Theresa May in a speech to Muslims during a belated Eid Dinner has given what must rank as a major olive branch to the Muslim community by saying Muslims here in the UK are "a fundamental part of our society".
LM has to say as a member of the Labour Party I find the first few months of the Con Dem Narrative towards Muslims rather positive compared to New Labour's narrow prism of how Muslims were only viewed in terms of security and terrorism. I have already noted the constructive approach in particular May has taken towards Muslims by abolishing Section 44 of the Terrorism Act and the Prevent Strategy so I welcome the tone adopted which Labour should also acknowledge.
I don't doubt that Politics also lies behind the speech because whatever the likes of Lord Ashcroft say the reality is the Tories failed to win an overall majority because they as usual failed to secure a reasonable proportion of the Muslim vote. The hesitation of Muslims to vote Tory has been historical and the legacy of Enoch Powell however, the Tories have a huge opportunity with a growing Muslim middle class to begin to redress the nervousness amongst Muslims.
The Tories have appointed Sayeeda Warsi to be Chair of the Party and have two Muslim MP's in Saj Javid and Rehman Chisti which is coupled with a growing if slow realisation by we Muslims that Labour is not always the answer and after Iraq should never be trusted again. Once again I welcome the speech and my only criticism of Theresa May so far has been her unwise decision to ban Zakir Naik from the UK.
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