Okay, I'm happy with this. I was starting to think he was a sell out but let's see if he can remain constant in his votes.

Thank Allah he has saw the light. Better late than never, know to bring these other Muslim wanna be MP's. I am not their constituent but I will be sending them letters none the less.

well done mr malik for signing the edm but why has it taken so long?

Shahid you've been in danger of looking like a government sycophant lately and I was wondering if you were merely a career politician. I'm glad you've finally signed and faced up to your moral duty to support the Palestinians. The very least you can do. It doesn't take a lot of effort, thought or skill to sign somebody else's EDM. Does it really require MPACUK to highlight this and embarrass these people into doing what they should have done already. Well done to the MP who proposed teh EDM in the first place. Another question. What value are Muslim MP's?

http://www.shahidmalik.co.uk/
it looks like shahid malik may have been moonlighting as a magician, check the link.......lol

Has the world gone mad, i cant believe that people have been convinced by this token gesture by mr malik.

I am in the unfortunate position of being one of this mans constituents. He has done nothing since his election but further his own aspirations of getting a cabinet seat.

On a local and national level he has done nothing to forward the position of muslims in this country. He has been active in introducing and encouraging his 'Right Wing' Labour side kicks to introduce draconian laws to limit our freedoms.

Lets judge him on the basis of what he has done since he got elected not on this one act.

S Shah says he is a constituent of Mr Malik and we should not judge Mr Malik on this one act of sign a pro-Palestinian Early Day Motion (EDM). Brother Shah is of course absolutely right - let us instead judge him on the 14 EDMs he has supported on Palestine!

If Mr Shah is truly a constituent then we can safely judge him on his ignorance but it's the venom with which he attempted to perpetuate his lies and deceit. MPACUK is a site that is losing integrity because people are able to tell vicious lies and spread poison - people like Mr Shah happily " eat there brothers flesh” and Allah SWT is watching them carefully.

MPACUK will inshallah succeed but it requires decent Muslims to take it over and not allow the evil of the Mr Shah's of this world to take control.

I pray that God forgives him and instead grants him the wisdom to refrain for evil.

Mr Malik isn’t perfect and he has some very strong views on Holocaust Memorial Day, believing it wrong for Muslim groups to boycott the event. People may disagree with him but he passionately defends his corner and is staunchly anti-Semitic. If there is a wrong committed against the Palestinians then Islam does not teach us to hate Israelis or Jews. I am quite often frustrated by Mr Malik, especially when he attacks Muslims for not doing enough in the fight against terrorism but we must accept he believes in what is saying and wants good for all not just Muslims. Despite my occasional misgivings about Mr Malik I believe he is a good man attempting to do good deeds and we ought not to demonise him.

Please find below the EDMs that I spoke of:




EDM 504

GAZA WITHDRAWAL AND PROSPECTS FOR A PALESTINIAN STATE
05.07.2005
That this House believes that there must be a viable, independent Palestinian state established in all of the territories occupied in 1967; welcomes the proposal to withdraw Israeli settlements from the Gaza Strip and the northern part of the West Bank as an important first step in this process; but condemns the continued expansion of the illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank and the continued building of the Israeli barrier where it falls in occupied territory.
EDM 596

ECUMENICAL ACCOMPANIMENT PROGRAMME OF THE WORLD COUNCIL OF CHURCHES
14.07.2005
That this House welcomes the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme of the World Council of Churches in arranging for human rights observers to work in Israel and Palestine; and encourages the UK Government to work with intergovernmental organisations to establish a human rights observation force in the Occupied Territories, and to press for an end to the occupation in a just and peaceful solution to the conflict on the basis of UN resolutions and the international rule of law.
EDM 613

IMPACT OF ISRAEL'S SEPARATION WALL ON JERUSALEM
19.07.2005
That this House condemns the continued construction of Israel's separation barrier built on occupied territory; is gravely concerned by the newly approved route, as of 10th July, which will separate Jerusalem from the West Bank and divide Bethlehem; notes with alarm that this may prejudice Final Status negotiations over the status of Jerusalem; further notes that this section of the wall, due for completion by the end of the year, will have a hugely detrimental impact by isolating at least 55,000 Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem from basic services and the rest of the city; further notes that this decision coincides with the first anniversary of the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) ruling on Israel's separation barrier on 9th July 2004, which states the illegality of the barrier where built on Occupied Territory and calls for it to be dismantled; and reiterates the urgent call on the Government to abide by its obligations under the ICJ ruling and, as a High Contracting Party of the Fourth Geneva Convention, to ensure Israel's compliance with international law.


EDM 983

LONDON LAUNCH OF OPEN BETHLEHEM PROJECT
08.11.2005
That this House is saddened by the devastating impact that the construction of the Israeli separation barrier has had upon the historic city of Bethlehem; notes that the city is encircled by the barrier on two sides and by a series of roadblocks and restricted roads on the other which have left it isolated from the rest of the West Bank and Jerusalem; observes with alarm that this has divided families, seized land and left Bethlehemites isolated from sites of special religious significance as well as damaging the tourist industry on which many people rely; notes the special significance in which many people of different faiths hold the city; welcomes the launch in London of the Open Bethlehem project, to attract new creative work and investment to the region and to bring to international attention the gravity of the situation in Bethlehem; and supports Open Bethlehem's positive objective of an open, democratic and diverse Middle East, with the right of all people, regardless of their faith and ethnic background, to live with dignity in their homeland
EDM 1087

PALESTINIAN ELECTIONS
22.11.2005
That this House notes that Israel continues to erect what it refers to as a security wall, in breach of international law; that the wall encloses land and resources which should be under the control of the Palestinian Authority; that Israel is constructing highways on Palestinian land which Palestinians are forbidden from using; that Israeli troops are maintaining more than 600 permanent roadblocks on Palestinian territory and many other flying roadblocks and enforcing no-go areas on Palestinians in towns such as Hebron; that hundreds of Palestinians are being held without trial by Israeli authorities; that such measures are damaging to the Palestinian economy, to human rights and to human dignity, and that whilst such measures are in place it will be impossible for the Palestinian general election of 25th January 2006 to be held in a manner which is open, fair and free from outside influence; and calls upon honourable Members, the British Government and national and international bodies to seek urgently to persuade Israel to withdraw from the occupied territories so that elections which can be seen to be free and fair can be held in Palestine in Janua









EDM 1142

PEACE AND JUSTICE IN THE MIDDLE EAST
29.11.2005
That this House expresses its concern at the acquittal by an Israeli military court on 18th November of Captain R on all charges relating to the brutal killing of 13-year old Iman al-Hams, who was shot 17 times near an Israeli army post near Rafah refugee camp in Gaza in 2004; notes that the manner of Iman's killing was revealed in a tape recording in which the Watchtower stated `It's a little girl. She's running defensively eastward' and that she is `a girl about ten, she's behind the embankment and scared to death' and to which Captain R replied `We fired and killed her... This is commander. Anything that's mobile, that moves in the zone, even if it's a three year old, needs to be killed.'; believes that Captain R's statement that Iman should have been shot even if she was three years old will horrify all decent people, be they Jewish, Christian, Muslim or of any or no religious faith; believes that the deliberate targeting of innocent life, be it by suicide bombers or Israeli soldiers, can never be justified; further believes that Captain R's acquittal will only increase levels of animosity and foster mistrust in the region; and calls on Israel to hold to account soldiers who kill innocent children.
EDM 1803

BETHLEHEM AND RACHEL'S TOMB
13.03.2006
That this House calls attention to the completion of the section of the 8-metre high concrete wall separating Bethlehem from Jerusalem; notes that around 40 Bethlehem families will be cut off from schools and medical facilities; recalls the ruling of the International Court of Justice in July 2004 that the building of the wall on occupied Palestinian territory is unlawful; further notes that the shrine of Rachel's Tomb, sacred to the three major religions, has been purposefully enveloped by the route of the walls and is therefore barred to Palestinians, whether Christian or Muslim; takes heed of widespread anxiety that new Israeli settlement building on the confiscated land around the Tomb may be about to begin with the consequence that Bethlehem may follow the example of Hebron, where recent Israeli settlements are embedded in the midst of the local Palestinian population, causing great provocation; and further notes the warning of Bethlehem's mayor, Dr Victor Batarseh, that `the ghettoization of Bethlehem is not only destroying ancient communities, but is destroying the prospects of peace in the Middle East and the whole concept of international law'.







EDM 2349

PRIME MINISTER OLMERT AND ENDING THE CYCLE OF VIOLENCE IN ISRAEL AND PALESTINE
12.06.2006
That this House is appalled by the shelling of the beach in Gaza which killed a family of seven Palestinians, including five children, and injured 32 others, including 13 children, as it was equally appalled by the bombing by Islamic Jihad of a Tel Aviv falafel stand on 17th April which killed nine Israeli civilians and injured 60; notes that in the week of 24th to 30th May about 28 home-made Qassam rockets were fired by Palestinian militants inside Gaza towards southern Israel and that during the same period Israeli regular forces fired more than 190 artillery shells and launched five air strikes into Gaza; urges Hamas not to abandon the ceasefire its own fighters have maintained over the past year; calls on Prime Minister Olmert to order an end to attacks by Israel's forces; and urges both sides to accept their responsibilities to break the cycle of violence, to reject unilateral actions and to open negotiations for a just and lasting settlement in line with the Road Map and United Nations Resolutions passed on the Israel/Palestine question.
EDM 2480

ISRAELI MILITARY ACTION IN THE GAZA STRIP
29.06.2006
That this House is gravely concerned by the recent Israeli military attack in the Gaza Strip, disabling an essential power station that supplies 65 per cent. of the region's electricity including power for a water pumping station; and shares Christian Aid's concerns that this will only deepen the suffering of the civilian population as essential goods including food, water and fuel have been made scarce due to Israeli military actions.
2498

POVERTY IN THE PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES
04.07.2006
That this House notes with grave concern the findings of a recent International Labour Organisation Report that four in 10 Palestinians have been living on the poverty line surviving on less that £1.72 a day in 2005; acknowledges that the absolute number of poor rose from 600,000 in 1999 to 1.6 million in 2005 and that the barriers to mobility of persons, goods and services within the West Bank and between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank have worsened in the latter half of 2005-06; recognises the need to work towards lifting these barriers and introducing a viable trade regime in the Palestinian Authority area to alleviate the prevailing social, economic and humanitarian crisis in the territories; and calls upon the Government to work towards ending deprivation and restrictions imposed upon Palestinians living in the occupied territorie
EDM 2594

SITUATION IN LEBANON AND GAZA
18.07.2006
That this House expresses grave concern about the escalating crisis in the Middle East; condemns the kidnapping of Israeli soldiers which triggered the current crisis both in Lebanon and Gaza; respects Israel's legitimate right of self defence, but calls on Israel to cease its disproportionate military response which amounts to the collective punishment of civilians, in clear breach of international law; calls on both sides to end attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, including rocket attacks on Israeli targets; notes that a negotiated settlement is the only route to a lasting peace in the Middle East; recognises that the EU, with its significant economic influence in the region, should play a stronger role in the international response to this crisis; and urges the Quartet to show leadership by taking the sustained and concerted action necessary to bring the current crisis under control and to bring about the conditions necessary for the resumption of negotiations.
EDM 89

VIOLENCE IN PALESTINE
15.11.2006
That this House condemns the recent escalation of Israeli violence in Gaza, particularly the Beit Hanoun offensive, which has resulted in the killing of 80 Palestinians, including 13 members of the Al-Athamna family and the fatal shooting of two unarmed women, and the death of one Israeli soldier; condemns all acts of violence on both sides of the conflict in the Middle East; asks Israel as a democratic state to act according to the norms of such states; notes that these latest acts of violence are indiscriminate and represent an illegal and collective punishment which have resulted in the deaths of 694 Palestinians and 4,000 wounded since August 2005, when Israeli forces withdrew from the Gaza Strip; expresses grave concern that such actions serve merely to weaken and undermine the peace process rather than bolster it; believes that Israel should rethink the brutal and inhumane tactics of the IDF, which provide fresh impetus for Palestian militias, thus perpetuating the cycle of violence; calls for an immediate halt to all acts of violence on both sides; and further calls on the Quartet (United States, European Union, United Nations and Russia) to use their influence to end the blockade of the Gaza Strip, which is causing unnecessary suffering and hardening public opinion amongst the Palestian people.





EDM 913

ISRAEL'S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE EU
20.02.2007
That this House notes that the Israeli government has expressed the desire to upgrade its relations with the EU to the same level as Norway and Switzerland; further notes that this would include the ability to have free passage of goods, people and capital between the two entities; further notes that Israel remains in consistent violation of UN Security Council Resolutions and the Fourth Geneva Convention, has routinely prevented the free movement of Palestinian goods and people and has withheld Palestinian funds from their people; further notes that these and other grievous human rights abuses represent a clear breach of Article Two of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which calls for adherence to human rights laws; commends the International Development Select Committee's report into development assistance and the Occupied Palestinian territories, and in particular its recommendation that `the UK should urge the EU to use the Association Agreement with Israel as a lever for change and to consider suspending the Agreement until there are further improvements in access arrangements'; and urges the Government to insist that no upgrading of Israel's relations with the EU be considered until the Israeli government has brought itself into full compliance with international law, including the permanent lifting of all barriers to freedom of movement for Palestinian goods, people and capital
EDM 1323

PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY AID
23.04.2007
That this House notes the recent survey commissioned by Oxfam showing that the suspension of financial transfers to the Palestinian Authority following the victory of Hamas in parliamentary elections last year has had a devastating impact on the lives of ordinary Palestinians; recognises that half of the 677 Palestinian households interviewed in Oxfam's survey reported the loss of more than 60 per cent. of their income and that 90 per cent. of the 67 senior managers reported cutting their health, education and water services because of this reduction in funding; furthermore supports the view that a viable two state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will be impossible to achieve if Palestinian institutions collapse; and calls upon the Government to consider the recommendations made in the report, particularly that the international community resume direct aid to the Palestinian Authority, that the Israeli government release the Palestinian tax and customs revenues it is withholding and that diplomatic efforts be intensified to ensure an ongoing ceasefire and political dialogue.

as much as I hate to admit it, looks like Shahid has done some good stuff, seems a shame that he is so inconsistant.

I checked the EDMS and they have all been signed by him.

(i bet the last post came from Shahid's office:))

I can just imagine someone telling Shahid to look at the MPAC website and then seeing he's face when he saw the comments woud have been a real treat.

(dosnt he look like the dog out of tom and jerry!)

I think youll find I'm Mrs Shah, it concerns me that my brother from brum is able to launch a personal attack on me because I dared to criticise my elected member of parliament.

I think if Mr Malik is'nt able to take such criticism he most definitely is in the wrong profession. I apologise if I speak out of term but this individual is either his 'greatest fan' or has some professional interest in Mr Malik.

I may well not be the most pious of muslims, but surely thats for allah SWT to judge. I cant say I appreciate being called a liar and im certainly not seeking to spread poison.

What i am trying to do is open peoples eyes to the fact that this act however good doesnt make up for the lack of action in other areas.

Correct me if I'm wrong but isnt Mr Malik an ardent supporter of the war in Iraq. Didint he call for an extension of police powers to detain and stop and search etc etc etc..

Just because the man is the same colour as me and of the same faith doesnt mean i should automaticaly pledge my alligence.

Maybe I'm wrong but since he won his seat on that basis I will have higher expectations of him, something he has most certainly failed to meet.

Oh and by the way I dont think that a total of 14 posative acts in over two years as an MP is anything to write home about.

For anyone interested, check out theyworkforyou.com

For those that dont have time to trawl through Hansard or to watch every public appearance of Mr Malik check out this site.

It summarises info on MPS how they voted their key areas of concern etc etc.

judge for yourself!!!!!

I think Mr Maliks voting record should be of concern to us all whether muslim or not.

.lengthing the time of detention without charge.
.The removal of civil liberties and
compulsory Id Cards
.No to an enquiry into the Iraq war.
.Full support of Labours anti terrorism laws.

RE: S SHAH

i fully support what this sister has said, we have to be careful of any labour mp, even if he is brown and muslim, we must look at the full list of acions he has taken.

he has supported the government all the way in relation to all the anti terror laws that are aimed at muslims, i live in east london, here there have been many anti terror raids on mulims that have made many muslims suffer unfairly... anyone remember the bro in forest gate who got shot, thats not very far from me.... shahid malik voted to allow the police to have these powers.

as for mr maliks biggest supporter who mentioned some of his good acts, i really do think he is probably related to mr malik or is part of the labour party. come on.... look at the guys full history... he is a long way from being a champion of the muslims, rather he is more closer to being allied to tony blair and his murdering party in the eyes of the ummah

dear MPAC

i understand what shahid malik has done this time is good, but why are you making him to be such a great champion of the muslims? really,, you are generally quite politically aware people..you should know better?

you know better than most how shahid malik has voted on other issues that affect the ummah where he sided with his party than the muslims and everyone else who know the government is wrong.

he didnt support independant inquiry in to war

he was in full support of the governments anti terror measures than mpac have attacked, and that we all know are aimed to take away the rights of muslims and create a situation of fear in the ummah under the excuse of national security.

REALLY, come on MPAC... you are giving this guy legitimacy amongst the ummah which he does not deserve clearly

It's like some sick joke. Somebody (S Shah) says that Malik shouldn’t be judged on just this single act i.e. the EDM with respect to Palestine. So I research his record and find that he has in fact signed 14 such EDMs. WE then get some posts which say well.... 14 is not a big deal and by the way what about all this he has done....

The truth is that MPAC does on many occasions attract sick people who want to see the negative in everyone and no matter what you do they will never be satisfied. I can now research lots of the other things that have been posted but the truth is I would be wasting my time - why, because sadly you don't care about the truth.

We need to learn to support as well as criticise.

I have for those that are interested just found an EDM which he put down two weeks ago - it would be good to get other MPs to sign it. The EDM number is:

EDM 1502

KILLING OF MUSLIMS IN GUJARAT
17.05.2007

Malik, Shahid
That this House observes with sadness the recent fifth anniversary of the horrific murders of the Dawood and Aswat family members and extends its deepest sympathies to the family and friends of the victims; deplores the decision of the Gujarat authorities not to investigate these horrific crimes properly and uphold justice by convicting those responsible; notes that during a Home Affairs Select Committee visit to Delhi, the then Foreign Secretary, Shyam Saran, said that he would `leave no stone unturned' to get justice for the Dawood family; applauds the recent decision of the United States not to grant a visa to the Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for severe violations of religious freedoms; further notes that the Chief Minister of Gujarat is the subject of a civil prosecution for genocide and crimes against humanity; calls for the Indian government to accept the British Government's offer of UK police and forensic assistance; acknowledges the efforts of the right hon. Member for Pontypridd in assisting the family via meetings with the family as well as the Indian Foreign Minister, Mr Menon, earlier this month and his forthcoming meeting with the Indian government; further calls upon India as the world's largest democracy and a secular country to be true to the values this entails and deliver justice for the grieving families of the innocent victims; condemns racism in all its guises; and calls for reconciliation between the people of all faiths in memory of Sakil, Saeed, Mohammed, the 3,000 Muslims killed and the thousands of women raped during the Gujarat massacre.


I will leave you with a piece he wrote in the New statesman ( http://www.newstatesman.com/200602060008 ) for which he has my respect:

Near-miracle of polling day in Nablus
By Shahid Malik

Published 06 February 2006

Magnificent, awesome, inspiring: all words used by international observers to describe the Palestinian elections, and they were not exaggerating. With four other British parliamentarians - Richard Burden, Kerry McCarthy, Lord Kilclooney and Pauline McNeill - I went to the West Bank and witnessed a near-flawless exhibition of democracy in action. The turnout of roughly 78 per cent would be envied across the western world, being almost a third greater than in recent US, UK and Israeli elections. As the Palestinians in Jenin refugee camp pointed out, they are at the top of the Arab premier league of democracies. In fact, they are probably the only Arab nation in that league.

After all we had heard about Palestine and its factional infighting it was a surprise to see the likes of Fatah, Hamas, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades and others campaigning in a carnival atmosphere outside polling stations. It felt more like Notting Hill than Nablus, though the two couldn't be further apart, as Nablus has the highest fatalities in the West Bank, the most severe structural damage and the most draconian restrictions on movement. But with music blaring, banners across the streets, flags waving, and men, women and children all savouring the atmosphere, comparison with London's carnival district could be forgiven in this instance.

The festivities were the more remarkable given that it all took place under Israeli occupation. Restrictions on the movement of candidates and voters undoubtedly reduced the turnout, and voters in East Jerusalem were the worst abused. Of more than 100,000 eligible Palestinian residents, only 6,300 were allowed to vote there, and even then they had to fill in their ballot papers at Israeli post office counters and hand them over to staff, entirely compromising the secrecy of the process.

I toured Nablus on polling day. The death toll there stands at 522 since 2000, including 80 children and 28 women. Curfews have lasted for up to 151 days. Earth mounds, concrete blocks, checkpoints, road gates and trenches have cut off the city from the rest of the West Bank, crippling the economy and denying Palestinians access to medical treatment. Jimmy Carter, leading a delegation of observers, weighed the difficulties of holding an election "under occupation" and concluded: "The fact the Palestinians managed to pull off these elections is a near-miracle."

As for the result, the landslide victory for Hamas demonstrated the truth of the old saying that opposition parties seldom win elections; governments lose them. Ten years of power for Fatah and little opposition to keep it in check had taken their toll, with corruption rife, a divided party unable to agree on its candidates, poverty the reality for many Palestinians (albeit made far worse by Israeli occupation) and peace seemingly as distant as ever.

International reaction has been confused. Polls show that 50 per cent of Israelis want their government to talk to Hamas leaders but so far this has not been reflected in the official Israeli response, nor in that of the international community. Threats to withdraw international funding unless Hamas renounces violence and recognises Israel's right to exist have undoubted leverage when 30 per cent of Palestinian families rely on such funding for survival. And according to James Wolfensohn, the big-power quartet's special envoy to the region, the Palestinian Authority is "basically bankrupt".

The future of Palestine is now in the hands of President Mahmoud Abbas, a man who from a Palestinian perspective is clean of corruption, and from an Israeli perspective isn't bloodied by violence. He is often described as a steady, consolidating type of figure, calm and lacking the charisma of Yasser Arafat - perhaps just what is required at such times.

For my part, I believe the participation of militant groups in the elections is a positive thing. As an equality commissioner in Northern Ireland, I learned that this represents engagement with democracy, a step towards the end of participation in violence.

Of course, when one looks at some of the candidates Hamas fielded - including one known as "Hitler" for his hatred of Jews - Israel's stance seems understandable. But it is worth remembering something: one of the worst terrorist atrocities committed in the region, the killing of 91 people at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem in 1946, was carried out by a Jewish group called Irgun, and the man who led Irgun, Menachem
Begin, went on to become the prime minister of Israel who made peace with Egypt.

Shahid Malik is Labour MP for Dewsbury


Ps - I disagree with his stance on 90 days - he is not an angel but he is certainly not the demon that some would make out

PPS - Below is his maiden speech which you may find interesting - it was awarded best maiden speech of parliament beating 117 other MPs and is awarded once every four years:

Shahid Malik (Dewsbury, Labour) | Hansard source

I begin by saying how proud I am to be making my maiden speech as the Member of Parliament for Dewsbury, which includes Heckmondwike and Mirfield.

I start by paying tribute to my predecessor. Ann Taylor was the first woman to serve as Leader of the House, and the first to be Chief Whip. In both roles, she was renowned for her no-nonsense approach and her sound political judgment—although her judgment has been known to falter on occasion. What else could possibly explain her obsession with Bolton Wanderers?

Ann was not originally from Dewsbury. Like me, she crossed the Pennines to do missionary work in Yorkshire. I must admit that I wondered how a Lancastrian would go down in Yorkshire. I think that it probably helped when I reminded people that, in the wars of the roses, Dewsbury was part of the house of Lancaster, and that I had arrived merely to reclaim it. On a serious note, though, there is no greater privilege for a Lancastrian than to be granted adopted Yorkshireman status. It is a status of which I am extremely proud.

Ann and I follow in heroic but tragic footsteps. Wallace Hartley was born just down the road from my childhood home in Burnley. He too moved to Dewsbury before being offered the job of his dreams—as bandleader on the Titanic. I can only hope that my dream job representing the people of Dewsbury in Parliament does not end in quite so tragic a fashion.

Dewsbury has produced men who have changed the course of human history. They include Sir Owen Richardson, who won the Nobel prize for physics, Sir Clifford Allbutt, who invented the thermometer, and Tom Kilburn, who built the world's first computer. Then there is broadcaster Eddie Wareing, the voice of rugby league for millions. Obviously, Eddie did not quite change the course of human history, but few of us will forget his legendary performances on "It's a Knockout". There is also Patrick Stewart, who went on to boldly go where no man had been before.

Dewsbury can also lay claim to the first published work by the Brontë family—"Winter Evening Thoughts" by Patrick Brontë, father of Charlotte, Emily and Anne, and curate at Dewsbury parish church in 1810. However, such artistic achievements are dwarfed by those of Bert Lee, organist at Ravensthorpe Wesleyan chapel. Although he had never been in earshot of the bells of Bow church, he composed the Cockney classic "Knees Up Mother Brown." I am half tempted to ask my hon. Friend the Member for Ealing, North (Stephen Pound) for a rendition, but I fear that he will take me up on the offer, so I shall not do so.

Dewsbury has also produced some exceptional women, including Betty Lockwood, a miner's daughter who became the first chair of the Equal Opportunities Commission, and Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords. Another is, of course, Betty Boothroyd, who spent 20 years searching for a parliamentary seat. It did not take me quite so long, although there were times when I wondered. Betty went on to become the first woman to hold the most noble, prestigious and elevated office in the land when she became Speaker of the House of Commons in 1992.

Sadly, Dewsbury hit the headlines earlier this month for all the wrong reasons. The story of an horrific assault on a five-year-old boy abducted and nearly hanged by a gang of schoolchildren in a wooded area known as Devil's ditch shocked the nation. Of course, Devil's ditch was a figment of the tabloids' imagination. Far from a gang of children being involved, the police charged only one child and said that they were not looking for anyone else.

I want to pay tribute to the sensitive way in which chief inspector Keith Hallas and his team handled their inquiries. If only the national press could have followed suit: the feeding frenzy that followed, the hounding of families and the demonising of children—and especially of those wrongly incriminated—was appalling. As a governor of Earlsheaton school, I want to place on record how proud I am of the pupils, parents and staff there. I am proud, too, of the way in which the community in Earlsheaton and Chickenley has pulled together and got through this difficult period.

I now turn to the subject of today's debate. There are three things that perhaps qualify me to speak with some authority on this subject. The first is that I stand here today, the first British-born Muslim MP, but representing a seat with the highest BNP vote in the country. The second is that, as a former member of the Commission for Racial Equality and as the only commissioner from Great Britain on the Northern Ireland Equality Commission, I have spent a lot of time and much of my working life fighting sectarianism, bigotry and hatred. My own life experiences are the third reason why I consider myself qualified to speak in the debate.

When I was beaten to a pulp by a gang of skinheads on my first day at high school, it was not because of my religion. They did not know or care whether I was a Christian, Hindu or Muslim—or, for that matter, whether my family was Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi or from Burnley. In those days we were all seen as "Pakis" and we were all fair game.

The world has changed, however, and Parliament must be receptive and reflect the new reality. Now, when I receive anonymous hate mail or the family car is firebombed in the middle of the night, or when abuse is hurled from cars that whisk by, or I am surrounded by a gang of 20 thugs from Combat 18 telling me that I am going to die, it is because I am a Muslim.

Whether I choose it or not, I am defined by others in terms of my religion, and by my perceived culture. All I ask for is equal protection under the law—no favours, just fairness. I am not asking for the right to censor, stifle, or muzzle those who want to criticise, mock or even offend. "The Satanic Verses", "Perdition", "Jerry Springer the Opera" and "Behzti" may have offended thousands and perhaps millions of people across the world, but this Bill will not infringe the right of artists to perform, writers to criticise or comedians to satirise. Jim Davidson and Bernard Manning are still free to make their crass and offensives jokes under the current incitement to racial hatred laws, and Rowan Atkinson can still dress up as a vicar—or anything else that takes his fancy—under the new laws.

Fundamentally, this Bill is not about abstract notions of freedom of expression, but about very real notions of freedom from oppression. Of course, the new law must apply equally to all those who inflame discord and incite hatred. As I have challenged the poison of Nick Griffin and the BNP, so too have I challenged the poison of Sheikh Omar Bakhri and al-Muhajiroun, and I will continue to do so. A modern Britain has no place for extremism of any order.

We often talk of our pride in the British tradition of tolerance, but I advise hon. Members to throw tolerance in the bin. When one is cut, one tolerates the pain, and when one misses a train, one tolerates the wait, but those are hardly positive experiences. Tolerance is fickle and, in this context, meaningless. I do not want to be tolerated, and neither do women or people with disabilities. We need to move to a society that goes beyond tolerance, and which moves towards acceptance.

In constituencies such as mine, people live parallel lives. There is severe segregation. It is ignorance of other cultures and other faiths that breeds fear: it is fear that breeds hatred, and hatred that breeds ignorance. It is our job, as politicians, to break that cycle and push for even greater integration.

At this point, I feel that I would be failing in my duty if I did not mention how abhorrent I found the Conservatives' general election campaign, which ruthlessly exploited voters' insecurity about issues of immigration. It was profoundly depressing and served only to give the far-right fascists the credibility that they crave so desperately.

On a positive note, we have never before had such a diverse Parliament, yet the commonality we share by far outweighs the diversity that exists. While it is right that we celebrate our diversity, we miss a trick by not celebrating our commonality too. Britain is proud to be a diverse society, but we must fight to prevent it becoming a divided society.

The Bill that we are debating today is a step on the way towards achieving that objective. It may be a small step, and perhaps it will be used only in extremely rare cases, but it still sends out a very powerful signal of what is, and what is not, acceptable in our modern-day society. It still sets out the parameters of decency that we expect from citizens in a cohesive, forward-looking Britain.

I fully accept that legislation alone is not enough to change people's hearts and minds, but as Martin Luther King once said:

"It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can keep him from lynching me and I think that's pretty important."

Well, I think that it is pretty important, too.

END

PPPS - SOME OTHER THINGS HE HAS SAID IN PARLIAMENT AND THEN I'M BORED AND I WILL GIVE UP!!

- Shahid Malik (PPS (Jim Knight, Minister of State), Department for Education and Skills, Dewsbury, Labour) Link to this | Hansard source
Is my right hon. Friend aware that, according to the Mines Advisory Group and a cross-party group that was in Lebanon last month, some 32.7 million sq m of land are infected and contaminated by cluster munitions? According to the Mines Advisory Group, if the Israelis were to give it grid references for the 1.2 million bombs that were let loose in the last three days of action, instead of three children dying a day, as is the case, the number would, it hopes, be much less. Will he use his good offices to ensure that we put sufficient pressure on the Israeli Government to move forward on this important issue?


- Shahid Malik (PPS (Jim Knight, Minister of State), Department for Education and Skills, Dewsbury, Labour) Link to this | Hansard source
My hon. Friend rightly said that two or three children a day were dying as a result of cluster bombs. Does he agree that it would be helpful if the Israelis gave the grid maps for those bombs? That could save lives; the fact that the Israelis are not yet doing that is nothing short of shameful.


- Shahid Malik (PPS (Jim Knight, Minister of State), Department for Education and Skills, Dewsbury, Labour) Link to this | Hansard source
My hon. Friend may recollect that the Mines Advisory Group, which works in Lebanon to deal with cluster bombs and wider mines issues, specifically said that the grids would help it do its very difficult job. The group anticipates that it would take 60 weeks. Given the feeling of the group, with its expertise, and the fact that up to three children a day are dying, our Government should push to save some of the lives that are being lost unnecessarily

- Shahid Malik (PPS (Jim Knight, Minister of State), Department for Education and Skills, Dewsbury, Labour) Link to this | Hansard source
I commend the Government for their overall approach to dealing with terrorism. They are taking a twin-pronged approach, and the first prong involves robust anti-terror legislation, of which I have been a strong and vocal supporter. Mohammad Siddique Khan was one of my constituents. The other prong involves dealing with causal factors. Over the weekend, research reports were published by the universities of Oxford, Warwick, Birmingham and Derby showing that there was disproportionate unemployment, underachievement and overcrowding in Muslim communities. Can the Home Secretary reassure me that the Government are not going to take their eye off the second prong of their approach to dealing with terrorism?


Shahid Malik (PPS (Jim Knight, Minister of State), Department for Education and Skills, Dewsbury, Labour) Link to this | Hansard source

My right hon. Friend will be aware that there is a disproportionate fear of anti-terror legislation among many British Muslims. The former leader of the Conservative party talked about my right hon. Friend the Chancellor's speech and question and answer session on Sunday in which he said that legislation ultimately will not defeat terrorism and extremism and that we need to

"win the battle of hearts and minds".

That is why I welcome the approach of consultation and consensus. However, does my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary accept that we need to do much more to reassure British Muslims that the approach of the security services and police will be intelligence led, not beard led?

Shahid Malik (PPS (Jim Knight, Minister of State), Department for Education and Skills, Dewsbury, Labour) Link to this | Hansard source

I commend the Government for their overall approach to dealing with terrorism. They are taking a twin-pronged approach, and the first prong involves robust anti-terror legislation, of which I have been a strong and vocal supporter. Mohammad Siddique Khan was one of my constituents. The other prong involves dealing with causal factors. Over the weekend, research reports were published by the universities of Oxford, Warwick, Birmingham and Derby showing that there was disproportionate unemployment, underachievement and overcrowding in Muslim communities. Can the Home Secretary reassure me that the Government are not going to take their eye off the second prong of their approach to dealing with terrorism?

im OFF TO GET A LIFE - HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Re: ahmed brummie?? Judging by the reponse from this individual, leads me to a very simple conclusion!! Ahmed brummie and Shahid Malik ARE THE SAME PERSON!!! Come off it!! Who bothers to quote a speech unless they gave that speech and proud of it???

"Observer" is the problem! That's the cynicism. First you say that 1 EDM is a disgrace, then when told there are 14 ... well that’s no big deal , then when you read factual speeches and question in Parliament that ensure any argument against Malik has holes in it and then ....well you get the BS that “Observer” comes out with. Observer knows that the facts are irrefutable and so not being able to alter the debate by turning negative decides to make an attack based on a toddler logic which is both pathetic and petty. I’m sorry that my facts have crushed your lies and fiction. I give up with such prats. my last entry on this subject - you are the weakest link - goodbye!!!!!!!!!

Re:AHMED BRUMMIE, whats up??? cant take it???!!You were very quick to jump on S Shah comments and have a go!! Isnt S Shah allowed to have an opinion?? Or is it because she is a woman and woman should be seen and not heard?? She has made a very obvious statement that Shahid malik's motives are questionable!! You go have your "hissy fit" somewhere else and let the real people engage in some meaningful discussion! I suggest you dont make comments if you are going to throw your toys out of your pram when people dont agree with you!! I suggest you refrain from referring to people like me as prats because we question people intentions!! What facts have you presented?? where are these irrefutable facts that you claim to present??!! You have just cut and paste bits together abd try to potray him as the chosen one!! Your behaviour on your postings is that of a weird stalker!!I bet you even you what his favouite meal is!! Face facts, your idol is a just another MP out for his own interests!!

shaid malik is not you or when it comes to our personal obligations such as prayer. we are not looking at his personal matters, it is his actions aa a community leader.

There is such a thing as making a mistake and doing the odd sin, but her we are talking about the ideas he carries about 'muslims' in britain, when he didnt supported the independant iraq inquiry he back his party over the search for the truth, when he back the anti terror laws he supported the detention and suffering of so many muslims, is not about just him signing a paper, its that his resulted in. For every brother who suffers under the terror laws he will be accountable for his involvment,

we must ask, is his loyalty with the truth, or with his labour party, as this not a muslim v brithish issue, as everyone knows what tony blair has done in invading iraq is morally wrong.

. i want to have a grown up discussion with good adaab, pls reply but do not involve me in mud slinging.

Note for mr Brummie: This is how you have a grown up debate, you listen to the other persons point of view and discuss using facts, not by bombarding the other party with irrelevant information.I will try to answer what points I can salavage from the woffle of info you provided above.The issue of Gujarat,I think you should look at the work done by Mike Wood MP of Batley. He was discussing, debating pressing this issue years ago. He continues to bring this to public attention to date, he also signed the EDM. Oh and guess what he isnt asian or muslim.Mr Wood was also against the War and on the whole rebels against most of the Anti terror legislation Mr Malik ardently supports.As for his maiden speech, Mr Malik isnt from Dewsbury and never will be from Dewsbury hes from Burnley and being nostalgic on the issue isnt going to make me vote for him.In fact the only reason Labour allowed him to stand in Dewsbury was because they knew they would have difficulty keeping the seat since the Conservatives had a muslim candidate. Very conveniant they announced Mr Malik after discovering that Mrs Warsi was standing. Then he had the cheek to ask her to stand down so as not to split the muslim vote.His Labour friends had previously denied him a seat in London even though he won more internal party votes than his competitor. My memory fails me as to where it was, wont be that difficult to look up Mr Brummie!!! He wasnt all that supportive of New Labour then. Hes changed his tune now. It seems like a case of you scratch my back and i'll scratch yours. Pretty much what politics is about now a days if you as me.I hope selling his soul to New Labour earns him his just deserts.....