Dont forget to vote...

Today is election day across the United Kingdom where voting for the European Parliament and local council seats. In London we shall be voting for that ceremonial position of Mayor of London, as well as the London Assembley. I've noticed that in various Muslim weblogs, as well as the media, that there is a growing interest in Muslims as a "minority" to vote in protest at particular issues relating to foreign policy, i.e. Iraq (though Israel-Palestine is also dragged in sometimes). And not just here in the United Kingdom. I wanted to discuss some points earlier, when perhaps it might have had relevance, but I've been busy. Nonetheless, here goes.

Election time has, as long as I can remember, always brought out various opposing camps. First of all there is the old horse of the 'legality', from an Islamic perspective, of voting. Is it permissible? Or is it prohibited? Then there is the question of how one should vote. Is bloc-voting preferred? Should we vote on international issues (e.g. Iraq) or local issues (schools, facilities for the local commmunity)? And if so, should we vote for one party? There a variety of views, both from Muslims as well as scholars and imams, as you would expect. I would like to look at some points, rather than provide answers, since the latter is, in any case, the job of the scholar.

Personally, I view voting as a civic 'duty' of sorts; no different from having concern for the neighbourhood you live in. We do, afterall, live and work in communties across this country; our children attend the local schools, play in the local parks; we shop in the local stores and use the local services; and, of course, we pay a variety of taxes. You wouldn't like it if your street became a dumping ground for household waste, or a house down your street started peddling drugs, would you? The same goes for voting. Ignoring it leads to a loss of responsibility, because it always becomes someone else's concern. So, from a practical view, voting has direct implications for 'us', as individual citizens, as well as 'us' as a minority; the latter seeking to express approval or disapproval of national and international affairs. Of course, the cynic, Muslim or not, would argue that politicians are one and the same and voting does not make a difference (though I would like to point out the "rise" of neo-Nazi parties, who have found that the election process is a good way into power). However, I can appreciate that a Muslim would feel unease at voting because it provides a veneer of legitimacy to a system they feel does not represent them, or does harm to their moral well-being. Yet the only practical response to such feelings can be to make preparations to leave the country, because I would argue that obeying the law can also be a form of legitimacy. I would like to point out that the minority groups who reject voting and participation outright (without weighing up any possible 'good' or 'bad'), like the Hizb and their sort, also use the local medical, educational, transport and public facilities. Unless, of course they don't go to school, take the tube, drive a car on the road, walk on the pavements, use a pedestrian crossing, or see a doctor if they're ill. No, it isn't likely is it?

But who to vote for? The traditional view is that Muslims always vote for the Labour Party, the party of the working-class minority (which most Muslims would have been). Certainly Pakistani Muslims have done so, historically. This is true from personal experience; my family have only ever voted Labour (except at the last General Election). Yet this time around that conventional wisdom is being questioned. In my own experience, this set of elections has sparked much more vocal support from imams of local mosques to vote for and against certain parties, particularly those who are supporting "Muslim issues", i.e. Iraq. My local mosque, for example, has allowed RESPECT to place its leaflets in the main entrance of the mosque. Indeed the imam reminded the congregation last night, after Isha, to vote tomorrow, and gave guidance on who to vote for. For the last two weeks, the Muslim World League in Goodge Street, west London, had allowed a mayrol candidate or his representatives to hand out leaflets after the Friday prayer. RESPECT, as well as the Liberal Democracts and possibley even the Green Party, are hoping to gather support from the anti-war feeling among people, and this means Muslims (the Tories are fighting their perennial battle against Euroscepticism). Labour looks set to lose out, as any mid-term party might; but the expected backlash is meant to occur in Muslim areas, among others. Indeed, RESPECT is running on an openly pro-Muslim ticket; they're fielding some two dozen Muslim candidates and are run by the anti-war MP George Galloway, a long-term supporter of the Palestinians. Or is that the case?

I would argue that though there has much media speculation, the fear of a massive Muslim backlash will not bear frution, but not for want of trying. I leave open, of course, the possibility of heavy defeats for Labour, but probably no more than any mid-term party with a less-than-popular PM. I also leave open the possibility of RESPECT producing a shock result; though God knows best. In any case, short-term victories over Blair over the Iraq debacle isn't going to answer long-term questions.

First of all, to coordinate such a solid and vocal view, Muslims would first require a body that can represent them because it is accountable to them. Sadly, the myriad of groups are often self-interested parties, and often self-appointed. At a local level we are too busy fighting over who will run the local moque committee that such moves may not even be possible. Ethnic affiliation is still an important factor for most Muslims in the United Kingdom, whether we like to admit it or not and the importance of bradri in Pakistani communities is not to be underestimated. These might, with time, change especially as pressure bears on Muslims as a whole, and the second and third generation Muslims take up 'leadership' roles. We might learn to overcome internal barriers, sectarian and ethnic (since they become distant cultural memories), and stand on principles, insha'Allah. One can hope and pray. There has also been a kind of apathy among Pakistanis, as opposed to the other large Muslim minority, the Bengalis (or more accurately Sylehtis). The latter do make sure their vote if felt, especially in local politics. (I recall the Bengali community of Spitalfields punishing Labour by switching their affiliation, almost en masse, to the Liberal Democrats over the state of local housing.)

The other point is regarding making our voice heard, and this requires a powerful local and national medium. We simply do not have one. The newspaper, even if its stock is dwindling in mainstream politics, is still an important and powerful institution; politicians still court newspaper editors. We do have the Muslim News, which I like (even if I am critical of its supine nature in challenging Muslim shortcomings). But it isn't read widely enough, and many mosques I know do not keep copies of the paper (which is distributed free of charge). I am, however, pleasently surprised by the proliferation of local Muslim newspapers. I have seen a couple of newspapers in east London, which speficially target the "Muslim" (rather than Pakistani or Bengali). Long-term this can only be beneficial.

The internet has 'democratised' views (you're reading this aren't you?), and I have been surprised in some cases to see how quickly the 'net has been taken up across entire Muslim communities, and not just the 'modernists'. But the internet, despite its proliferation across the country, is some years off aiding party politics. Only the generation that grows up with the internet will come to see it as the norm, undistinguished from the television and newspapaer, rather than a useful extra, a novelty; it is one thing for a student or a professional to have access to the 'net, and another thing for the middle-aged or elderly, especially Muslim, individual to use the internet.

Then there is digital television, which has made the cost of operating a television channel much cheaper. I know of no Pakistani Muslim home without access to the new Pakistani channels, ARY and PrimeTV (except my own -- my parents have PrimeTV, of course). There is actually some good content; PrimeTV, for example, has a current affairs programme which is as good as anything I've seen on the BBC or ITV. But, again, this is limited in scope (e.g. language).

Finally, there is the thorny issue of values promoted by various parties. Much like Muslims in the USA, who are starting to grapple with the problem of supporting the Democrats -- in whom they can find support for foreign issues (at least in an election year) -- versus supporting the Republicans -- with who they are closer in terms of certain moral values (though I'd question the economic values of the Republicans, and other free-market conservatives, reflecting Islamised economic values proper) -- Muslims in the UK are also starting to tackle these problems. The Conservatives would have one million votes in an instance, if they were to shed their image (more real than imaginery) of racists and xenophobes. "The family" is an important point to the Muslim, but who best represents it? The one who speaks for the family as an almost sacred unit, or the one who speaks of investing heavily into schooling and housing?

As the second and third generation of Muslims comes to fore, they are beginning to realise that they have to define their own space in society. Older generations would have been driven by expediency; that's not to impute any sort of "wrong" motive on them, for God knows best. But it recognises that they felt they were not in a position to make demands, whereas Muslims now, some of who have only ever grown up in the USA or the UK, speak English and so on, feel they can ask for their values to be given a hearing in the public sphere. (Of course, this is not to say that there aren't Muslim liberals and they must always be conservatives; English conservatism is marred by a harsh attitude and has no idea of mercy).

There isn't any conclusion to this; there can't be, of course. But the main points are that if Muslims wish to make their voices heard as Muslims there needs to be an appreciation of presenting a coherent voice. I don't mean by this we should stifle criticism or dissent. And this voice, or voices, must not reduce everything to blaming the US and Israel for all our ills. We need to define what we stand for, rather than what the other might be doing. What does a Muslim think of helping the poor, helping the homeless, helping the single-mother, helping the elderly, crime and its solutions? Simple slogans ("What does Islam say on this and that topic?") will not help, I'm afraid. And unless we can define ourselves in relation to the societies we live in we are just the ramblings in the newspaper, discredited by mere associations with the likes of al-Muhajiroun.

Comments

[MdK]

Interesting topic; i will refer to it on my blog. The same arguments pro and con you mention here, are seen on many dutch websites. Referring to the internet; well there is some proliferation of islamic sites but my guess is that it is very one-sided; a lot of sites (in holland anyway) are salafist except some major sites that are not islamic perse but relate to an ethnic background such as maghrebonline and maroc.nl.

[person]

the voting conundrum really is a crack up. although i understand why you might abstain from voting on a conscientious ground (like some did in vietnam) i think its still a unneccessary aggressive and hypocritical stance (esp as if you said you use public transport etc)
not helped at all by all those gung-ho publications which so many young guys are finding so deceptively alluring(steal the best of socialist rhetoric, hash it up with some militaristic, apocalyptic overtones, sprinkle liberally with some out of context hadiths and wala- a pseudo ideology).
meanwhile as these would be revolutionaries dream of fantastical scenarios of world domination and salahuddin like greatness in their living rooms- the hardworking muslims who have chosen the brave and difficult route of active engagement, the slow and unromantic path of dialogue between civilisations are accused of blaspemy and heresy at every turn....

[Thebit]

re: #2

Yes, I too have noticed how "Islamic politics" and "Islamic economics" often seem to steal from socialist ideas; this is especially true in the case of the latter.

The problem seems to be more acute among some Western Muslims -- we have X which is protrayed as a "Western" ideal; so not-X must, of course, be "Islamic". Much of this reactionary thinking underlines our ideas thinking politics and economics, sadly. As one Muslim economist put it to me 'these reactionaries must have developed a guilt complex living relatively affluent lifestyles'.

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