Still our safest bet

Page 40
Q-News, Issue 362
April 2005

Labour behaved dishonourably in Iraq and left Afghanistan to fend for itself but, as Baroness Pola Uddin tells Sanjana Deen, it is still the only party which can deliver equality, justice and freedom for all.


I know that the popular conception amongst Members of Parliament is that Muslims are hung up about the Iraq and immigration issues. But, elections are always about national issues and we have some very serious national concerns - beyond foreign policy - about the underachievement of Muslim children, the absence of Muslim women in employment, and, in areas like Tower Hamlets or Bradford, levels of unemployment in the Muslim community that is over 35%.

People, who were on the fringes of Tory party policy for 18 years and struggled for some recognition of the community and its issues, have been recognised by the Labour party. I say that not because they got me into Parliament, but simply because it’s the truth. Whether or not they’ve ensured equality is totally up for debate and I would think that our government - as much as I have disagreements with the way it has behaved dishonourably about Iraq and has left Afghanistan to fend for itself - is still the only party which can deliver equality, justice and freedom for all.

Islamophobia is a global phenomenon now but I would say that Britain remains the safest under the Labour government. Michael Howard, the current Tory leader, has made immigration a frenzied issue. No matter how far we go with our scepticism, I still think it would be far more possible to bear pressure on a Labour government than a Tory one. The Muslim community is  incredibly volatile. The concept of the ‘Muslim vote’ is much more difficult to define now than it was pre-September 11 or pre-Iraq. I think we might have had some cohesive identity in terms of electoral behaviour or an electoral mandate but that can no longer be taken for granted. Labour is more vulnerable - they can no longer say, “Yes, minority votes will always come our way.” So the Labour Party works harder to get every vote. In a democracy, I think that’s a good thing.

The anti-terror legislation was contentious, not because it targeted Muslims, but because there is an assumption that those who will suffer its consequences are likely to be Muslim. I think it’s a civil liberty issue. I abstained right till the end thinking that something would happen and the government would concede. To a certain extent the government is not saying that they didn’t concede, in the sense that the House of Lords had made them concede and made them more accountable. Given the way it sits, we will have more input from a judge at an earlier stage, something Parliament can be comfortable with.

The other contentious issue is that of incitement to religious hatred. I welcome any legislation that will protect Muslims against rising Islamophobia but I’m worried about is the implication on Muslims themselves. We’re not just talking about providing protection when a person faces discrimination because he is Muslim. I’m concerned how far this will address the issues of the Muslim community and their needs. I think we’ve got a long way to go. I think we’ve got to bear down enormous amount of pressure on the government to get it right and make sure religious discrimination is properly tackled. It will have to come back and I hope it comes back this time with religious discrimination legally prohibited in full force.

Hazel Blears said something that is known right across the government and police force. She was being honest and it’s time the Muslim community woke up to the reality and called for action to ensure that the police and authorities do not abuse their powers. The real issue is stop and search by the police. Systematic harassment, particularly of young Muslim men, has been going on for decades without any discussion. This has come into the open and we have become more assertive in our complaints. We have to be more upfront when we’re arguing for our rights as British citizens.

I’ve heard from some young Muslims that it’s not Islamic to vote. They’re looking at religion from a perspective that I’m not familiar with. I understand that searching for identity in a country that is hostile to young Muslims is hard. I can see where some of our young people are going and why but I do not accept that my religion, which is peaceful, modern and adaptable, would call us to abstain from a society that is our own. That’s more like abdicating responsibility.

Bethnal Green is an area that I’m passionate about. Given the calibre of the candidates, I think the Labour Party has a good chance. I think we could be tainted by a reduction of support, but I still think we’ll come through. There’s quite a lot being said about our Labour candidate, that our MP is not receiving support because she supported the government or didn’t vote against the war. I’ve been in politics for a very long time and I don’t believe that I’m naïve when I say that one single issue will not make an MP popular or unpopular. A person has to be judged on their record over a period of time and I think that when a seat becomes vulnerable to change, that’s when the track record of a representative becomes more important and under further scrutiny. My opinion is that where an MP is vulnerable is where they haven’t put in enough good work, enough commitment to foster the trust. Trust doesn’t break over one issue. That’s not politics.