Humza Yousaf’s election was a proud day for British Muslims, no matter their politics

I was thrilled to see Humza Yousaf become Scotland’s First Minister (Picture: PA)

Praying, fasting and giving to charity are all regular things that the 1.9billion Muslims across the globe are doing as we celebrate our holy month, Ramadan. 

But there was one particular Ramadan prayer, in Edinburgh, that will have resonated for many across the UK, and even globally. 

Yesterday, I logged onto Twitter to see the new Scottish First Minister, Humza Yousaf, leading a dua at Bute House, his official residence and the Scottish equivalent of 10 Downing Street.

I imagine that many of those who have occupied that historic, 200-year-old building wouldn’t have ever dreamed that a Muslim leader would be observing Ramadan there. 

When I heard that Humza had won the race to succeed Nicola Sturgeon, and even more when I saw this photo, I was filled with pride. Finally, someone who looks like me and shares my faith is occupying one of the most important offices in the country. 

This is a powerful moment for British Muslims as ‘one of us’ becomes one of the most powerful people in the country.  

I have my own political differences with Yousaf, but even as a Labour activist I’ll celebrate Yousaf’s victory just as much as I did with Sadiq Khan’s two momentous victories in the 2016 and 2021 London mayoral elections. 

That’s because I believe that this is also a truly historic moment not just for Muslims in the UK, but across Europe, as Yousaf becomes the first ever Muslim leader of a democratic Western European nation.  

I first became involved in politics in 2016 when I joined the Labour Party as soon as I turned 14 and was old enough to become a member. 

Back then, I was concerned about whether Muslim politicians could prosper in Britain, particularly amid the rising wave of islamophobia across the world at that time. 

Khan’s 2016 victory was one of the first elections I followed as an activist. I was delighted to witness history then with Khan becoming the first Muslim mayor of the capital. 

But at the same time I was angered by Zac Goldsmith’s campaign, where he tried to link Khan to Islamic extremists, and was accused of dog whistle tactics and Islamophobia, even by some in his own party. 

It really made me question if politics was for me, as I worried every Muslim candidate for higher office would have to go through the same. 

But like Khan’s win in 2016, Humza Yousaf’s victory tasted even sweeter to me as a Muslim because of the attacks that he faced relating to his faith. 

White initial coverage of the leadership contest was dominated by questions of rival Kate Forbes’s religious views, Yousaf was also under scrutiny. 

Allegations were made that he was appeasing the Muslim community by skipping a vote on the bill that legalised same-sex marriage in Scotland. 

Yousaf clearly denied this, and reiterated his support for the bill, while Forbes revealed she would have voted against equal marriage. 

Yousaf was even accused of missing a vote because ‘he was under so much pressure from the mosque,’ which, personally, I found distasteful and offensive. 

Charges like those insinuate that a Muslim cannot be in a position of power because they take orders from local religious leaders, which to me is clearly a fiction, one tinged by Islamophobia.   

As someone who describes themselves as a progressive Muslim, I was pleased to see how Yousaf handled these allegations and ran his campaign. 

He proudly made LGBT+ rights a key part of his policy platform, promising to accelerate legislation to ban conversion therapy, and was the only candidate to passionately commit to fighting for Scotland’s Gender Recognition Reform Bill, that was blocked by Number 10. 

Yousaf has shown how it is possible to combine faith with progressive values, offering a blueprint for other liberal people of faith.  

I will celebrate Humza Yousaf’s win as much as I did when Sadiq Khan became Mayor of London

I can only hope that this moment will entice British Muslims into taking a bigger interest in the world of politics. 

A 2021 survey by the Labour Muslim Network found that 34% of British Muslims did not vote in the elections held that year, demonstrating that disengagement in my community is persisting to this day.  

I’ve had many conversations around the dinner table at Eid where family members have remarked that they don’t see the point in voting. 

Canvassing at the last election in my Muslim-majority area only strengthened my belief that is a widely held view in my community. 

There are a few reasons for why my community feels this sense of alienation. 

Maybe it’s because of years of seeing ethnic minorities underrepresented in Parliament, after all why participate in a system where you feel like you’re not represented at all? 

Also, the policies of the Home Office over the last few years have made many Muslims feel singled out. Prevent, the UK’s anti-terrorism programme, has been an absolute disaster and I believe it has ruined the relationship between the British Muslim community and the government.

Humza Yousaf will be aware of the challenges facing Muslims in politics (Picture: Getty Images)

This constant fear of undue surveillance means many of us, in my experience, are worried about expressing our ideas or entering the political sphere

It was just a few years ago that Boris Johnson, published an article referring to Muslim women in burkas as resembling ‘letter boxes.’

A report by monitoring group Tell Mama found that 42% of Islamophic incidents in the three weeks after the article was published referenced Johnson’s language, but he still went on to reach the highest office in the country. 

Humza Yousaf will be more than aware of the challenges we face, and so he has a unique opportunity to be a role model for young Muslims across the country and inspire them to get involved in politics.

I believe he can do that, while taking on the issues our community faces in modern Britain.  

The UK is, to say the least, far from being a perfect country when it comes to issues of diversity, racism and Islamophobia.

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However, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be proud of how far our country has come. 

Imagine telling someone, even a few years ago, that the Scottish First Minister and Mayor of London would be Muslim, while a Hindu Prime Minister occupied Number 10.

There will be plenty written about Humza Yousaf, and his government’s record and policies.

But yesterday, I was happy to put political differences aside and simply be truly proud of being a British Muslim.    

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Humza Yousaf has a unique opportunity to be a role model for young Muslims across the country.