Some Muslims here in the UK, believe we should participate in elections, and vote in MPs to represent the Islamic perspective. Of course this course of action is not only intellectual inconsistent with the concept of sovereignty to God alone (not man) but naive, and self-defeating. But the great deal of social pressure for Muslims to vote is immense, and many Muslims have been lured into believing that voting equals representation. This is despite the fact that most non-Muslim British citizens learnt this lesson a long time ago, and a majority of them simply do not bother to vote when elections come.
Unfortunately, some Muslims in the UK have not learnt this lesson (and may never), but for those amongst them who believe that Muslim MPs would represent Islamic beliefs or interests – and that British parliament (of all places) would ever entertain Islamic-based agendas by any of its MPs, here is a wake up call:
The British Muslim MP’s who voted for the recent UK gay marriage bill (according to the BBC):
Shabana Mahmood (Birmingham Ladywood)
Sajid Javid (Bromsgrove)
Anas Sarwar (Glasgow Central)
Sadiq Khan (Tooting)
Rushanara Ali (Bethnal Green & Bow)
Even the Respect Party MP, George Galloway voted in favour of it as well
Only 3 Muslim MPs didn’t vote on the bill (whether to avoid being ostracised remains unclear).
Muslims need to rise above interfering in the political system of the Western countries they live in, and focus on where the real power lies – with the people. Dawah (the call and invitation) to a better way of life and alternative to the crumbling economic and social structures in the West is needed. Only by changing the ideas on the ground, does a country truly change.
This is because a country’s system is not based upon its rulers, but based upon its ideas, culture and worldview. If you change the ruler, someone else will take their place and do exactly the same as (or worse than) their predecessor (e.g. Obama). However, if you change the ideas, culture or worldview of a country, then it will change everything about it – creating a change in how it lives.
“Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.” Quran 13:11
Political work is much much larger than merely putting an X on a voting card once every 4 years. Real political impact can be delivered by protests, demonstrations, leafleting, lobbying, raising public awareness, campaigning etc etc. These things have been the exclusive reason for change in recent political history.
So why the incessant need by some to vote and prop up a system that depends on the numbers of people voting, to claim legitimacy for system itself? That’s like trying to get rid of gambling, by taking money and going to a casino to play and vainly hoping to win enough money there to buy the casino itself and change it into something else.
Every time you walk into a casino, and every penny you gamble there is just perpetuating the existence of the casino. And, as we all know, the famous motto of Casinos ‘The House always wins’.
The next time someone comes to the Muslim community, promising us many ‘benefits’ in exchange for political participation in the current system and renouncing any peaceful Islamic political work (which they call ‘extremism’) – let us respond to them using the response of Muhammed (saaw) who was similarly offered a place as head (King) of the parliament (al mala) of the Quraysh if he renounced his Dawah.
The Prophet is narrated to have responded “If they placed the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left, to force me to renounce my work, verily I would not desist therefrom until Allah made manifest His cause, or I perished in the attempt.”
Both Yasmin Qureshi & Nadhim Zahawi were strongly in favour of the equal marriage bill (as evidenced by their tweets, blogs and appearances on radio) but unable to vote.Yasmin’s mother was taken to hospital and Nadhim was overseas. It would have been 7 “yes” votes from the Muslim contingent otherwise. I think it’s a good thing – helps dispel myths and change perceptions.
Sheila
you suggest it would have been a “good thing” if all 7 Muslim MPs had voted in favour of gay marriage – but from an Islamic perspective it is not: the Creator has given mankind clear rules of behaviour and same sex marriage is prohibited by Him. I would suggest that the MPs were following the spirit of the age rather than God.
May Allah strike the yes voters with calamity both in this life and the next life if they do not make tauba and work for the total and absolute reversal of the damage that they have caused.
or better still, may Allah guide those who have gone astray into His path amen.
Did anyone of you ever found in any store on this planet any bateries which have both negative or possitive sides, rather then two opposite sides? I personally never seen such a thing LOL . salam aleikom
“If they placed the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left, to force me to renounce my work, verily I would not desist therefrom until Allah made manifest His cause, or I perished in the attempt.”
And a “Shiekh” gave in to his worldly desires (ie his position in Cambridge) by denouncing his earlier views on homosexuality… MDI can you explain why timothy winters response is acceptable and he needs support but these muslim MPs in britain are getting so much heat? The people in authority and this scholar are on the same page.
Sheikh Abdal-Hakim Murad has not changed his opinions on same-sex intercourse being a sin. He merely apologised for the manner he expressed his opinions. Please read his explanation on his website.
Let me quote from the newspapers:
In an email to the Standard, Mr Winter said: “I have explained to the students that the YouTube clip they understandably objected to was at least 15 years old, and represented views I no longer hold.”
and if that wasn’t clear enough
‘I am happy to confirm that I certainly do not see homosexuals as an “inexplicable aberration”. The other views expressed in it should not be taken as indicators of what I currently believe – we all have our youthful enthusiasms, and we all move on.’
and
A Cambridge University spokesman said: ‘Mr Winter has apologised for these remarks, recorded nearly twenty years ago, and has emphasised that he no longer holds these views.’
I rest my case. Please stop titling him as a “Sheikh” too, people follow your website, your designation to people will have an influence on your readers.