"Prophet Mohammed SAWS told us to always consult the people when making a decision and I believe that message is compatible with campaigning and voting." A recent revert to Islam and Election Agent tells MPACUK  why Muslims should get out and vote on 1st May. 

 
Salaam Alaykum brothers and sisters I have just been introduced to MPACuk and find this debate really interesting - I am the election agent for Ali Shelmani, Respect Candidate for Moss Side in Manchester.

I am a revert to Islam and took Shahada 18 months ago. I remember in my early lessons about Islam I was told that the Prophet Mohammed SAWS told us to always consult the people when making a decision and I believe that message is compatible with campaigning and voting.

There are points on both sides of this arguement that I agree with but more important than the debate about do we vote or not is the question what are we doing to stop evil in the world? I agree that the political process in the West is not perfect, far from it, and it is often corrupt and unrepresentative but surely going out and speaking to people about the issues of today, the Imperialist Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Global Warming and the destruction of the planet by huge corporations, fighting Racism and Islamophobia - to name a few issues - is something that each and everyone of us should do?
and offer people an alternative to the corrupt politicians?

Getting people out to vote may not be the most important part of the process, but opening their eyes to an alternative world that is based on Peace, Equality and Justice is surely the most Islamic action? If we manage in the process to get someone who truly represents us into a position that they can make a difference - then even better. I cannot believe that Allah would want us to sit back and allow Shaytan to take control, if so why did he send us his messenger to instruct us on how to live our lives?

I apologise if my arguement is very simplistic, I'm not a scholar but I believe that Justice is worth campaigning for, just as Mohammed SAWS did 1400 years ago.

lucila velle