Boris Johnson vs. Ken Livingstone for London Mayoralty

by International Director Dr Irfan Al Alawi
Evening Standard [London]
April 17, 2008

http://www.islamicpluralism.org/551/boris-johnson-vs-ken-livingstone-for-london-mayoralty

[Note: This important statement appeared only in print editions of the London Evening Standard.]

A pamphlet was being distributed at a celebration of the Prophet Mohammad's birthday in East London last month, instructing Muslims not to vote for Boris Johnson as he is not good for Islam and to support Ken Livingstone.

The Muslims backing Anas Altikriti's campaign to relect Ken Livingstone are mainly members of radical groups, such as the Deobandi school, the missionary group Tablighi Jamaat and Saudi-based Wahhabi movement. They are also members of the Muslim Council of Britain, the umbrella group for mosques in the UK. Based on the Mayor's wild past remarks, they believe he can give them everything they want such as the 12,000 capacity "mega-mosque" in West Ham and will wecolme radical scholars back to the UK such as al-Qaradawi.

Tablighi Jamaat's belief in separate schooling for their own followers and that sharia law should be implemented in the UK on a wider scale are dangerous for social cohesion in this country. Under their influence Islamic women stand to lose freedom by being coerced into wearing the veil and forced marriages. To show he is serious about the effects of radicalisation and wanting to reject separatism in London, Livingstone should publicly distance themselves from these figures.

Dr Irfan Al Alawi
International Director
Center for Islamic Pluralism

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