Osama Saeed can't win Glasgow Central but the SNP can

Dear All

I was looking at the Indygal goes to holyrood blog when a piece caught my eye about Osama Saeed and Mohammad Sarwar.

The Indygal blog is written by SNP MSP Anne McLaughlin, she has written a defence of Osama Saeed who she believes has been treated unfairly by the media.

Having read the piece, I was looking for names of people or newspapers which she is basing her complaint about unfair treatment, but she doesn’t cite a single incident other than her own rebuttal of his critics.

In order for a defence to be credible, it requires that evidence is produce to allow for examination by the reader independently.

This is to allow the reader to reach their own conclusion if a case has merit.

As a defence of Osama Saeed, Ms. McLaughlin uses Labour MP Mohammad Sarwar as an example; I personally don’t think this serves her purpose as it doesn’t prove conspiracy on the part of the MSM, a key claim.

Newspapers are interested in political stories if it can stimulate the reader and help sell newspapers, they do also have a political agenda but Mohammad Sarwar serving on the board of the Finsbury Park Mosque is not newsworthy.

Osama Saeed is standing as the SNP Candidate for Glasgow Central at the General Election. The SNP have a chance to win this seat from Labour as the polls put Labour and the SNP neck and neck in voting intentions.

Osama Saeed has been subject to a fair amount of criticism for his views and for the Scottish Islamic Foundation, this can be googled.

It is these issues which could cost the SNP the Glasgow Central seat.

As an SNP Supporter, I want to see SNP Candidates stand up for the community they seek to represent so I went and looked at Osama Saeed’s blog.

There is absolutely nothing about the people living in Glasgow Central, nothing about what he would seek to do as an SNP MP, nothing about his involvement in the community, nothing about what community projects he has supported in that area.

If he can’t be bothered now, are we to assume that if elected he would?

In order to get a view of what he stands for I decided to check out his blog archive, it isn’t very inspiring.

An SNP Candidate should write about a wide variety of interests to show that he/she is prepared to work for the whole community.

Judging by his blog, he appears for want of a better description to be what I would term a ‘race candidate’.

Practically his entire blog touches on race, that makes me feel uneasy and I am sure it would make others too.

I don’t believe that Osama Saeed can win the seat of Glasgow Central but I do believe the SNP can.

Anne McLaughlin cites Tom Harris in her closing argument;

“Let's see what Labour MP, prolific blogger and outspoken critic of just about every move Osama makes Tom Harris has to say about his colleague Mr Sarwar. Sorry? What's that I hear you say Tom? Can't make it out. Ah I see, nothing. Deafened by the silence. I rest my case!”

If Ms. McLaughlin thinks that Osama Saeed is a good candidate, she should ask the SNP officials how many days did the Glasgow North East by-election run for and how many days did Osama Saeed turn up and work for David Kerr.

Osama Saeed hasn't expressed any interest in the people of Glasgow Central on his blog, maybe the SNP need to look at his 'record' of supporting other SNP candidates getting elected too.

I rest my case!

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University