Keir Starmer and the British-ness of his home secretary’s protest
The Guardian’s Poppy Noor offers a telling scene from Shabana Mahmood’s past life, on the second anniversary of the Hamas-led October 7 attack on Israel, which triggered by a massive military campaign on Gaza and its people.
Ms Noor writes as follows: “In 2014, a backbench Labour MP named Shabana Mahmood lay on the floor of her local Sainsbury’s in protest against the sale of products made in illegal Israeli settlements. A week later, she spoke to crowds at a Free Palestine protest in Hyde Park, of the ‘compassion and humanity expressed for the people of Gaza … from every race and every religion’.”
Fast forward 11 years and Ms Mahmood is no longer just an ordinary Labour MP but Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s home secretary no less. And her boss has been describing pro-Palestine protests scheduled for October 7 as “un-British”.
Does Mr Starmer really think his home secretary was “un-British”?
In fact, Ms Mahmood herself had used the descriptor for protests in Britain against Israel’s continuing punishment of ordinary Gazans. After Jihad Al-Shamie’s terrorist attack last week outside a Manchester synagogue, Ms Mahmood said pro-Palestine demonstrations were “fundamentally un-British”. She said that the fact the protests went ahead despite the Jewish community’s pain and fear was disappointing. “I think that behaviour is is fundamentally un-British. I think it is dishonourable. I would have wanted those individuals to just take a step back”.
It sounds odd to hear Ms Mahmood say this given her past history (of protest) as well as her inclusive politics (she says she is English despite being non-white and the child of immigrants). Just a few days ago, Ms Mahmood was enthusiastically waving two flags at the Labour Party’s annual conference –the St George’s Cross, national flag of England and the Union Jack.
And yet, one can have some sympathy for Ms Mahmood. She’s in a difficult situation – her name, faith and record of advocacy for the justice for Palestinians mean her words and actions are more carefully scrutinised than say, Yvette Cooper, her predecessor.
