STATEMENT
With election results from local council and mayoral elections now in, and discussion underway about the impact of the Muslim vote, the Muslim Council of Britain’s Secretary General Zara Mohammed has issued the following statement:
“These election results are a wake-up call to all parties: every vote counts. Politicians can’t take anyone for granted, especially not British Muslims.
The dissatisfaction with politicians is palpable, and the response to the atrocities in Gaza is only the tip of the iceberg. Instead of respectful and meaningful dialogue, British Muslims face a political culture dominated by ideologues silencing their voices, questioning their intentions or having their views filtered through acceptable gatekeepers.
Now that Muslims have exercised their British values by taking part in our democracy, they now face further demonisation. This was demonstrated in recent days with a Labour source allegedly smearing voters in the West Midlands, and Nigel Farage describing British Muslims who vote as ‘sectarian’. All political parties must come out strongly against such extremism, especially as we now look forward to the General Elections.
We congratulate all of those elected, we hope they will strive to bring communities together and create a more inclusive culture of politics.”
[ENDS]