CAMPAIGNERS met in Cardiff on Saturday to launch their campaign to persuade Muslims and those opposed to the slaughter in Gaza not to vote for Labour and Tory politicians who have supported Israel.
The Muslim Vote campaign is calling for candidates to support policies that encompass freedom for Palestine, an end to Islamophobia and discrimination in social policies such as health and housing.
Muslim Council of Wales secretary general Abdul-Azim Ahmed said: “Anyone with a heart, Muslim or not, will have been horrified at Israel’s most recent onslaught against Gaza.
“In the next eight months, there will be a general election. The Muslim Vote is a campaign that is co-ordinating across the UK to ensure that politicians realise there is a political cost to defending the indefensible.”
Former Plaid Cymru Senedd member and Palestinian justice campaigner Bethan Sayed spoke after the event in Cardiff’s Temple of Peace.
“I think it was an important event with the aim of mobilising voters in communities who feel let down by the political elite on issues like Palestine but yet are energised by the trust they now have in themselves to campaign successfully as a result of this genocide: protesting, picketing, boycotting Israeli goods day in, day out,” Ms Sayed said.
She spoke about how the campaign can be transferred to other issues.
“My talk was about why representation matters, why seeing ourselves reflected in the political system matters,” she said.
Sumayya Ahmed, of Muslim Vote in Wales, said: “The mainstream parties have failed us on every level. It is time we unite to drive genocidal MPs out and ethically viable MPs in.
Ms Sayed said: “There is a perception that communities are often hard to reach, but nobody is hard to reach. It's the effort politicians and organisations put into wanting to engage in the first instance.”
“Now, it's all about identifying talent in our communities, nurturing them, and mentoring them to become the candidates and organisers of the future.
“Democracy is in our hands. This is the most empowering thing of all.”
