He shamelessly utilised the politics of communalism at the time of his election and is on record as wholly rejecting secularism, shamelessly using religion and identity politics to manipulate the electorate. I'm just sorry that the voters in Bradford fell for it; a cursory glance at his expulsion from Bethnal Green by those who'd made the same mistake an election cycle earlier should have done the trick. Alas, the mask's already slipped...I wonder which area with a high concentration of Muslim voters he'll try to exploit next.
Article from The Guardian:
George Galloway failed to speak to the Muslim women who voted him inRespect's only MP faced women constituents last night after his controversial rape remarks and the resignation of party leader Salma Yacoob. Irna Qureshi was not impressed
George Galloway's honeymoon in Bradford appeared to be nearing its end last night, after his unsatisfactory address to members of the Bradford Muslim Women's Circle, just hours after Salma Yaqoob announced her decision to stand down as leader of the Respect Party.
Hearing him in person for the first time, I was taken by surprise when Galloway's Islamic greeting was even longer than the Muslim chairperson, Bana Gora's. Galloway had even preceded this with an impressively enunciated 'bismillah' (literally 'In the name of Allah') which traditional Muslims believe to be auspicious when recited at the start of any task. This was a taste of things to come. However, if the political maverick meant to impress with his awareness of Islam, then I remained indifferent. Actually, I felt ill at ease with Galloway's inclination to invoke the Islamic cause time and again.
I should have seen it coming when the Respect MP first described his landslide victory as the "Bradford spring", referencing events in the Muslim Middle East. In the Bradford West by-election campaign itself, Galloway had reminded Muslim voters that they would have to answer to God on judgement day if they did not vote for him. Undeniably, it was a group of Muslim women that Galloway was addressing in Bradford yesterday, and it's certainly the case that the wars with Iraq and Afghanistan have been unpopular with Muslims. But, believe me, the only person pushing Islam to the top of the political agenda last night was Galloway himself.
"Your business is in Bradford West," a young constituent appropriately reminded him. "Why do you feel the need to get involved in controversy? We don't need you to defend others," she continued, "We need your full attention here in Bradford." Responding characteristically, Galloway reasoned that he didn't "believe in discrimination against people by virtue of where they are on the globe". And, he reminded his congregation: "I believe that we're all God's children… the injustice being visited on people in Afghanistan, in Iraq and Palestine is just as important as any injustice visited upon people in these shores."
While the Respect MP's upbringing as a Catholic is documented, as is his belief that politics should not be secular, Galloway has previously refused to clarify his position as a Muslim, believing it to be "not necessary". Yet, just days after the Bradford West by-election victory, he married his fourth wife in a Muslim ceremony, even though it was alleged that, according to Islam, he was still married to wife number three. A fortnight later, in an article for the New Statesman, Jemima Khan alleged that someone she knew had attended a ceremony in a London hotel 10 years earlier, during which Galloway converted to Islam. Adding further fuel to the fire, the writer also explained that although Muslim men may marry anyone they choose, Muslim women are not permitted to marry a non-Muslim.
So, Galloway's refusal to clarify the confusion about his faith makes his religious invocations all the more perplexing. This was especially the case at the Bradford Muslim Women's Circle meeting, where although the women were undeniably Muslim, it was local issues we wanted to speak to Galloway about. The issues the women raised clearly reflected their commitment to equal rights and to Bradford. In fact, the women were more interested in Galloway's moral stance than his faith. This is why his insistence on addressing us purely in terms of our religious identity, made the meeting all the more frustrating.
Taking a point? But there were no concessions to speak of from Respect's only MP. Photograph: Anne Czernik
For instance, Galloway was immediately taken to task about his controversial comments on the issue of rape, which have drawn widespread condemnation from campaigners for women's rights. But ignoring repeated calls for a clear apology, Galloway instead insisted on explaining the context of his remarks. He wanted to illustrate to us, he explained, that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who is wanted for questioning in relation to alleged sexual assault charges, had in fact been "set up" by agents of the United States government.
Evading the issue of an apology, and appealing instead to our Muslim sensibility, Galloway continued: "Rape is a vile crime. Mass murder is worse. The invasion and occupation of one Muslim country after another by the United States is even worse." Despite assertions from a representative from Bradford Against Consent that "This isn't about Julian Assange. It's about survivors of sexual assault," Galloway remained unrepentant, simply reiterating that, "Every word I said in my podcast I stand by."
Respect's sole MP also came under attack from the women, many of whom identified themselves as mothers and grandmothers of disabled children, for his recent use of a pejorative term for a disabled person on Twitter.
Confronted about his party leader's resignation following his controversial comments on rape in a podcast last month, Galloway failed to recognise that, irrespective of Salma Yaqoob's political stance, the hijab-wearing mother of three is nevertheless regarded as a role model by thousands of Muslim women. Although he predicted a future for Yaqoob in politics, Galloway's failure to acknowledge his colleague's role in the Respect Party seemed galling, especially because it was Yaqoob's presence in Bradford in the run up to the by-election which was instrumental in bringing out Muslim female voters.
George Galloway was the man who, just months earlier, was being championed for his ability to galvanize Muslim women in a campaign which gave them a voice for change. Now he seems to have lost his way. The MP appears to have forgotten that it was Muslim women who were credited with being a key component of his stunning victory in Bradford West. Galloway went from making us feel important to making us feel totally ignored. He didn't appear to be promoting our local agenda, so whose was it? Moreover, his religious tone was alienating, giving the meeting the air of a sermon rather than a Q&A session.
The political maverick didn't even appear bothered about retaining our support. If we didn't agree with his views, then he was happy, he told us, "to forfeit" our political support as a result. Asked why he had chosen Bradford, he replied: "I didn't choose Bradford. Bradford elected me… with a 10,000 vote majority…. So I don't have to explain to you why I chose Bradford. You have to try and work out why Bradford chose me."
This feels like one step forward and two steps back for Bradford politics. Surely one of the adverse legacies of Pakistani male politics is precisely this complacency to sidestep women, and that's the one thing that Galloway's campaign appeared to have surmounted.
Bradford and its sizeable Muslim population have always been a great combination for attention grabbing headlines. Throw George Galloway into the mix and you have something far more explosive. I'm now left wondering if Galloway's stunning victory in Bradford West will scar Bradford's memory like the 2001 riots and the 1988 Rushdie book burning. Is George Galloway alienating himself from his own constituents? An accomplished orator he might be, but last night, George Galloway failed to speak to the Muslim women that voted him in.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/the-northerner/2012/sep/13/georgegalloway-bradford-west-byelection-2012-muslim-women-salma-yaqoob-rape
Topic: The Galloway Touch - The Honeymoon's Over