The Police Investigation Shockat Adam's Journey to Parliament and the Controversy

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In the early hours of July 5, the political landscape of Leicester South was shaken when Shockat Adam, an independent candidate, emerged victorious, defeating Labour’s Jonathan Ashworth, the shadow paymaster general, by a narrow margin of 979 votes. As the results were announced, Adam, a charismatic optician, held a keffiyeh aloft, echoing the words of George Galloway from the Rochdale by-election: “This is for Gaza!” This victory was one of several independents, including Jeremy Corbyn, who won against Labour candidates, capitalizing on claims against Sir Keir Starmer’s alleged complicity in what Adam described as a genocide in Gaza.

 

 

The campaign trail leading to Adam's election was fraught with controversy, raising questions about whether the law was broken. A detailed investigation reveals that Adam might have benefited, knowingly or not, from his radicalized brother and a partisan website. The police are now investigating potential breaches of electoral law in Leicester South.

 

Shockat Adam Patel, born in 1972 in Leicester, studied optometry at the University of Manchester and later became the director of Sask Optics. His brother, Ismail, became a prominent advocate for Palestinian rights after a trip to Jerusalem in the 1990s, founding Friends of Al-Aqsa. This organization, named after the sacred site in Jerusalem, has been vocal about Palestinian issues, particularly in response to the October 7 atrocities, claiming Hamas was reacting to Israel’s ongoing illegal occupation.

 

 

Ismail's activism extended to supporting Hamas, which he publicly defended, even as it was proscribed as a terrorist organization by the US and the EU. Despite this, Ismail stated that he did not show support for any proscribed organization or military wing of Hamas. His involvement with the Gaza Freedom Flotilla in 2010, which ended in a deadly raid by IDF soldiers, further cemented his position in the pro-Palestinian movement.

 

 

Adam’s political activism gained momentum in 2018 when he became chair of Leicester’s branch of Muslim Engagement and Development (MEND), an organization accused of radicalism. Despite these allegations, Adam denied any extremist affiliations. His political journey saw him campaign for Claudia Webbe in 2019, who later faced expulsion from Labour due to harassment charges. Corbyn’s resignation in 2020 prompted Adam to move away from mainstream politics, a shift accelerated by the October 7 attacks and Starmer’s statements on Israel's right to defend itself, which went viral within Leicester’s Muslim community.

 

 

Adam’s speech at a pro-Palestine march in Leicester, where he criticized leading political figures and declared a break from traditional parties, marked a pivotal moment. His campaign gained support from YouElect, a non-profit organization promoting voter registration, which endorsed Adam as their "top-rated candidate." However, YouElect’s connection to Ismail and its partisan backing raised concerns about the legitimacy of this support.

 

 

During the campaign, Ashworth faced significant hostility, including accusations of supporting genocide in Gaza. His opponents used inflammatory tactics, distributing leaflets with provocative messages and intimidating voters. Ashworth himself reported incidents of intimidation and confrontations, including being followed and questioned aggressively by local agitator Majid Freeman, who was later arrested on unrelated terrorism charges.

 

 

The legality of the campaign tactics used remains under scrutiny. The Representation of the People Act 1983 stipulates that election materials must clearly indicate who paid for them and the candidate they support. Many of the leaflets distributed in Leicester South failed to meet these requirements, prompting an ongoing police investigation to determine if criminal offences were committed.

 

As the new MP for Leicester South, Adam has promised to focus on delivering for his constituents despite the controversies surrounding his campaign. He maintains that the accusations against him are unfounded and attributes his victory to the widespread dissatisfaction with the mainstream parties' stance on Gaza.

 

The fallout from this election has left the new government grappling with how to address the level of intimidation witnessed in this and other races. Jess Phillips and Rushanara Ali, among other MPs, have spoken about the threats and hostility they faced, prompting calls for an investigation into the integrity of the election process. Adam, however, remains resolute, signaling a shift in the political dynamics of Leicester South and potentially setting a precedent for future independent campaigns.

 

Credit: Sunday Times 2024-07-15

 

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[cncltd1973]

is your muslim problem as big as it looks over there in England?