Plaid Cymru press release

Have received a press release from Plaid, the meat of which is concerned about an Eid party organised by Labour a mere month after the event. I noted at the time that Cardiff did not seem to have an Eid event, they just have a late one. So, that press release:

Eid festival: Labour accused of insensitive bid for votes

Plaid Cymru Muslim councillor lambasts hypocritical Rhodri Morgan

Plaid Cymru has today (Monday 28 November) that the First Minister Rhodri Morgan has made a ‘cynical and insensitive’ attempt to gain votes for the Labour Party, after arranging a party to mark the end of Ramadan, but four weeks late.

The Labour Party, hurt by their loss of key seats to The Party of Wales – Plaid Cymru in the 2004 local elections, held a party at Coal Exchange yesterday in desperate bid to win back Muslim voters lost over the war in Iraq.

Plaid Cymru Councillor Mohammed Sarul Islam, who was elected for the Riverside ward of Cardiff in the 2004 elections, commented:

“The Muslim Community are furious in Cardiff. Rhodri Morgan is attending a celebration for Muslims to mark the end of Ramadan that is six weeks after the actual EID. That is a cynical and insensitive. As a Muslim, I ask quite simply, what has New Labour done for Muslims who live in Wales? They have let 100,000 civilians be killed in what amounts to genocide in Iraq.

“More locally, in Cardiff on 22 January 2004, New Labour Councillors voted down Plaid Cymru’s proposals to provide halal meals for Muslim children in Cardiff as of right. They should apologise to Muslim children who go hungry in school.

“Yet now, the Muslim Community is turning their back on Labour in droves, Labour is seeking to salvage the position by holding this late party to gain support. They are hypocrites.”

Plaid Cymru’s Shadow Social Justice Minister Leanne Wood, who is AM for South Wales Central which includes Cardiff, added:

“This is just another appalling gaff by Rhodri Morgan. This is just like his decision to play golf instead of attending the D-Day celebrations. It is crass and insensitive. I hope he will apologise.”

A BBC article has more from the other side, Labour-Plaid row over Eid party:

A Welsh Labour spokeswoman said: "It's really sad that on this day which is about partnership and building bridges that Plaid Cymru try to score cheap political points."

I was intrigued though by that reference to halal school meals and dug up the minutes. The proposal by the Plaid councillors was quite simple. A lengthy amendment was proposed by two Labour councillors (who have since lost their seats) that turned the motion in to a barren wasteland of nothingness. Which was passed. County council minutes, Thursday 22nd January 2004 (linked out of council website frame to get URL).

Fast forward to July and the newly elected Cllr Islam proposes a new version, identical except for pushing the dates back. An amendment deletes it, adds a bit of fluff but moves the debate on by calling for a report. County council minutes, Thursday 29th July 2004 (PDF linked out of website frame). Also related... Plaid press release, 15th July 2004. BBC article Schools' halal provision debated, 30 July 2004.

Singnificantly fast forward to March 2005 and the report is delivered... Halal school meals plan shelved, South Wales Echo, 5th March 2005. Cardiff Council is to Consult on Provision of School Meals for all Communities, Capital Times press release, 4th March 2005.