Second generation immigrants take the Great Britainin Downing Street the Indian Rishi Sunak, in Scotland the Pakistani Humza Yousaf, without forgetting the mayor of London, the other Pakistani Sadiq Khan. Is it the triumph of multiculturalism and integration, or is it rather that of British guilt, which has allowed a sort of rebound effect from those countries that London has colonized for centuries? In the palaces of power in the United Kingdom a paradoxical historical substitution is taking place: in place of the clash between England and Scotland, that between India and Pakistan, the Hindus replacing the Anglicans, the Muslims in that of the Presbyterians.
CONFUSION – There is even a question of independentism involved, and it is certainly not the Scottish one, but that of Kashmir or Punjab, which is the disputed region from which Humza Yousaf’s parents come from. We’re playing with parallels of course, but then it’s hard to imagine a Muslim fighting for the independence of the land of Maria Stuarda, a Pakistani running in a kilt like Mel Gibson on the cold Highlands.
Of course, we didn’t even imagine the improbable Nicola Sturgeon in those shoes, but Scotland’s independentism has precise historical roots, religious and cultural connotations from which it is difficult to ignore, and which have very little to do with the motivations that would have pushed 7 `-Ne oommemwairri Yousaf to champion the cause of the Scottish National Party. “While I was protesting in London against the illegal invasion of Iraq,” explains the Muslim Yousaf on his website, “I remember thinking to myself why our children were sent to a war we didn’t share.”
From the “no” to the illegal invasion of Iraq to the “no” to Brexit decades have passed, and even Yousaf’s independentism has evolved along with that of the party. “I am a proud Scot and equally a proud European” he said in his first speech as prime minister, reiterating the line of his predecessor and of the Party, namely “we want to return to the EU”. He will have to contend with his Indian and Hindu rival from London who, also following the line of his predecessors, and on the strength of the sentence of the British Supreme Court which established that the Scottish government cannot unilaterally call a second referendum on secession, has already made it clear that have no intention of granting another referendum on the issue. The clash is still open and could not be otherwise between an Englishman and a Scotsman, indeed between an Indian and a Pakistani, between a Hindu and a Muslim. And so on and so forth.
KILT AND URDU LANGUAGE – On the other hand, Yousaf says he is Scottish but he also remains a proud Pakistani as the video still present on the net reminds us of his swearing-in in kilt, sherwani and Urdu in Parliament in 2016. After all, many of his colleagues had sworn in Gaelic and Doric , he also had to do it in his native language, even if Urdu has nothing to do with Scotland at all. The news of his victory dominated the headlines of the Pakistani newspapers which underlined his “moving and ambitious” story, a symbol of revenge and success. A real pride for the country held in prayer in full Ramadan. In fact, it should be noted that their distant compatriot is also the first Muslim to “lead” a Western country and that he himself is a practitioner. On the other hand, the British are used to it by now, even if in Scotland a little less, the important thing is that they belong to those politically correct Muslims who profess to practice a “religion of peace”, good and do-gooders as long as they don’t speaks of Israel, in favor of gay marriage, defenders of LGBT rights and open to free change of gender.