What do you know about the "Muslim Vote" campaign in the UK elections, which succeeded in electing 7 pro-Palestine supporters and unseating supporters of the Israeli occupation?
This is an important topic that requires studies rather than just routine journalistic follow-up. This campaign, called "Muslim Vote," is an organized coalition of British Muslims (4 million) aiming to leverage Muslim votes, achieving a significant breakthrough in the UK elections.
The campaign emerged following the onset of the Israeli massacre and genocide in Gaza, as a reaction to the statements of the Labour Party leader (who is Zionist-leaning and married to an extremist Jew) supporting the Israeli blockade of water, food, and electricity to Gaza.
Traditionally, British Muslims and minorities voted for the Labour Party, and their votes were scattered and uncoordinated. However, this time they were outraged by the Labour leader's extreme stance (who won around 410 out of 650 seats in the British House of Commons in the last election); thus, they formed the "Muslim Vote" campaign in December 2023.
The declared goal of this campaign was to support any parliamentary candidate who supports the Palestinian cause and condemns the Israeli crimes in Gaza. They succeeded in getting 7 MPs (4 of whom are Muslims) into the House of Commons who support the Palestinian cause, which is a significant breakthrough.
This had a noticeable impact on the electoral landscape in Britain, particularly due to the Israeli aggression on Gaza, which turned the tables in electoral districts with a large Muslim population. Additionally, it influenced the voting tendencies of British voters who support the Palestinian cause. Consequently, the Labour Party won this time without the absolute support of Muslims, despite all indications pointing towards the party's victory and the assumption of the prime minister's office.
An Unexpected Victory Due to Unity
Around 16 independent candidates ran in the UK elections, about half of whom were Muslims. Some of these candidates were former members of other parties who left due to those parties' support for Israel, while others ran to challenge both Labour and Conservative candidates. These candidates were supported by the "Muslim Vote" campaign.
It was a big surprise that 7 of these independent candidates won, including 4 Muslims and 3 non-Muslims, supported by the "Muslim Vote" campaign—about half of them. This stirred questions and debates in the British press, and some politicians and parties started to warn about the power of Muslims when united. The organized "Muslim Vote" campaign succeeded in electing Muslim MPs: Shaukat Adam, Iqbal Mohammed, Ayoub Khan, and Adnan Hussain. Ibtisam Hussain, despite being from the Labour Party, also won with their support. The campaign also succeeded in electing non-Muslim candidates such as Jeremy Corbyn, the former Labour Party leader and a pro-Palestine supporter who was ousted from the party, as well as Carla Denyer, the leader of the Green Party, and Ed Davies.
Among these seven MPs, five ran as independents after they punished the Labour Party, from which they used to run in previous elections, and they managed to defeat Labour Party candidates despite the party's overall success in winning the elections and the premiership.
Had George Galloway, known for his anti-war views and support for the Palestinian cause, won, their number would have risen to eight, forming a significant bloc. They represent a larger percentage than the far-right Reform Party, which won only four seats.
Each of these MPs' victories and the support they received from the "Muslim Vote" campaign are success stories in their own right, as British Muslims united and mobilized. For instance, first-time MP Adnan Hussain celebrated his victory amid chants of "Free Palestine" in his city.
Independent pro-Palestinian MP Ayoub Khan defeated Labour MP Khalid Mahmood, who appeared in a video inside a mosque berating the worshippers, calling them ignorant for not understanding his party's (Labour) stance, leading to his downfall.
MP Iqbal Hussain Mohammed, who resigned due to Labour leader Keir Starmer's support for the Zionist aggression on Gaza, ran a campaign exemplifying the coordination and organization of young volunteers from the "Muslim Vote" campaign.
In a surprising turn of events, independent MP Shukri Adam defeated Labour Party candidate Jonathan Ashworth, who was tipped to hold a ministerial position in the new government. Adam was seen waving the Palestinian keffiyeh in celebration of his victory, declaring that his win was for the people of Gaza.
Several other candidates supported by the "Muslim Vote" campaign were also expected to win. It was notable that those who didn't succeed still made remarkable inroads in Labour Party strongholds, often losing by narrow margins of just around 100 votes in some cases.
For instance, Palestinian-origin candidate Leanne Mohammed lost by only 528 votes (0.5%) to a Labour candidate, and Samah Habib from Gaza, who ran in Ealing North, achieved a respectable number of votes despite facing a smear campaign from pro-occupation lobbyists and the presence of other Arab candidates.
Before the elections, new research revealed that British Muslims' votes could significantly influence around 100 constituencies nationwide. The "Muslim Vote" campaign and the right-wing Henry Jackson Society (HJS) estimated the number of seats that could be decided by Muslim voters to be between 92 and 120, respectively, highlighting the influence of British Muslim votes in 100 constituencies across the UK.
The Henry Jackson Society's research on religious diversity in UK constituencies found that Muslim voters could play a decisive role in 120 constituencies, especially in marginal seats, where the majority Muslim population resides in 129 constituencies. There are 20 constituencies in the UK where Muslim voters make up more than 30-40% of the electorate, out of a total of 650 constituencies in Britain.
The Labour Party's election report, released on May 31, 2024, acknowledged the strength of Muslim voters, noting that 16 seats controlled by the party in areas with a significant number of Muslim voters were described as "battlegrounds."
The "Muslim Vote" campaign not only succeeded in electing those who supported Gaza but also focused on defeating supporters of Israel. This impacted the traditional support for the Labour Party among Muslims. Reuters reported on July 5 that the number of votes the Labour Party received, which has long relied on Muslim support, fell by an average of 10 points in areas where Muslims constitute more than 10% of the population.
What do you know about the "Muslim Vote" campaign?
In December 2023, British Muslims formed a campaign called "Muslim Vote" or "The Muslim Vote" (TMV). This campaign resulted from collaboration and understanding between the "Muslim Association of Britain," the "Muslim Council of Scotland," the "Muslim Council of Wales," the "Muslim Engagement and Development" (Mend) organization, and other Islamic entities.
The campaign, which adopted the slogan "Make the Muslim Vote Count," announced its aim to direct the votes of British Muslims towards MPs who support the Palestinian people and to avoid voting for MPs who previously refused to vote for a ceasefire in Gaza, thereby preventing their return to Parliament.
The campaign emphasized that they are a strong and united force consisting of 4 million British Muslims working in harmony. They aimed to lay the foundations for the political future of their community and sought to mobilize the votes of approximately 4 million Muslims in the United Kingdom, which constitutes about 6% of the electorate.
The "Muslim Vote" group describes itself on its website as pro-democracy and anti-genocide. It states that Muslims and all those who stand for justice agree that the current political class does not represent them. The group claims to have thousands of volunteers ready to support local independent political campaigns in constituencies with a significant number of Muslim voters and MPs.
And Abu Bakr Nanabawa, the coordinator and spokesperson for the Muslim Vote campaign, says: The campaign's goal was to encourage Islamic political participation and give value to the voting power of local Muslim communities. He stated: The Labour Party traditionally considered the Muslim vote as secured for them, but after their supportive statements for Zionist aggression, it became the right of the Muslim community to vote as they see fit and in the interest of Muslims.
British estimates indicate that Muslim support for the Labour Party decreased from 75% in 2001 to 38% in 2004 after the Iraq War, in which former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair led British participation.
The percentage rose by 2015 when 64% of Muslims voted for the Labour Party and peaked at over 80% when Jeremy Corbyn was leader between 2015 and 2020.
However, the relationship between Muslims and the current party leadership, represented by Keir Starmer, has significantly changed since his election in 2020, especially after the "Al-Aqsa Flood" Operation on October 7, 2023, which Starmer criticized and supported Israel's starvation of Gaza.
The Muslim Vote campaign pledged to continue mobilizing British Muslims in the coming years, after successfully garnering support for five independent candidates who support Gaza in the recent elections. It affirmed its continuity over the coming years, according to The Times on July 7.
This significant role of the Muslim Vote campaign in the UK elections, which previously were dominated by the Zionist lobby, caused concern in Israel. Israel Hayom, close to the extremist Zionist Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, quoted political sources saying: We fear that the Muslim vote in the back seats will affect relations with Israel after the victory of its supporters. They said: The Israeli government believes that Britain's tone towards Israel will become more critical, and the warmth towards the occupation will diminish. Israel is preparing for complicated years in its relationship with Britain after the Labour Party's victory and the supporters of the Muslim Vote.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Read the Article in Arabic
