World

First Muslim woman joins Cameron's cabinet

Express May 13, 2010

LONDON: Pakistani descent Sayeeda Hussain Warsi secured the honour of being the first Muslim member of British Prime Minister David Cameron’s cabinet on Wednesday.

Sayeeda Warsi, who has been politically active from her early college days, is a lawyer by profession. She is the former vice chairman of the Conservative Party. Warsi has been a speaker on issues as varied as forced marriages, prison conditions and business network links.

She has worked overseas on a research project on forced marriages for the Ministry of Law in Pakistan and for the women’s empowerment charity-the Savayra Foundation.

COMMENTS (16)

Raza | 14 years ago | Reply Dear. what ever she is and from where she belonged we are just discussing about the how much she is wise, brilliant and also intelligent that she attain a position of cabnet member in world's developed country.

Ammad Qureshi | 14 years ago | Reply I am proud of her. Ammad Qureshi from Gujar Khan

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C.M.Sarwar | 14 years ago | Reply @Nadir El -Edroos. Dear Sir, I do not think it is necessary to throw pearls of wisdom on all the available spaces.I am really tired of confronting you in whatever directions I look.

KHLAID NAWAZ | 14 years ago | Reply GOOD FOR MISS WARSI.BUT SHALWAR KAMEESS ALONG WITH DUPPATTA CANT BE TAKEN AS PURELY PAKISTANI DRESS.ITS MORE OF SOUTH ASIAN IN NATURE.OUR WINNING OF SARTORIAL BATTLE WAS WHEN THE LATE PRINCESS DIANA WORE SHALWAR KAMEES ON HER VISIT.IT WAS THEN THAT THE WEST WAS WON. MISS WARSI NORMALLY DOESN'T WEAR THAT DRESS OFTEN.PERHAPS SHE WANTED TO BE DEFENSIVE REGARDING THE RELIGIOUS RIGHT OF MUSLIM COMMUNITY. SHE HAS BEEN CRITICIZED AND EGGS WERE PELTED ON HER BY CONSERVATIVE MUSLIMS ON ONE OCCASION.

KHLAID NAWAZ | 14 years ago | Reply HERE WE GO AGAIN.WHEN WE ARE GOING TO REALIZE THE SMALL OBVIOUS FACTS DEVOID OF SENTIMENTALITY? FIRST OF ALL SHE IS A BRITISH NATIONAL,AND MOST OF THEM HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH PAKISTAN UNLESS THEY COULDN'T FIND A GOOD RISHTA FOR THEIR KIDS. THEY HAVE A LOVE HATE RELATIONSHIP WIT PAKISTAN. IN BRITAIN THEY CONSIDER THEMSELVES AS BRITISH MUSLIM. TRUE THAT PAKISTANIS ALL OVER THE WORLD HAVE MADE A REPUTATION FOR THEMSELVES DUE TO THEIR TALENT AND HARD WORK,BUT WE SHOULD HIGHLIGHT THEM,RATHER THAN THOSE WHOSE PARENTS WERE PAKISTANIS. ON A PERSONAL SIDE IT IS AN ACHIEVEMENT FOR MISS WARSI. THOUGH SHE WAS LUCKY TO LOSE AN ELECTION AND BECOME A BARONESS INSTEAD.SHAHID MALIK OF LABOUR PARTY WON THAT SEAT AND LATER ON BECAME A MINISTER IN LABOUR GOVERNMENT. IT ALSO HAS GOT NOTHING TO DO WITH RAISING WOMEN ISSUES.WE SHOULD REMEMBER THAT THERE ARE MORE WOMEN IN PAKISTANI PARLIAMENT, THAN THE MOTHER OF ALL DEMOCRACIES I.E BRITISH PARLIAMENT.

KAMAL CHOBDAR | 14 years ago | Reply IRRESPECTIVE OF THE FACT THAT SAYEEDA HUSSAIN WARSI IS A PAKISTANI OR A BRITISH NATIONAL AND/OR OF PAKISTAN DESCENT - SHE HAS BEEN PRIVELEGED TO BE ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF BRITISH CABINET WHICH INDEED IS A BIG NEWS. SHE IS A PRIDE OF PAKISTAN. ( HOW MANY PAKISTANIS HAVE HAD SUCH HONOUR - NEGLIGIBLE !). FOR ACHIEVING SUCH A POSITION, SHE MUST HAVE DONE TREMENDOUS EFFORTS, SACRIFICES AND MUST HAVE LOT OF CHARISMA. MAY SHE PROSPER, SERVE THE HUMANITY ALL OVER THE WORLD AND RAISE GENUINE VOICE FOR PAKISTANS DEFENSE ON ALL RATIONALE ISSUES.

Ashrafuddin Barenis | 14 years ago | Reply Congratulation being pioneer among Muslims in British to get member of British Cabinet.

shah | 14 years ago | Reply she is british not pakistani. thanks

Jazib Iqbal | 14 years ago | Reply Sayeeda Warsi showed up for her first day on her new job in a lovely pink shalwar kameez with a matching dupatta, traditional Pakistani Syle She also made history as the first Muslim woman to sit in a British cabinet. So the baroness is a fascinating combination of the old world and the new.

ali bilal | 14 years ago | Reply Proud of Pakistan

Ghazala | 14 years ago | Reply There are many muslims out there that are more than capable of acheiving high goals. Saeeda has proved that it can be done, but we need to try and attain acheivements in every way possible. Only then will we have shown the world what muslims are really capable of and get rid off the nasty stereotypes that we have become accustomed to through events such as 9/11 and 7/7.

Nadir El-Edroos | 14 years ago | Reply Isnt it ironice that when a dual national is accused of terrorism we all claim that he is American and not Pakistani, while when a Britsh national who does not hold a Pakistani passport reaches a position of influence we suddenly claim her has our own. On the other hand as she is a member of the conservative party which has always polled unfavorably with Britsh Pakistani's not too sure how much of a "positive" influence she is going to be.

Asad | 14 years ago | Reply She is not Pakistani. She is British of Pakistani origin. She was born in UK and has British nationality only. So my dear countrymen and women wake up, open your eyes and do something yourself to be proud of!

Rays Ashlar | 14 years ago | Reply At least there is one Pakistani for which general British Pakies can be proud of.

Saman Ali Abbasi | 14 years ago | Reply Thank God for something positive about the image of Pakistan. I felt so embarrassed when a British colleague of mine asked me what is wrong with Pakistani people?

Zaigham Ali | 14 years ago | Reply One hopes she becomes an icon for Pakistanis so that Pakistan could get some leverage in the world body.

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