Councillor Salma Yaqoob, one of the Birmingham's Post's Power 50, takes the bus to town on 'In Town Without My Car Day'.
On Tuesday 22nd September, some of the Birmingham Post’s Power 50 took up the Birmingham Friends of the Earth challenge to show some leadership and give up their cars for the day on In Town Without My Car Day.
Even senior figures at the council pledged their support for the idea and so we are hoping that next year there will be some officially sanctioned events, but, even more importantly, some drastic improvements in public transport provision in Birmingham and in safety measures for cyclists and pedestrians.
A Friends of the Earth volunteer travelled with councillor Salma Yaqoob as she did without her car for the day.
Salma Yaqoob walking children Mikael and Aslan to school
Pictured here walking children Mikael and Aslan to school, councillor Yaqoob said “Normally taking the children to school and travelling to work in the morning is a last minute rush. We lead such a packed life so we save time in the car. Today it felt good – not driving. I had to do this. We had extra time to chat. Walking is good exercise and it felt like the right thing to do.”
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 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.
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.
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. “
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
