CAN MOTHERS CHANGE THE WORLD?...YES WE CAN!

Progeny? At what age can a person start thinking of their legacy? So this is me 22 years old and thirty two days before my first baby is due. It’s a girl (in case you were wondering).

I can’t help the feeling of responsibility and the great task that lies ahead in not only training my first child, but rather all my children and future generations.

People like me have many desires and aspirations for what we want our children to become and what they should achieve in life. Some parents work hard at training their children in a chosen direction to be a doctor, entrepreneur or a gold-winning Olympic athlete.

But unfortunately there are far too many who do not choose to focus their attention on the training of their children and the results are obvious; looters, rioters, anti-social behaviour, spoilt brats, etc.
The recent national rioting of summer 2011 in Britain made the general public realize that it is the parents who bear the greater responsibility rather than the schools and teachers in avoiding the youth being disaffected.

This responsibility, placed on the shoulders of a mother, was portrayed many years ago by the late Leader of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, his Holiness Hadhrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmood Ahmad, Second Successor to the Promised Messiah (peace be on him).

He offered a great tribute to mothers by way of acknowledging their task in the moral training of children. His Holiness said that the mother’s task of permanently instilling great faith in children was a task even greater than the conquests of famous generals and kings, and they alone were capable of doing so. He elaborated further by stating:

"if a woman decides that she is going to make the future generation righteous rather than barbaric, then how can Satan capture them....it is only women who can challenge Satan permanently. If women decide that they are going to make the future generations servants of religion then who will Satan corrupt? The future generation is not influenced by Satan but by their mothers, but mothers can make the mistake of letting them go so that they become bait hunted by Satan.....you must understand your responsibility.”

His Holiness went so far as to say that the eminent Muslim leaders of the past did not have this intrinsic skill which is within women, to instil faith in their offspring. This is because a woman teaches a child to speak and is its first contact with human nature and all human experiences, the child initially learns everything from her.

These few words of wisdom provide inspiration to a generation of mothers, or mothers-to-be, that they have the capability, honour and blessing in raising children for the benefit of mankind. I feel inspired and so should you.

Politics: Ethnic Minorities Representing Britain

The UK is one of the most culturally and religiously diverse places to be. For us residents we witness spectra of race, colour, creed and language in our personal and professional encounters. I could not be more proud to be British.

However, when I say to you that out of 650 MP’s in the UK Parliament only 27 are of ethnic minority background – data accurate as of January 2012 – something doesn’t quite add up. Firstly, why does the question arise about Parliament? Secondly, do we need more diversity amongst our MP’s?

Parliament is the heart, brain, limbs and five senses of this great nation. Every process established in the UK, be it trade, industry, health, education, legal or otherwise is directly controlled by one decision or another taken by Parliament. Our past, present and future is in the hands of our Parliamentarians. Without making its governance sound dictator-like, the UK Parliament really does matter to us all in more ways than we perhaps wish to believe.

The job of our Parliamentarians seems ever more important in the global village we live in. In an age of global threats of terror, continued religious and political persecution, violent civil uprisings and a social networking frenzy, Parliamentarians bridge the link between us and our fellow humans. Not forgetting that we are possibly on the brink of a third world war, envisaged to hit at the core of the western civilization.

Whilst all the above, no doubt, occupies the daily agendas at 10 Downing Street and 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the day-to-day grind of protecting our nation, strengthening our economy, delivering world-class education and healthcare, establishing an realistic welfare system, saving the pensioners, offering hope to our unemployed youth, promises of both freedom of expression and privacy, and facilitating community cohesion, all lay at the forefront of covenants entered into by our MP’s.

To be an MP is not a career move, it’s a way of life.
My deliberate theological angle has a purpose. To be an MP in today’s Britain you have to understand and work with individuals, families, communities and societies of a different genetic make-up. We need our MP’s to be of the people and pave the halls of Westminster with all the goodness that comes from their diverse backgrounds.

Religious teachings of moral and social responsibilities will be a huge asset to our government by ensuring that decisions are taken in the most honourable manner. Cultural and societal traditions, regardless of the source, can play a key role in our Parliamentarians being able to educate our future generations to co-exist in peace whilst in search of prosperity.

Ethnic minorities have undertaken a struggle to integrate into this nation and it is high time the make-up of our most worthy Chamber reflects that integration. An MP is elected to represent his or her local constituents or residents. We don’t need MP’s who are best in speech, we need MP’s who can speak up for all corners of Britain. Let’s open the field to our ethnic minorities who can, on merit, lead our nation into a better future for Britain. An all-inclusive future.

Qaseem is an Immigration and Asylum Consultant registered with the Law Society of England and Wales. Qaseem is the local co-ordinator for a Youth Charity Organisation (AMYA) working for the betterment of youth in the London Borough of Waltham Forest and wider-London. He is also the Campaign Officer the Local Labour Party. His interests include Martial Arts, Mountaineering and looking after his pet chickens.

Follow Qaseem on twitter at: @Qaseem_Ahmed