The article discusses the victory of a pro-Gaza candidate who supports gender segregation in a UK council election. This win is analyzed within the broader context of strained relations between the Labour party and certain segments of the Muslim community.
The article suggests that Labour faces an ongoing challenge in addressing the concerns of Muslim communities and that the winning candidate's stance on gender segregation adds another layer of complexity to the situation. The outcome reflects deep divisions within the UK's political landscape and highlights the impact of foreign policy on domestic elections.
Lord Hayward, a Tory peer and polling expert, said: “I don’t see Labour being able to resolve this issue with the Muslim community in places where there are large Muslim populations.”
Labour has angered many in the Muslim community by its failure to declare Israel’s actions in Gaza a “genocide” and to recognise Palestine as an an independent state.
At the last general election, four pro-Palestine independents defeated Labour MPs amid Muslim voters’ anger at the party’s Gaza stance. Shockat Adam won in Leicester South, Adnan Hussain in Blackburn, Ayoub Khan in Birmingham Perry Barr, and Iqbal Mohamed in Dewsbury and Batley.
The four MPs later joined Jeremy Corbyn, the hard-Left former Labour leader, to form an independent grouping at Westminster.
Anti-Labour feelings among many in Asian communities were sparked by Sir Keir Starmer’s comments early in the conflict between Israel and Hamas, when he suggested that Israel had the right to withhold power and water from civilians in Gaza.
The party also refused to back a motion from the Scottish National Party calling for an immediate ceasefire in the region, even though Labour passed a similar motion of its own soon afterwards.
At last year’s general election, Labour canvassers in some seats said they had been harassed by their opponents in some seats.Â
In Leicester South, Labour campaigners were followed down the street while handing out leaflets. In Birmingham, Labour supporters had to call the police twice during the final weekend of campaigning.
In Dewsbury and Batley, Heather Iqbal, the Labour candidate, was told she was not a proper Muslim because she had a Western first name, and her activists were told not to canvass in Asian areas by supporters of a pro-Gaza independent.
Ms Iqbal told The Telegraph the campaign was characterised by “intimidation”, with her opponent’s supporters shouting at her that she was a “child murderer” and a “genocide agent”.
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