Abid Hussain : Collateral damage in the fight to get Warsi

Abid Hussain might have expected the national media to give some praise for the relentless work he has done over the years in fostering greater community cohesion particularly between young Muslims and wider society.

For example, recently he hosted a reception for a young persons leadership course that set out to nurture young Muslim leaders. He told the would-be leaders,

We demand you be successful, and in your success, you will help bring our communities together, so that they can see the best in us, and we can all  work together for a better society

But in a political dogfight, Hussian’s attributes count for nothing. In fact they are not interested in Hussain, the man, at all. For certain sections of the media Hussain is being used in an attempt to politically damage Tory Party co-chair Sayeeda Warsi.

In the smear campaign against Warsi, her friends, family, and friends of friends are being targeted in an attempt to undermine her.

Sadly, this tactic is not new. In the first Boris Johnson, Ken Livingstone battle for the capital’s Mayoral ship, a certain section of the media relentlessly target many individuals in the Black community including Doreen Lawrence, Guardian writer Hugh Muir, Pastor Nimes and particularly Lee Jasper. In a bid to get rid of Ken Livingstone all the others were collateral damage.

As a community we have to find a way to stand up to media bullies who have no qualms  in demonizing and crushing anyone if it helps bring down their intended target.

Simon Woolley