Rushanara Ali

The Member of Parliament for Bethnal Green and Bow, Rushanara Ali has called on the Government to rescind the offer of a State Visit to American President Donald Trump. Following the President’s Executive Order for a travel ban from seven-majority Muslim countries and a litany of misogynistic and racist comments, Rushanara called on the Prime Minster to protect the reputation of the Queen and offer the President a government-to-government visit rather than a State Visit.

On Tuesday 14th February, the Member of Parliament for Bethnal Green and Bow and Co-Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Burma, Rushanara Ali met with Burmese State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi in Naypyidaw, Burma.

On 21st February, the world celebrates International Mother Language Day. Established by UNESCO in 1999 as a day to promote linguistic and cultural diversity, it is needed more than ever. With 7,097 known living languages, according to UNESCO, there are 2.3 billion people who lack access to education in their own languages.

A cross-party party group of 70 Parliamentarians is urging the Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson to intensify the Government’s pressure on the Myanmar Government and allow full humanitarian access to the Rohingya Muslims in the North Rakhine State of Myanmar.

Rohingya Muslims are being indiscriminately targeted in an increase of human rights abuses in Burma over the last month.

With around five million people in Somalia in need of humanitarian aid, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Rushanara Ali MP is calling on the Government to urgently come to the aid of those malnourished and at risk of meeting their daily food requirements due to a prolonged drought in Somaliland and Somalia.

Last month the Guardian obtained a leaked copy of a report by a UN Panel of Experts which found evidence of Saudi Arabia targeting civilians in Yemen in violation of international humanitarian law in the course of their military operations. The crisis in Yemen is having a devastating effect on the whole country and as matters currently stand, an astonishing 82% of the population needs humanitarian assistance. Meanwhile, UK arms sales to Saudi Arabia, a key military presence in the region have totaled about £7 billion pounds since David Cameron took office in 2010.

Rushanara Ali MP marks Human Rights Day by supporting Amnesty International’s Write for Rights Campaign.

On Monday, MPs took the historic step of voting to recognise the state of Palestine.

Rushanara Ali urged the Government in a debate in Parliament to intensify its efforts to find a lasting solution to the challenges faced by those giving remittance to families and friends overseas.