Shahid Malik: 'UK best place to live as a Muslim'

Lilian Budianto and Kornelius Purba ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Tue, 07/15/2008 10:36 AM  |  People

SHAHID MALIK: (JP/Ricky Yudhistira)

He is young and energetic. He is a government minister. He is a Muslim.

Many people's first thought might be that he is from a country in Asia, Africa or the Middle East.

But he is none other than British International Development Minister Shahid Malik, who recently visited Indonesia in a bid to learn more about the role that Islam plays in development in the country that has the largest population of Muslims.

Many people do not know there are 1.6 million Muslims living in Britain. Malik, of Pakistani descent, is a British Muslim leader who rose through the ranks and became a minister in Prime Minister Gordon Brown's Cabinet in 2007.

He became the first-ever Muslim minister to serve in the centuries-old British government: No mean feat for a Muslim to become a minister in Britain following the 2005 terrorist attacks in the UK by Muslim extremists. On the morning of July 7, 2005, bombs were detonated in three crowded subway trains and aboard a London bus. More than 50 people died and 700 were injured.

Born 41 years ago in Burnley, one of the most deprived areas in Britain, Malik is the son of a former deputy mayor of his hometown. Young Malik studied at the South Bank Polytechnic in South London and began his career working in business development.

In 2000, he was elected to the Labor Party's National Executive Committee. He was the first non-Caucasian to hold a position on the committee.

During his early career on the political stage, Malik seized public attention when he attempted to calm a group of Pakistani youths in his hometown who were involved in physical clashes with the police.

In Burnley, which is home to various ethnic groups, conflict among different groups triggered by subtle injustices and racial prejudices easily erupts, impinging on the daily lives of its residents.

When trying to subdue the outraged Pakistani youths, the then 33-year-old Malik suffered serious injuries after being beaten by the police. Shots of his bloodied face were shown on national television and he later emerged as a hero for his nonviolent way of trying to resolve the clash.

Malik's experiences from his hometown seem to have shaped his perception and political stance, in which he seeks to unite British people regardless of their race, religion or socioeconomic background.

He has also been an outspoken critic of radical movements and institutions. This includes his criticism of the United States when its government decided to invade Iraq in search of its alleged weapons of mass destruction.

He even wrote an article published in The Sunday Times titled "If you want sharia law, you should go and live in Saudi Arabia".

Despite the prejudice against the Muslim minority in his home country, Malik astonishingly says he could not be happier than to have been born in Britain, a country he claims is second to none.

"Britain is the best place to live as a Muslim," he told The Jakarta Post in an interview in Jakarta.

"I have visited so many countries and comparing ourselves to those countries, the rights and freedoms we enjoy in the UK are second to none, including Muslim countries," he said.

Malik praised Britain's unique culture of tolerance and equal rights.

"I myself thought there would be a backlash after the (July 7, 2005) tragedy, worrying that the (terrorist) actions of a few in the name of Islam were going to damage every Muslim. But actually nothing happened. And since then we still have Muslims in parliament," Malik told the Post

"(Terrorists) reflect evil not religion; evil does not have religion. Muslims are not responsible for the July 7 attack," he said.

Malik said Britain had established legislation that protected all people against violence.

"If you are convicted of a violent crime, you get two years in prison, but if you are convicted of a violent crime with a racial or religious motive, you will get more than two years. So abuse of any type is not accepted (in the UK), especially on the grounds of race or religion.

"I see the rights I have in the UK are not to be found in the 'Muslim world'. So for me, the UK is the best place to live as a Muslim," he said.

Malik said he was concerned about the fate of Muslims, who had to suffer worldwide persecution following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the United States.

He told the Post he was infuriated when he visited the United States in 2006 and 2008 and airport security targeted him for a prolonged investigation.

"I wouldn't have had a problem if it was a random search, but they obviously picked me because of my identity," he said.

"If they did it to me (traveling as member of parliament and government minister), I can't imagine what would happen to ordinary (Muslim) people," he said.

During his first visit to Indonesia last month, Malik announced a US$150 million British assistance fund for Indonesia's poverty eradication programs over the next three years. Indonesia's two biggest Muslim organizations, Muhammadiyah and Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), will take part in the poverty reduction programs.

"The UK government is committed to achieving the MDGs (Millennium Development Goals), including halving the poverty rate by 2015. With more religious groups in the world committed to this goal, we will certainly see a more rapid movement to achieve the goal," he said.

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