AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): 114 Muslim Labour councillors have written to the UK Prime Minister, calling for an immediate arms embargo on Israel as the regime's forces continue to use Western-provided ammunition to attack the besieged Gaza Strip.
In an open letter, these elected Labour politicians urge their party leader, Keir Starmer, to impose "an immediate and complete suspension of arms sales to Israel," LBC reported on Friday.
Coordinated by the Labour Muslim Network, the letter states, "we must not be complicit in these clear violations of international humanitarian law."
It continues, "It is our moral obligation to act now. That is why we have come together, as Councillors, as Muslims, and as Labour members to call on this Labour government to meet our moral obligation by suspending all arms sales to Israel until such a time that international humanitarian law is observed and respected."
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Last month, Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced the suspension of around 30 arms export licenses to the Israeli regime out of a total of approximately 350.
The list of Labour Muslim councillors includes senior figures within local authorities, such as local mayors, council deputy leaders, and local cabinet members. Signatories include the deputy leader of Barking Council, Saima Ashraf; deputy leader of Glasgow City Council Labour, Soryia Siddique; and Labour National Executive Committee (NEC) member and Manchester councillor, Yasmine Dar. Other notable signatories are the Mayor of Rochdale, Shakil Ahmed; Wellington Mayor, Cllr Usman Ahmed; Oldham cabinet member, Shaid Mushtaq; Wandsworth cabinet member, Aydin Dikerdem; and Birmingham cabinet member for Environment and Transport, Cllr Majid Mahmood.
This development comes just days after 21 Labour MPs, including some recently suspended, backed a parliamentary motion calling on the government to end "all military exports to Israel." The cohort of MPs, led by Richard Burgon, includes Diane Abbott and former Labour Party chair Ian Lavery.
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