Britain's Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg

Nick Clegg: Lib Dem values shared by British Arabs

Liberal Democrats say to continue to speak out for internationalism, tolerance, the international rule of law, and social justice.

LONDON - Britain's Liberal Democrat Leader, Nick Clegg, said Wednesday that a number of the values that are at the heart of the party's ideology are shared by and are highly important to many members of the British Arab community, during a dinner party hosted by the Anglo Arab Organisation (AAO), a non-profitable organisation that aims to build cultural and economic bridges between the Arab World and Britain.

 

(L-R): Prof. Nady Hakim, Mr. Sabah Al Mukhtar, Mr. Gerry Malone, Sir Anthony Jolliffe, Mrs. Maha Alfakier, HE Taymour Daghistani, Mrs. Clegg, Mr. Nadhmi Auchi, Rt Hon Nick Clegg MP, Mrs. Ibtisam Auchi, Lord Steel, Rt Hon Menzies Campbell, and Lord Tim Clement-Jones

"I feel that there is a conjunction of aspirations, of hopes, and of values between members of the British Arab community and many of the things that the Liberal Democrats stand for today," said Clegg.

 

Having listened to many viewpoints within the British Arab community, Clegg said he found that a number of the community's highly-held values also "sit deep in the soul of the Liberal Democrats and British liberalism."

 

Clegg hailed his party's record in championing civil liberties, whose abuse is a concern for many, especially among minorities in Britain.

 

The Lib Democrats had strongly opposed the Iraq war.

 

"when (former Lib Dem party leader) Charles Kennedy spoke out as eloquently as he did on behalf of millions of British people against the decision by (former British Prime Minister) Tony Blair and (former US President) George W. Bush to invade Iraq, (Kennedy) did so, not only because it was right, not only because it turned out to be right," he said, "but because it drew on a long-standing value, tradition, reflex, liberal reflex, that it is just plain wrong when might is exercised over right, when international law, international institutions are cast aside," he added.

 

The US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 is viewed by many critics as an 'act of aggression' that violated international law.

 

(L-R): Mrs. Clegg, Mr. Clegg, His Eminence Archbishop Grigorios of Thyateira & GB, and Mr. Auchi

He also noted that when he spoke out against the suffering of the people of Gaza caused by the "disproportionate" Israeli attacks on the besieged Palestinian territory at the turn of the year, his criticism "wasn't popular".

 

"But again, I spoke out because it was right, and because we, the Liberal Democrats, will not stand aside when unimaginable human suffering is taking place and when the actions of powerful governments in our view do nothing to promote the ambition of peaceful coexistence," he explained.

 

Clegg also addressed the issue of social justice, which he sees as the one of the greatest crises that the United Kingdom faces.

 

"One of the greatest crises that we face is that we now live in a country, the fourth richest nation in the world, where nonetheless if you are a child born to a poor family, if you so happen to find yourself born in a community in the wrong side of the tracks, you will almost inevitably have a poorer education, earn less money, have a less successful career, and die younger," he said.

 

Meanwhile, Nadhmi Auchi, President of the AAO, in his earlier speech noted that the 900,000 British Arabs living in the UK represent "a significant potential voting bloc which could have a material influence in the next parliamentary elections."

 

"In the past, the Arab community has not actively participated in British political life due to the fact that none of the major political parties offered any means of fulfilling Arab aspirations," explained Auchi.

 

"I believe this is changing and we are now closer to finding a party that is not only sympathetic to our views but whose policies actively seek to address our concerns," he added. 

 

Auchi suggested that the British Arab community to become actively involved in British political life to ensure that its foreign policy "will lead to peace and prosperity not only in the Arab World, but across the globe, and will help serve Britain’s true interests."

 

The event was attended by 16 British MPs, Lords, selected guests from the world of Media, Business and Academia.