Khalil Charles questions whether Jeremy Corbyn is the only hope for British Muslims in the political system.
There is an extraordinary level of excitement about the Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour leadership challenge. Amazingly, it is as though a new King has been born, as though the trumpets are sounding and angels are singing and mankind has been given the hope of new life and a promise of the Kingdom of Joy to come — a life of everlasting happiness — embodied in this historic Labour leadership contest — Amen!
Surprisingly, it is also as though those with paralysis from the neck-down, (or even the neck up) when it comes to politics, have be given ‘shock’ treatment therapy and are now waking up to the amazingly incredible possibility of a real ‘conviction’ politician emerging on the political landscape and becoming the people’s champion.
Question — is that a ‘real’ possibility? Somebody wake me! Is Corbyn a real alternative to the centre samey — samey policies of the Tories and the New Labour Mafia? Is he the Superhero emboldened enough to bring down the fragile and vulnerable Tory leadership? Are Britain’s cities about to be saved from the clutches of the Benefits Joker Osborne and Austere Penguin Cameron? Quick — to the Batmobile Robin (or should I say Corbyn)!
But seriously — whatever the end game Corbyn is most definitely an alternative to the centre-right Mafiosi that infiltrated the labour movement when Blair connived to produce ‘New Labour’. Corbyn’s lack of career politics, special adviser status is in fact in his favour. Without a shadow of a doubt, he is capturing the hearts of men and women up and down the country. With 50,000 new members signed up to the Labour party in the last few weeks, take away the non-Corbyn vote and you’re left with — 50,000, Okay that’s an exaggeration but it includes Tories joining to support the ‘Man of the Moment.’ Undoubtedly, Labour’s new one-man, one-woman vote system could sweep Corbyn into power!
Corbyn and the Muslim vote
Corbyn is grounded in people politics having worked for most of his career in Trade Unions representing the interest of working people. More than anything else, in the eyes of British Muslims, Corbyn may be the one politician who might talk some sense about extremism, terrorism and foreign policy. To British Muslims, Corbyn appears to be the floating, buoyant lifebuoy in the near distance water that is needed to keep afloat the drowning community. Burdened by the onslaught of the ‘thought police’ being prepared as part of the new extremist and counter extremist five-year policy. The one where ‘Penguin’ says we have got to be more ‘intolerance to tolerance’.
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Muslims must be hoping that Corbyn will be coming up with a counter-terrorist policy of his own. One that will work with, and represent the real aspirations of Muslims in the UK. A policy that will be based on solid research — listening and responding to the informed opinions of counter-terrorism experts and one that acknowledges the findings of growing numbers of academics on both sides of the Atlantic who say that religion is not the main factor in radicalization.
There is a view that elections are not won, but they are lost — and alternative governments wait for incumbent ones to ‘drop the ball’ and to emerge ready to deliver the same message in a different way! The ‘politics of persuasion’ has a time and place. Say the ‘same’ thing too often at the wrong time and in the wrong place and Joe public loses interest. Say exactly the ‘same’ thing is a way that people are prepared to listen and accept — and like Blair, Obama, Hugo Chavez and even Nigel Farage those that become convinced and inspired can turn leaders into iconic demigods — seeing and hearing no evil!
Corbyn stands at the threshold of galvanising the complete Muslim vote. They are happy to be blind to the fact he sees no place for religion in a political arena and accepting of the fact that Corbyn is a strong supporter of gay marriage. None of that matters to Muslim besieged by the Islamophobic negativity in the media, embarrassed by the so-called ‘Islamic State’ and targeted by the new Spanish-type Inquisition or McCathyite era sweeping across Westminster.
Corbyn’s vociferous challenge to Channel 4’s questioning about his reference to Hezbollah and Hamas as ‘friend,’ signals the danger of trying to navigate through foreign policy issues in the light of a strong world Zionist lobby which stifle debate and vilify those who attempting to engage into dialogue with the perceived ‘enemy’.
In that climate, Corbyn would struggle to make the argument that his willingness to talk to Hezbollah and Hamas was on the basis they were ‘essential’ parties to the Israeli — Palestinian process because any violent opponents to Israel draw the charge of anti-Semitism. Corbyn stands in the eyes of Muslim and perhaps the rest of the Islamic world as a ‘friend’ to the Palestinians, but can the world’s powerful Jewish lobby allow a leader of a major political force in the Western world to be seen as anti-Israeli?
On the other hand, could Corbyn become another Jimmy Carter a left-winger trusted enough to bring about dialogue, reconciliation and a Camp David style peace accord? Either way, Corbyn is well placed to enlist the help of Arabs, the Persians, Sunnis, Shias, and even left-wing Jewish movements willing to take part in the Peace process.
Over in the Levant, Corbyn has called for the Geneva talks on Syria to be resumed and like no other politician, his opposition to the Iraq and Afghan wars and his resistance to air strikes on Iraq gives him the highest credentials and almost put him in prime position to have his ideas listened to and respected more than most. He has quite clearly recognised the dangers of arming Syrian rebels and is willing to have Iran on board in any discussions that must necessarily take place about the Middle East.
Above all, Muslims are going to expect Corbyn to ease the climate of the Islamophobic rhetoric that dominates the airwaves and the hate crimes, which looms daily in streets of Britain.
If laws to police people thoughts are introduced — if further legislation is enacted — if Muslims continue to flee the country– if schools, hospitals and prisons are required to flag and identify extremist behaviour — if opposition to democracy and gay marriage become indicators of extremism; ordinary Muslims will be more inclined to segregate than to integrate.
Muslim parents will be more likely to support faith backs schools where their children can be brought up with religious ‘British’ values. Keeping children away from the eyes of ‘extremist ghost-busters,’ ready to pounce and report suspects to the authorities is a sure way to put pay to freedoms of speech, religious diversity and multiculturalism once and for all. The climate of fear is sending parents scurrying for ‘safe havens’, creating private ‘desert islands’ to survive the floods of Islamophobic sentiment.
Corbyn is well placed to provide an alternative counter-extremist strategy and Muslims are eager and willing to support his informed pronouncements. So in the words of the late Margaret from beyond, “Where there is discord, may Jeremy bring harmony! Where there is error, may Jezzie bring truth. Where there is doubt, may Jerry bring certainty! And where there are Tories giving us the ‘Blues’, may Jeremy’s bring a ‘Sea of Red’ and cheer up the place!’
Corbyn is a undoubtedly the current ‘Masterblaster’ to use a Stevie Wonder rift, to some he is UK’s 4th July and like Stevie says if he wins, ‘we will be jamming it until the break of dawn!’ To others who presume to have a ‘crystal ball,’ he’s the ‘Grim Reaper’ destined to rip the heart and soul out of the Labour party and to consign the ‘Reds’ to decades of opposition!
Khalil Charles is a former BBC journalist and TV producer. He worked for BBC One Documentary Features in the 1990s and presented a chat show on BBC2. Khalil has also presented on BBC Radio 4. In the early 2000s, Khalil was the Chief Editor on an English language daily newspaper in Sudan. He has degrees in Arabic, English Literature, Philosophy and Psychology, and currently completing his Masters in Islamic Studies.
@khalilcharles
