ETHNIC COMMUNITY URGED TO USE VOTE
BNP Birmingham 'Islamic city' claim slammed as "misleading"

LEADING city figures were in uproar this week after the British National Party admitted it was to contest ALL 40 wards in Birmingham’s local elections next month.
Respect candidate Salma Yaqoob and Liberal Democrat councilor Tariq Khan spoke out after the party admitted it was to wage an anti-Islam local election campaign in Birmingham next month.
Never before have the BNP put up as many candidates in the local elections but next months May 4 elections will see 40 far-right candidates - a move Respect’s Sparkbrook candidate Salma Yaqoob described as “disgusting”
She said the party’s message was one of “hatred and division”.
“I think it’s disgusting that they are trying to peddle their message of hatred and division”, she said.
“Really it’s a test in the waters for the European elections to try and build up support in the meantime. I think that it’s absolutely vital that everybody comes out to vote and uses their vote to make sure that they don’t get that foothold so that they can’t claim they have support in the Midlands.”
During last years elections the BNP failed to gain a single seat after fielding 28 candidates out of a possible 120 Birmingham City Council seats. The year before it could only manage 5 candidates.
And having never won a single seat in Birmingham the group have been accused of exploiting feelings of Islamaphobia after it admitted this years campaign in Birmingham was ‘anti-Islamic’.
On the BNP website the party’s deputy leader and West Midlands organizer Simon Darby said: “The full participation of the British National Party will ensure that the residents of Birmingham can decide whether they want to live in a predominantly Western, secular society or allow it to become an Islamic city under Sharia Law.”
The claim that Birmingham is an Islamic city was “misleading”, Salma Yaqoob said, adding they were “using low tactics to try and enhance their sinister agenda”.
“There are many Muslims in Birmingham but to call it an Islamic city is misleading when there are so many people from all backgrounds who live in the city”, she said.
“They are trying to use a loophole in the law because they can’t say they are attacking all Black people and all Asian people when really that is their agenda. They are trying to exploit the current Islamaphobia situation and are using low tactics to try and enhance their sinister agenda.”
Washwood Heath councilor Tariq Khan also vented his anger at the BNP’s move saying: “I think it’s a sad say for Birmingham because I didn’t realise that there was so much anti-ethnic feeling in the city for them to put up 40 candidates in the city,
“It’s disgusting and disgraceful for the city of Birmingham, a celebrated multi-cultural city, that 40 BNP candidates have been allowed to stand, I think that the system needs to be reviewed across the country and fascist groups like this should not be allowed to stand.”
He also slammed the BNP for implying Birmingham was an Islamic city.
“Birmingham is not an Islamic city”, he said.
“Birmingham is a multi-cultural city which has got people from different faiths and religions and it has been the case for the last 20 years.
“People want to live in peace and harmony in a city like Birmingham and that’s what we try to promote – ethnicity and diversity and share our cultures. So to have a group trying to fuel the fire like the BNP is disgusting.”
Both political figures also urged the Black and Asian community in the West Midlands to use their vote against the BNP.
Salma Yaqoob said: “It’s absolutely vital that the Black and Asian community vote next month. This is how the far right get their foothold. We’ve seen in history that they don’t come in all at once, they come is slowly and this is part of that process so all Black and Asian people across the West Midlands should be united to make sure that these fascists don’t get that foothold. Elections are a vital part of that process.”
“If they do succeed in these elections it would give them great encouragement and what we need to do is use our vote and show them that they are not welcome here and that they don’t have our support. We enjoy the multi cultural city that we have and we want to keep it that way and we don’t want their message of hatred on our streets.”
Tariq Khan also urged the Asian community to come out in their “hundreds and thousands” on 4 May.
“It’s very important that they use their vote, that they come out in their hundreds and thousands irrelevant of which party they vote for, they need to use their vote.
“If one gets in then it becomes easier for others to follow. Its very vital that the BNP do not get in and the Liberal Democrats in Birmingham will be making sure that we minimize their vote as much as possible and tell the electorate what damage that they can do to a city of Birmingham.”