ELECTION GUIDE
MAY 5th 2005
CONSTITUENCY:
Birmingham Sparbrook and Small Heath
MUSLIM DEMOGRAPHICS:
| Muslim Population* |
57,354 |
48.8% |
| Muslims of Voting Age |
36,707 |
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2001 ELECTION RESULT:
| Labour |
21,087 |
 |
58% |
| Lib Dem |
4,841 |
 |
13% |
| PJP |
4,770 |
 |
13% |
| Tory |
3,948 |
 |
11% |
PJP:
Kashmiri People's Justice Party
| Total Turnout |
36,647 |
49% |
| Majority |
16,246 |
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CANDIDATES:
Roger Godsiff (Labour)
Summary
Roger Godsiff
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LABOUR
Birmingham Sparbrook and Small Heath |
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Voting History
War
 Voted for Invasion of Iraq ( Iraq - Declaration of War, 18 Mar 2003)
Voted for Air strikes on Afghanistan (Coalition Against International Terrorism, 1 Nov 2001)
Anti-Terror Laws
Voted for Indefinite detention without charge, without trial (Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Bill - Clauses 22 to 24 - Indefinite Detention - 21 Nov 2001)
Voted for Renewal of above law (Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 - Renewal of Part 4 sections 21-23 - 3 Mar 2004)
Voted for Control orders – house arrests (Prevention of Terrorism Bill - Third Reading - 28 Feb 2005)
Muslim Schools
 Voted against Proposed amendment to Education Bill forcing all new state funded religious schools to reserve at least a quarter of places to children from other faiths thereby effectively destroying the religious ethos of the school. This disproportionately targeted the Muslim community as out of around 7000 existing state funded religious schools that would escape this law only 4 were Muslim - all new Muslim schools would be effected.(Education Bill - New Clause 1 6 Feb 2002)
Early Day Motions
Islamophobia
Supported Call for BBC to sack Kilroy-Silk for his racist comments. (EDM 383, 08.01.04)
Halal Meat
Did not sign EDM on Call for the government to work actively to end religious slaughter in the UK (EDM 104, 26.11.03)
Hijab
Supported Call for UK & EU partners to protest France's ban on religious symbols in schools. (EDM 461, 21.01.04)
Israel
Did not sign EDM on Call for suspension of EU-Israel Association Agreement which gives Israel preferential trade terms with the EU. (EDM 1288, 26.05.04)
Did not sign EDM on Call for sanctions against Israel for not complying with the International Court of Justice decision on the illegality of the separation wall.(EDM 162, 24.11.04)
US
Did not sign EDM exposing double standards in US foreign policy regarding terrorism and democracy. (EDM 664, 04.02.05)
Election Survey:
Questionnaire not returned.
If you live in this constituency we request that you email our sample letter to this candidate asking them to respond - its your right to know what your candidate stands for. Failure to respond may be interpreted as a candidates unwilling to clarify his or her real position and a disregard for the concerns of Muslim constituents.
Other Information
On immigration he told the BBC that his constituency “has already taken in a large number of first- and second-generation immigrants” but that “enough is enough” and that immigration is not “going to be good for the future of race relations in this country.”[1]
He has authored an Early Day Motion on Kashmir[2]. Whilst the motion is weak - it does not ask for any real commitment from the government other than to "continue" its support for the rights of Kashmiris to self-determination, it is never the less much better than the other EDMs on Kashmir that we came across - these other ones even the Indian parliament would no doubt be happy to sign!
[1] http://politics.guardian.co.uk/election/story/0,,1448712,00.html
[2] Self-determination for the people of Kashmir, EDM 221 4 December 2003.
Talib Hussain (Lib-Dem)
Summary
Talib Hussain
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LIBERAL DEMOCRAT
Birmingham Sparbrook and Small Heath |
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Voting History/Early Day Motions
Not Applicable
Election Survey:
Questionnaire not returned.
If you live in this constituency we request that you email our sample letter to this candidate asking them to respond - its your right to know what your candidate stands for. Failure to respond may be interpreted as a candidates unwilling to clarify his or her real position and a disregard for the concerns of Muslim constituents.
Other Information
No information available.
Sameer Mirza(Tory)
Summary
Sameer Mirza
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CONSERVATIVE
Birmingham Sparbrook and Small Heath |
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Voting History/Early Day Motions
Not Applicable
Election Survey:
Questionnaire not returned.
If you live in this constituency we request that you email our sample letter to this candidate asking them to respond - its your right to know what your candidate stands for. Failure to respond may be interpreted as a candidates unwilling to clarify his or her real position and a disregard for the concerns of Muslim constituents.
Other Information
He is responsible for organising the annual Conservative party Milad-un-Nabi function (started May 2003) where senior members from MCB are invited to meet Tory leaders.
In absence of more information a cross was awarded for party policy.
Ian Jamieson(Green)
Summary
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GREEN
Birmingham Sparbrook and Small Heath |
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Voting History/Early Day Motions
Not Applicable
Election Survey:
Questionnaire not returned.
If you live in this constituency we request that you email our sample letter to this candidate asking them to respond - its your right to know what your candidate stands for. Failure to respond may be interpreted as a candidates unwilling to clarify his or her real position and a disregard for the concerns of Muslim constituents.
Other Information
No information available.
Salma Yacoob(Respect)
Summary
Salma Yacoob
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RESPECT
Birmingham Sparbrook and Small Heath |
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Voting History/Early Day Motions
Not Applicable
Election Survey:
Questionnaire not returned.
If you live in this constituency we request that you email our sample letter to this candidate asking them to respond - its your right to know what your candidate stands for. Failure to respond may be interpreted as a candidates unwilling to clarify his or her real position and a disregard for the concerns of Muslim constituents.
Other Information
She has consistently opposed imperialist wars, and as head of the Stop the War Coalition in Birmingham she has addressed practically every anti-war rally[1]. She has used her platform to defend the Palestinian people, and give support to the Muslim causes of Kashmir and Chechnya .
She has been a voice against the hijab ban in France[2], although her approach to the issue has been strictly secular rather than Islamic.[3]
[1] See http://www.inminds.co.uk/palestine-rally-28sep02.html
[2] See http://www.inminds.co.uk/hijab-protest.html
[3] In her speech at the European Social Forum, London , 16 October 2004, Salma Yacoub equated the implementation of Shariah in Iran , which requires modesty in public places, to Frances ban on hijab and has equally denounced both! The Muslimah of Iran have sacrificed dearly with their lives and their families lives to win the right to live by Shariah. During the Shahs rule Muslimah were beaten in the streets by the police if they dared to wear hijab. Their hijabs would be ripped off and many ended up in prison, tortured. After their victory in bringing about an Islamic Revolution Iranian women under the protection of Shariah have been able to fulfil their potential in society without compromising their deen and today we see more women in the Iranian parliament then in the US senate. It's indefensible that their gains, which were so costly to achieve, should be so cheaply dismissed and condemned.
Conclusions
With Muslms forming half the constituency, there is no excuse for Muslims not to have their choice of candidate succeed in representing them in Parliament. The only danger is if Muslims divide and in their disunity a candidate not of their choice slips through.
Roy Hattersley[1] has predicted this will happen with fellow labour candidate Roger Godsiff getting to keep his post amid a split Muslim vote between the 3 Muslim candidates. It would be shear stupidity if this were to happen.
A glance at the candidates reveals that only one has a proven track record of standing up for Muslims, she herself also happens to be a Muslim, we recommend Muslims vote for Salma Yaqoob.
[1] I took the Muslim vote for granted, by Roy Hattersley. http://politics.guardian.co.uk/election/story/0,15803,1454874,00.html
Election Guide Home
* Our figures are conservative reflecting the minimal strength of the Muslim vote:
1. The Muslim population figures are taken from the 2001 census. The religion question was optional and many Muslims did not feel comfortable giving out this information if wasn't a requirement. (This writer knows of two members of his own family who did not answer this question out of fear that one day this data will be used to discriminate against them).
2. Our statistics assume only 64% of the Muslim population is of voting age (18+). This figure is much lower than the national average because the Muslim population is the youngest in the country with 34% under the age of 16 (the national average is 20% under 16). Please note that our estimates are slightly less than those given on the MCB website.
(source http://www.statistics.gov.uk)
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