Bradford election campaign: Baradariism, hatred, death threats on the rise

Election campaigning in Bradford is so toxic, dangerous, hate-filled and Baradariism-fuelled that one of Britain's highest-profile female politicians Naz Shah has police guard protecting her round the clock over death threats she has received – and intelligence reports confirming that there is an active threat to her life.

A huge banner hanging outside her central campaign office in Bradford City centre has been defiled and slashed with a knife in a clear attempt to intimidate her.

Welcome to Bradford — known as Britain's mini Pakistan.

In two seats of Bradford West and Bradford East, there are areas where the situation is so tense, divisive and volatile that it can be cut with a knife. Naz Shah is standing in Bradford West for re-election on Labour's ticket and Imran Hussain is seeking re-election on Labour's Bradford East. In both seats, there are "independent" candidates putting up a challenge on the traditional safe Labour seats.

On the face of it, Gaza is the central issue in this election in these constituencies with a large Pakistani & Kashmiri (Mirpur, Kotli) origin diaspora but in reality, this election is much more than that: it's about hate-filled abuse, vile smear campaigns, violence, old family rivalries, Baradariism imported from Pakistan and Kashmir, extreme misogyny, caste and creed divisions and the long-term political planning of the local players.

The division in both constituencies is visible. In large areas and streets, posters and banners of only one candidate (either party-affiliated or independent) are visible while the other candidates are almost non-existent. The situation changes completely in the next few streets where banners and garden poles of only one candidate start becoming visible.

Hussain faces challenge from Talat Sajawal, who has backing of around ten local councillors all of whom resigned from Labour over the Gaza issue. Naz Shah faces a challenge from two independent candidates Ali Islam and Akeel Hussain, both of whom are running on the Gaza issue.

Several candidates shared videos and pictures with Geo News of how their banners and posters were ripped apart at night and in daylight and how they fear campaigning outside of their safe zones, their fiefdoms.

In this election, there are eight parliamentary candidates for Bradford West, and only one of them is a woman and the fact that she is at a huge disadvantage – over her origin and her being - is evident in the area.

She has been serving as a Member of Parliament for nine years on the Labour ticket but some members of the local Labour party have abandoned her as a campaign gets underway to oust her from the constituency at any cost – fuelled and aided by the local Labour stalwarts. Information shared with us, highlights close high profile Labour members and post-holders close to the campaign with Hussain in Bradford East are actively opposing Shah in Bradford West, who is standing on the same labour ticket.

Shah is clear that the campaign against her is sponsored by some local Labour leaders who never liked her because she’s a woman, doesn’t have a strong local family and Baradari orientation and her position in the Labour in Bradford is seen as a stumbling block for the career progress of the local Labour stalwarts who would benefit if she's not there.

She believes that at least one iIndependent" standing against her has the financial and political backing of another local Labour leader who wants her out of the area at all costs and this election offers yet another opportunity for the local Labour group — who tried the same tactics but under different guises on two previous terms when Shah stood from here.

"It is sad to see the issue of Palestine, where real suffering is taking place is being used by some people as a ploy to oust me for their own political agendas. This issue is emotive, and I know many across Bradford have rightful concerns on this issue, but sadly some are trying to use these sentiments for their own political and individual gains. They are campaigning against me and it’s the same lot who campaigned against me previously on the basis of Baradari and misogyny, but people from their own Baradari and the people of Bradford have previously rejected them and will again too," she said.

Shah said that her banners were removed, defaced with paint and slashed with knives. She said: "The businesses who support me get threatening phone calls that their windows and properties will be damaged and boycotted. It's not about Palestine for everyone, some people are sadly using a genuine sentiment for their own political gains. For them, it's a targeted campaign against me. I am the only woman in this seat and I am the target. It's so poisonous that I cannot take out my 12 years old son with me on the campaign. There is a protection officer with me all the time."

Naz Shah noted that the perpetrators are those who downplay the seriousness of violence against women, have a history of playing Baradari card.

She had faced similar attacks in the area when George Galloway ran against her in 2017 — an election she won with a majority of over 25,000 votes.

She says nothing has changed ever since. "My banners were not vandalised then, I didn't have a death threat on me then. The situation is worse now. This is hooliganism. There were some filters on then, but not anymore. The intimidation I am facing as a woman has affected me, my family and my supporters."

Shah said several members were recently suspended by the Labour after the evidence established their involvement in the hooligan behaviour against me.

Shah said she has always stood by her constituents, voted against the war on Gaza, voted for ceasefire, raised the issue of human rights violations in India Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), resigned from the shadow cabinet position in protest at Israel’s war on Gaza and always stood on the side of righteous causes but "I am being targeted through fake news campaign to intimidate me but I will not give up. I will not surrender."

She said: "The irony is that such tactics and abuse are expected from the far-right, but it is unexpected from individuals who experience marginalisation and alienation, particularly in mainstream politics. Yet again, this campaign has demonstrated that internalised misogyny and hate continue to hinder the experiences of women, especially those from minority backgrounds, in politics. This election is not just a fight for a parliamentary seat; it is a stand against the misogyny and prejudice that seek to silence our strong voices in parliament, seek to give rise to vitriolic politics and through an emotional response completely sideline the issue of Palestine from the top table."

Sajawal shared a video with Geo News that showed two masked men trying to set alight his banner on a house of one of his key supporters. The video shows two men wearing gloves and masks, first throwing something on the front of the banner and then setting off a firework, which failed to cause fire but every attempt was made to cause the damage.

He said: "My supporters have come under attacks from those who fear me and believe that I have the will and the support to break their stranglehold on local politics. I will not be intimidated by anyone. We are a group of ten independent councillors. All of us have won as Independents, and we are now the joint third largest in Bradford Council. We will not go away."

Hussain shared a video which shows a man taking away his campaign banner from the garden of one of his supporters. "In total 40 banners have been removed from the area by my opponents. I have car registration number of the person who did this. I have not reported this to the police but my opponent wanted to get me arrested over a £30 banner removal but the police didn’t take action."

Hussain said his father was a Labour councillor till a few weeks ago but he resigned from his position. He denied that he had support of a local Labour leader who wanted Shah to lose votes locally.

Muhammad Islam said the Bararadariism was a reality in the area but he said the new generation was fed up with it. "The old guard failed us. People want change in this area."

He said his own garden poles and banners have been removed by his opponents. "We have reported the incidents against my campaign to the Election body for investigation."

Hussain didn’t respond to repeated requests for interviews but a local community leader affiliated with his campaign said he has faced similar issues in his area.

Anger against Labour is a reality in the area but what's also clear that several local residents, who are likely to vote Labour on July 4, have chosen not to put up Labour banners and window posters at their homes to express their feelings. Several residents told Geo News they felt intimidated by the culture of hooliganism and intimidating tactics on the display.

Shah has said on the record that she contemplated committing suicide twice in 2017 when her opponents ran a hate campaign against her in the general election for the battle for Bradford West.

She was referring to the June 2017 speech made by community leader Pateh Khan in his remarks at the Khidmat Centre in Bradford West.

He had said about Shah: "Even when we adopt/buy a dog, we carefully look for its pedigree, lineage and character. What are you looking into her? What is Naz Shah promoting? What does her dress, her lifestyle, her character demonstrate? What will be the impact of her on our next generations? First of all, we are all Muslims, all praise be to God."

Seven years on, prejudice, misogyny and hate are more prevalent and evident now than before. This time, without any filters, checks and balance.