Launch of Candidacy Speech

Delivered at Spa Hotel, Lucan on 29 January, 2009

Good evening ladies and gentlemen,

I want to thank Minister Curran for his kind words of introduction.
I am honoured that both Minister Curran and Eoin Ryan MEP could be here this evening, and I would like to wish Eoin the best for his re-election to the European Parliament.

Tonight, I am proud to stand before you on this platform and officially launch my candidacy for the 2009 Local Elections. Over the coming months, I look forward to working closely with my running mates, Shane Moynihan and Edno Cooley.

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome all our dedicated Fianna Fail members, representatives of the ‘new’ irish communities and members of the press.

For many of you, I am a new face. For me, many of you are new faces. You are faces with whom I wish to form friendships, to foster understanding, and to work to build a better community.

I represent that changing face of Irish society; the face that has emerged from two decades of successful economic growth, higher educational attainment and the growing importance and interdependence of this great state in the world.

As an island nation, Ireland remained a homogenous society and culture for many years. Its success has shifted the demographics somewhat and Ireland has undergone a change of sorts. We have become a society that now plays host to persons and communities from every corner of the earth.

Ireland’s evolution into multiculturalism is in its infancy and, therefore, we have been gifted the chance to shape the development of our society. We have the opportunity to learn from the mistakes of others and to craft a community that is, instead, integrated and all-inclusive.

I want to give you some background about me, where I am coming from, why I chose Fianna Fail and why I am running for election.

I am originally from Lahore, Pakistan. I moved to Germany in the late seventies where I met my wife, Elisabeth, a Drumcondra woman, and in 1981 I moved to Ireland. This country has been my home since then and I have been a proud citizen of this state since 1984.

My wife’s family had a strong political influence on me and I was successfully converted to the Fianna Fail creed about 4 and half months after my arrival to these shores. You might rightly ask what took them so long.

Despite being a loyal Fianna Fail voter since the 1980s it was not until the 2007 General election that I became fully submerged in the party. During that election campaign I worked with Tom Kitt on his re-election bid and developed many close friendships from that experience.

I now come before you to stand for election for the first time.

However, this is by no means my first brush with politics. As an advocate for integration in this country for the last 20 years I have worked with successive governments and various bodies on behalf of the Islamic community and have achieved many positive results.

Three key themes motivate my campaign:
Education, Integration, Representation.

Several years ago I came across a quote that I feel tells an essential truth.

‘The foundation of every state is the education of its youth.’

Today, we see our population in the Lucan ward expanding and with that expansion comes new challenges to meet the educational needs of a growing community. The ‘Educate Together’ Schools are currently looking to set-up a second-level school and I wish to express my full support for this project.

Much work has been done to improve our education system in recent years and, in these difficult economic times, we must ensure that our schools are funded and the very best education provided for our children. As a father of four, I would demand nothing less.

I promise to fight to keep our school system strong and to continually be looking for ways to improve the opportunities for our children.

I have always been a strong suporter of intergration. Over the years I have arranged visits to the Islamic Cultural Centre in Clonskeagh for Presidents Mary Robinson and McAleese, former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, and Ministers Lenihan and Roche among others.

I am a representative of the Islamic Community to the annual National Day of Commemoration at Kilmainham Hospital.

One of the greatest areas in which I believe integration can occur and one with which I have personal experience is sport. Sport is fun, sport unifies, sport breaks down barriers between people. Athletes speak a common language, which everyone understands who is involved. It is important that people of different nations play sports together in clubs, schools and recreational teams, regardless of whether it is competitive or just for fun. This way strangers quickly become friends.

Integration of immigrants into and through sport, whether young or old, whether male or female, means: Bringing people from different cultural groups together.

I come from a strong sports background having played badminton at top levels in Germany and Ireland, while I played top level cricket for a number of Irish teams. This of course was back when I could touch my toes.

I believe it vital that we continue to invest in sports facilities for local clubs and schools in the area, which will not only serve to help integration but will also have positive health and social effects.

Of course, this is not the only area in which we need to promote integration and I will work hard to ensure that we address all opportunities to create an integrated an all inclusive society.

Last week we witnessed the historic election of a black man as president of the United States of America. Only a few years ago such a thought would seem impossible.

Our society too has changed and with that change comes the need for greater representation of all viewpoints. Today, it is estimated that approximately 10% of our population is now made up of members of immigrant communities. It is essential that these persons and communities be given a voice and representation and I will make it my mission to ensure that I will be representing all communities in the area.

Ireland led the way in women’s representation. Countess Markevicz was elected to the first Dail as the first woman ever elected in any democracy. Unfortunately, women’s representation in our country has not kept pace with its early development but the Irish party system has worked hard to represent all segments of society since the formation of the state.

I hope that Ireland can build a better future for all living in this country and that representation can be enhanced for all members of Irish society.

Our area has undergone significant changes in recent times and with those changes come new challenges – education, traffic congestion, crime, and public spaces to name a few. I will work with you to identify and successfully tackle the local issues that affect our lives. I am a person who believes in getting things done and together we will win positive results.

It is my firm intention to ensure that the very best public services are guaranteed for the area. Over the coming months I will be meeting with constituents from the area and look forward to discussing their concerns and ideas for the local area.

Working in business has taught me the value of achieving results and I promise that together we will achieve positive results that will enhance the quality of life for all residents.

I would ask you to take the time to remember my three key themes:
Education, Integration, Representation.

This will not be an easy election for us. But if we rally together and we work hard for each other then we will win this election.

Thank you for your patience and attention in listening to me this evening and if I could ask you to do one final thing:

When June comes around please remember: Vote Ahmed!

Thank you
Slan agus beannacht leat

Introductory Leaflet

My name is Shaheen Ahmed and I have been selected to run as the Fianna Fail candidate in the local elections for Lucan and Palmerstown.

This is my first time to stand for election but it is by no means my first brush with politics. As a first-time candidate I bring new life, enthusiasm and a fresh perspective to the debate. As an advocate for integration in this country for the last 20 years I have worked with successive governments and various bodies on behalf of the Islamic community. I am optimistic about working for all constituents with a special emphasis on bringing all communities together to achieve an integrated and all inclusive community.

The area has undergone significant changes in recent times and with those changes come new challenges - education, traffic congestion, crime, and public spaces to name a few. I will work with you to identify and successfully tackle the local issues that affect our lives. I am a person who believes in getting things done and together we will win positive change.

It is my firm intention to ensure that the very best public services are guaranteed for the area. Over the coming months I hope to meet with many of you and look forward to discussing your concerns and ideas for your local area.

Working in business has taught me the value of achieving results and I promise that together we will achieve positive results that will enhance the quality of life for all residents.

Education, Integration, Representation

Metro Eireann - 15 January 2009

The Metro Eireann article below criticises Fianna Fail for not choosing enough candidates from an 'immigrant' background. However, comparing Fine Gael's 6 with Fianna Fail's 2 is hardly encouraging. Perhaps Metro Eireann should have raised the bar somewhat and criticised all parties for not choosing more representatives from Ireland's 'immigrant' communities. Ultimately, the fact remains that persons coming from such backgrounds must first put themselves forward and then be of a calibre that gives them some real chance for election. The Metro Eireann article below highlights the fact that not enough of these candidates have been chosen but that those who have been are of the very highest standards.

In what could be considered an embarrassing development for Integration Minister Conor Lenihan TD, his party Fianna Fáil – which is Ireland’s biggest – is nearing completion of its candidate selection procedure and has only put forward two immigrants, one of whom has lived in Ireland for nearly 30 years.

Fine Gael, meanwhile, has already chosen six such candidates and has not yet completed it selection process.

There are over 1,600 county, city and town council seats in Ireland which will be up for grabs in local elections this coming summer.

Of Fianna Fáil’s two ‘immigrant’ candidates, one of them – Pakistani-born Shaheen Ahmed, who will run in Lucan – is a long-time resident of Ireland and is said to be a personal friend of former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern. The party’s other such candidate is Anna Banko, originally from Poland, who will contest in the Limerick City south electoral area.

The main governing party, which now uses an interview panel at its headquarters to appoint candidates rather than through votes from members in local areas, is thought to have a high amount of incumbent councillors across the country, and has not implemented any policy of so-called ‘positive discrimination’ – a stance also maintained by all of Ireland’s political parties to date.

Speaking to Metro Éireann, Integration Minister Conor Lenihan defended the low number of immigrants selected thus far, and added that the party’s drubbing at the 2004 local elections means it can only choose those who stand a chance.

“We don’t believe in selecting candidates just for the sake of it,” he remarked, adding that Fianna Fáil took “a fair beating” in the 2004 elections and that the party’s label may not be an easy sell to voters this summer.

Minister Lenihan confirmed that Fianna Fáil has “plenty of incumbent councillors” but insisted that if an immigrant member is good enough, “they’ll come through on the ticket”. He said the new selection process means that those who go forward “have a very good chance”.

Fine Gael, the country’s main opposition party, has so far chosen six immigrant candidates: Adeola Ogunsina from Nigeria, who’ll run for a seat on Fingal County Council; Polish-born Joanne Crowley, who’s contesting for a place on Clonakilty Town Council; Michael Abiola-Phillips from Nigeria, who’s running for Letterkenny Town Council; Vilma Mocevičienė from Lithuania, who will contest for a seat on Balbriggan Town Council; Okey Williams-Kalu from Nigeria, running for Castlebar Town Council; and Bartłomiej Brużewicz from Poland, who will compete for a seat on Dublin City Council.

Labour has so far selected two immigrant candidates, while Sinn Féin has not yet chosen anyone of an immigrant background. The Greens have selected five such candidates to date.

article available here

Sunday Tribune - 11 January 2009

Fianna Fáil's Muslim son

Shane Coleman, Political Editor

Pakistan-born Shaheen Ahmed – friend of Bertie – set to stand in this summer's local elections

FIANNA Fáil has selected its first ever Muslim candidate to contest an election with the party, confirming last week that Pakistan-born Shaheen Ahmed will run in the Lucan ward of South Dublin County Council in this summer's local elections.

Ahmed, who has been a member of the Consultative Council of the Islamic Foundation of Ireland (IFI) for many years and who has also served as the IFI's elected secretary, has been a senior and well respected figure in the Muslim community since coming to Ireland 28 years ago.

Commenting on his reasons for standing in the local elections, Ahmed said "politics is in my blood."

As a young man in Lahore, he had been a very active member of the Pakistan Peoples Party – the party led by Benazir Bhutto until her death. After studying in Germany, he came to Ireland in 1981 for further study in UCD and settled here, marrying a woman from Drumcondra in Dublin and together raising a family of one son and three daughters.

His wife's family were Fianna Fáil supporters and that would have been an early influence on his political persuasion, he says.

And, through his role on the IFI, he would have had regular contact with senior politicians and, in particular, former taoiseach Bertie Ahern, whom he brought many times to the Islamic Cultural Centre in Clon­s­keagh, Dublin.

The self-employed businessman, who played senior cricket for Railway Union in Dublin and professional badminton while a student in Germany, worked on Tom Kitt's election campaign in Dublin South in the last general election.

While there is a large Muslim community in Lucan, Ahmed is at pains to stress that, if elected, he will be representing all the people of the area, saying that he sees his role as bringing "all communities together."

"I will always be Pakistani-Irish but I consider myself Irish. I don't know the streets in my country [as I do in Dublin]," he says.

Ahmed says he is optimistic not only about his own prospects, but also those of his running mates Shane Moynihan and Edno Cooley in the ward and is sanguine about talk of a backlash against government candidates in the local elections.

"It is a natural phenomena [across the world] for a ruling party not to be popular in local or by-elections," he says, adding that local elections are more about what a candidate can do for the local community rather than the national picture.

"I'm a new candidate with a new energy. I'm going to work hard and concentrate on local issues, creating a better life for the people of the area," he says.

Like any Fianna Fáil politician worth his salt, Ahmed is anxious to pay tribute to his friends and political supporters, Amjad Hussein – who runs the Poppadom chain of restaurants – James Galvin and Kieran Brady.

Asked would he have aspirations beyond the local council, Ahmed says he doesn't know where the future will bring him but he can't see any other ambitions at the moment, before adding that he would do "whatever is best for the community."

article available here