Muslim wedding walkout sparks Labour unrest
By Ian Dunt
Two prominent Labour figures are at loggerheads over the decision of farming minister Jim Fitzpatrick to walk out of a Muslim wedding.
Mr Fitzpatrick told journalists he had decided to leave the ceremony rather than be separated from his wife.
Some commentators noted the high proportion of Muslim voters in Mr Fitzpatrick’s constituency, and his upcoming election battle with Respect leader George Galloway, who is popular among Muslim voters.
The theory is that Mr Fitzpatrick left the wedding in order to consolidate his popularity among white working class voters.
“I suspect Mr Fitzpatrick has one eye on the general election and has mistakenly used this event for political gain,” Labour peer Lord Patel of Blackburn told the Independent.
“He is playing to a section of the voters with whom anti-Muslim sentiment is appealing. This is underhand and dangerous.”
It is common, but not necessary, for Muslim weddings to have a split congregation along gender lines.
The bridegroom has also demanded an apology from the minister, who he says turned his wedding into a political stunt.
Mr Fitzpatrick blamed the segregation on the nearby Islamic Forum of Europe (IFE), a conservative group he argued is gaining power in the area. The bridegroom denied ever coming under any pressure to separate the guests.
“There was nothing cowardly about the attack on the IFE. It was very direct and very open,” Mr Fitzpatrick responded.
“The IFE are intolerant, not the community. The community is a very generous and open one. My beef is that the IFE is starting to influence the social and political life of the Bangladeshi and Muslim community.
“I have apologised on camera to the families and to the community for any offence that I may have caused. That was not what I was trying to do.”
