Mohammad Asghar
{{Short description|British politician (1945–2020)}}
{{for|other people with the same name|Muhammad Asghar (disambiguation)}}
{{pp-semi-indef}}
{{EngvarB|date=March 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|honorific-prefix =
|name = Mohammad Asghar
|honorific-suffix = MS
|image = Mohammad Asghar AM (28136585826).jpg
|alt =
|caption = Mohammad Asghar, June 2016
|office = Member of the Senedd
for South Wales East
|majority =
|term_start = 3 May 2007
|term_end = 16 June 2020
|predecessor = Laura Anne Jones
|successor = Laura Anne Jones
|birth_date = {{birth date|1945|09|30|df=yes}}
|birth_place = Peshawar, North West Frontier Province, British India
(now in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan)
|death_date = {{death date and age|2020|06|16|1945|09|30|df=yes}}
|death_place = Newport, Wales{{Cite web|date=16 June 2020|title=Conservative MS Mohammad Asghar has died after being rushed to hospital|url=https://www.itv.com/news/wales/2020-06-16/conservative-ms-mohammad-asghar-has-died/|access-date=2020-06-16|website=ITV News|quote=The Welsh Ambulance Service confirmed they were called to an 'emergency' in Newport on Tuesday morning.}}
|restingplace =
|birthname =
|nationality =
|party = Welsh Conservatives
|otherparty = Plaid Cymru (until 2009)
Welsh Labour (mid 1990s)
|spouse =
|relations =
|children = Natasha Asghar
|residence =
|alma_mater =
|occupation =
|profession =
|cabinet =
|committees =
|portfolio =
|signature =
|signature_alt =
|website = [http://www.mohammadasghar.org.uk www.mohammadasghar.org.uk]
|footnotes =
}}
Mohammad Asghar (30 September 1945{{cite web|title=ASGHAR, Mohammad |work=Who's Who 2009|publisher=A & C Black / Oxford University Press|year=2008|url=http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whoswho/U246474|access-date=4 January 2009}} – 16 June 2020), known as Oscar, was a Welsh politician who was a Member of the Senedd for South Wales East. He was a member of the Welsh Conservatives, and previously of Welsh Labour, and Plaid Cymru.
He came to prominence after being elected to the Welsh Assembly in 2007 as a member of Plaid Cymru on the list for South Wales East.[http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/southwalesecho/news/tm_headline=labour-given-a-bloody-nose&method=full&objectid=19045469&siteid=50082-name_page.html "Labour given a bloody nose"]. icWales, 4 May 2007 He was the first ethnic minority and Muslim Member of the Welsh Assembly,[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/6622925.stm "First ethnic minority AM elected"]. BBC News, 4 May 2007 as well as the first Assembly Member who was a member of a political party to defect to another party.{{cite web|url=http://www.conservatives.com/News/News_stories/2009/12/Plaid_Assembly_Member_joins_Welsh_Conservatives.aspx|title=Plaid Assembly Member joins Welsh Conservatives|date=8 December 2009|publisher=Welsh Conservatives}}
Early life
Born in Peshawar (then in British India) to Aslam Khan and Zubaida Aslam, Asghar gained a BA from Peshawar University before moving to Wales to complete a course in accountancy in Newport.
Political career
Asghar initially joined the Conservative Party, remaining a member for some two decades, later joining the Labour Party in the 1990s.{{Cite news|url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/columnists/2009/12/13/mat-withers-am-has-been-promiscuous-with-his-political-parties-91466-25379127/2/|title=Matt Withers: AM has been promiscuous with his political parties|publisher=Wales on Sunday|date=2009-12-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121014014851/http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/columnists/2009/12/13/mat-withers-am-has-been-promiscuous-with-his-political-parties-91466-25379127/2/|archive-date=2012-10-14}} He joined Plaid Cymru some time after becoming Wales's first Muslim councillor, representing Victoria ward on Newport City Council.[http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/search/1772774.Gwent_politician_survives_bomb_attack/ Gwent politician survives bomb attack], South Wales Argus, 19 October 2007. He had stood for Plaid Cymru in general elections. His daughter Natasha Asghar also stood as a Plaid Cymru candidate in the 2007 Elections,[http://www.youngwales.plaidcymru.org/content.php?nID=462;lID=1 Young Candidates], Plaid Cymru and also joined the Conservative party at the same time he did so.{{cite web |url=http://www.conservatives.com/People/Welsh_Assembly_Members/Asghar_Mohammad.aspx |title=The Conservative Party | People | Welsh Assembly Members | Mohammad Asghar AM |access-date=2011-04-14 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111020025141/http://www.conservatives.com/People/Welsh_Assembly_Members/Asghar_Mohammad.aspx |archive-date=20 October 2011 |df=dmy-all }}
On 8 December 2009, Asghar became the first AM to cross the floor, defecting from Plaid Cymru to the Conservative Party. He claimed that he felt "out of tune" with Plaid policies, described himself as a royalist and unionist,[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/wales_politics/8401427.stm Plaid AM defects to Conservatives], BBC News online, 8 December 2009. and stated that he felt like "a little parrot in a jungle"."[http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2009/12/08/plaid-cymru-am-joins-the-conservatives-91466-25346747/ Plaid Cymru AM joins the Conservatives]", Walesonline.co.uk, 8 December 2009. Plaid Cymru called on Asghar to resign his seat following his defection.
=Expenses scandal and corruption=
Issues were raised regarding two staff members remaining on permanent paid leave until the Welsh assembly was dissolved in 2011.{{Cite news|url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2010/01/26/daughter-of-am-who-left-plaid-to-join-the-tories-is-now-on-his-staff-91466-25683729/|title=Daughter of AM who left Plaid to join the Tories is now on his staff |publisher=Western Mail|date=2010-01-26}} Asghar has gone on record as stating that MEP Jillian Evans's offer to give his daughter work experience was a significant factor in his decision to defect from the Labour party to Plaid Cymru.
=Controversy over 2011 election candidacy=
In August 2010, Asghar was selected to stand for the Welsh Conservatives in the 2011 election.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-11119617|title=Tories endorse Mohammad Asghar for 2011 regional list|work=BBC News|date=2010-08-28}} In September 2010 David Fouweather, the Chair of the South-East Wales Area Council of the Welsh Conservatives, called for a full investigation into events that preceded the endorsement of Mohammad Asghar as a regional list candidate.{{Cite news|url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2010/09/17/conservatives-refuse-to-confirm-role-of-london-official-in-racism-storm-91466-27284779/|title=Conservatives refuse to confirm role of London official in racism storm|publisher=Western Mail|date=2010-09-17|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210613022337/https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/conservatives-refuse-confirm-role-london-1898046|archive-date=2021-06-13}} In a letter to the Chair of the Welsh Conservatives, Fouweather wrote: {{quote|There were numerous telephone calls made to myself by a representative of the party chairman’s office in London. These calls made it quite clear to me that Mohammad Asghar had to be re-adopted at all costs because of the embarrassment that it would create for the party. ... I was told that failure to re-adopt Mr Asghar could lead to my possible suspension from the party whilst an investigation was carried out to see if there were any racial motives for him not being adopted. This I found deeply offensive, resulting in a great deal of pressure being put upon me to deliver the desired outcome for the party hierarchy.}}
Following his call for an investigation into Asghar's selection, Fouweather was asked by the Conservative Party to stand down as Chair of the South-East Wales Area Council.{{cite news|url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2010/11/13/councillor-sidelined-over-row-91466-27651063/|title= Councillor sidelined over row|publisher=Western Mail|date=2010-11-13}}
=Newport council election 2011=
In December 2011, Asghar emailed fellow Conservatives asking them to support his wife in a vacant Newport City Council seat two days after the incumbent Les Knight had died. The email read:
{{quote|I am very sad about Coun Les Knight although it seems that things are already moving on in terms of the Allt-yr-yn seat. I would be very grateful if you could consider Firdaus Asghar to stand in the elections from Allt-yr-yn. I am sure you are aware that Firdaus has lived in the ward for more than 20 years and worked closely with Coun Knight on many constituency matters.{{cite news|url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/welsh-politics/welsh-politics-news/2011/12/15/tory-am-accused-of-appalling-bad-taste-over-death-91466-29956837/|title=Tory AM accused of 'appalling bad taste' over death|publisher=Western Mail|date=15 December 2011}}}}
One of the Conservative councillors who received the email said:
{{quote|I was extremely shocked to get this email, which I found in appallingly bad taste. I have known Les and his wife for more than 30 years and am very sad at his death. When I received the email the funeral arrangements hadn't even been made. Sending an email like this was callous and in extremely poor taste. I can’t imagine what was meant by "things are already moving on in terms of the Allt-yr-yn seat".}}
Asghar later apologised for the email, and confirmed that his wife would not be standing for election in the forthcoming elections.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-16197187|title=Mohammad Asghar sorry for lobbying for wife after councillor's death|work=BBC News|date=15 December 2011}}{{cite news|url=http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/9421390.AM_apologises_for__callous__election_e_mail/|title=AM apologises for 'callous' election e-mail|newspaper=South Wales Argus|date=15 December 2011}}
=Mosque election dispute=
In 2011, Asghar was involved in a dispute with members of the Jamia Mosque and Al-Noor Mosque, the two largest Sunni mosques in Newport, during which some members accused him of aggressively opposing the introduction of democratic elections for the mosques' leadership.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-16310638|title=Deal after Newport mosque row with AM Mohammad Asghar|work=BBC News|date=22 December 2011}} Asghar was subsequently issued with an ex parte court injunction, forbidding him from attending either mosque.{{cite news|url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2011/12/22/judge-to-rule-on-mosque-ban-for-tory-muslim-am-mohammad-asghar-91466-29994184/|title=Judge to rule on mosque ban for Tory Muslim AM Mohammad Asghar|publisher=Western Mail|date=22 December 2011}} In December 2011, members of the two mosques applied to have the injunction extended. The injunction was instead lifted, when a Cardiff County Court judge instructed the two parties to come to a private agreement.{{cite news|url=http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/9436953.Gwent_AM_in_mosque_injunction_row/|title=Gwent AM in mosque injunction row|newspaper=South Wales Argus|date=23 December 2011}}
=Awards and nominations=
In January 2014 and 2015, Asghar was nominated for the Politician of the Year award at the British Muslim Awards.{{cite news |url=http://www.asianimage.co.uk/news/united_kingdom/10978079.British_Muslim_Awards_2014_winners/|title=British Muslim Awards 2014 winners|publisher=Asian Image|date=31 January 2014|access-date=1 November 2015}}{{cite news |url=http://www.asianimage.co.uk/news/business/11745550.British_Muslim_Awards_2015_finalists_unveiled/|title=British Muslim Awards 2015 finalists unveiled|publisher=Asian Image|date=23 January 2015|access-date=1 November 2015}}
Personal life
He was a qualified pilot and spoke Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi fluently.{{Cite news|date=2020-06-16|title=Tory Senedd member Mohammad Asghar has died|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-politics-53068711|access-date=2020-06-16}}
Asghar married his wife, Firdaus, in 1983; they had one daughter Natasha Asghar.
He ran with the Olympic torch in 1964 and campaigned for Wales to have its own cricket team.
Death
Asghar died on 16 June 2020 after being rushed to hospital earlier in the day.{{cite news|url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/politics/mohammad-asghar-dies-conservatives-senedd-18433249|title=Welsh Conservative MS Mohammad Asghar has died aged 74|publisher=Western Mail|date=16 June 2020|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211029205032/https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/politics/mohammad-asghar-dies-conservatives-senedd-18433249|archive-date=2021-10-29}} His funeral took place in Newport Central Mosque on 25 June 2020.{{cite news|url=https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/18542068.mohammad-asghar-funeral-held-procession-newport/|title=Mohammad Asghar funeral held after procession through Newport|publisher=South Wales Argus|date=25 June 2020}}
References
{{Reflist|2}}
External links
- [http://www.senedd.assembly.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=130 Senedd] Member profile
- [http://www.welshconservatives.com/person/mohammad-asghar-am Mohammad Asghar], profile at Welsh Conservative Party
Offices held
{{s-start}}
{{s-par|wal}}
{{s-bef|before=Laura Anne Jones}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member of the Senedd for South Wales East|years=2007–2020}}
{{s-aft|after=Laura Anne Jones}}
{{s-end}}
{{Welsh AMs 2016-2021|state=collapsed}}
{{Welsh AMs 2011-2016|state=collapsed}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Asghar, Mohammad}}
Category:Plaid Cymru members of the Senedd
Category:Conservative Party members of the Senedd
Category:Pakistani emigrants to Wales
Category:Politicians from Peshawar
Category:University of Peshawar alumni