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Students not put off careers in politics

Wednesday 30 November 2016

SALFORD students hoping to pursue a career in politics will be mentored by Bolton Labour MP the Rt Hon Yasmin Qureshi.

The four – Aliny Campos, Abdullah Mustafa, Neil Jones and Mohammed Hussain – are not put off by the low esteem in which we hold our politicians. On the contrary, they are desperate to give something back to the community.

“They truly believe in public service and that politics is not self-serving; and for that we should be proud”, says organiser Imam Rashid Musa, University Chaplain and Faith Adviser, who helped the quartet successfully apply to the leadership programme ParliaMentors.

The inter-faith community action programme, sponsored by the United Nations, will see the students work in tandem to build their skills and effect real change in the community.

'I want to become an MP'

For Mohammed Hussain, an undergraduate in Real Estate and Property Management, it’s the next step in his ambitious plan to one day become a Member of Parliament.

Mohammed, a Muslim and Labour Party activist, said: “From a career point of view, this is a stepping stone to my plan to represent my community one day. It is also about my outlook which is inspired by Mohammed Ali who said that ‘helping others is the rent we pay for living in this world.”

Aliny, a Christian who lives in South Manchester and is studying International Relations & Politics, hopes the experience working under a political leader will put her community activism on a more professional footing.

“I’ve worked for years getting young people active and engaged as a sort of hobby and because it’s part of my commitment to my church – the Audacious Church in Salford. “The Parliamentors scheme is brilliant because it can turn me from worker into leader.

'Let's improve society together'

“It’s also important to work with people of other faiths as it highlights the fact that we all want to improve the society we live in and we’re best, at the end of the day, doing it together.”

Neil Jones, who describes himself as a Humanist is ex-British Army and currently a student of English and Creative Writing. He says: “I feel strongly about both social and economic inequality and I aspire to find a way of addressing it locally and eventually nationally by pursuing a career in politics.

Abdullah Mustafa,  a mature student beginning an International Relations and Security degree this year after a career in the Automotive Engineering industry, also has strong vision of himself as a community leader having set up a community project that won two local awards.

Politics in action

The quartet met Yasmin Qureshi last week after successfully pitching their idea for an employability engagement project for Salford teenager to the Three Faiths Forum.

Imam Rashid Musa, who is based at Student Experience and Support, said: “The scheme lets students see politics in action and opens them up to networks and skills they need to affect real change in their communities, in their careers and in the political arena.”

To apply for the ParliaMentors scheme, contact Imam Rashid Musa at r.musa@salford.ac.uk or find out more here.