Mohammed Amin has certainly done justice to Elie Wiesel’s call to “take sides”. In the Conservative leadership race, he has vehemently articulated his opposition to Boris Johnson; and, in the ongoing Brexit chaos he unequivocally backed a party that supports remaining in the EU.
However, this came at a price because the Conservative Party is at odds with Mr Amin’s views. The price was expulsion by the Conservative Muslim Forum, of which he had been the chairman of since 2014.
Due to this recent expulsion, I questioned Mr Mohammed Amin about his prospective political direction and whether he will be joining a different party now. I also asked whether his resignation threat is compatible with democratic values given the fact that many people in the Conservative Party support Boris Johnson.
We also conversed about the ‘toxification’ of British politics and some of the ways one could re-introduce civility in political culture. He also gave some straight forward advice to immigrants who have moved to the UK amidst the Brexit circus.
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Interviewer: You recently stated that “I will quit if Boris Johnson becomes PM” – would that not be undemocratic as it would go against the wishes of Conservative Party members?
Mohammed Amin: Every Conservative Party member is free to vote for the leadership candidate of their choice. Equally, every party member is free to resign for whatever reason.
There is nothing undemocratic about me resigning from the Conservative Party if it chooses as its Leader someone who I consider does not care about the distinction between truth and falsehood.
I have previously made it clear that no other leadership contender, not even an arch Brexiteers such as Dominic Raab, would cause me to leave the Conservative Party. Mr Johnson is unique!
Interviewer: Will you be joining a different party now? If so, which one?
Mohammed Amin: I have not reached a decision. I do not believe in being a bystander in democratic politics, and if I considered that Mr Johnson was likely to be Conservative Party Leader for a long time, I would almost certainly look closely at the other political parties and join the one that I considered most aligned with my views.
However, it is possible that the inherent contradictions in his positions mean that Mr Johnson may last less than a year as Conservative Leader.
Interviewer: If – as some polls claim – Boris Johnson is the best candidate to defeat Jeremy Corbyn in a General Election then surely he is the best placed candidate you ought to support?
Mohammed Amin: There are no redeeming features which can outweigh a fundamental integrity deficit.
Furthermore, I do not believe that Mr Johnson is better placed to defeat Jeremy Corbyn than is Mr Hunt, for whom I have already cast my Conservative Party leadership ballot. Some of the polling I have seen supports my view.
Mr Johnson is very popular with Conservative Party members, and with Leave voters. However, he is remarkably unpopular in certain parts of the country.
Interviewer: Moving away from the Conservative Party onto more general issues facing the UK. Do you think Brexit is to blame for the ‘toxification’ of British politics?
Mohammed Amin: The way that Leave campaigned in the 2016 EU Referendum has toxified British politics. While many Leave supporters are “liberal internationalists”, with Daniel Hannan MEP as the best example, the anti-EU message relied critically upon appeals to xenophobia directed at Europeans generally and Middle Eastern refugees in particular.
Furthermore, the Leave campaign actively discredited expertise and knowledge, because the overwhelming majority of economists, MPs and senior business people considered EU membership beneficial to Britain.
Interviewer: And, what are some of the ways to tackle the recent ‘toxification’ of British politics?
Mohammed Amin: It is essential to return to political civility. Mr Corbyn’s official parliamentary title is “The Leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition” and he should be respected as such.
Referring to political opponents as traitors, judges as “Enemies of the People” is how politics has been toxified, and reversal requires the elimination of such vocabulary.
Detoxification requires accepting that our political opponents genuinely seek the best for Britain; but are simply incorrect in their analysis of the issues and have chosen solutions that are less appropriate than ours.
Interviewer: In a recent Facebook post, you wrote that you donated ‘to a campaign to encourage Remain supporting parties to co-operate’. Do you actually think this is a viable aim given the vast differences among the Greens, the Liberal Democrats and the SNP?
Mohammed Amin: In normal situations, one would not expect such diverse political parties to cooperate. However, Brexit is a critical issue because it risks creating serious, irreversible, long-term harm to our country. It could lead to both Scotland and Northern Ireland leaving the Union, as well as severely damaging our economy.
In such circumstances, political parties are far more willing to compromise.
Interviewer: To conclude on a slightly lighter note, what message would you like to give to young ambitious immigrants who have recently moved to the UK?
Mohammed Amin: At times, you may feel that you have moved to a country the citizens of which have collectively gone mad.
Be reassured. Only some of them have gone mad, and the illness is curable with time and goodwill.
However, the patient needs protecting from carrying out severe self-harm such as a No-Deal Brexit!
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Muhammed Raza Hussain is an award-winning writer: the Extra-Mile winner of the News Quest Young Reporter Scheme 2014 and received a ‘Talent for Writing’ certificate by Young Writers. Twitter @MuhammedRaza786 | Instagram: @M.Raza.H_
