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Local
Elections 4 May 2006
NABA calls all the British Arabic speaking (and other ethnic groups) to
address the issue of participating in elections, whether local or general
seriously. It draws the attention of the Arabic speaking communities to the
coming local elections on 4th May 2006 and endorse the call of MCB but also
encourage all the local ethnic associations/societies/clubs to raise this
issue with their membership.
British
Muslims Urged to Register to Vote Before Monday’s Deadline
The
Muslim Council of Britain is asking Imams and mosques throughout the
UK
to use this week’s Friday sermon (Khutbah) to emphasise the need for
British Muslims to register to vote. With the approaching deadline of
Monday 13th March for voter registration in respect of the English local
elections due to be held on Thursday May 4th 2006, the need to register is
urgent.
“The
Elections Minister, Harriet Harman, recently revealed that in
London
alone over 60,000 Muslims (18% of the total Muslim population in
London
) were not registered to vote. This is clearly unacceptable. British
Muslims are greatly underrepresented in politics at both the local and
national level, and it is vital that we address and rectify this situation.
Imams, mosques and Muslim organisations across the country should help make
voter registration forms available to British Muslims,” said Sir Iqbal
Sacranie, Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Britain.
The
Muslim Council of Britain has also informed its affiliate organisations to
draw urgent attention to the upcoming deadline.
The
MCB notes that some far right extremist groups are seeking to exploit the
traditional low turnout at local elections to make inroads on May 4 and
have provocatively described the elections as a ‘Referendum Day on
Islam’. The MCB urges all people of goodwill to vote in the May 4th
elections to ensure that fascist groups are comprehensively defeated at the
ballot box.
Notes to Editors:
1.
Voter registration forms can be downloaded from http://aboutmyvote.co.uk/
2.
The website for the Electoral Commission is http://www.electoralcommission.gov.uk/
The
Muslim Council of Britain is the
UK
's representative Muslim umbrella body with over 400 affiliated national,
regional and local organisations, mosques, charities and schools.
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