A special
Good evening and welcome to my constituents who have travelled from the West
Midlands to be here.
I am very
proud to be able to host this event tonight, and I want to talk about why we
are here.
Those of
you who know me will know that I am very passionate about my political beliefs.
But when I
take part in meetings of the Human Rights sub-committee, when I visit people in
Gaza, Tunisia or Afghanistan, when I spend time with political prisoners in
Bahrain, when I help distribute food to needy families, when I talk to friends
as I am doing now, I leave my politics at the door.
As citizens
we must not only talk about social responsibility, we must demonstrate it.
We all have
a collective responsibility towards those people who do not yet have security.
Those who do not yet have the freedom to express themselves, to choose the
company they keep, or to communicate with their fellow man without the fear of
censorship and retribution for what they may say or write.
Since
elected in 2009, I have supported the right of the Kashmiri people to
self-determination. I consider the right of self-determination to be a basic
human right, and I want to emphasise here and now that there must be no
"buts" in Human rights.
Human
rights are universal, and every man woman and child on this planet is entitled
to live their lives in freedom, without fear of persecution, with access to the
best standards of healthcare and education that our society can provide, and
with the right to live in a just and democratic world.
This is not
an ideological dream; this is a statement of fact.
What we are
sharing together here today is not just a gathering of like-minded individuals.
It is not just an exhibition, not just a forum for debate. This is a vigil. A
vigil that will not end until we achieve our shared aims.
Thomas
Jefferson once said that the price of freedom is eternal vigilance, and to the
men of violence and repression I say this - "We are watching you, and you
will have to account for your actions".
Sometimes
it can be hard to stand up for what is right. Sometimes we know what we want to
do, or say, but we can feel intimidated. But please, all of you look around you
now. You are not alone, so do not be afraid to speak out, to condemn violence,
to challenge discrimination and repression.
None of us
in this room today is divided by nationality, by party politics, or anything
else. We are not divided at all. We are united. We are united by our shared
love of freedom, democracy, and justice, and our shared commitment to the
concept of universal human rights.
We are
united. We are strong. We have right on our side. We will speak out against
injustice and repression. And we are not going away.
Barrister
Tramboor, I thank you for inviting me to host this event. I feel honoured to be
associated with the work that you do.
Dear
guests, thank you for gracing us with your presence. Thank you for your
support, and for your company here today. Some of you have travelled a long way
to be here, which shows the strength of your feeling.
