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(10\/07\/2019)<\/p>\n

Feature: Magid Magid: Taking the EU by storm<\/strong><\/p>\n

Parliament Magazine<\/strong><\/p>\n

Magid Magid, one of Parliament\u2019s newly-elected deputies, is brash, confident, black and proud, particularly of his immigrant background.<\/p>\n

Born in Somaliland, an autonomous region of Somalia, the 30-year-old aquatic zoology graduate entered local politics as a councillor because he was \u201ctired of complaining and had enough of asking the wrong people to do the right thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought, I should get more involved in my community, it wasn\u2019t really about politics.\u201d He had previously worked in digital marketing and then for the British housing charity Shelter. It was European politics and the rise of UKIP during the 2014 elections that pushed him to stand.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeeing rhetoric that was pushing fear, hate and division, I remember telling myself that if I can at least make my small part of the world, my community, my Sheffield, that bit better, then I\u2019m making a positive contribution.\u201d<\/p>\n

After a couple of years working as a local representative, he successfully stood as Lord Mayor for Sheffield.<\/p>\n

He immediately made an impact on social media, dispensing with the traditional ermine, and coming across more like a hip-hop star, wearing his mayor\u2019s gold chain with his trademark reverse baseball cap and green Doc Marten boots.<\/p>\n

During his year as a mayor, he gained over 90,000 followers on Twitter, while pushing the contentious agenda of championing the positive contribution to society of immigrants and refugees.
\nAll this in a political landscape where Brexit was underpinned by anti-migration sentiment.Even though the UK is scheduled to leave the EU by 31 October, Magid chose to run in the European elections.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe reason I stood to be an MEP was, again, I felt compelled to do something. I wanted to put forward some positivity and hope.\u201d He joined the Greens as \u201cthey stand for what they believe in, they had a red line against austerity and backed free university education.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot only that, we only have one planet and we need to live within our means. For me, the Green Party aren\u2019t just playing the game, they\u2019re trying to change the game.\u201d
\nHis Muslim background has also shaped his political outlook; when he was young, he was already outspoken in his views. He remembers being told to \u2018tone it down\u2019 and not to be \u2018overly political\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I haven\u2019t got that privilege of not being too political; I\u2019m a black Muslim refugee living in this anti-immigration climate; it would be a disservice and unjust if I did not use my platform.\u201d He added, \u201cLook at what\u2019s happening in the UK; we\u2019ve got a hostile environment towards immigrants.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have government-sponsored vans with \u2018Go Home\u2019 banners and the Windrush scandal. All of this is not just affecting me and my family, it\u2019s affecting people around the country.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m fortunate enough to have a position of influence and I refuse to simply coast along and have a nice comfortable life. I know full well it\u2019s going to be a challenge, but you need to stick your head above the parapet.\u201d<\/p>\n

His outspoken, positive stand on migrants and refugees saw him invited to the hugely popular Glastonbury music festival, addressing thousands of people on political issues. \u201cIt was a lot of fun – great music, great people. The reception was amazing, it was very welcoming.\u201d<\/p>\n

This was in marked contrast to his experience on his first visit to the Strasbourg plenary, where he believes he was a victim of racism.\u201cAfter the opening ceremony, I was coming out of the chamber, and some gentleman decided to take it upon himself to ask me if I was lost. I responded, \u2018Do I look lost?\u2019<\/p>\n

He told me, \u2018You need to leave the building.\u2019 I said, \u2018Why do I need to leave?\u2019 and I showed him my badge.\u201d \u201cIt really pissed me off, as it was an all-too-familiar situation, not something exclusive to the European Parliament. It\u2019s happened to me in lots of different places throughout my life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Asked was it just a case of mistaken identity rather than racism, considering he was dressed so informally, and wearing a t-shirt stating, \u2018F*** Fascism\u2019, he strongly disagreed.<\/p>\n

He pointed out that many MEPs were wearing t-shirts with various political messages that day, including the UK Liberal deputies with \u2018Bollocks to Brexit\u2019 t-shirts.<\/p>\n

According to Magid, the incident reflects how people of colour are perceived in the institutions. \u201cFundamentally, the majority of people of colour you see in this place are workers. People have been socially conditioned to think if you are a non-white person, you cannot be an MEP, which is so insular.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added, \u201cIf this person had made a genuine mistake, he would have said sorry. But what really pissed me off was his sheer arrogance and the way he smirked and walked off, with no apology.\u201d<\/p>\n

That made me think \u201cwhat a prick\u201d. For Magid, the incident was indicative of why people of colour remain under-represented among the 750 deputies. \u201cIf you look at MEPs as a whole, they do not reflect the people they\u2019re here to represent, or modern-day Europe.\u201d<\/p>\n

He pointed out, however, that it\u2019s not just people of colour who are under-represented; other minority groups such as people with disabilities are also marginalised.<\/p>\n

So why are right-wing populist politicians, such as Marine Le Pen, Victor Orb\u00e1n, Matteo Salvini and Nigel Farage, with their anti-immigration rhetoric, popular with voters?<\/p>\n

\u201cThe reason is because they play on peoples\u2019 fears. Many people are struggling across Europe and want change, and these politicians are saying the reason you can\u2019t get social housing or see a doctor is all down to immigrants, rather than failed government policy.\u201d<\/p>\n

They found a way to divide people and gain power.\u201d He added, \u201cThis is destructive and downright deceiving; most people want change because they are unhappy with the status quo, and as a result are flocking to these parties.\u201d<\/p>\n

Magid is also not impressed with how the negotiations for the EU\u2019s top jobs were handled. \u201cI\u2019ve never heard the words \u2018backroom deal\u2019 so many times in the space of a week. Are there any front-room deals? It genuinely doesn\u2019t fill me with much hope concerning transparency.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Magid, the negotiations were \u2018business as usual\u2019 and not the transformation the EU voters sought. \u201cI can honestly say I cannot see any sort of change and the EU needs to take this call for reform seriously. It\u2019s basically failing.\u201d<\/p>\n

He points out that during the EU election campaign, voters couldn\u2019t even name a single MEP that represented them. \u201cThey were so disengaged from the EU. It needs to do a better to job in actually engaging with people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even during a weekend stay in Brussels, when he told people that he was elected to the European Parliament, he was asked \u2018what happens there?\u2019 or \u2018what is it? If the citizens of Brussels don\u2019t even know what the<\/p>\n

EU does, how can you expect someone in Bradford or other provincial cities to know?<\/p>\n

Despite his initial negative experience as an MEP, Magid is still highly ambitious. He has a three-point plan.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne, stop Brexit. Two, dismantle the EU, even if I have to burn down the house to re-build it. That way, every citizen in the EU, from Bradford to Barcelona, will feel like they own the EU and are represented by it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd when we rebuild it, we\u2019ll make sure it\u2019s fit for purpose and ready to tackle the urgent issues and burning injustices of our time, like climate change and rampant inequality.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThree, smash the far right so hard that when the likes of Salvini, Le Pen, Farage and Orb\u00e1n go to sleep in their comfortable beds, the one person who will keep them awake at night is a black Muslim refugee.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThese extreme nationalists are Europe\u2019s greatest threat – and we\u2019ll beat them, because there\u2019s a stronger, kinder, fairer Europe waiting.\u201d Of course, wanting to \u201cburn down the house\u201d is figurative. But, he warned,<\/p>\n

\u201cIf things do not change, and we stick to the status quo, the European project is going to fail.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need radical reform, whether it is the way the Parliament is run – by giving more power to MEPs. Alternatively, the way the EU engages with its citizens, so they have a direct say through peoples\u2019 assemblies. It needs radical reform.\u201d<\/p>\n

He has been appointed to Parliament\u2019s civil liberties (LIBE) committee, and the culture and education (CULT) committee. As a member of LIBE, he wants to continue campaigning to highlight the plight of refugees and find solutions to the migration crisis.<\/p>\n

Within CULT, he wants to promote culture, as a way of helping heal Europe\u2019s divisions. \u201cNo matter what your background, or how wealthy you are, art is a really good way to bring people together.\u201d
\nYet despite the many challenges facing the new Parliament and the political divisions across the EU, Magid remains optimistic. \u201cI feel 100 percent positive about the future. I feel hopeful because if we haven\u2019t got hope, what have we got?\u201d<\/p>\n

He admits, \u201cYes, Britain is currently facing a massive identity crisis with Brexit at its epicentre. But then I ask myself, who do we want to be the authors of our future? People like Salvini or Farage?
\nOr should we create a story where every single one of us is a protagonist, where we write our own story of hope, collective responsibility and equality? This is the story I want to tell and that is the story I genuinely believe we are going to get, because hope always wins over hate.\u201d<\/p>\n

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