Labour’s struggle to get Welsh Muslims onside

Page 36
Q-News, Issue 362
April 2005

As more Welsh Muslims consider supporting the Nationalist Plaid Cymru, the second generation are becoming increasingly cynical about the political process - they simply feel unrepresented. Shabnam Ahmed reports on why Labour is worried and working hard to get Muslims onside.

For many of the 25,000 Welsh Muslims, the general election will stir up old feelings and new questions about their identity, citizenship, loyalty to a country many call home. While most Muslims came to Wales via Cardiff during the days when it was the world’s largest coal exporting port, Islam in Wales goes back to at least the late 1800s when Yemeni and Somali migrants established what is now one of the oldest Muslim communities in Britain. Today, most Welsh Muslims still reside in south Wales, in Cardiff, Swansea and Newport.      

At press time there are three Muslim candidates standing: Mohammed Asghar, Plaid Cymru candidate for Newport East; Mohammed Abdel-Haq, Conservative candidate for Swansea West; and Asghar Ali, Lib Dem candidate for Caerphilly.

In the Cardiff Central constituency, Labour candidate Jon Owen Jones MP has already begun his mosque rounds trying to build bridges and restore the trust that has broken down largely over the Labour government’s enthusiastic support of the Iraq war. Labour has reason to be worried. In 2001, Labour captured the Cardiff Central with a majority of just 659 votes. With a Muslim population of 5.3% this is a part of the country where the Muslim vote will actually count (see Constituency Watch).

The political mood in Cardiff is a mix of emotions, mainly discontent and anger, with little hope or optimism. Furthermore, Cardiff like every other Muslim community in the UK has its fair share of sectarian and ideological differences that impact heavily on political participation. Research conducted on Cardiff’s second generation Muslims last August looked at their pattern of political participation in the June 2004 elections and the factors that led them to vote or not to vote. The findings revealed that most people did not vote for two main reasons: firstly, they felt that their vote would not make a difference; and secondly, they believed that it was haram, forbidden, to vote. Those who side with the latter anti-democracy position generally choose to work outside the political system.
Others wish to contribute to the formation of their societies as citizens; however, they are not quite sure where they stand vis-à-vis the political parties and are generally losing hope and trust in the political system. Finally, there are those Muslims who believe their vote can affect change in the current political scene. A 29 year-old medical student from Cardiff remarked: “Last year, almost half of the UK population did not vote… this year it is expected to be an even lower turnout… I will not be voting since we are given a choice of a selection of parties that don’t represent our complete interest as Muslims in the country. The democracy in this country is nothing else but flawed.”

Jason Hayat, an activist from Newport, said that they are not just looking at party manifestos, but also at the records and positions taken by individual candidates on key issues.

“I see Paul Flim (Labour candidate for Newport West) as a man of principle who has been anti-war and has shown tremendous support for the concerns and needs of Muslims… he has promised to challenge the Terrorism bill, which I believe is the nastiest, most anti-Muslim bill on the statute list.”

As for political scene in Swansea, Umer Williams is indicative of the political changes taking place. A former Labour supporter and leading community activist, he switched his allegiance after the war in Iraq and now thinks the best choice for Swansea Muslims is Plaid Cymru, the Welsh nationalist party that has spoken up for minorities and from the very beginning opposed both the attack on Afghanistan and the war on Iraq. Nevertheless, most Muslims in Swansea are resigned to the fact that Labour will win since they have a strong base. Therefore, thinking strategically and looking at which candidate principles match the appeal of Muslim concerns is the best course of action.

It is unfortunate that not enough is being done to create political awareness amongst the young eligible Muslim voters in Wales, especially in our mosques. Many have fallen prey to the literature and rhetoric of groups who believe voting for a “kufr system” is haram. Muslims in the West are living in exceptional circumstances, circumstances where we must expand our circles of influences and reach out to wider society in order to live in safety and with dignity as citizens.

Shabnam Ahmed is a Chaplain at East Wood Park Women’s Prison and a graduate of the Markfield Institute of Higher Education with an MA in Islamic Studies. She lives in Cardiff.