Throughout the holy month of Ramadan, Labour Muslim Network will be supporting Labour candidates to build a society for the many, writes Labour Muslim network director Yusuf Hassan

Last weekend marked the beginning of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. For most Muslims, ordinary life slows down during Ramadan. It is a holy month that sees over a billion people worldwide abstain from food and drink from the hours of sunrise to sunset while increasing personal focus on reflection and spirituality, with routines changing and priorities altered. 

The Islamic calendar follows the lunar cycle meaning Ramadan rotates every year. Through the different dates and seasons, each Ramadan comes with its own challenges and opportunities. For those observing Ramadan, this blessed month is a time of deep reflection, contemplation and a renewal of their intentions and worldview.

Political reflection and thought is not immune to this holy month. 

Muslims will take this opportunity to rebuild their spirituality and moral guidelines, and renew their political spirit. It would be forgivable for one to think that Muslims are less productive during the month of Ramadan. That the fatigue and particularly this year, the heat, mean less will inevitably get done. But the reality is that just is not the case.

Studies have found that while there is less productivity in the classic ‘work’ environments during fasting hours, Muslims placed more emphasis and value in religion and leisure. This also would extend to political activity and thought. The month sees Muslims place more time and resources into connecting with their communities. As sunset hits, communities gather to pray and break their fasts together.

The Labour Muslim Network is a new and inclusive organisation that seeks to support British Muslims’ engagement with politics and the Labour party, through shared values of social justice and equality. Recently, the organisation has been active in voter mobilisation drives as well as canvassing for the Labour party across the country, utilising a grassroots network of Muslim volunteers. Our grassroots and community-focused approach, alongside our experience in political campaigning and strategy, allows us to engage with communities and politics in such a way as to bridge all manner of divides.

Moving into the holy month, this will continue. The LMN are working with Labour candidates from across the country on a variety of initiatives including tailored Ramadan Mubarak (Happy Ramadan) cards being delivered to local Mosques and community hubs, specific voter engagement strategies for Muslim communities where voter turnout is particularly low, and joining party activists on the Labour doorstep, and in the phonebanks. The LMN is also working on plans to bring candidates, and wider communities and Labour activists together to enjoy breaking their fast at evening iftars together. In the current political climate, it is through the support of organisations like the LMN that communities can be brought together, and we can build a society for the many, not the few.

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Yusuf Hassan is director of the Labour Muslim Network and tweets at @YusufHTweets

The Labour Muslim Network is on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LabourMuslims/ and Twitter at @LabourMuslims, Email enquiries should be directed to [email protected]

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