U.K. Muslim Brotherhood Responds Sparingly To Livingstone Defeat

The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), a U.S. Islamic umbrella group dominated by Muslim Brotherhood organizations, is so far the only U.K Brotherhood group to respond directly to the recent defeat of incumbent London mayor Ken Livingstone and the election of his replacement Boris Johnson. The MCB website is carrying a statement which reads in part:

Paying tribute to Mr Livingstone, Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain, said, “By all accounts, Ken Livingstone has once again put London on the map. It has become a great world city and he has done so by recognising and harnessing the dynamism of its cosmopolitan and multi-racial population.” Writing to Mr Livingstone, Dr Bari said: “London’s Muslims will not forget your staunch and unflinching support…you stood by us when slings and arrows were thrown our way by those who seek to divide us.” In a letter to Boris Johnson, Dr Bari praised the Mayoral incumbent for his gracious victory speech and said ” I hope you will agree with me that with the city’s generous heart, coupled by its multi-racial dynamism, we can overcome those divisions and take the city to even greater levels of greatness. Your predecessor recognised this, and aside from the controversies, did much to ensure that Muslims were part-and-parcel of London life.”

The website of the Muslim Association of Britain, a member of the MCB, only links to the MCB website while the British Muslim Initiative website so far has posted nothing on the election. The defeat of Livingstone is a blow to the U.K Brotherhood. Livingstone had been a long-time supporter of U.K Brotherhood groups and in 2004 drew international attention when he invited global Muslim Brotherhood leader Youssef Qaradawi to speak at City Hall in London where the Sheikh reiterated his support for suicide bombings in Israel. Previous posts have discussed the U.K Brotherhood’s support of Livingstone’s failed re-election bid.