As some of you may be aware on the 4th of June this year, what is known to have been the biggest-trans national election in history took place across Europe. About 375 million European citizens in 27 countries were eligible to vote, as 736 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) were elected for a five-year term. This group of MEPs will legislate laws within the EU and these laws will affect every single person living in the EU – regardless of race, language, religion, sexuality etc.
Within Britain, most of us were dealing with the after-shock of the MP’s expenses scandal coupled with the sinking state of the economy. A large majority either didn’t realise that elections were going to take place or couldn’t be bothered to care. As someone who ‘discovered’ her political spirit after moving to Wales, I followed the election campaign of the British parties very closely and as a Singaporean who is of ‘rojak heritage’ and grew up having friends from all sorts of random backgrounds, some of the messages that came out from the British National Party (BNP) made me worry about the future of Britain including my future here and also the future of my family.
This is a party that believes in the repatriation of ‘non-indigenous Brits’ i.e. non-whites and their descendants, anti-mixed race relationships and that mixed race children from such relationships dilute the white superiority of their genetics. More recently the Chairman of their party who also happens to be an MEP was quoted as saying, “Frankly, they need to sink several of those boats” on the issue of boats carrying migrants from Africa. Well what do you expect from a man who named his two pet pigs ‘Anne’ & ‘Frank’. As a party they are anti-Semitic, anti-Muslim and as pro-white as the Klu Klux Clan.
For years the mainstream parties kept playing down the BNP threat, saying they weren’t a credible party, however the failure of the British political system to put the needs of the public before personal greed and growing apathy around voting meant that the BNP got 2 seats in Europe at these elections. Now in addition to gaining credibility as a legitimate political party, they are also able to access a significant amount of financial resources to promote their messages of hate across Britain.
When I first started wearing a hijab (tudung), I was physically attacked while I was out in a shopping mall, minding my own business and having a very ‘British’ meal of fish and chips with my mum who was visiting me at that time…..last year I participated in a documentary for BBC Wales where I wore the niqab (the full-veil) for a day and I had people threatening to shoot me – that message of hate is getting out there.
As Singaporeans, we should never take for granted multi-culturalism and our ability to live side by side as countrymen regardless of race, language or religion. Our country got it right by making us understand that it does not matter if you’re Chinese, Malay, Indian, Eurasian etc, if you’re Singaporean then you’re Singaporean no question about it. We cannot assume for one minute that this ‘togetherness’ that we feel as a nation will continue forever and ever. Things can change drastically in 10 or 20 years if we stop growing together as a nation or stop putting in the effort.
Think of the legacy we’d like to leave for the next generation.
Shereen Aziz-Williams, an accountancy graduate of SMU, has lived in Wales for the past 4 years. She is married to a Welshman, Owain and step-mum to Hafsa. She met Owain while travelling around Europe during her exchange programme in Copenhagen Business School in 2004 and they are expecting their 1st bundle of joy in September.
Shereen works full-time as the Director of CEMVO Wales. CEMVO’s youngest, and currently only female director, she has secured over £1.5 million in grant funding for various community group. She is also the founder of Swansea Faiths Forum in the immediate aftermath of 7/7 and a founder-director of Europe’s first Jewish-Muslim Internet Radio station.
Appointed to several public bodies including, the Welsh Financial Inclusion Steering Group, the National Race Relations Advisory Board for Her Majesty’s Prisons, and the All Wales Convention.
She’s the only ethnic minority member on Plaid Cymru’s National Executive Committee, its Fairness Commission and chair of the Equalities Section.
In 2009 she won the Uthman Dan Fodio Award for Excellence in Community Development and was shortlisted for the UK Asian Woman of Achievement Award in the Social and Humanitarian category.
A true-blue Singaporean, Shereen and her Wales-based Singaporean friends have recently set up a club called 'Makan-Makan Cymrodoriaeth' to indulge in their favourite Singaporean past-time ....eating :)