Eid Mubarak

Margot James brought Muslims and non Muslims together for a party to celebrate Eid at the Ghausia Mosque in Lye on October 8th. The meeting was addressed by Mohammed Saeed, teacher and community liaison officer at Pedmore Community Technology School, David Kemp, Headmaster of Pedmore Community Technology School and Margot James, Conservative Candidate for Stourbridge. There follows an extract of what was said by Margot James:

“Last month I attended the launch of the Conservative Friends of Pakistan in the presence of the Pakistani High Commissioner, Waid Shamsul Hasan and Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague. I am delighted to join this group as I identify closely with its aims: that of fostering closer links between our Party and Pakistan and closer links between our party and the many ex Pakistani communities in the UK. The largest of which happens to be in the West Midlands.

My interest in the community stems from two things. Here in Lye the ex Pakistani community is the largest ethnic minority within the constituency of Stourbridge. If elected it is of course my goal to serve all the people of the area, so I am keen to learn as much as possible and do as much as possible in advance of the general election whenever it comes. Secondly, I believe very strongly that whoever holds or seeks public office has a duty to make whatever contribution they can to integration, towards the bringing together of communities.

We hear a lot about extremism in the press. I worry about extremism. But just as concerning is the degree of intolerance towards immigrant groups in general and Muslims in particular. There is no doubt that the intolerance feeds the extremism so we are in a vicious circle. Much of the intolerance towards Muslims is a direct result of the way certain groups and local authorities have rushed to compromise British traditions in a misguided attempt to engender goodwill from other faiths and ethnic groups. There is absolutely no contradiction between standing up for British freedoms, values, history and Christianity whilst holding Islam and other faiths in high regard.

So we must all strive for greater understanding. Whilst there are and always will be differences, there are also huge similarities and interests in common. Last year Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, Shadow Minister for Community Cohesion, visited Lye and we brought community leaders together for a discussion with her. The main issues raised were education, health and crime.

Parents and families worry about the same things, regardless of their religion and ethnic origin. They worry about their children getting in with the wrong set and becoming involved with drugs and crime. They worry about low educational attainment. Families from all backgrounds are concerned about elderly parents and family members, what sort of support and care is available. Domestic violence is another issue of concern, especially to women; it is the main cause of violent crime in our area. These are the issues I am working on for the community in Lye. And these issues transcend ethnicity and religion.

I’d like to explain in more detail one of the many projects with which Cllr. Adrian Turner and I have been involved with in this part of Stourbridge over the last twelve months. English speaking and citizenship classes predominantly for women in the area. There are a number of Asian women who don’t leave home much and speak little English. Without English not only can they not make the most of their lives here in Britain, but they cannot help their children integrate and achieve at school either.

Children of Pakistani origin underachieve at school compared to their white and Indian counterparts. One of the reasons for this surely is the inability of many mothers to help them with their school work. There is no reason at all why children from Lye should not be able to attend the top universities or acquire the latest vocational skills and rise in the world. No reason at all. But they require the sort of family support that can only be given by parents who speak English, understand the education system and motivate their children to attain the next level.
I would like to end by saying that although I received a Christian upbringing and education, of which I am proud, I have the greatest respect for Islam, with its emphasis on community, charity and equality. Our two religions, together with Judaism, have much in common. The sacrifices demanded of Muslims during the holy month of Ramadan are worthy of the greatest respect and I would like to wish all Muslims in our area a very warm Eid Mubarak.

...

As a postscript to the celebration Margot reflected on the role of women in the ex Pakstani population in Lye. The limits placed upon their participation in the local community was exemplified by the lack of women at the celebration. Margot will host a separate women only event in the next few months to identify how women themselves feel about these constraints and what concerns they have that need to be addressed.