Radical preacher Anjem Choudary has claimed that all Muslim MPs and voters are “apostates” as the general election approaches. Writing on Twitter that voting is a “sin” against Islam, he argued that Parliament violated religious law because Allah is “the only legislator”. Mr Choudary wrote: “The only excuse is for a new Muslim or someone totally ignorant about voting and also what’s known from Islam by necessity.”
In a stream of messages using the #StayMuslimDontVote hashtag, the cleric called Muslims who vote or run as an MP are “apostates”, meaning they have abandoned their beliefs. The Muslim Council of Great Britain declined to comment but member Talha Ahmad told Al Jazeera last month: “Almost all major Muslim organisations say it is a civic obligation for us to participate in the electoral process because we have an opportunity to make our societies better, not just for Muslims but for everyone.”
Akmal Hanuk, from the Muslim Council of Wales, told the BBC: “It is not representing the view of the majority of Muslims. I think the majority of Muslims want to vote and will.”
