The British Muslim Initiative (BMI), a U.K. Muslim Brotherhood organization, has endorsed Muslim Brotherhood supporter and current London Mayor Ken Livingstone in the upcoming London mayoral elections. The BMI website posted the following statement in support of Mr. Livingstone:
Since June 2000, Ken Livingstone has been an outstanding Mayor of London. He has stood out in support of a multi-cultural society and has supported the Muslim communities of the city against racism and Islamophobia as well as all other minorities against all types of prejudice. His stands and policies have constantly championed justice in the Middle East and around the world, freedom for the Palestinians and withdrawal of occupying troops from Iraq; a rare trait of modern-day public figures. He has enhanced London’s standing in the world and helped improve the lives of all of the city’s communities. For those and many more traits continuously and consistently demonstrated by the Ken Livingstone, we the undersigned believe that it is in the best interest of the Muslim communities of London, and indeed all Londoners, to back Mr. Livingstone in this year’s mayoral elections. We pledge to continue our support for the Mayor on all levels possible in order to secure his staying in office for a third term.
The statement was also signed by a large number of individuals representing U.K. Islamic organizations, a number of which are known also to be part of the U.K. Muslim Brotherhood including the Federation of Student Islamic Societies (FOSIS), Muslim Welfare House, Institute of Islamic Political Thought, Centre for the Study of Terrorism, Muslim Association of Britain, and the Palestine Return Center. A longer list of Livingstone endorsers was published in a U.K newspaper that included Tariq Ramadan, the well-known Muslim Brotherhood figure. In 2004, Mayor Livingston drew international attention when he invited global Muslim Brotherhood leader Youssef Qaradawi to speak at City Hall in London where the Sheikh reiterated his support for suicide bombings in Israel.