Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has come under fierce criticism after a video emerged where he stood in front of a Pakistani flag and called on Pakistanis to “take power in councils, parliament, political parties and countries” so that they can “dictate what’s taught in schools.”
In the going-viral video, Sarwar announced, “a change is coming,” urging South Asians to become more politically and educationally powerful. But what most viewers immediately noticed was the glaring omission of any reference to Britain, Scotland, or the wider British public.
Netizens quickly charged Sarwar with advocating sectarianism, rather than integration. “Multiculturalism has failed,” said many, warning that Sarwar’s message portends a turn away from assimilation towards segregation.
One X (formerly Twitter) user posted, “The old Pakistan is going to be destroyed. But a new Pakistan is going to rise in the United Kingdom,” in response to Sarwar’s appeal.
Another said, “Scottish Labour’s Anas Sarwar speaks of putting more Pakistanis into power. Notice he doesn’t mention Scots, because they don’t identify as Scots. They’re not concealing the Great Replacement anymore.”
Others cautioned that “the days when South Asian communities get to lead countries is upon us,” reminding all that South Asia is comprised of Afghanistan and Pakistan as well.
The furor ran deeper when it turned to Sarwar’s family connections.
Days ago, videos purportedly of his father, Mohammad Sarwar, a former Labour MP who is now a Pakistani politician, were going around on social media. In one video, Mohammad Sarwar reportedly calls for worldwide blasphemy laws defending Islam.
“Crazy stuff given the politics Anas promotes,” one commenter responded, citing a clip where Mohammad Sarwar threatened that “a time will come that there will be a law in place all over the world that there can be no disrespect to our prophet.”
Another commenter noted that Mohammad Sarwar, a Labour MP from 1997 to 2010 before becoming a senator and governor in Pakistan, came “awfully close to implying Muslims would respond violently to disrespect of Muhammad.” Other posts asserted that Mohammad Sarwar was spotted in George Square, Glasgow, delivering incendiary speeches about burning Qurans and demanding bans on criticism of Islam.
As the backlash increases, there has been no public response by Anas Sarwar.
