LONDON // They form only a small percentage of the electorate yet, paradoxically, it could be Britain's Muslims who determine the outcome of next month's general election.
The reason is simple: although there are only about two million Muslims in a nation of 61 million, their numbers are concentrated in a relatively small number of towns and cities throughout the country.
The Muslim Public Affairs Committee UK (MPacUK), a London-based civil liberties group, estimates that the Muslim vote could prove to be the deciding factor in 82 marginal constituencies - a crucial element when both the Labour and Conservative parties are fighting a close battle to get an overall majority in the 646-seat parliament.
Traditionally, the bulk of the Muslim vote has gone to the ruling Labour Party, which has been regarded as more sympathetic towards Muslim immigrants.
Despite the British military excursions in Iraq and Afghanistan and the introduction of antiterrorism laws, 57 per cent of the country's Muslims said they intended to vote Labour in a poll earlier this year.
The same poll, however, found that only 32 per cent of Muslims were "absolutely certain" to vote, compared to 47 per cent across the nation.
Such a lack of interest, plus the fact that a high proportion of Muslims does not even register to vote, has prompted a variety of campaigns this year to get people to the polls.
The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), an umbrella organisation for almost 500 groups nationwide, has launched a Muslim Vote 2010 campaign, complete with a website, spelling out why it is vital for Muslims to exercise their democratic rights.
"Voting is not only a civic imperative - it's a religious obligation," said Muhammad Abdul Bari, the MCB secretary general. "We have a religious obligation to join others to seek the common good."
Leading Muslim scholars have given their backing to the Get Out and Vote website. The imam Abu Eesa Niamatullah, from the Prophetic Guidance Project, told the BBC Asian Network: "Despite the fact we have large numbers, we are not making our presence felt."
The clerics and scholars are attempting to counter concerns among some sections of the Muslim community about voting for a government that does not comply with Sharia, or for a party that supports abortion and the consumption of alcohol.
Activists from the hardline Hizb ut-Tahrir have been attempting to capitalise on these fears, distributing leaflets outside mosques and community centres in London, Manchester, Birmingham and Bradford, laying out their arguments on why it is forbidden for a Muslim to vote.
But the imam, Abu Eesa, said voting was "an affirmation that, while living under the rule of man, we will try our best to create a scenario that will benefit our community".
MPacUK, meanwhile, has launched Operation Muslim Vote, distributing tens of thousands of leaflets after Friday prayers and mounting campaigns against MPs deemed to be ignoring Muslim concerns, including the immigration minister Phil Woolas, who is seeking re-election in the marginal seat of Oldham.
"MPacUK is now harnessing the power of Facebook and YouTube to spread the message that anger over foreign policy, Islamophobia and civil liberties can be translated into change through the ballot box," said a spokesman.
The organisation is running commercials throughout the day on the Islam Channel TV station and teams of volunteers are working with mosques on voter registration through Friday sermons, events at community centres and with women's groups.
Issues close to many Muslims' hearts are, inevitably, foreign affairs and growing Islamophobia throughout Europe. State-funded faith schools, support for religious dress and the availability of halal meat are among other subjects exercising British Muslims' minds.
"But we cannot be some parochial self-serving lobby group that can be fobbed off with a school, a scarf and a few lamb chops," argues the Muslim lifestyle magazine Emel.
"Islam is about bringing benefit to all people: 'You are a community beneficial to all mankind,' the Quran demands. We should be calling for change that supports the common good of all."
The magazine points out, though, that British Muslims are three times more likely to be unemployed than the general populace and far less likely to hold a university degree.
Additionally, they have a high incidence of health-related issues and are far more likely to hold unskilled or low paid jobs. Despite the potential significance of Muslim voters, the are few signs yet of the three mainstream parties going out of their way to specifically woo them, despite - or, perhaps, because of - the anti-Islamic rhetoric of two right-wing parties, the UK Independence Party and the British National Party.
Rukiya Dadhiwala, the MPacUK campaign co-ordinator, however, does not believe that the bulk of Muslim voters will revert to their old habits and vote in the main for Labour candidates.
"Muslim voters can no longer be taken for granted by Labour as a new politicised generation are becoming swing voters who demand action on issues from Palestine to antiterror laws," he says.
dsapsted@thenational.ae
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
THE SPECS
Cadillac XT6 2020 Premium Luxury
Engine: 3.6L V-6
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 310hp
Torque: 367Nm
Price: Dh280,000
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Khodar%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Cairo%20and%20Alexandria%2C%20in%20Egypt%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ayman%20Hamza%2C%20Yasser%20Eidrous%20and%20Amr%20El%20Sheikh%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20agriculture%20technology%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24500%2C000%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Saudi%20Arabia%E2%80%99s%20Revival%20Lab%20and%20others%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EEmployees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2035%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
The biog
Name: Capt Shadia Khasif
Position: Head of the Criminal Registration Department at Hatta police
Family: Five sons and three daughters
The first female investigator in Hatta.
Role Model: Father
She believes that there is a solution to every problem
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
What drives subscription retailing?
Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.
The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.
The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.
The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.
UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.
That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.
Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.
La Mer lowdown
La Mer beach is open from 10am until midnight, daily, and is located in Jumeirah 1, well after Kite Beach. Some restaurants, like Cupagahwa, are open from 8am for breakfast; most others start at noon. At the time of writing, we noticed that signs for Vicolo, an Italian eatery, and Kaftan, a Turkish restaurant, indicated that these two restaurants will be open soon, most likely this month. Parking is available, as well as a Dh100 all-day valet option or a Dh50 valet service if you’re just stopping by for a few hours.
The bio
Favourite food: Japanese
Favourite car: Lamborghini
Favourite hobby: Football
Favourite quote: If your dreams don’t scare you, they are not big enough
Favourite country: UAE
MATCH INFO
Sheffield United 2 Bournemouth 1
United: Sharp (45 2'), Lundstram (84')
Bournemouth: C Wilson (13')
Man of the Match: Jack O’Connell (Sheffield United)
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The advice provided in our columns does not constitute legal advice and is provided for information only. Readers are encouraged to seek independent legal advice.
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
ANALYSTS’ TOP PICKS OF SAUDI BANKS IN 2019
Analyst: Aqib Mehboob of Saudi Fransi Capital
Top pick: National Commercial Bank
Reason: It will be at the forefront of project financing for government-led projects
Analyst: Shabbir Malik of EFG-Hermes
Top pick: Al Rajhi Bank
Reason: Defensive balance sheet, well positioned in retail segment and positively geared for rising rates
Analyst: Chiradeep Ghosh of Sico Bank
Top pick: Arab National Bank
Reason: Attractive valuation and good growth potential in terms of both balance sheet and dividends
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
