Muslims urged to vote Labour
Muslim voters are today being urged to put aside reservations about the Iraq war and support Labour at the general election.
A number of leading scholars and spiritual figures in the British Muslim community signed an open letter published in the Guardian saying Labour was wrong to go to war but had made many achievements in policy benefiting Muslims and the wider society.
“We were opposed to the Government’s military intervention in Iraq. We know that a large number of people demonstrated against the war and continue to be very angry,” the letter read.
“We continue to urge the Government to outline an exit strategy that will be both swift and responsible under the circumstances for the masses of people that have been affected by the war.”
But it added: “We believe that the Labour government has delivered valuable changes for the Muslim community.
“The Labour government has been the first government to support Muslim schools through state funding and facilitated Sharia-compliant finance, as well as outlawing religious discrimination in the workplace and making a manifesto commitment to outlaw incitement to religious hatred.”
The community leaders also flagged up the minimum wage and child trust funds as particularly successful policy initiatives helping poor British Muslims.
On foreign policy, it welcomed Labour’s commitment to reducing poverty in the third world but called for a powerful role for the United Nations and a redoubling of efforts to resolve the Kashmir and Palestine issues.
It concluded: “We have of course all been angry at the Labour government, principally over Iraq and the anti-terror laws, but at the next election the country will be faced with a choice.
“We encourage British Muslims that when the elections finally come to support Labour.”
Today, the Muslim Council of Britain is campaigning across the country, flagging up ten key questions Muslims should ask party candidates.
The umbrella group will be holding meetings in constituencies where the Muslim vote could prove crucial.
It believes the outcome of about 20 seats could be swayed by the Muslim vote.
