Muhammad Afzal becomes Birmingham’s new Lord Mayor

BIRMINGHAM: Councillor Muhammad Afzal becomes city’s new Lord Mayor. The veteran Labour politician was sworn in to be the “First Citizen” of the city where he has lived for more than 50 years now.

Afzal who was first elected as a councillor way back in 1982 from city’s Aston Ward is currently the longest serving Muslim councillor in the UK. Afzal, who originally belongs from Jhelum, Pakistan, came to the UK in 1969. He also happens to be the first Muslim elected as a councillor in Birmingham.

Afzal is Birmingham’s 5th Muslim Lord Mayor of Pakistani background. Other four are Councillor Mahmood Hussain followed by Councillor Abdul Rashid JP, Councillor Shafiq Shah and the current Lord Mayor Councillor Muhammad Azim. Councillor Mahmood Hussain was the first Muslim Lord Mayor of Birmingham, while councillor Shafi Shah holds the record of being the youngest ever Lord Mayor. Afzal was selected by city council’s ruling Labour group back in January 2020 after the full council meeting. He was set to become Lord Mayor in May 2020 but due to the coronavirus pandemic and the lockdown it was not possible for him to take charge.

He has replaced councillor Mohammad Azim as Lord Mayor as the latter steps down from the post serving two years at the Lord Mayor office. Normally the Lord Mayors are secured to serve for one year only.

Afzal has also served as the chair of Labour’s BAME (Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic) group. Cllr Afzal was also elected to be the Lord Mayor back in 2016. But soon after he withdrew from running the post after his alleged remarks about then prime minister David Cameron. He was criticised for accusing Cameron as “Islamophobe” over the government’s anti-terrorism programme “Prevent” during a rally at Birmingham Central Mosque. He was also the chairman of Central Mosque at that time a post which he held for many years.

Later in a statement released by Labour party, he termed it a malicious and defamatory campaign run against him and said “Unfair and indeed untrue comments being ascribed to me. I have tried to put the record straight but sadly it has not been possible to do so as rumour and innuendo has replaced facts”.

However, now after a wait of five years he is all set to become the Lord Mayor again. He will be city’s 111th Lord Mayor.

For the mayor’s oath taking ceremony normally the council chamber is packed with councillors and members of the public but due to the Covid situation and social distancing only a handful of councillors attended the ceremony.