Tajammul Gurmani
Forum of Muslim Organisations, Greater Manchester (FMO-GM) has been formally launched, while the body and founding members were also announced during a consultation meeting held at Rethink Rebuild Society, Discovery House in Manchester. A large number of mosque committee members, representatives of Muslim organisations, charities, community leaders and youth also attended the event. The renowned Muslim scholars who addressed the meeting included Jehangir Mohammad, Nahella Ashraf, Sheikh Bilal Brown, Abdul Rehman, Nasir Hafezi, Dr Sara Saigol, Nasir Malik, Khalid Anis and others.
The title of the meeting was “The Far Right and Local Elections – A Time for Action”. The speakers expressed their views on the topic, while a panel discussion and question-and-answer session was also held, alongside the introduction of FMO on the occasion. The meeting started with the recitation of the Quran by Omar Alkanj, after which Elinor introduced the agenda of the meeting. Jehangir Mohammad, the founding Director of the Ayaan Institute, a UK-based think tank, delivered his address on “Understanding the Far Right – who, what, where and how”. He said the origin of the term “far right” dates back to the French Revolution, when those opposed to the monarchy were considered left-wing reformists, and those who supported the monarchy were on the right. He said that when discussing white identity, it refers to white politics, white nationalism and white supremacy, and is about racial politics. “In terms of what we traditionally call far-right groups, there has always been an element of fascism. One aspect of these groups is white identity, but there is also a link to fascism and white supremacy. You can see that clearly with Trump, who is seen as a symbol of this movement,” he observed. He added that the threat level is real, noting that Reform UK is at 25 percent, which he described as shocking, as mainstream parties are fracturing, Labour is losing support and the Conservatives have collapsed. “The main elections are going to be significant. If Reform wins big, that could become the new norm in British politics. So, it is a big test and a major challenge,” he added.
Nasir Malik, a civil engineer and trustee at Cheadle Masjid, while speaking on the importance of local elections, stressed the need to educate the community to take part in local politics and come out to cast their votes in the elections to be held next month. He said the Muslim community holds significant influence, noting that in the last general elections, a large number of Muslim MPs were elected as independents as well as on the Labour platform. He added that unity within the community is essential, and that mosques and Muslim organisations can play an important role in this regard. He said that volunteers should help and guide people to support the right candidates for the right cause. He also highlighted concerns over Labour Party policies, particularly regarding Gaza and immigration.
Nahella Ashraf said it is time for Muslim voters to use the power of their vote and stand up against the politics of racism, hate and division. She said there is a need to campaign against racism and Reform UK, adding that trade unions, human rights groups, refugee charities and anti-racism organisations should stand together. She urged every mosque to play its role in standing up against racism.
Founder member of FMO, Khalid Anis, in his concluding remarks, said, “May Allah grant us unity.” He also announced the body and founding members of FMO, including Action for Humanity, British Muslim Heritage Centre, Cheadle Masjid, Khizra Mosque, Convert Muslim Foundation, Islamic Society of Britain and Manchester Muslim Forum.
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