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ONE ONE with Keith Vaz, MP
Asian Voice 1st April 2017
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ing and said, “We can’t do this.” There have been many situations where I have negotiated three or four seemingly impossible obstacles and then made something work.
Imran Madden
Imran Madden has been Director of Islamic Relief UK since October 2015. He has more than 16 years of experience in the humanitarian sector, spending 11 years in leadership roles at Islamic Relief. Imran previously headed the Humanitarian Department at Islamic Relief Worldwide, where he was UK Manager from 2000 to 2002 and Emergencies Manager from 1997 to 2000. He has travelled extensively in the course of leading some of IR’s biggest humanitarian responses in Sudan, Bosnia, Kosovo, Philippines, the Central African Republic, Sierra Leone and Nepal. His achievements include delivering Islamic Relief’s very first institutionally-funded project in Sudan in 1993 and doubling IR UK’s income while UK Manager. He has appeared regularly on national and international television news and radio programmes to raise public awareness of humanitarian crises. A graduate from St Mary’s University, Twickenham in 1987, before working in humanitarian aid he was a teacher, including several years as Head of Geography in a London school. 1) What is your current position? I am the UK Director of Islamic Relief. 2) What are your proudest achievements? Apart from family matters, I think it would be leading on very challenging humanitarian responses from Kosovo to the Philippines and the Mediterranean refugee crisis.
3) What inspires you? Seeing the impact of timely and effective humanitarian action. There is currently a lot of debate and, dare I say it, scepticism about the effectiveness of aid. While some criticism is valid, I feel the public don’t always see the real impact of aid and the important role played by UK Aid and UK NGOs (NonGovernmental Organisations).
4) What has been the biggest obstacle in your career? I have had some great jobs – I was also a teacher for 10 years. There have been obstacles when I have planned humanitarian responses. Perhaps the biggest obstacle is trying to get people and systems to speed up, as this is sometimes frustrating. 5) Who has been the biggest influence on your career to date? Dr Hany El Banna, founding trustee of Islamic Relief. He instilled in us that everything is possible if you put your mind to it. You never went into a meet-
6) What is the best aspect about your current role? No two days are the same and I get to do wildly different things all in one day. It could be something around grassroots fundraising in the morning, a media interview in the afternoon about our humanitarian aid work, followed by some parliamentary engagement – our office is only 15 minutes away from Westminster. 7) And the worst? There aren’t many examples, but I would have to say stress. When five things go wrong in one afternoon, you have to be very philosophical. I have taught Year 9 schoolchildren on a Friday afternoon – so what could be more stressful than that? 8) What are your long-term
Parliamentarians help #bakeamillion for Comic Relief 2017 Lord Dholakia rolled up his sleeves last Tuesday to show off his cupcake decorating skills at an event marking Red Nose Day 2017 in Parliament. Masterchef presenter Gregg Wallace took on the role of judge as more than 60 parliamentarians of all parties competed to win first place in the Maltesers® and Sainsbury’s Red Nose Day Parliamentary ‘Bake a Million’ competition. Ian Murray MP (Lab, Edinburgh South) emerged triumphant from the closely-fought contest, with Ian Paisley MP (DUP, North Antrim) in
second place. The competition, which was organised by Maltesers® in partnership with Sainsbury's – the official retailer of the iconic Red Nose and Red Nose Day merchandise – was held to celebrate this year’s Red Nose Day, taking place on Friday 24th March. MPs were tasked with decorating a cupcake with an array of icing and toppings, including Maltesers® and Malteaster® Bunnies, expertly instructed by apprentices from Sainsbury’s recently opened Bakery College in
Bromley-by-Bow. The winning cake decorators chose a nominated Comic Relief project to which
Maltesers® and Sainsbury's will make a donation. MPs were also encouraged to share pictures of their creations on a social media platform of their choice with the hashtag #bakeamillion. The Maltesers® #bakeamillion campaign calls on the nation’s support and encourages people to get baking with Maltesers®. For each cake or bake photo uploaded, Maltesers® will donate £5 to Comic Relief, towards their £1million total contribution.
Brexit tougher than ever The Scottish Parliament has passed a vote supporting Nicola Sturgeon's call for a second independent referendum. The landmark vote that could witness Scotland leaving the UK, was postponed to Tuesday, following the attacks on Westminster. May will now be meeting Sturgeon but has no idea on the stand to take on Wales. Sturgeon, in the meanwhile has said that Brexit has unleashed a nationalism that has impaired the EU for good. Theresa May has ruled out holding a second referendum till the end of Brexit negotiations, stating that the focus should
be on the negotiations with EU and not on another vote. With the triggering of Article 50 and the Brexit negotiations in the anvil, many commentators are wary that concluding negotiations within the current timeframe could be unrealistic, and risky. Realistically, formal dialogue may not begin before the June French and the September German elections. It would also need to be ratified by 27 countries of the European Union. UK might find an interim way of signing-off a transitional deal, but Britain will be subject to EU regulations and will not have
the time to replace European bodies with a new British regulatory rules before two years. While Article 50 lays the foundations for a retraction from the agreement, the article was designed to avoid any member states from triggering it. Economists feel UK could risk seeing huge disruptions in their trade policies if they forcefully try to conclude agreements to prove that Brexit works. Activist Gina Miller said to The Independent as we went to press that “people like myself, calling for a transparent, scrutinised Brexit negotiation process, are accused
of wanting to tie the Prime Minister's hands. But it is the Eurosceptic Conservative MPs pushing for a clean break without any safety nets that are constraining her.” There's an undercurrent that the EU is in crisis and is creaking as it turns 60. The Pope Francis told leaders gathered at the 60th Anniversary summit that the EU faces a “vacuum of values” and a loss in the sense of direction. In a special feature at The Economist, John Peet argued that “the European Union is in a poor shape. It needs more flexibility to rejuvenate itself.”
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goals? I am very honoured to be UK Director – it has enormous responsibility and huge rewards. I don’t tend to look too far ahead. 9) If you were Prime Minister, what one aspect would you change? Our political structures seem to promote confrontation and polemic posturing. I would like to see more cross-party joint action on key issues. Maybe we need a new House of Commons where MPs sit in a circle and intermingle a bit more. Do they have to sit opposite each other in such a combative manner? 10) If you were marooned on a desert island, which historical figure would you like to spend your time with and why? The most influential historical figure for me is Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) but from recent history I think it would be the former President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela. He is often chosen for this spot, but to me he just stands out as a visionary who was entirely free from resentment and malice and for his pragmatic leadership that ended apartheid and started a new chapter of South African history.
Murder hunt continues after teenager shot dead in Ilford Murder detectives have made a fresh appeal for information after a teenager was shot at close range in a “ruthless” north London killing. Abdifatah Sheikhey, known to friends as Abdi, was blasted with a handgun as he sat in the passenger seat of a black Mercedes saloon in Woodlands Road, Ilford. Police believe the gunman attacked the 19-yearold after pulling up alongside his car in a white BMW X4 just before 10.10pm on March 21. The vehicle containing Mr Sheikhey was driven a short distance to Bedford Road where paramedics battled in vain to save his life. A post-mortem examination at East Ham Mortuary gave the Redbridge College student’s cause of death as a gunshot wound to the heart. Police say the BMW was found abandoned on March 22 in Express Drive, Goodmayes. There have been no arrests so far. Detective Chief
Inspector Chris Jones from the Met’s Homicide and Major Crime Command, said: "We urgently need the assistance of the public to find those responsible for this ruthless killing of a young man. "We are appealing for witnesses to the shooting and also anyone who saw this distinctive BMW being used or abandoned. Abdi's family are inconsolable and your information could help bring to justice those responsible for this heinous crime."
Police were called to reports of crime in a street in Southall on more occasions than they were to any other urban residential road in England and Wales, a study suggests. Officers were called to Chevy Road 244 times between July and December last year,
according to a study by address experts Hopewiser. The figure, obtained through newly released police data, makes it the highest in England and Wales during this period. Heathcroft Rise in Leeds was second with 161, while Manchester's Taplin Drive was third with 158.
Abdi Sheikhey who was shot as he sat in parked car
Study: Southall street 'most crime-ridden'