“From Pind to Politics” by Imran Azam

Mohammed Sarwar MP steps down after the general election. He leaves behind him an 8,500 majority in the Glasgow Central constituency.  His son Anas or Osama Saeed of the Scottish National Party (SNP) are the favourites to fill the vacancy created by the departure of Britain’s first Muslim MP.

SNP  leader Alex Salmond believes he hasn’t “met anyone better suited to face down the rigours of Westminster” whilst human rights lawyer Aamer Anwar says he is “delighted to be associated with individuals like Osama Saeed who have a record of fighting injustice and poverty.”  

Last month though Saeed stood down as CEO of the Scottish Islamic Foundation (SIF).  This was days after a damning indictment by auditors who questioned if the organisation could continue to operate.  They added they were “unable to determine whether adequate accounting records have been kept.”   The SIF was given £400,000 by the Scottish Government in 2008 but was forced to repay 128,000 after a large cultural festival it was due to organise failed to materialise.  David McLetchie MSP, Scottish Conservative Chief Whip, said: "The SNP has thrown hundreds of thousands of pounds of taxpayers' money at Osama Saeed and we have a right to know where it has gone”.

Saeed states his exit had little to do with SIF’s finances but more to do with him concentrating full time on the upcoming election.  His supporters, including Scotland Against Criminalising Communities (SACC), believe the group is a victim of smears and under funding.  Others accuse sections of the media, the Sunday Herald in particular (which not so long ago described him as one of the country’s ‘Brightest and Best’)  of conducting a witch hunt against him.

During much happier times Alex Salmond commentated that his party would win 20 seats at the next general election with Parliament being “hung by a Scottish rope”.  However recent polls now show Labour enjoying a 15 point lead over the Nationalists.  The slump has been put down in part to the party’s decision to free the Lockerbie bomber to the deputy party leader, Nicola Sturgeon, being forced to apologise for writing a letter on behalf of a convicted fraudster asking that he not be sent to jail.   She and Mr Salmond were also investigated for auctioning lunches at the Scottish Parliament’s members’ restaurant in exchange for donations towards Saeed’s election campaign.

It hasn’t been all one way traffic with Labour in Scotland still reeling from the shock resignation of Glasgow City Council leader Steven Purcell - who has admitted taking cocaine.   He was also responsible for setting up arms length companies which have been engulfed in accusations of cronyism and financial impropriety. Opposition parties have once again asked for full independent enquiry into the council’s dealings whilst Strathclyde Police are to investigate the supply and use of drugs.

Moreover Saeed also asks why the media, whilst watching his every move, turn a blind eye to goings on in the rival camp.   He points out that little has been made that Mohammed Sarwar was the most expensive MP in 2008/09 claiming £192,986 in expenses.  The Home Office also recently caught an illegal immigrant at a charity chaired by the outgoing MP.  Furthermore another one of his sons, who was jailed in 2007 for an £845,000 VAT fraud, is out on bail pending an appeal.  The family insist he is innocent.

A source close to Anas told me Saeed’s attacks on family members “smack of desperation”. He said: “Why is he bringing the father or the brother into the equation?  They are not even candidates.  It is completely pointless.”  Although a recent entry on Saeed’s blog read: “Sarwar Jr worked only for a year of two after doing the most expensive university course there is in dentistry.  He then left the NHS in the lurch to live off his father’s dollars”.  

Anas, 27, rejects accusations he lacks experience and has benefitted from receiving preferential treatment.  He points out that he has been campaigning for Labour since the age of nine.  He is highly thought of within the Party not just locally but at amongst the highest echelons nationally.  When he was introduced to David Miliband at Glasgow Central Mosque last year, it was the foreign secretary who said: “I have heard much about you. You are young man with a very bright future.”  A few months earlier he was crowned the Best New Scottish Politician at the Scottish Variety Awards.

Whilst Saeed has made a big impression in the media (the Sunday Times say he is the most influential Muslim in Scotland, whist the Scotsman lists him as a leading thinker and opinion former),  his appeal is limited to middle class members of the community and those involved in Islamic activism.

He is a prominent anti-war campaigner and well known for speaking out on international topics (although many are related to Islamic issues). There are complaints that he has neglected ‘bread and butter’ issues facing the people of Glasgow Central. Recently he has blogged on issues such as pot holes and the environment. Though it could be a case of too little too late, in addition rather worryingly for him, he is widely considered arrogant and aloof.

One businessman, who has worked and lived in the Pollokshields for over 20 years, knows both candidates.  He questions Saeed’s impact at grassroots level and admits to being unsure at what Anas represents.

He said: “This isn’t Giffnock or Newton Mearns where everyone is Urdu speaking, where both parents are professionals and their children are graduates from Glasgow Uni.  This is the pind (Punjabi for small village). The politics of this area are completely different compared to others parts of the city. The community here is more insular and less integrated.  We have huge issues with anti social behaviour amongst young men. I don’t think Osama really understands how the community thinks and works.”

He added: “The love for Sarwar may not be what it was five or ten years ago but the name still carries weight. But don’t forget he’s Punjabi from Faisalabad and the vast majority of people here share the same roots.  They will vote along caste lines and who their family knows.  I have met Anas at various events and always found him polite and courteous but I couldn’t tell you what he stands for.”

Whilst Anas Sarwar is regarded a “nice guy” virtually no one seems to know any of his policies.  His profile is also far too low.  At the time of writing this article his website had not been updated since 2007. And there are questions if he at the age of 27 has the right life and political experiences to represent the city at Westminster?

When he has spoken in public he has kept his views mostly related to local issues notably demanding that the SNP stop “ripping off Glasgow”. On the global front he has reiterated his desire to see the people of Palestine and Kashmir living free of Occupation.   He is also a fluent Urdu and Punjabi speaker such skills could prove crucial especially when campaigning in the diverse wards of Pollokshields East and Govanhill. 

Although Glasgow Central is home to the country’s largest Asian community it also includes large swathes of the East End which for decades have been blighted by sectarianism, poverty and crime.  In 2008 a huge row broke out between the two parties when Angus Robertson, SNP’s Westminster leader, suggested years of Labour rule had led to life expectancy for men in the East End to be lower than the Gaza Strip.

Both Osama and Anas are intelligent young men who have much to offer not just too their community or their constituents but too wider society.  However in the end their can only be one winner.

The Full List of Glasgow Central Candidates is:

Pirate Finlay Archibald

Conservative John Bradley

BNP Ian Holt

Scottish Socialist James Nesbitt

SNP Osama Saeed

Labour Anas Sarwar

UKIP Ramsay Urquhart

Scottish Green Alastair Whitelaw

Liberal Democrat Chris Young