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Decades of loyal Muslim support to Labour was repaid by one of the most Islamophobic governments this country has ever had. Our loyal and naive fathers came to this country with a view of making a better life and with that set about diligently voting for the party that showed a greater social conscious. The argument that tax reductions create wealth, benefits and nurture individuality were lost. But for all that, they voted and participated in the election and help secure Labour over 50 MP’s in safe seats. MP’s who are Zionists and routinely denigrate their Muslim constituents like Mike Gapes of Ilford and Dennis MacShane of Rotherham have had loyal and unquestioning support from their Muslim constituents.
During the last election, the choices the Muslim community were faced with were dire, the party that took us to an illegal war vs. the party that supported the war, oh and the parties that couldn’t actually win, in the form of Respect and the Liberal Democrats. The two parties who could make up a realistic chance of being in Government both were not viable options for those Muslims who Labour had miraculously made into floating voters. When MPACUK say “miraculously made into floating voters” it’s no small trick. The Muslims were a loyal voting block, that didn’t ask for much except the odd friendly word on Kashmir and a picture taken in a restaurant. For Labour to allow Tony Blair to flush that down the toilet and lose a generation of the Muslim electorate by invading Iraq and supporting Israel’s brutal invasion of Lebanon was breathtakingly stupid. I’m sure some Labour wonk must have said before the Iraq war “The Muslims will forget this invasion of Iraq by this time next year.” How wrong they were, and like a cancerous growth each day, the Muslim community grow further and further away from their traditional party and day by day the more astute political parties who want to gain influence with those disenchanted voters change policies to reach out to them.
Part of the calculations made at Labour HQ must have been; ‘if the Muslims desert New Labour where will they go?’ Will they go to Respect? A party which if Muslims vote for, with the exception of George Galloway , has no chance of winning thereby confirming the status-quo. Or is it the Liberal Democrats who don’t have the local teams to challenge Labour seriously in Muslim constituencies? Also if votes go to the Liberal Democrats from Labour, it acts as a blessing, as long as it doesn’t go to the Tories who might be able to win. And would they (floating Muslim voters) go to the Tories. Labour HQ must have discounted that options with the quip ‘if those Muslims hate us, they hate the Tories more.’
Well not quite, the salvation of the Muslims is not to give rigid support for parties with shifting political ideologies but to be floating voters with the intelligence to support or punish a party depending on policy and presentation. So far with Tony Blair’s premiership half-dead (the moral half anyway), Gordon Brown dithering whether he wants to be the leader or not while the rival camps take a breather before the next round of blood letting. The situation is clearer for the Muslim voter and that is, there is no going back to Labour, the umbilical cord has been cut and the way forward is becoming clearer.
Now for the surprise, while Labour has squandered its loyal Muslim voting base, the Tories have performed a massive turnaround. While Tony Blair angered Muslim opinion by expediting weapons to Israel and the Liberal Democrats sat on their hands, William Hague, the shadow Foreign Minister criticised Israel’s disproportionate force during the summer invasion of Lebanon and now David Cameron’s masterful distancing himself from the Neo-Con rhetoric. He has rejected a “clash of civilisations” and accepts the role of the United Nations. While he makes political capital from a divided Labour leadership and myopic foreign policy, the Muslim community has started to take notice.These public statements in themselves do not mean that the Tories are the “good guys”, but it does mean they are no longer the “bad guys”. The Tories will be the next Government whether at the next general election or the one after. The more progressive and politically astute Muslims must be part of that transition. The Tories are reaching out to us and we must reach out to them.
Readers have left 25 comments.
ROB:
The reason older generations of muslims voted for labour and stuck with labour was they thought of themselves as labourers and considered the labour party to be their natural party.
but of lateley labour has shown them how mistaken their faith in labour has been, muslims being conservative in out look to life should have been natural conservative voters.
but the perception that conservatives are anti-immigrant stil persists with some people and this point needs clarification as the conservatives are not against legal immigration.
Shahid:
I wasnt sure about Cameron - but I am really getting to like this guy. I still am not if the party will allow him to bring justice to all as it seems he wants to do, but i am seriously for the first time ever, thinking o voting tory. What is shocking to me is that only a year ago i still would never have said that.
Raashid:
I'm doubtful - the Tories are fiercely pro-US and whenever the US attacks a Muslim country they will, even against their better judgement support it in public. The Spectator also pointed out that with much of their core funding coming from wealthy Jews, they'll be very reluctant to criticise, let alone take action against Israel.
How many Tories would oppose an attack on Iran? We've yet to hear any of them openly reject the plan.
Fawaad:
well Cameron still says that if he was PM at the time of the Iraq war he would have done the same and gone to war.
I would say he does not want to win the election if he is saying things like that.
I mean it does not take rocket science to work out that blair is hated by most britions because of the iraq war... so clever Mr Cameron comes along saying he would have done the same...
Lib Dems still get my vote although I want Kennedy back...
A Former Labour Party Voter:
The Labour Party at every election tell the muslims that they will sort out the kashmir issue which they created over 50 years ago as part of a divide and rule policy .
Muslim labour candidates use kashmir as a vote winner as well but nothing ever gets sorted out except more muslims getting masacred and divided in iraq, afghanistan. palestine etc...
Muslims in the labour party are nothing more than votes getters and are kept weak, inneffective and are given no respect except for delivering more votes.
jav:
shahid i dont trust cameron, learn more about him first then make your choice.
i agree with raashid.
waq:
You must be joking after posting an article showing how labour betrayed loyal muslim voters for decades, you expect muslims to be stupid enough to vote for the Tories who are more racist and anti muslim not to mention devout lovers of the squatter state of israel just do an internet search on their statements and loyalty to the israeli squatter state, Mpac don't know what your playing at but bigging up the tories is like shooting yourself in the foot!
Martin:
The Tories have supported Israel but so has Labour (think Lord Levy chief backer of Labour party).
So the only way to make any of them even consider Palestinian life as they do anyone else is join them. Dont moan from the outside, let Zionists join and fund them and then complain they dont listen.
For heaven sake use your heads!
Well done MPACUK for being the first Muslim group in Britain to back the Tories!
Hanif Sabir:
Brother's and sister's lets get this into perspective. We CANNOT put our trust in Labour, and Tories are just as bad. Let's not forget that almost 2/3's of the Tories are members of the Friends of Israel!!!! I think our best option is to vote for parties like Respect and the Libdems because whatever we do either Labour or the Conservatives will win at the elections. At least this helps tip the balance a little.
Rick B:
Forget the Tories! Most of them are as bad if not worse than Blair.
Ash - Beware!!:
Muslims beware! Don't forget that Rupert Murdock has publicly voiced his support for the tories, because their core objectives are even more evil than labour.
Most of the zionist MP's are in the conservative party!!!!!!!!!!!!
Don't be mislead!
saif:
Muslims simply used the rational argument when voting Labour. Labour was the least capitalist thus least anti Islamic, therefore surely voting for any other party is plain silly as Labour was the 'lesser of the evils' as MPac would say.
For heavens sake wake up to reality and spend your time in a more constructive way to help this Ummah, instead of thinking about which Kufr party to vote for.Once in power any party would work to further there interests, that means working to destroy Islam as a way of life.
Razia:
Muslims should not be voting for plotical parties. They should be voting for individual MPs. Labour has plenty of pro-Palestinian MPs like Richard Burden, Neil Gerard etc.
If Muslims vote blanket Tory then they lose some great Palestinian voices so Tory MPs who are generally more pro-Israeli.
Muslims have to vote smart. They need to research the people from all parties who are standing in their area.
Realist:
Labour or Conservative, who cares ?
Muslims must be the most openly selfish interest group in modern day Britain.
They only care about themselves, not the wider community, and they never let the rest of the community forget that.
Constant whinging about their selfish concerns.
High profile for their "Muslim Brothers" but conspicuous by their abscence when natural disater befalls countries and peoples who are not muslim.
Why not set up your own political party, instead of pretending you actually care about anyone else ?
Gabriel Martindale:
Keep this stuff up. Perhaps praise from people as openly hateful as you will steer Cameron away from his current course.P.S. I hope to see all you guys at the rally for Darfur this Sunday. 400,000 dead Muslims, 2,000,000 refugees. I imagine you must be really be steamed up about it. Roughly 400 time as much as you were about Lebanon,in fact.
Conservatively agree:
I'm quite suprised at MPAC, although I agree with the above article to a certain extent. Why MPAC is being hasty in thier support and encouraging others to do the same. We still have time until the next elections to see how Mr Camron and his party turns out, neo cons or lib cons. We surely cant give our support to him over one speech, though what he said was encouraging. It will have to be more than that, like thier internal and forign policies. Muslims, float like a butterfly and then sting labour like a bee when the time is right.
AC:
To all of those Muslims who have commented on here expressing their anti-Israel/Jew bias and to those who share their views - I beg you to vote Labour. The sooner Labour and the Left in general are tainted with the stigma of sucking up to such bigoted buffoons as yourselves the sooner Labour will be exposed for the self-serving hypocrites they are and then the sooner they will be deserted in droves by non-Muslim voters. It would be a disaster for this country if the two main parties were fighting for your votes. Muslims for Labour and Labour for Muslims! AC
Adam Ghaznavi:
A word to the wise. First google the Henry Jackson Society & look at the list of Patrons. Note presence of WIlliam Kristol, Richard Perle & James Woolsey. Pause to throw up in sickbag. Next check out the list of signatories, not presence of leading counsiglieris of David Cameron (as well as labor MPs). Pause for second time to throw up in sick bag. Cracking choice, William Kristol Red or William Kristol Blue. I shall be voting Green...
Al S:
For 10 years Blair and New Labour have taken the Muslim vote for granted becasue whatever they say and do - in droves we loyally - like sheep like lemmings - vote Labour back in. All our thoughts and emotions go out the window on polling day and we vote these people back in. How do they reward us?
The only language these people understand is a hefty kick in the ballot box. I have never considered voting for Conservatives. I am growing to like David Cameron and what he is doing to drag his party kicking and screaming into the 21st century.
It is good to see the right wing racist fringe of the Conservatives leaving and joing parties such as UKIP instead. If the Conservatives continue to move to the centre then I might (and I add might) vote to keep out Labour.
We can hold as many protests and marches but the ballot box is the only language politicians understand.
I would be willing to give the tories a term in office to prove themselves.
Adam Ghaznavi:
I should clarify, I shall be voting Green in the increasingly unlikely event that the USA Rapture freaks & their sidekicks have not blown the world to kingdom come before then...
A voter:
I will vote MPACUK for government
STEPHEN SPRENGER:
Why is Israel viewed so negatively. They have a little sliver of land in the middle of a middle eastern sewer. While I don't understand why they even wanted to live in that area of the world, why do Muslims care? If I were Muslim I'd be worried about building a good life for myself.
Manolo:
Instead of continually harping & whinging on about Israel, the Jewish lobby,American imperialism, Bush, Blair, the Pope, the world, the muslim world would be better engaged in sorting its own house(s) out. Where are your democracies? Are you marching with your hate-filled banners outside the Sudan Embassy protesting against the past & future genocide by that muslim government? Muslims "demand" equal religious rights in the west and quite rightly so, but then deny the same in muslim countries to other religions (i.e. Saudi, look at the persecusion of Christians in the West Bank etc). Stop playing "the victim", when you are clearly not.join the real world. You may just find you will be made welcome.
Gemma:
Muslims demanding equal religious rights in western countries while denying them in muslim countries is an wasted argument against their true intent since it is countered, in premise, by the fact that western countries promote democracy so strongly on other countries while in their own we see a lack of democracy e.g: rigged elections, anti-pluralist structures, no proportional representation, the unengaging system that is party voting, funding disparties in the marketing of parties... Both system leave plenty of room for mass scale coersion of consent.
When, correction IF, we overcome the silly stalemates between powers structures, maybe then we can work on the construction of the least worst system of resource-sharing (governance) together. I don't know what it will be but I'm pretty sure it will not include religion OR centralised power. Though, as long as pointless self justified unmeritted hierarchies of power exist, we sane folk will remain marginalised watching an apocalyptic fate play out from the the core to the periphary. Maybe some of us will have the chance to make new construction post-apocalyse.........mmmmmmmm... but wouldn't it be nice?!
manolo:
Gemma - Open your eyes.....and see!
Freedom to worship one's own religion, as in the west, is called Religious Freedom. Religious Freedom is allowed in Islamic states by and large, so long as it is Islam that is the religion i.e Saudi for starters. Most of the other states are full of religious bigots & haters of all other creeds because that is the way the imans & the dictators lead "the street",for their own self-preservation.You know what they say -"You can fool some of the peoplesomre of the time.." Well in Islam you can - "all of the time". But let us not dare suggest that even a whiff of intolerance can be detected in the Islamic world. If you say otherwise, I will cut off your head.Refering to the unholy misrepresentation of the Pope's address to his old university, a Pakistani foreign-ministry spokeswoman responded, without seeing the irony of her remark:“Anyone who describes Islam as a religion as intolerant encourages violence." That just about sums it all up. Toerance of others, religious or political just does not see the light of day in the Islamic world. So don't confuse western electoral procedures with Islamic religious intolerance of others; we may not have the perfect system but it certainly beats the "off with his/her head" sort of democracy!
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