Muslims urged to vote
The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has sent an open letter to all mosques urging all Muslims to vote on June 10th.
The letter is specifically designed to counter the possibility of the British National Party (BNP) gaining election success.
Politicians from all parties have been warning that low turnout in the local, European and London mayoral elections could allow the BNP in.
In the letter, Iqbal AKM Sacranie, the MCB’s secretary general warns: “The rise of the far right parties poses a dangerous threat to our communities.”
He notes that: “Under the electoral rules, this fascist leaning party needs only five per cent of the votes to win seats in the Greater London Assembly elections and around nine per cent of the votes to gain delegates to the European Parliament.
“If this happens, may God forbid, the BNP would have access to much more than just television and radio.
“By right, they would be given funding with which to promote their racist agenda in Britain.”
Mr Sacranie claims the BNP “make no secret of their extreme hatred of Islam and Muslims” and asks that: “All Muslim electors, men and women, young and old, should utilise their votes.”
Mr Sacranie offers no suggestion as to which party British Muslims should vote for.
This echoes the approach of the main London Mayor candidates, Ken Livingstone, Simon Hughes and Steve Norris, who have all called on voters in London to turn out to vote against the BNP.
Their calls, in conjunction with Operation Black Vote, came after an Evening Standard poll suggested that five per cent of Londoners were intending to vote for the BNP.
The same poll suggested that turnout in London could be as low as 24 per cent.
The Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott suggested on Thursday, in an interview with The Guardian, that the recent media attention on the postal ballot situation and the threat of the BNP could actually lead to high voter turn out.
