Muslim political uprising on the cards after UK Labour’s shock loss to Palestine activists

Labor insiders fear two senior figures could be at risk of losing their seats to Muslim independents despite effort to hose down suggestions of a wider Islamic uprising at next year’s federal election.

Senior Labor figures have conceded two key seats could be lost to Muslim independents in a replica of the British election as they try to hose down suggestions of a wider Islamic uprising at the Australian election next year. 

Despite a new political movement, The Muslim Vote, targeting several seats in Australia — Labor sources said the domestic preferential voting system and smaller Muslim population would thwart a similar trend come election time next year.

More than six per cent of the UK’s population identifies as Muslim compared to 3.2 per cent in Australia, according to the most recent census figures.

The Muslim Vote convener Sheikh Wesam Charkawi said the candidates they support will run their own campaigns on their own terms but would have their backing.

Sheik Wesam Charkawi speaks to members of the Sydney Muslim community during Taraweeh Prayer for Palestine at Martin Place. Picture: Getty

The two seats Labor sources flagged as being most at risk were Employee Relations Minister Tony Burke’s seat of Watson in western Sydney, with a 25 per cent Muslim population, and Wills in Victoria which is a mix of Greens voters and Muslim-Australians. 

Although Jason Clare’s Blaxland was not flagged as at-risk, it has a 30 per cent Muslim share among its constituents. 

Federal Education Minister Jason Clare. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Swift

“Wills is in danger with Brunswick at one end full of the Greens and then the other end is a heavy concentration of Australians of Muslim heritage,” one source said.

“That and maybe Tony Burke’s seat where 30 per cent of his voters claim Muslim heritage.”

Another Labor source said The Muslim Vote movement was “disorganised” and the Australian Muslim community was not a “homogenous group” that would back a single movement. 

Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“It’s too early to tell (if they will be successful). They are disorganised,” they said.

A second source added that Muslims were not a homogenous group and had different opinions on the Gaza conflict and Australian politics. 

“Just because someone is Muslim they don’t all think the same. It’s crude to lump them all together.”

Labor MPs also claimed the group was “finding it hard to find candidates” but Sheikh Charkawi told the ABC they could be announcing independents as early as this week. 

The Australian arm of Muslim Vote lacks the level of detail provided in its UK website despite being almost identical in appearance. 

Despite claiming it was backed by trusted community leaders, the website does not link any of its backers unlike its UK counterpart.

Senator Fatima Payman holds a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: Martin Ollman

Labor sources have also accused the movement of spreading lies after Labor MPs were ranked on their action on Palestine. 

But the arbitrary ranking system fails to include any of the vocal pro-Palestine comments MPs have made outside of parliament, for example in the media.

It comes as the fallout of Western Australian Senator Fatima Payman’s departure from Labor over its position on Gaza continues to create a wedge in parliament. 

Colleagues are understood to be deeply hurt by her comments that they did not understand the Gaza war like her. 

“All eyes are off Gaza and all eyes are on Fatima,” one angry colleague said.

“When Andrew Gee quit the party, he walked away quietly, dignified. If she had any ounce of the integrity she claims, she would say ‘enough about me’.”

Another colleague added: “When the Israelis pull the tanks out of Gaza or the hostages are released, Fatima Payman wouldn’t have anything to do with it one way or another.”

Caucus colleagues have also pushed back on Ms Payman’s claims she was removed from group chats, saying she removed herself from several Labor group chats after making a statement about her resignation to the media.

The Muslim Vote did not respond to questions.