Salamun alaykum
Have you registered to vote?
The date of the next general elections in U.K. has been set for Thursday 7th May, 2015.This date is only three months away. Before one can vote in the UK elections or referendums one needs to be registered on the electoral register. The deadline for registering as a voter is 20th April, 2015.
National Voter Registration Day:
To address the lack of education and awareness around voter registration in the U.K., a campaign group 'Bite the Ballot' has designated Thursday 5th February as the National Voter Registration Day (NVRD). This single action day is to celebrate the importance of registering to vote. A range of activities are being organised by the NVRD across the country tomorrow (Saturday 8th ) to register people.
Who can register to vote?
You can register to vote if you are: 16 years old or over (but you cannot vote until you are 18 years old), A British citizen, An Irish, Commonwealth or European Union citizen who is resident in the UK. Online registration is simple and takes little time.
To register to vote visit https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
One can also register by post.
Why should you register?
Across the world people have died fighting for the right to vote. Some say it is disrespectful to them if you don't vote. In U.K. the Suffragettes spent years campaigning to give women the vote- many even gave their lives. Today, many people across the world are still denied the right to vote. By registering to vote you will be respecting the sacrifice and you will be showing that you think that right is important.
If you don't register you can't vote. It's as simple as that. You need to register in order to be able to vote. We live in a democracy. It is your right to vote. Your vote is your voice. Use your voice. Don't lose your voice. Make it heard.
It is tempting to be bored by the election campaign and develop an attitude of 'I have nothing to do with it!"
Do I have anything to do with elections?
Yes. As Muslims, we have an essential duty to advance the image of Islam and contribute towards creating a better society. One of the ways we can be able to achieve this is by political involvement and participating in the democratic process.
Voting is the first part of the process. It is an important civic duty. As citizens, the ability to vote gives us a right to choose the people who will represent us, to determine who gets to affect our daily lives and to say what we want the government to do. Your vote will make a difference. Utilise it to be heard.
Let us participate:
"Verily never will Allah change the condition of a people until they change it themselves (within their own souls)." Sura Ar-Ra'd 13:11
You need to be involved in improving your conditions. If you care about housing, policing, transport, waste collection, Council tax, leisure amenities, park services, crime hotspots, jobs, racism, islamophobia and other issues affected by National and Local Governance then to have your say you need to be registered to vote.
Use this opportunity to register to vote and bite the ballot box by casting your vote.
Wa ma tawfiqi illa billah
With salaams and duas
Fazle Abbas Datoo
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Resident Alim
Wessex Shia Ithna Asheri Jamaat