Jim Fitzpatrick MP: Political Opportunist or Inclusion Activist?

A bridegroom has accused Jim Fitzpatrick, the farming minister, of “politically hijacking” his wedding by publicly criticising the traditional Muslim segregation of men and women at the ceremony.

Full story here

Where does one begin with this? I am actually speechless. I am simply writing the thoughts that come into my mind, with many emotions going up and down and all around. I don’t know whether to laugh, be angry or be sad, actually I am feeling all three right now as I write this short blog.

I haven’t even heard of this MP, a farming minister? I didn’t even know such a position existed. What’s a farming minister doing in charge of Poplar and Canning town where his majority constituents are overwhelmingly Muslim? I am also thinking of his audacity in embarrassing his friend’s wedding and effectively tainting memories of a day that should have been theirs and not Mr. Jim Fitzpatrick’s. It is shocking that he would make a political issue over his friend’s wedding day. Furthermore, he cannot be the smartest of politicians if he thinks his absolutely immature behaviour was intelligent.

Different cultures do things differently. We live in country and in a city with a multitude of cultures. I have never heard a Muslim write to paper because of drunken behaviour they may have observed at a non-Muslim wedding. Furthermore in this situation the bride and groom were respecting their elders. Something that some other cultures seem to have forgotten. Yet we have here Mr. Fitzpatrick thinking the Islamic Forum of Europe is to blame, on what grounds I wonder? This is an organisation which works to integrate Muslims within Europe, working with Muslims and non-Muslims together.

I doubt that Mr. Fitzpatrick and his wife were the only non-Muslim guests, though Mr. Fitzpatrick decided to start jumping up and down, because he couldn’t tear himself away from his wife for a few minutes.

I have been to a couple of weddings where non-Muslim couples were separated and they never complained. More often than not, though weddings are segregated, there is usually a place for mixed non-Muslim guests within the male section. An example of honest, sincere cultural integration I say on the part of Muslims, though they don’t do it thinking they need to integrate, they do it because they respect their guests and want to make them feel comfortable as much as they feel they can.

This by no means, means that Muslims who choose to have their weddings completely segregated want to discomfort their guests, they simply have a different way of doing things which may cause some guests some discomfort but the fact that you have received an invite to a wedding, your hosts are already honouring you, wanting your presence on their auspicious day, to share it with you, the very least you could do is honour their customs.

Mr. Fitzpatrick behaved despicably as an MP, as a guest, as a friend and ultimately as a human being.