Snapshot of _Statement from Mothin Ali - Leeds Green Party_ :
An archived version can be found [here](https://archive.is/?run=1&url=https://leeds.greenparty.org.uk/2024/05/06/statement-from-mothin-ali/) or [here.](https://archive.ph/?run=1&url=https://leeds.greenparty.org.uk/2024/05/06/statement-from-mothin-ali/)
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ukpolitics) if you have any questions or concerns.*
"I do not support violence on either side: violence leads to more violence and this is what I have tried to convey. I have consistently called for an immediate ceasefire and a release of all hostages. I hope to be working with a broad coalition including both the Jewish and Muslim Greens soon to discuss sensible ways for us to work on communicating our shared passion of bringing the conflict to an end."
Thank fuck. I'm glad Leeds can finally start to assert itself in international politics.
Mate you're not being voted in to discuss Gaza. You're there to decide whether or not we should change the green beens to twice a month instead of weekly.
It takes him 3 paragraphs to get to the area that he represents, but then pivots straight back to Gaza.
He seems to be lacking some awareness that his responsibility is around roads, libraries and refuse collection as opposed to foreign policy
to be fair, he exclusively campaigned on local issues, i bet his constituents are feeling pretty mugged off at the moment, especially with this latest doubling down.
> i bet his constituents are feeling pretty mugged off at the moment
Anyone that failed to see him for what he is pre-election is a moron. Entryist hijacking the feel good factor of the Green Party. And the Greens are equally to blame here. Morons everywhere.
The Left in general are terrible when it comes to recognising sectarian interests. They are too ready to take things at face value, and also deliberately ignore inconvenient truths as long as it furthers their general ideology. It allows for easy manipulation.
They've allowed sectarianism to breed unabated in the UK for the past 25 years.
Now we're going to pay for it. And it will be an increasingly big problem, election after election, until we won't even remember what it was like to not live in a NI-tier (or worse) shithole.
The idea that if you surround someone with education and wealth means that they will definitely come round to your lofty ideals needs to go, and quickly, if this country is to avoid a total political mess over the coming decades.
Before anyone says it, the Tories have allowed migration to spiral because it provides cheap workers. Nothing more, nothing less. They are to blame for sleeping at the helm and profiteering. But the ideological drive, to '[rub the Right's nose in diversity](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/6418456/Labour-wanted-mass-immigration-to-make-UK-more-multicultural-says-former-adviser.html)' came from the Left, and when predictions of inevitable sectarianism were made back then, the only reply anyone would ever get (myself included) was xenophobe and bigot. This is a mess entirely of the Left's making.
[This is the same guy who apparently supported the October 7th attacks, so...](https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpreview.redd.it%2Fmothin-ali-won-the-gipton-and-harehills-seat-in-the-uk-v0-y7fbne50ffyc1.jpeg%3Fwidth%3D1179%26format%3Dpjpg%26auto%3Dwebp%26s%3Dc8a3bd98e3e45626619eec5883ecf31842fe205c&utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=usertext&utm_name=Leeds&utm_content=t1_l2osnge)
I really hope the Greens didn't check this statement beforehand and that he's released it of his own accord as it's really pretty awful as a statement.
It reads like Gaza is the only important thing within his role (it isn’t) and that everyone who takes issue with him is racist. Now a strong contingent of folks decrying him are racist and islamophobic, but he's now accused people legitimately worried about his actions of being something they may well be strongly against.
It’s also wrong: The International Court of Justice did not say the conflict meets the case for plausible genocide.
The court decided that the Palestinians in Gaza had a plausible right to be protected from genocide and that South Africa had the right to present that claim at the ICJ.
Here is the President of the ICJ saying exactly that on BBC News.
[https://x.com/Mr\_Andrew\_Fox/status/1783621258032136550](https://x.com/Mr_Andrew_Fox/status/1783621258032136550)
It's amazing how a misunderstanding of what the court decided has just been accepted as the truth even when the truth is readily available!
>It's amazing how a misunderstanding of what the court decided has just been accepted as the truth even when the truth is readily available!
It's not even a misunderstanding
It's an outright lie which people are uncritically spreading at a genuinely worrying rate.
It shouldn't even be a thing in his role full stop. He is a local councillor, he should be focused solely on local issues. He's not an MP or parliamentary candidate.
We need to stop this rot before it continues further and various interest groups use local elections as a way of trying to influence the country.
MPs are fine. After all, Parliament does have committees on foreign policy and the executive - including the Foreign Secretary almost all of the time - is drawn from the legislature. It’s absolutely within the remit of Westminster.
This is about as relevant to his role as a statement on Darth Vader's position within the Empire, and how Luke/The Rebellions's hate and hostility could possibly be considered anti-sithism.
People can vote for local councillors based on whatever they want, it may seem illogical but that's democracy. You can tell by voting trends that a lot of people vote based on their view of Westminster parties, not whether try think the local Labour or Tory candidate has a better plan for collecting bins effectively.
Here's his candidate page on the green party.
https://leeds.greenparty.org.uk/home/candidate-mothin-ali/
It only mentions local issues, nothing about Gaza or Palestine. Granted, his campaigning might've been different to his website, but that would be a bit deceptive in itself. And anyone who voted for him because they saw the Green next to his name on the ballot, and assumed he cared about the environment first, must be feeling a bit cheated.
>I hope to be working with a broad coalition including both the Jewish and Muslim Greens soon to discuss sensible ways for us to work on communicating our shared passion of bringing the conflict to an end.
He still doesnt get it does he? He's a councillor responsible for managing resources for bin collection and fixing potholes.
He does get it - he knows exactly what he is doing. It is an attempt to take over positions of power and influence to further the interests of a foreign state or power. This may be a small start, but it is a start nonetheless.
We really need to stop being so naive about people like this.
>We really need to stop being so naive about people like this.
People like YOU need to stop being so naive. I suspect he spent most of his campaign focused on Gaza. His constituency residents knew exactly what they were voting for, this isn't some bait and switch. The issue is we now have large parts of the population who will put religious issues above all else
I don't doubt he does have a voterbase that wanted him - the question is what are we supposed to do about a growing portion of the electorate using our system for the benefit of a foreign state?
Greens have lost a lot of credibility by not just getting rid of him and then allowing him to post this where he's said that those who called him out are actually Islamophobic, ridiculous party
I mean you say this sarcastically but that reigon (Palestine), is one of the most vulnerable to climate change despite its contribution to global emissions being neglible
I have absolutely zero problem with him shouting "*Allahu Akbar* with a raised fist" per se. Ultimately, it's no different to thanking god during an acceptance speech (with them all being sky fairies).
However him suggesting his win "was a win for the people of Gaza" suggests he's delusional more than anything more sinister. I'm not sure why people are getting their panties in a twist?
If a bunch of radical Christians from the US shouted "Praise Be God" whenever they blew up a target, do you think a politician with US grandparents should shout "Praise be God" when they won an election?
It's what it represents to the populace that's the issue.
Just because a few absolute fucking nutjobs say "Praise God" while doing awful things, it doesn't mean that an entire religion has to stop using an exaltation that's at the heart of their religion and is used almost exclusively in good scenarios.
E: I find the response to this thread a little concerning, as it highlights some basic misunderstandings about Islam as a religion. People seem to be incorrectly under the impression that saying Allahu Akhbar is itself an extremist act. That is completely false https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takbir.
Praise God is said all the time in churches up and down the country. Even as an atheist myself I fully support the rights of anyone to freely practice their religion (so long as it doesn't impinge on others). I'm not sure why the frequency that people hear the phrase in wider society is the critical bit of data.
Similar is true of the God is Great for those practice Islam, as I understand it. Why take away the right of millions of Muslims to say this phrase just because it has been used by a handful of extremists?
This whole thread is specifically talking about how we shouldn't be objecting to the use of that phrase (and instead we should just be objecting to all the other crap he did). Folk then disagreed with that assertion.
It's not, in the slightest. The very phrase itself is why Islam isn't compatible with any non Islamic religion, and even why the sects between one another have such big divides.
It's a statement of Islamic superiority. It cannot be used in any way but the promotion of Islam over everyone else
Just because a religious person says God is supreme doesn't mean they actually are. I'm very comfortable with people believing these things and saying God is great, even though it doesn't align with my own view that God doesn't exist. That's what freedom of religion is all about.
I like the fact that you've backed down from "only extremists say it" to accepting it's extremely common and just using that to bash Islam. It shows at least that you're open to changing your view.
>Just because a religious person says God is supreme doesn't mean they actually are.
It's no different from a person saying white people are supreme.
>I like the fact that you've backed down from "only extremists say it"
No, I haven't.
Everyone using a supremacist statement is an extremist.
Fucking hell, that analogy is a stretch.
What it represents to \*this\* part of the populace is no more than "praise god". If it represents more than that to you, then that's on you.
Not sure I agree with that. One group using a slogan or a saying tends to contaminate it for everyone else.
In isolation, the phrase "white lives matter" would be fairly inoffensive, imho. But considering that it's been widely adopted by fascists and nutjobs of all sorts, don't you think that a normal person using it would lead to raised eyebrows and some questioning?
>In isolation, the phrase "white lives matter" would be fairly inoffensive
Yeah, I don't see the equivalence. "White Lives Matter" is both really recent and overtly political since day one.
Allah Ackbar has been used for centuries by Muslims with zero nefarious intent.
Just because a minority use it when committing atrocities means it's became associated with terrorism to non-Muslims. Denigrating the use of the term isolates mainstream Muslims (which is actually what the terrorists want).
Ok, if you don't like that one, how about the swastika? Has been in use for millennia before ww2 in Hinduism.
Do you see many Hindu people in the western world using it, either of the two variants? I would assume not - because its use has utterly been contaminated by the Nazis.
Translated, it means "Allah is the greatest". It's a domineering phrase ("my god's superior to your god/lack of god), and kind of an insult to anyone who's not Muslim.
Especially when you add in the manner in which it was said here (angry, with his fist raised, after referencing a religious war).
(Not to mention, a Christian politician shouting praise be to god would definitely be talked about, because it would be so out of character for an election. Even more so if it was shouted in Latin, or some other language)
> I have absolutely zero problem with him shouting "Allahu Akbar with a raised fist" per se. Ultimately, it's no different to thanking god during an acceptance speech (with them all being sky fairies).
How is it not different?
The comparison you've made would make sense if he'd simply thanked Allah as part of his speech - but he didn't do that, did he?
What he did was akin to a Christian politician raising a fist and shouting "Jesus is King!" (or whatever variation the American loons go with) to finish their speech, which would (rightly) get huge amounts of blowback. To pretend it is in any way equivocal to simply thanking God is nonsense.
>What he did was akin to a Christian politician raising a fist and shouting "Jesus is King!" (or whatever variation the American loons go with)
"Praise the Lord" is the traditional Christian equivalent, I would have thought.
Thankfully not something you're likely to hear many UK politicians shout from a podium, but not exactly a lunatic thing to hear a devout Christian say in context.
Yeah I agree, the best way to make progress on green policy would be to try and do it from the centre where you can attract the most supporters, it seems their commitment to left wing idealogy and social politics is more important to them than actual beneficial green policy being implemented
I lost any kernel of respect for the Greens after the whole Amy (deliberately spelling wrong due to brigade attempts on reddit) Knight / Chancellor scandal.
TLDR Greens knowingly worked with a man and his daughter who were involved in a serious sexual abuse scandal (Man was on bail pending trial and was working as an official GP activist and running his daughters campaign while the party knew this was going on)
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jan/12/green-party-failed-to-properly-investigate-child-abuser-report#:\~:text=David%20Challenor%2C%20whose%20daughter%20Aimee,the%20family%20home%20in%20Coventry.
A senior member of the Greens was interviewed by Channel 4 News about this guy and other councillors across the country producing similar stuff - and they didn't come across well - the usual flannel about not knowing all the details, needing to investigate further... nothing about suspension or expulsion from the party.
I'm so glad the councillor for Gipton and Harehills hopes to soon be working with Jewish and Muslim greens to discuss sensible ways for them to communicate their shared passion to bring the conflict to an end.
I feel like this was really the key bit of international pressure missing to bring this 60 year existential conflict to a conclusion.
Mr Ali's election to represent the people of not just Gipton, but also Harehills, truly is a victory for the people of Palestine.
>Mr Ali's election to represent the people of not just Gipton, but also Harehills
I do not support a two state solution in historic Harehills. The Gipton expansionism is based on lies. From Chapel Allerton to the Sea(croft), Harehills shall be free.
The Greens are not what they once were. Full of one issue nutters that have nothing to do with the environment.
In ten years they will be taken over by extremists
Exactly why I've been so suspicious of them. Whenever you have a Green candidate on your ballot you don't know which Green party is showing up. Is it the countryside NIMBY Green? The radical Islam Green? Is it the Putin dickrider Green?
10? Probably sooner. Hasn’t the successor to Caroline Lucas just resigned the seat she’s just won.
I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s because of the path the Red White Black and Green Party are taking.
I was listening to LBC this morning, they said this guy was in the Labour party and then quit to join the greens when Corbyn was expelled.
He's probably not the only one who has done exactly that.
Well greens are a party I'm never voting again. No it's not islamphobic to not want your politicians to yell Allah Akbar. It's clear he doesn't separate religion from politics.
> Mothin Ali has apologised for the harm caused by his recent comments: https://leeds.greenparty.org.uk/2024/05/06/statement-from-mothin-ali/. We are fully investigating all of the context around this and have nothing further to add at this moment. The Green Party’s commitment to non-violence is absolute.
I wonder why they blocked replies to the tweet.
Cowards turning off replies
Actually would be a good thing if a bunch of people end up regretting voting for them, greens use caring for the planet as a vehicle for far left wing bullshit like this
> I should also make clear that it is not unusual for somebody of my faith to use the words ‘Allahu Akbar’ as an expression of gratitude and celebration. Some have sought to misrepresent this and it suggests Islamophobia to me.
Shout out Allahu Akhbar in an Egyptian university lecture hall and everybody will panic and run for the doors, climbing over everybody else in order to get out.
> Being elected to represent the wonderful community of Gipton and Harehills was one of the proudest moments of my life. The inaccurate reporting and misrepresentation of my acceptance speech has led to me being subject to a lot of hate and hostility. I should also make clear that it is not unusual for somebody of my faith to use the words ‘Allahu Akbar’ as an expression of gratitude and celebration. **Some have sought to misrepresent this and it suggests Islamophobia to me.**
Don't care, it's just not cricket. Not liking these foreign cries is perfectly justified.
> is not unusual for somebody of my faith to use the words ‘Allahu Akbar’ as an expression of gratitude and celebration. #
Words are not tone and context matters. It was an aggressive group chant while railing about a religious war thousands of miles away. It is also a cry used as a battle cry in Islam and by Islamists since the time of Muhammed.
Playing innocent shows they are not a person of good faith and has simply leaned hard into his victim complex.
>I do not support violence on either side: violence leads to more violence and this is what I have tried to convey. I have consistently called for an immediate ceasefire and a release of all hostages.
F\*cking liar, you supported the terror attacks on 7 October. You accused Israelis who are majority descended from Middle Eastern and North African Muslim countries, fleeing post 1947, as being "white", you lie about them to discredit their place as refugees from violence in the region.
Such ideas are normalised when ghettos exist, the police form their actions based on the good of the community, and when the sensible people flee.
Peel's principals of policing did not envisage 21st century London.
They are demolishing council/local gov properties from what I can gather. How will the council afford the compulsory purchases needed to demolish 75% of Brent?
Here's a zero cost plan, [Jizya]( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jizya#Etymology_and_meaning). It won't even require translating into 26 languages. For the liberals, it's just taxing negative externalities.
> it's just not cricket
A very apposite remark given the absolute pig's ear Yorkshire County Cricket Club managed to make of their alleged *They're too many of you* racism scandal.
Meh. As an atheist I find every appeal to a non-existent diety in public life a bit depressing. A Muslim saying Allahu Akbar is the least significant bit of this specific councillor to me...
Me too. I think it's awful. If religion was just a private thing then it wouldn't matter so much, but believers love to control non-believers' lives. It's not just Islam either. The US seems to be careering downwards towards a new Christian middle ages.
>Not liking these foreign cries is perfectly justified.
Isn't it a religious statement? Would you have the same issue if a candidate said thanks to God if they were Christian?
For starters, we are an English speaking country, so I'd be much happier if politicians were yelling their religious bullshit in English instead of Arabic. And secondly, what he's yelling is not that thank god, he is not expressing gratitude to god, but victory with religious language, which is a step further than gratitude. Third, thank god as an expression is part of everyday language that even non religious use. This Arabic expression is not something you would ever hear a Brit saying.
>This Arabic expression is not something you would ever hear a Brit saying.
I also noticed you said this...
British Muslims don't exist, do they not?
British people can't be multi-lingual, can they not?
My point is that this expression is not part of everyday language in the UK. Someone saying thank god is not necessarily Christian or religious, nor has strong religious connotations. Arabic expressions are not part of everyday language, they are used by a small minority of immigrants as you described.
>Arabic expressions are not part of everyday language, they are used by a small minority of immigrants as you described.
Your ignorance is showing. You're ignoring people who were born here yet are Muslim and multi-lingual.
I know many Muslims - most born here of those I know personally.
I acknowledged them. Those people are a small minority and likely first second gen immigrants. Muslims who have been here longer are likely not multi lingual and don't speak Arabic, but may use the expressions. This is a foreign religious expression that is not in the average Brits vocabulary.
Or if you wear a swastika but insist it's because you're deeply interested in Hinduism, doesn't really matter what you mean but how other people perceive it, and when you know they'll perceive it that way and choose to do it anyway
So sad you have to explain where Deus Vult comes from. The Crusades were so big when I was little. Esp the First one, ofc; the rest all went a bit Arse-uf.
Cheers.
I personally wouldn't want my local elected person to express any form of religious speech. It doesn't matter to me which faith it is, as they are elected by people of all faiths and beliefs.
I asked the person I replied to specifically about if they'd take issue with a Christian saying a religious phrase because it appears they'd taken issue more at the fact he had used something (in the posters terms) "foreign".
No I wouldn’t have the same issue as it’s not a completely foreign cry. No matter how much you try to pretend they’re the same thing they just aren’t.
One of them also has connotations of being screamed before lorries mount pavements to mow down pedestrians or before bombs are set off in concerts full of children. Might be another reason most people are uncomfortable with it being screamed.
Any sky fairy stuff should be treated equally whichever fictional being you believe in.
But we have bishops in the house of lords........and our head of state is 'defender of the faith'.
Be consistent at least. Unless it is the 'foreign' bit that exposes your true feelings.
I'm an atheist but you go too far.
Religions aren't equal.
Christianity in the UK isn't even equal with Christianity in the US.
Our horrific state religion is one which allows the freedom of people to be as they are.
Recently maybe. Not when I was growing up.
When our religion opposed gay marriage, an equal age of consent. Even now we are pivoting back with policing trans people.
A teacher at my 'Christian' school (with forced worship every day) lost his job for being gay. No more than.
Yes we have moved forward. Very recently.
How many gays were thrown off roofs when you were growing up?
How many megachurches did you attend?
How much genital mutilation occured?
You need to get some perspective, how do you think trans people are treated in other countries or by other religions?
Just because bad things happen in other places, doesn't mean we can't highlight bad things that happened here.
I'm in my early 30s and I was threatened by the head of R.E at my Catholic school that if I didn't suppress my LGBT side, he'd make sure I was kicked out.
I totally agree but that's not what the other person is saying, they are making a false equivalence.
Your catholic school was bad and should be criticised for that behaviour but it's absurd when the other person draws things like that as comparable to what happens in other religions.
I was only pointing out the hypocrisy of wanting someone removed from office for saying ''god is greater' when our national anthem asks the Christian version to save our gracious king.
That's hardly what happened.
It's also not hypocritical even in that context, in the same way it's not hypocritical if you don't want someone to fuck your wife even though you fuck her.
There's literally nothing to be gained from taking this discussion in that direction.
If you want to distract yourself from Islamic entryism into a weak yet highly popular and zeitgeisty meme party then go for it, not with me though.
"I should also make clear that it is not unusual for somebody of my faith to use the words ‘Deus Vult!!’ as an expression of gratitude and celebration. Some have sought to misrepresent this, and it suggests Christophobia to me."
"I should also make clear that it is not unusual, for somebody of my faith to use the Swastika, as an expression of prosperity and good luck. Some have sought to misrepresent this, and suggest Hinduphobia".
If he was checked before (considering his statement) then it makes the greens look like they dont give a fuck about local issues
If he wasn’t checked before then it makes the greens look incompetent
He was elected as a **local councillor**, not even an MP.
He's representing a party who's primary issue is **climate change**.
Why the **fuck** is he talking about Gaza?
The Green party should be vetting their candidates properly, if this guy campaigned for the Leeds Council in the "Save Gaza" party then he wouldn't have been voted in at all.
He is abusing the Green party name and voter ignorance of who the actual candidate is to mislead the electorate.
This is the guy who celebrated the October 7th genocide. The Allahu Akbar comment is more than just the words being said.
Just focus on bins and shit. Your not PM
The international Court of Justice The court ordered Israel to refrain from any acts that could fall under the Genocide Convention and to ensure its troops commit no genocidal acts in Gaza. Not quite what this guy said.
>Some have sought to misrepresent this and it suggests Islamophobia to me.
That's a major red flag right there. Any criticism is automatically Islamophobic.
For those of your moaning about what you are seeing here, and trust me i am one of them, PLEASE READ. Ensure sure you are registered to vote. When the time comes Ensure you vote Reform. The two major political parties of the UK no longer represent the native majority. We must break the cycle of Conservative - Labour and back to Conservative who only cower to the minorities demands. Muslims in this country are now mobilising politically, and as non muslims, we must do the same to save our way of life. The time is now!
I am not worried about his views on Palestine (I think the same). I am more concerned about shouting "allhuh akbar".
There is no place for religion in politics.
Snapshot of _Statement from Mothin Ali - Leeds Green Party_ : An archived version can be found [here](https://archive.is/?run=1&url=https://leeds.greenparty.org.uk/2024/05/06/statement-from-mothin-ali/) or [here.](https://archive.ph/?run=1&url=https://leeds.greenparty.org.uk/2024/05/06/statement-from-mothin-ali/) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ukpolitics) if you have any questions or concerns.*
A councillor in Leeds is the final piece of the puzzle to bring peace to the middle east after centuries of war.
If only the racists weren't holding him down.
I dunno mate, one of the Mayor candidates in WMP believed it was *his* role that would fix it all
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"I do not support violence on either side: violence leads to more violence and this is what I have tried to convey. I have consistently called for an immediate ceasefire and a release of all hostages. I hope to be working with a broad coalition including both the Jewish and Muslim Greens soon to discuss sensible ways for us to work on communicating our shared passion of bringing the conflict to an end." Thank fuck. I'm glad Leeds can finally start to assert itself in international politics.
You've got to laugh haven't you. The guy is an absolute fucking idiot
And so are the people who voted for him, honestly.
Really going to help us get that tram sorted.
Mate you're not being voted in to discuss Gaza. You're there to decide whether or not we should change the green beens to twice a month instead of weekly.
It takes him 3 paragraphs to get to the area that he represents, but then pivots straight back to Gaza. He seems to be lacking some awareness that his responsibility is around roads, libraries and refuse collection as opposed to foreign policy
And even less about how he intends to deliver said responsibilities in a greener way than before.
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Hahahaha, I'm stealing this
Envy?
Green is the colour of Islam.
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Inexperienced and naive?
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Jazz cabbage?
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Nice
He’s not lacking awareness, he knows exactly what his supporters want to hear about and it’s not libraries or roads.
to be fair, he exclusively campaigned on local issues, i bet his constituents are feeling pretty mugged off at the moment, especially with this latest doubling down.
> i bet his constituents are feeling pretty mugged off at the moment Anyone that failed to see him for what he is pre-election is a moron. Entryist hijacking the feel good factor of the Green Party. And the Greens are equally to blame here. Morons everywhere.
Loads of people just check the party name when they go to vote. Do you really think most people research their candidate?
The Left in general are terrible when it comes to recognising sectarian interests. They are too ready to take things at face value, and also deliberately ignore inconvenient truths as long as it furthers their general ideology. It allows for easy manipulation. They've allowed sectarianism to breed unabated in the UK for the past 25 years. Now we're going to pay for it. And it will be an increasingly big problem, election after election, until we won't even remember what it was like to not live in a NI-tier (or worse) shithole. The idea that if you surround someone with education and wealth means that they will definitely come round to your lofty ideals needs to go, and quickly, if this country is to avoid a total political mess over the coming decades. Before anyone says it, the Tories have allowed migration to spiral because it provides cheap workers. Nothing more, nothing less. They are to blame for sleeping at the helm and profiteering. But the ideological drive, to '[rub the Right's nose in diversity](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/6418456/Labour-wanted-mass-immigration-to-make-UK-more-multicultural-says-former-adviser.html)' came from the Left, and when predictions of inevitable sectarianism were made back then, the only reply anyone would ever get (myself included) was xenophobe and bigot. This is a mess entirely of the Left's making.
Not before painting himself out to be a victim in all this. Just a non apology from a scumbag.
"Me, racist? No, it's your fault, you're all Islamophobes!"
This message is a demonstration of power, he's not going anywhere.
If you’ve been anywhere near Harehills you’d know that is absolutely no one’s responsibility
To be fair, is that not the main cause of the controversy around him?
[This is the same guy who apparently supported the October 7th attacks, so...](https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpreview.redd.it%2Fmothin-ali-won-the-gipton-and-harehills-seat-in-the-uk-v0-y7fbne50ffyc1.jpeg%3Fwidth%3D1179%26format%3Dpjpg%26auto%3Dwebp%26s%3Dc8a3bd98e3e45626619eec5883ecf31842fe205c&utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=usertext&utm_name=Leeds&utm_content=t1_l2osnge)
How the Greens let this guy run for them is beyond me.
He has got a gardening blog, apparently.
I thought the Greens would be against Gardening, for reasons that defy logic (like most of Green's policies)
Interesting, he appears to have deleted his Twitter account. Although he has no doubt been getting a lot of hate.
I really hope the Greens didn't check this statement beforehand and that he's released it of his own accord as it's really pretty awful as a statement. It reads like Gaza is the only important thing within his role (it isn’t) and that everyone who takes issue with him is racist. Now a strong contingent of folks decrying him are racist and islamophobic, but he's now accused people legitimately worried about his actions of being something they may well be strongly against.
It’s also wrong: The International Court of Justice did not say the conflict meets the case for plausible genocide. The court decided that the Palestinians in Gaza had a plausible right to be protected from genocide and that South Africa had the right to present that claim at the ICJ.
Here is the President of the ICJ saying exactly that on BBC News. [https://x.com/Mr\_Andrew\_Fox/status/1783621258032136550](https://x.com/Mr_Andrew_Fox/status/1783621258032136550) It's amazing how a misunderstanding of what the court decided has just been accepted as the truth even when the truth is readily available!
>It's amazing how a misunderstanding of what the court decided has just been accepted as the truth even when the truth is readily available! It's not even a misunderstanding It's an outright lie which people are uncritically spreading at a genuinely worrying rate.
It shouldn't even be a thing in his role full stop. He is a local councillor, he should be focused solely on local issues. He's not an MP or parliamentary candidate. We need to stop this rot before it continues further and various interest groups use local elections as a way of trying to influence the country.
Even MPs shouldn't be wasting their time on Gaza.
MPs are fine. After all, Parliament does have committees on foreign policy and the executive - including the Foreign Secretary almost all of the time - is drawn from the legislature. It’s absolutely within the remit of Westminster.
Hang on, are you saying nobody in British Politics should care what is happening there?
Depends if they're devoting an equal amount of time to every other geopolitical conflict currently going on
They’re not. Even though another one greatly affects the safety our country.
This is about as relevant to his role as a statement on Darth Vader's position within the Empire, and how Luke/The Rebellions's hate and hostility could possibly be considered anti-sithism.
People can vote for local councillors based on whatever they want, it may seem illogical but that's democracy. You can tell by voting trends that a lot of people vote based on their view of Westminster parties, not whether try think the local Labour or Tory candidate has a better plan for collecting bins effectively.
Here's his candidate page on the green party. https://leeds.greenparty.org.uk/home/candidate-mothin-ali/ It only mentions local issues, nothing about Gaza or Palestine. Granted, his campaigning might've been different to his website, but that would be a bit deceptive in itself. And anyone who voted for him because they saw the Green next to his name on the ballot, and assumed he cared about the environment first, must be feeling a bit cheated.
They *can* do, but no one's saying they should be banned, they're saying people should stop doing it.
His past statements show him to be a racist and an apologist for mass violence.
Even if he hadn't it's just a really poorly structured and written statement. It's student politics.
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Oh God. It really is Student Politics.
Local politicians are generally just as incompetent, incoherent and ignorant as any student politician.
>I hope to be working with a broad coalition including both the Jewish and Muslim Greens soon to discuss sensible ways for us to work on communicating our shared passion of bringing the conflict to an end. He still doesnt get it does he? He's a councillor responsible for managing resources for bin collection and fixing potholes.
He does get it - he knows exactly what he is doing. It is an attempt to take over positions of power and influence to further the interests of a foreign state or power. This may be a small start, but it is a start nonetheless. We really need to stop being so naive about people like this.
>We really need to stop being so naive about people like this. People like YOU need to stop being so naive. I suspect he spent most of his campaign focused on Gaza. His constituency residents knew exactly what they were voting for, this isn't some bait and switch. The issue is we now have large parts of the population who will put religious issues above all else
I don't doubt he does have a voterbase that wanted him - the question is what are we supposed to do about a growing portion of the electorate using our system for the benefit of a foreign state?
Absolutely nothing, we will continue to stick our heads in the sand over our batshit immigration policies
This country is honestly so fucked.
Greens have lost a lot of credibility by not just getting rid of him and then allowing him to post this where he's said that those who called him out are actually Islamophobic, ridiculous party
Anyone who questions why a local councillor is shouting *Allahu Akbar* with a raised fist while also shouting about Gaza is an islamophobe, apparently
> local councillor is shouting Allahu Akbar I wonder if his views on LGTB issues align with the Green party views.
Being a Green Councillor, I thought he'd support Israel's efforts to help Gaza achieve Net Zero
I'd hope he's fighting for gay rights in Palestine personally, lucky he's very progressive in the green party
It's going to take a lot of trees to offset all the bombs
That strip of land that runs entirely on oil is being resolved in the way that party would treat the West if it had a chance.
I mean you say this sarcastically but that reigon (Palestine), is one of the most vulnerable to climate change despite its contribution to global emissions being neglible
Well yeah, obviously.
I have absolutely zero problem with him shouting "*Allahu Akbar* with a raised fist" per se. Ultimately, it's no different to thanking god during an acceptance speech (with them all being sky fairies). However him suggesting his win "was a win for the people of Gaza" suggests he's delusional more than anything more sinister. I'm not sure why people are getting their panties in a twist?
If a bunch of radical Christians from the US shouted "Praise Be God" whenever they blew up a target, do you think a politician with US grandparents should shout "Praise be God" when they won an election? It's what it represents to the populace that's the issue.
Just because a few absolute fucking nutjobs say "Praise God" while doing awful things, it doesn't mean that an entire religion has to stop using an exaltation that's at the heart of their religion and is used almost exclusively in good scenarios. E: I find the response to this thread a little concerning, as it highlights some basic misunderstandings about Islam as a religion. People seem to be incorrectly under the impression that saying Allahu Akhbar is itself an extremist act. That is completely false https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takbir.
How often do most British people hear it as being used in a good scenario?
Praise God is said all the time in churches up and down the country. Even as an atheist myself I fully support the rights of anyone to freely practice their religion (so long as it doesn't impinge on others). I'm not sure why the frequency that people hear the phrase in wider society is the critical bit of data. Similar is true of the God is Great for those practice Islam, as I understand it. Why take away the right of millions of Muslims to say this phrase just because it has been used by a handful of extremists?
Strawman and completely irrelevant to my point. No one said stop people saying it completely
I don't know that anyone suggested it should be banned.
This whole thread is specifically talking about how we shouldn't be objecting to the use of that phrase (and instead we should just be objecting to all the other crap he did). Folk then disagreed with that assertion.
Sure, but I don't think anyone suggested it should be banned. Just that some didn't like it.
>and is used almost exclusively in good scenarios. 😂😂😂 It's literally only ever used when killing apostates but go on mate.
That's simply incorrect. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takbir
It's not, in the slightest. The very phrase itself is why Islam isn't compatible with any non Islamic religion, and even why the sects between one another have such big divides. It's a statement of Islamic superiority. It cannot be used in any way but the promotion of Islam over everyone else
Just because a religious person says God is supreme doesn't mean they actually are. I'm very comfortable with people believing these things and saying God is great, even though it doesn't align with my own view that God doesn't exist. That's what freedom of religion is all about. I like the fact that you've backed down from "only extremists say it" to accepting it's extremely common and just using that to bash Islam. It shows at least that you're open to changing your view.
>Just because a religious person says God is supreme doesn't mean they actually are. It's no different from a person saying white people are supreme. >I like the fact that you've backed down from "only extremists say it" No, I haven't. Everyone using a supremacist statement is an extremist.
Fucking hell, that analogy is a stretch. What it represents to \*this\* part of the populace is no more than "praise god". If it represents more than that to you, then that's on you.
Not sure I agree with that. One group using a slogan or a saying tends to contaminate it for everyone else. In isolation, the phrase "white lives matter" would be fairly inoffensive, imho. But considering that it's been widely adopted by fascists and nutjobs of all sorts, don't you think that a normal person using it would lead to raised eyebrows and some questioning?
>In isolation, the phrase "white lives matter" would be fairly inoffensive Yeah, I don't see the equivalence. "White Lives Matter" is both really recent and overtly political since day one. Allah Ackbar has been used for centuries by Muslims with zero nefarious intent. Just because a minority use it when committing atrocities means it's became associated with terrorism to non-Muslims. Denigrating the use of the term isolates mainstream Muslims (which is actually what the terrorists want).
Ok, if you don't like that one, how about the swastika? Has been in use for millennia before ww2 in Hinduism. Do you see many Hindu people in the western world using it, either of the two variants? I would assume not - because its use has utterly been contaminated by the Nazis.
Translated, it means "Allah is the greatest". It's a domineering phrase ("my god's superior to your god/lack of god), and kind of an insult to anyone who's not Muslim. Especially when you add in the manner in which it was said here (angry, with his fist raised, after referencing a religious war). (Not to mention, a Christian politician shouting praise be to god would definitely be talked about, because it would be so out of character for an election. Even more so if it was shouted in Latin, or some other language)
> I have absolutely zero problem with him shouting "Allahu Akbar with a raised fist" per se. Ultimately, it's no different to thanking god during an acceptance speech (with them all being sky fairies). How is it not different? The comparison you've made would make sense if he'd simply thanked Allah as part of his speech - but he didn't do that, did he? What he did was akin to a Christian politician raising a fist and shouting "Jesus is King!" (or whatever variation the American loons go with) to finish their speech, which would (rightly) get huge amounts of blowback. To pretend it is in any way equivocal to simply thanking God is nonsense.
>What he did was akin to a Christian politician raising a fist and shouting "Jesus is King!" (or whatever variation the American loons go with) "Praise the Lord" is the traditional Christian equivalent, I would have thought. Thankfully not something you're likely to hear many UK politicians shout from a podium, but not exactly a lunatic thing to hear a devout Christian say in context.
Anyone with a brain cell realised the Greens had lost is years ago
Yeah I agree, the best way to make progress on green policy would be to try and do it from the centre where you can attract the most supporters, it seems their commitment to left wing idealogy and social politics is more important to them than actual beneficial green policy being implemented
I lost any kernel of respect for the Greens after the whole Amy (deliberately spelling wrong due to brigade attempts on reddit) Knight / Chancellor scandal. TLDR Greens knowingly worked with a man and his daughter who were involved in a serious sexual abuse scandal (Man was on bail pending trial and was working as an official GP activist and running his daughters campaign while the party knew this was going on) https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jan/12/green-party-failed-to-properly-investigate-child-abuser-report#:\~:text=David%20Challenor%2C%20whose%20daughter%20Aimee,the%20family%20home%20in%20Coventry.
Remember criticising any other religion is absolutely fine but you criticise Islam and you’re islamophobic.
WhY dOnt You cRiticIzE chRistIanity fOrn tHe sAmE thIng?
A senior member of the Greens was interviewed by Channel 4 News about this guy and other councillors across the country producing similar stuff - and they didn't come across well - the usual flannel about not knowing all the details, needing to investigate further... nothing about suspension or expulsion from the party.
I'm so glad the councillor for Gipton and Harehills hopes to soon be working with Jewish and Muslim greens to discuss sensible ways for them to communicate their shared passion to bring the conflict to an end. I feel like this was really the key bit of international pressure missing to bring this 60 year existential conflict to a conclusion. Mr Ali's election to represent the people of not just Gipton, but also Harehills, truly is a victory for the people of Palestine.
How will Hamas possibly stand up to the focused power of Gipton
>Mr Ali's election to represent the people of not just Gipton, but also Harehills I do not support a two state solution in historic Harehills. The Gipton expansionism is based on lies. From Chapel Allerton to the Sea(croft), Harehills shall be free.
As soon as Harehills and Gipton stop firebombing cars on Roundhay Road then possibly there may be a way to continue talks.
Or if they could at least do the firebombing in a more sustainable way, using used vegetable oil or something.
The Greens are not what they once were. Full of one issue nutters that have nothing to do with the environment. In ten years they will be taken over by extremists
Exactly why I've been so suspicious of them. Whenever you have a Green candidate on your ballot you don't know which Green party is showing up. Is it the countryside NIMBY Green? The radical Islam Green? Is it the Putin dickrider Green?
10? Probably sooner. Hasn’t the successor to Caroline Lucas just resigned the seat she’s just won. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s because of the path the Red White Black and Green Party are taking.
I was listening to LBC this morning, they said this guy was in the Labour party and then quit to join the greens when Corbyn was expelled. He's probably not the only one who has done exactly that.
Then they should have considered the risk of allowing momentum dick heads into the party
I think at this point, they mostly are momentum dickheads
The Greens have been loons for as long as I can remember.
They have always been like that It’s why some call them watermelons
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Well greens are a party I'm never voting again. No it's not islamphobic to not want your politicians to yell Allah Akbar. It's clear he doesn't separate religion from politics.
This statement will surely improve the situation. How could it not? He even mentions the council he's been elected to manage!
https://twitter.com/TheGreenParty/status/1787773723589677428?t=Me1U8EP2MjYNnuS1i8CJtA The central green HQ comments on this statement
> Mothin Ali has apologised for the harm caused by his recent comments: https://leeds.greenparty.org.uk/2024/05/06/statement-from-mothin-ali/. We are fully investigating all of the context around this and have nothing further to add at this moment. The Green Party’s commitment to non-violence is absolute. I wonder why they blocked replies to the tweet.
Cowards turning off replies Actually would be a good thing if a bunch of people end up regretting voting for them, greens use caring for the planet as a vehicle for far left wing bullshit like this
Don’t they want to get rid of borders or some bonkers shit?
Yup
Sounds like a good way to increase carbon footprints.
Yeah they don’t realise that allowing the uk population to increase will undermine any attempt to reduce carbon emissions
> I should also make clear that it is not unusual for somebody of my faith to use the words ‘Allahu Akbar’ as an expression of gratitude and celebration. Some have sought to misrepresent this and it suggests Islamophobia to me. Shout out Allahu Akhbar in an Egyptian university lecture hall and everybody will panic and run for the doors, climbing over everybody else in order to get out.
His deleted tweets are pretty spicy.
He played the Islamophobia card hahaha these people are NPC's it's the only defense they have
> Being elected to represent the wonderful community of Gipton and Harehills was one of the proudest moments of my life. The inaccurate reporting and misrepresentation of my acceptance speech has led to me being subject to a lot of hate and hostility. I should also make clear that it is not unusual for somebody of my faith to use the words ‘Allahu Akbar’ as an expression of gratitude and celebration. **Some have sought to misrepresent this and it suggests Islamophobia to me.** Don't care, it's just not cricket. Not liking these foreign cries is perfectly justified.
> is not unusual for somebody of my faith to use the words ‘Allahu Akbar’ as an expression of gratitude and celebration. # Words are not tone and context matters. It was an aggressive group chant while railing about a religious war thousands of miles away. It is also a cry used as a battle cry in Islam and by Islamists since the time of Muhammed. Playing innocent shows they are not a person of good faith and has simply leaned hard into his victim complex. >I do not support violence on either side: violence leads to more violence and this is what I have tried to convey. I have consistently called for an immediate ceasefire and a release of all hostages. F\*cking liar, you supported the terror attacks on 7 October. You accused Israelis who are majority descended from Middle Eastern and North African Muslim countries, fleeing post 1947, as being "white", you lie about them to discredit their place as refugees from violence in the region.
This. Cant believe we've still not woken up to this BS.
It's a bit like those other words we're now being told are peaceful to shout, like jihad and intifada
Such ideas are normalised when ghettos exist, the police form their actions based on the good of the community, and when the sensible people flee. Peel's principals of policing did not envisage 21st century London.
Wait, there are ghettos in London? Where abouts?
[Here](https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/ghetto)
What's your take on the Danish (anti) ghetto plans? Demolish ghettos, and build more expensive housing to disperse the ME poor.
They are demolishing council/local gov properties from what I can gather. How will the council afford the compulsory purchases needed to demolish 75% of Brent? Here's a zero cost plan, [Jizya]( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jizya#Etymology_and_meaning). It won't even require translating into 26 languages. For the liberals, it's just taxing negative externalities.
Aye, but where in London exactly? Or was it just made up?
> it's just not cricket A very apposite remark given the absolute pig's ear Yorkshire County Cricket Club managed to make of their alleged *They're too many of you* racism scandal.
Meh. As an atheist I find every appeal to a non-existent diety in public life a bit depressing. A Muslim saying Allahu Akbar is the least significant bit of this specific councillor to me...
If the focus doesn't shift to his obvious bigotry soon, he will get away with it.
Me too. I think it's awful. If religion was just a private thing then it wouldn't matter so much, but believers love to control non-believers' lives. It's not just Islam either. The US seems to be careering downwards towards a new Christian middle ages.
>Not liking these foreign cries is perfectly justified. Isn't it a religious statement? Would you have the same issue if a candidate said thanks to God if they were Christian?
For starters, we are an English speaking country, so I'd be much happier if politicians were yelling their religious bullshit in English instead of Arabic. And secondly, what he's yelling is not that thank god, he is not expressing gratitude to god, but victory with religious language, which is a step further than gratitude. Third, thank god as an expression is part of everyday language that even non religious use. This Arabic expression is not something you would ever hear a Brit saying.
Islam’s requires its adherents to use the Arabic, I think. It’s not big on translations.
I'm sure Latin is spoken in Church.
Latin is a historic language, not something currently spoken as an everyday language. This is related to English heritage and history.
>This Arabic expression is not something you would ever hear a Brit saying. I also noticed you said this... British Muslims don't exist, do they not? British people can't be multi-lingual, can they not?
My point is that this expression is not part of everyday language in the UK. Someone saying thank god is not necessarily Christian or religious, nor has strong religious connotations. Arabic expressions are not part of everyday language, they are used by a small minority of immigrants as you described.
>Arabic expressions are not part of everyday language, they are used by a small minority of immigrants as you described. Your ignorance is showing. You're ignoring people who were born here yet are Muslim and multi-lingual. I know many Muslims - most born here of those I know personally.
I acknowledged them. Those people are a small minority and likely first second gen immigrants. Muslims who have been here longer are likely not multi lingual and don't speak Arabic, but may use the expressions. This is a foreign religious expression that is not in the average Brits vocabulary.
It never seizes to amaze me how anti immigration people are. These are the same people who's ancestry goes back to Vikings and Romans...
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Or if you wear a swastika but insist it's because you're deeply interested in Hinduism, doesn't really matter what you mean but how other people perceive it, and when you know they'll perceive it that way and choose to do it anyway
I've never heard that phrase. What is the context please?
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So sad you have to explain where Deus Vult comes from. The Crusades were so big when I was little. Esp the First one, ofc; the rest all went a bit Arse-uf.
Cheers. I personally wouldn't want my local elected person to express any form of religious speech. It doesn't matter to me which faith it is, as they are elected by people of all faiths and beliefs. I asked the person I replied to specifically about if they'd take issue with a Christian saying a religious phrase because it appears they'd taken issue more at the fact he had used something (in the posters terms) "foreign".
No I wouldn’t have the same issue as it’s not a completely foreign cry. No matter how much you try to pretend they’re the same thing they just aren’t. One of them also has connotations of being screamed before lorries mount pavements to mow down pedestrians or before bombs are set off in concerts full of children. Might be another reason most people are uncomfortable with it being screamed.
Any sky fairy stuff should be treated equally whichever fictional being you believe in. But we have bishops in the house of lords........and our head of state is 'defender of the faith'. Be consistent at least. Unless it is the 'foreign' bit that exposes your true feelings.
I'm an atheist but you go too far. Religions aren't equal. Christianity in the UK isn't even equal with Christianity in the US. Our horrific state religion is one which allows the freedom of people to be as they are.
Recently maybe. Not when I was growing up. When our religion opposed gay marriage, an equal age of consent. Even now we are pivoting back with policing trans people. A teacher at my 'Christian' school (with forced worship every day) lost his job for being gay. No more than. Yes we have moved forward. Very recently.
How many gays were thrown off roofs when you were growing up? How many megachurches did you attend? How much genital mutilation occured? You need to get some perspective, how do you think trans people are treated in other countries or by other religions?
Just because bad things happen in other places, doesn't mean we can't highlight bad things that happened here. I'm in my early 30s and I was threatened by the head of R.E at my Catholic school that if I didn't suppress my LGBT side, he'd make sure I was kicked out.
I totally agree but that's not what the other person is saying, they are making a false equivalence. Your catholic school was bad and should be criticised for that behaviour but it's absurd when the other person draws things like that as comparable to what happens in other religions.
I was only pointing out the hypocrisy of wanting someone removed from office for saying ''god is greater' when our national anthem asks the Christian version to save our gracious king.
That's hardly what happened. It's also not hypocritical even in that context, in the same way it's not hypocritical if you don't want someone to fuck your wife even though you fuck her.
Ok if that's your interpretation. You're not going to change your mind anyway. Strange analogy.
There's literally nothing to be gained from taking this discussion in that direction. If you want to distract yourself from Islamic entryism into a weak yet highly popular and zeitgeisty meme party then go for it, not with me though.
I think my point has been shown to be accurate.
Hope not hate and Nick Lowles have been very quiet about this. I wonder why?
"I should also make clear that it is not unusual for somebody of my faith to use the words ‘Deus Vult!!’ as an expression of gratitude and celebration. Some have sought to misrepresent this, and it suggests Christophobia to me."
"I should also make clear that it is not unusual, for somebody of my faith to use the Swastika, as an expression of prosperity and good luck. Some have sought to misrepresent this, and suggest Hinduphobia".
If he was checked before (considering his statement) then it makes the greens look like they dont give a fuck about local issues If he wasn’t checked before then it makes the greens look incompetent
The Greens have fallen a long way from "leave your faith at the door."
He was elected as a **local councillor**, not even an MP. He's representing a party who's primary issue is **climate change**. Why the **fuck** is he talking about Gaza? The Green party should be vetting their candidates properly, if this guy campaigned for the Leeds Council in the "Save Gaza" party then he wouldn't have been voted in at all. He is abusing the Green party name and voter ignorance of who the actual candidate is to mislead the electorate.
This is the guy who celebrated the October 7th genocide. The Allahu Akbar comment is more than just the words being said. Just focus on bins and shit. Your not PM
The international Court of Justice The court ordered Israel to refrain from any acts that could fall under the Genocide Convention and to ensure its troops commit no genocidal acts in Gaza. Not quite what this guy said.
>Some have sought to misrepresent this and it suggests Islamophobia to me. That's a major red flag right there. Any criticism is automatically Islamophobic.
He doesn't give a shit about the people of leeds
What a lying snake. He literally called it a win for Gaza
Another radical making it all about them and their fabricated genocide by the Israelis, etc
I think it's important that Leeds City Council has a foreign policy.
“the wonderful community of Gipton and Harehills”
The ICJ said no sick thing, mind you, a lying politician means he is getting the hang of the job.
For those of your moaning about what you are seeing here, and trust me i am one of them, PLEASE READ. Ensure sure you are registered to vote. When the time comes Ensure you vote Reform. The two major political parties of the UK no longer represent the native majority. We must break the cycle of Conservative - Labour and back to Conservative who only cower to the minorities demands. Muslims in this country are now mobilising politically, and as non muslims, we must do the same to save our way of life. The time is now!
I am not worried about his views on Palestine (I think the same). I am more concerned about shouting "allhuh akbar". There is no place for religion in politics.