The Muslim News

The Association of Ilford Muslims (AIM) has challenged local MP Mike Gapes to match his words with action by becoming a member of the Labour Friends of Palestine to balance his deputy chairmanship of the Labour Friends of Israel. “If Gapes is really even-handed, why has he not joined the Labour Party pro-Palestinian lobby group led by Ernie Ross MP?” AIM secretary Inayat Bunglawala asked.

Constituency Muslims have been confronting the MP for Ilford South about his record in the House of Commons in which he has continually supported Israel but been critical of many Muslim countries. However, in a statement to The Muslim News, Gapes insisted that it was a “distorted and divisive” campaign against him. “I am accused of being 'anti-Muslim' because I support the Oslo Peace Process, reject terrorism and call for a negotiated two state solution (to the Middle East conflict).” he said. But according to Bunglawala, Gapes has “never repeated in his nine years in the House of Commons that he supports a two-state solution, but had found time to criticise many Muslim countries.”

The campaign to make Gapes accountable started two months ago, when AIM distributed 10,000 leaflets to homes and mosques, highlighting comments he has made since he became MP in 1992. As revealed in The Muslim News last month, the result produced an astonishing snowball effect, with publicity reaching the national newspapers as well as the local press and Jewish Chronicle. In his statement, Gapes dropped earlier attempts to discredit AIM as “extremists” and “rejectionists” but still insisted the campaign was supported by a “handful” of people. “I am confident that the vast majority of my constituents, Muslim and non-Muslim alike, agree with me,” he said. But this was contradicted by Bunglawala, who told The Muslim News there had been a “fantastic response” and that Gapes had been “repeatedly berated by ordinary Muslims for his anti-Muslim remarks” every Saturday since mid-March when he has been in Ilford town centre canvassing for votes.

AIM also disputed claims by the South Ilford MP that his address to the Albert Road Mosque (one of five in the constituency) “was extremely well received by the vast majority of the 1000 men present” in November 2000. “He only gives half the story. He does not mention that he was given an extremely hard time during the Question and Answer period,” Bunglawala said. He also suggested that Gapes was deceiving himself about the campaign, saying he is “fully aware that AIM was a well-organised and popular Ilford Muslim organisation.”

AIM said that it was stepping its campaign to 'educate' Muslim voters before the forthcoming General Election by reprinting its leaflets in colour, but stressed that it was still open to a change of heart from Gapes, who has constantly refused to meet them. It said that it welcomed recent remarks made by the South Ilford MP in the House of Commons asking the Home Secretary to confirm that Britain will remain a safe haven for Muslims fleeing persecution abroad. “We hope that it will mark the beginning of a shift in your views about Muslims and Muslim countries,” Bunglawala said in an e-mailed message to Gapes. “If you are really willing to rethink some of your foreign policy positions then this would remove many of the obstacles between us,” he said.

Email this story to a friend | Printable Version

CS4 CS3 software

Graphics oem softsare