“The sooner there is progress to redress the injustice of the Palestinians and end the occupation of Afghanistan, the quicker a new chapter can be written.”
The BNP have gained two seats in the European parliament
Statement on the euro-election results by Councillor Salma Yaqoob, Respect party Leader:
“The historic scale of Labour’s defeat at the ballot box is evidence of the deep betrayal felt by those who once voted Labour in the hope of a fairer society. The depth of disillusionment with the mainstream parties is underlined by the shocking breakthrough made by the BNP.
“Labour is wholly to blame for its own crisis and has to take a large share of the responsibility for creating the conditions in which the far right is growing.
"Labour’s failure to deliver for its core support has helped the BNP win votes..."
“Labour loosened the rules that gave licence to greedy bankers to gamble away our jobs and homes. Labour failed to protect our public services from wasteful and costly privatisation. Labour has overseen growing inequality and a chronic shortage of affordable housing. And Labour failed to tackle the scandal of MP’s expenses.
“Labour’s failure to deliver for its core support has helped the BNP win votes in deprived white working class communities. Labour’s determination not to be outflanked by the Tories on questions of race and immigration has created fertile ground for racist arguments to win support. Too many BNP arguments have been legitimised by a political consensus that treats asylum seekers and immigrants as a criminal threat. The BNP has fed on the growth in Islamophobia, egged on by a barrage of racist coverage in national newspapers. Political ground was conceded to the BNP, and they have occupied it to devastating effect.
“Labour has betrayed the hopes of millions of people who believe in a fairer and more equal society and those who believe in an ethical foreign policy based on peace and justice. These election results are a warning of the potential scale of the drift to the right.
British National Party leader Nick Griffin
“This right wing threat cannot be confronted by conceding the argument in advance. There is every practical and political reason for tackling the recession by extending state intervention, piling investment into a massive programme of house building, taxing the richest to support the big majority of the population through this recession. But a recent survey showed that more than half the working population have seen a cut in pay, reductions in hours or a loss of employment benefits since the recession began. While bankers and shareholders have been bailed out, millions of workers are paying for the economic crisis through lower pay, longer hours or unemployment. The Tories, Labour, Lib Dems and UKIP are all competing with each other on who will push through the most ruthless cuts to public spending.
“Giving ground to a right wing consensus will not undercut the growth of right wing parties. It will only encourage them. It is now critical that the broadest swathes of the left and progressive opinion in this country work together to lever the political agenda in the opposite direction.
We need an alternative to failed free market dogma.
“We need an alternative to an electoral system that disenfranchises the millions of people who don’t vote for the winning party and consigns whole geographical areas to be taken for granted. And we need a reassertion of a politics embedded in principles of peace, social justice, equality and anti-racism.
“The broad left must work together, irrespective of party affiliation, to maximise the impact of the progressive vote at the next General Election.
“I am proud of the contributions that Respect members made by supporting Green candidates in the West Midlands and North West. In the North West, with BNP leader Nick Griffin on the brink of a breakthrough, the choice was surely clear. For those who would not give their vote to Labour, the Green candidate – Peter Cranie – was more than a credible alternative. A left-wing Green candidate, with a principled record of opposition to racism, deserved our support.
Peter Cranie was less than 5,000 votes away from stopping Nick Griffin’s election
“The results are in, and Peter Cranie was less than 5,000 votes away from stopping Nick Griffin’s election. Yet almost 50,000 votes were cast for the Socialist Labour Party and No2EU. Together they amounted to just 3% of the vote – nowhere near enough to make a positive impact. The plain fact is that had even a minority of that left wing vote gone to the Greens we would not be waking up to the fact that the North West is sending a fascist to the European parliament.
“If nothing else, these results should spark a renewed and more energetic discussion about bringing the broad left together around a common agenda for progressive change. I will be speaking at the very timely Compass conference next weekend, and I look forward to discussing these and other issues with Labour and Green supporters.
“I do not believe that the British public have become hostile to basic progressive policies on the responsibility of the state in providing decent housing, protecting jobs, and regulating the economy. But the retreat of Labour from even a modest social democratic alternative has led to a lack of connection in the public mind between the effects of the recession and the neo-liberal policies responsible for it.
“The manner in which Labour has vacated the traditional ground of the left has served to weaken any convincing notion of a political alternative to neo-liberalism. This has created a dangerous vacuum which is in danger of being filled by hate fuelled simplicities of the far right. The challenge for the left is to renew itself and reassert some basic socialist critiques and solutions into mainstream political debate.
“Respect will be doing everything we can to contribute to the renewal of a progressive and left wing politics. But we need to broaden our challenge to the failed parties. There will be many who want to see the values of peace, civil liberties and social justice represented at the ballot box, and in a fairly elected parliament. I encourage them to put themselves forward for consideration as candidates at the next General Election.
“We need each other and this country badly needs a political alternative of the left.
It is not beyond our ability to create this alternative. There are lessons we can draw from the anti-war movement. In a hostile climate and against formidable obstacles, a clear message, delivered with determination and organisational verve, was able to influence, shape and organise public opposition to war. We need a similar ambition to ideologically and practically build resistance to neo-liberalism and racism.”
‘The absence in his speech of any bellicose threats to Iran stands in stark contrast to his predecessor,’ says a Muslim politician in Birmingham.
By Ben Quinn | Contributor 06.04.09 |Christian Science Monitor
LONDON – In Britain, home to one of Europe’s largest Muslim communities, as well as many members of the Arab diaspora, there was a mixed but generally positive reaction to President Obama’s speech.
“I think he has good intent but people do want to see action,” said Yahya Birt, a trustee of the City Circle, a London-based networking group whose members are mainly young British Muslim professionals.
“He has to show that he really is an honest broker with regard to Israel and Palestine. People here are going to be talking about the speech, because he has been a transformative president and people had been looking forward to the speech,” added Mr. Birt, an editor at a publishing house.
“One concern I would have would be in relation to this call for democracy. He was making that appeal in Cairo, in a country whose regime has been unelected for decades and is very repressive. Does realpolitik of security still trump the push for democracy?”
In England’s second-largest city, Birmingham, a cultural melting pot where more than 16 percent of the population identify themselves as Muslim, the speech also received a cautious welcome from Salma Yaqoob, a city counselor for the left-wing, antiwar Respect Party.
“The absence in his speech of any bellicose threats to Iran stands in stark contrast to his predecessor, George W. Bush, as do his comments about the ‘intolerable’ situation facing the Palestinians,” she said.
Many Muslims in Britain are of South Asian origin and are alarmed at how the US intervention in Afghanistan is also destabilizing Pakistan. “The sooner there is progress to redress the injustice of the Palestinians and end the occupation of Afghanistan, the quicker a new chapter can be written,” Ms. Yaqoob added.
Ajmal Masroor, a London imam involved with the Islamic Society of Britain, said that Obama’s address was a step in the right direction, commending the president for adopting a “reassuring tone.”
“He made it very clear that the suffering of Palestinians must end. On balance, the speech was very fair, so I think that Muslims will now be prepared to give him a little more time to see if he can walk the walk as well as talk the talk,” Imam Masroor said.
If he had a criticism, however, it was that Obama had failed to address the poor record on human rights and democracy by many Arab “dictators and despots,” including the government of Egypt itself.
The speech also went down well among an invited audience at the US Embassy, according to Riazat Butt, religious affairs correspondent for the Guardian newspaper.
“I think that people were impressed and the reaction was generally positive, because he was basically doing something that Bush would never do,” she said.
“For much of the first half of the speech, there were a lot of comments which were very general in nature, but then he started to talk about Al Qaeda, then about Israel and Palestine, and about Iran, which I thought he would not do.”
Overall, she expected that British Muslims would take notice.“I think that people here on the street will be talking about it because it has been very eagerly awaited. But how people judge what he had to say will ultimately come down to whether he follows through on his words with actions.”
The Quilliam Foundation, a London-based counterextremism think tank made up of former Islamist activists, described the speech as “groundbreaking and courageous.”
Welcoming a “nuanced but significant change” in Obama’s language, it added that he “avoided any use of the term ‘the Muslim world’ and instead adopted ‘Muslim-majority countries’ and ‘Muslim communities.’ ”
The statement continued, “There is no monolithic ‘Muslim community,’ nor is there a singular homogeneous entity known as ‘the Muslim world,’ rather there are diverse and distinctive Muslim communities that need to be reflected in our discourse. Using the term ‘the Muslim world’ only serves to bolster the Islamist and Al Qaeda narrative of ‘the West’ against ‘Islam’ – of a battle of ‘us’ versus ‘them’ or ‘good’ versus ‘evil.’
“By omitting this, Obama has taken a positive step in the battle of ideas and in realizing his promise that America is not fighting a war against Islam.”
Salma Yaqoob is backing new council homes in Birmingham
Birmingham city councillor Salma Yaqoobhas backed a Conservative initiative to build new council homes in Birmingham, following the Labour government’s to build a single new council home in the city in 12 years.
Conservative John Lines unveiled the new Birmingham Municipal Housing Trust last week and set out the target of building 500 new council owned houses a year by 2011.
Salma said: “It is a sad indictment of this Labour Government, which claims to represent those in need, has only built 375 council homes in the UK over the last year and a Conservative in Birmingham will build 500 a year.”
The BBC2 programme The Conspiracy Files, broadcast yesterday on 30th June, examined the spread of conspiracy theories about the 7/7 bombings, and the arguments contained in the DVD The Ripple Effect.
Dr Mohammed Naseem
The programme included scenes of a meeting held at Birmingham Central Mosque in which Dr Mohammed Naseem argued that “The Ripple Effect is more convincing than the government statement”.
Respect party leader and Birmingham City councillor Salma Yaqoob rejects these conspiracy theories:
“We do not need conspiracy theories to understand the 7/7 bombings. Two of the bombers left video messages explaining exactly why they carried out this terrible atrocity. The government may be in denial about the fact that its war in Iraq encouraged terrorism at home. But we have to face facts.
“Four young men, angry at our government’s foreign policy in Iraq and Afghanistan, lost any sense of humanity and inflicted terrible suffering on innocent people. We have to confront and challenge those who justify and encourage these crimes, and we have to put an end to the injustice caused by our foreign policy that creates such a well of bitterness and hatred.
“There is a growing tendency throughout the world for many people to doubt anything that they are told by official sources. Trust in political institutions has been eroded and few people believe that those in power are honest and truthful. Many Muslims feel that almost everything they read about themselves in the media is false or hostile. And we know that the government lied about something as serious as the reasons for going to war in Iraq. This is fertile ground for the growth of conspiracy theories.
“An open and public enquiry into the Iraq war, that does not seek to protect the reputations of those who led us into this disastrous conflict, might go some way towards undermining these conspiracy theories and focussing attention on the real issues.”
Gordon Brown’s pledge to provide “local homes for local people” is based on a myth. And it is the same myth spread by the BNP for years. The BNP claim that “local people” are losing out to immigrants and asylum seekers. This is not true.
The Prime Minister is trying to win back voters from the BNP by telling them that their prejudices are justified. Every time this has been tried it only strengthens their arguments and gives them credibility. We have to challenge their lies with facts, and not back down in the face of racism.
Research has now shown that 90% of people in social housing were born in Britain. New arrivals represented less than 3% of the total. The big majority of new arrivals to the country end up in expensive and poor quality private rented accommodation. They are not the cause of the housing shortage.
The real source of the problem is the desperate shortage of affordable homes. Over four and a half million people are in need of social housing in the UK, including 35,000 in Birmingham alone. Gordon Brown’s new policy will not give homes to the millions who are waiting, and will only cause further resentment and division.
When the Tories were last in power they destroyed the ability of councils to build new homes. The best homes were sold off under the Right to Buy and were not replaced. When Labour was elected it had the chance to reverse this and failed to do so. It stopped local councils from borrowing the money needed to provide affordable homes, and it starved them of cash for repairs and improvements as part of their policy of selling off council estates.
This housing crisis has not been caused by immigration. It has been caused by Tory and Labour politicians who have dismally failed to invest in affordable housing over decades.
Gordon Brown has now announced a new house-building programme. But it is too little and too late. His plans include proposals for an extra 3,000 council houses. With only 375 council homes built in England last year, and millions of people queuing for them, it is a drop in the ocean. We need an urgent programme of building on a massive scale, something that the government has failed to deliver.
Many people are angry about the failure of both Tory and Labour governments to solve the housing crisis. Many more people despair at ever finding a home they can afford. The BNP is exploiting this anger and despair.
The housing crisis will not be solved by blaming immigrants. It will only be solved if our politicians invest in producing the homes that we need.”
City councillor for Birmingham Sparkbrook – Salma Yaqoob – appears on Brit Asia TV’s flagship socio-political community programme Broken Silence, presented by Sanyya Gardez. This week’s show addresses ‘Drugs and Gangs’.
Date: Tuesday 30th June 2009 | 9.00pm
Channel: Brit Asia TV, Sky channel 833 (UK)
Footage copyright and courtesy of Brit Asia TV Ltd.
Nick Griffin: the leader of the BNP has admitted defeat after failing to find enough far-Right allies to form a new bloc in the European Parliament
The election of two BNP MEPs has removed the cover on a political sewer that should have been sealed for all time. Nick Griffin, a man with a history of anti-Semitism and holocaust denial, now calls for “chemotherapy” against the Islamic “cancer” in Europe (1). The echoes of the past are deliberate. The choice of words is chilling.
Griffin’s election has given the BNP unprecedented access to the media, and he is using it to promote the most vicious racism. His genocidal rantings towards Muslims followed his call (2) for the sinking of ships carrying migrants from Africa to Europe – in other words the premeditated murder of men, women and children on a desperate voyage to escape poverty and oppression.
We should remind ourselves that almost 1 million people voted for the BNP in the European Elections. If there is a cancer in Europe, then it is the cancer of racism. Yet the response from the political establishment to Griffin’s remarks has, so far, been less than overwhelming.
Defensiveness and political compromise has marked the response of mainstream parties to the rise of the BNP. It should be clear enough by now. This is not a temporary blip before we return to business as usual. Ignoring the BNP or playing down their successes will not make them go away. It is time for the anti-fascist movement to go on the offensive.
Griffin’s Nazi-style outbursts cannot be dismissed as an irrelevant excess by a marginal figure. He knows what he is doing. He wants to make legitimate what was once illegitimate. He aims to shift the centre of gravity of political debate sharply to the right. He knows that his more extreme rhetoric is in tune with his party’s membership, and large swathes of his voters. But he also knows that every time mainstream politicians bend to his agenda in an attempt to occupy ground he is staking out, that the racist argument is strengthened.
It is a pattern we have seen all too frequently in recent years. Faced with a rise in racism, politicians seek to ride both horses at once: deploring racism while conceding ever more political ground to the far right.
Isn’t this exactly what Gordon Brown was doing when he called for “local homes for local people”? (3). Concerns about housing are undoubtedly genuine. There are too few affordable homes. But that is because successive governments have relied on the market to provide what it patently cannot do. What should be done is to tackle this policy failure, which would provide affordable homes for all those in need. Furthermore, the Equality and Human Rights Commission has revealed that 9 out of 10 social housing residents were born in Britain, giving a lie to the BNP myths bout “local people” losing out to immigrants and asylum seekers (4). Instead of focusing on these realities, voters are told that their prejudices are justified and that the government will do what the BNP cannot. It is a tactic that is both cynical and ineffective.
Let us be clear. The response to Griffins call to “sink the boats” cannot be one of pledging to do everything possible to keep out immigrants short of launching missiles at defenceless people. His call for “chemotherapy” against Muslims must be met with robust challenge, and not by conceding that fears of Islam in Europe are justified. The alternative is to accept that ever more extreme and dangerous fascist rhetoric will define the nature of political debate in our society.
Those who promote fear and hatred of African immigrants knocking at our door, or of the Muslims already within the gates of Europe, have to be openly and directly confronted. Their arguments have to be dealt with head on.
It is not legitimate to blame migrants or refugees for the recession. They were not the ones who became rich beyond anyone’s dreams while gambling away our economy. It is not legitimate to blame immigrants for rising unemployment. They did not close our factories and devastate our manufacturing base. It is not legitimate to blame ‘outsiders’ for the housing crisis (5). They are not the ones who passed legislation that strangled the ability of local councils to build new housing on the scale we need.
And it is not legitimate to scapegoat Muslims, who represent just 3% of the population, for any supposed threat to British identity. The recent Gallup poll on Muslim integration (6) revealed that while only half the UK population very strongly identifies with being British, 77% of Muslims did so. And only 17% of British Muslims wanted to live in an area consisting mostly of people of the same religious and ethnic background as themselves, compared to 33% of the population as a whole.
This is the positive side of our multicultural society. Being ‘different’ is not a sign of alienation from society as a whole. Yet while Muslims increasingly identify with Britain and value its mix of people and faiths, more and more people conclude that Muslims are a breed apart. There is a gulf between the reality of our lives and the perception that is created by a constant stream of horror stories.
Today, it is anti-Muslim racism that is at the cutting edge of the fascist strategy. It is effective because it feeds on the suspicion and prejudice that is the theme of so much mainstream discussion of our lives as British Muslims.
Its consequences are real. Already, there are signs that attacks on mosques and individual Muslims may be rising (7). The police are warning of the danger of far-right terrorism (8). And, earlier this month we saw an openly racist provocation in Birmingham city centre, under the guise of a protest against “Islamic extremism” – a label that the organiser made clear applied to all Muslims (9).
We, as British Muslims, have a direct and immediate interest in defeating this fascist threat. The anti-fascist movement must reach out to Muslim communities who are at the sharp end of BNP attacks. But the rise in racism is not only a threat to Muslims. The BNP may be playing down their anti-Semitism and anti-Black racism in order to drive a wedge between Muslims and the rest of society. But to the BNP we are all “racial foreigners”, (10) our very existence as British people denied.
We have to not only unite all those targeted by the BNP, with every possible ally who rejects racism and fascism. We have to also positively assert our multicultural and pluralist society. It is a message of hope that is in tune in an increasingly interconnected world. It is a source of strength and vibrancy. We are one society and many cultures. And we will only remain so if we are prepared to stand up and be counted.
Salma Yaqoob is councillor for Birmingham Sparkbrook, Leader of the Respect party and chair of the Birmingham Stop the War Coalition.
Salma Yaqoob and Imran Khan on the BBC's 'This Week' show
Cricket legend and Pakistani politcian Imran Khan will be joined by Respect party leader and Birmingham city councillor Salma Yaqoob in Birmingham tomorrow to speak on the current political and humanitarian situation in Pakistan.
The event, organised by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf UK, hopes to raise awareness of the crisis in the South Asian country and to encourage the British population, especially the large Pakistani community in the city of Birmingham, to support calls for peace and stability in the region.
EVENT:
Date: Friday 17th July, 2009
Time: 6.00pm
Location: Pearl Palace, Upper Trinity Street, Digbeth, Birmingham B9 4EG
Salma Yaqoob will be speaking at the ‘Politics in Birmingham… A Laughing Matter?‘ event at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery tomorrow. She will be joined by comedienne Shazia Mirza, Simon Woolley, James Robertson and Steve Brooks.
The event will take place at the Obama’s People Exhibition where there will be a great opportunity to view the exhbition privately and enjoy a good Friday night out with comedy, complimentary refreshments, drinks and canapes.
Spaces are limited but if you would like to attend the free event, organised by Operation Black Vote, call Jyoti on: 0208 983 5460.
EVENT: Politics in Birmingham… A Laughing Matter?
Date: Friday 17th July, 2009
Time: 6.00pm – 9.00pm
Venue: The Obama’s People Exhbition, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, Chamberlain Square, Birmingham B3 3DH
FRIDAY 2nd JANUARY 2009
