Sagal Abdulwali Sworn In on the Quran, Becoming Somalia's First Female MP in Britain
Sagal Abdulwali took her oath on the Quran in the House of Commons, sparking widespread debate ranging from praise to criticism
Translated by Qiyas from الجريدة — Original source
Deputy Sughla Abdulwali took her oath on the Holy Quran in the British House of Commons, becoming the first woman of Somali origin to enter the British Parliament after winning a seat in a by-election.
A video captured the moment Abdulwali took her oath, placing her hand on the Holy Quran, marking the start of her parliamentary duties as the representative for the Holborn and St Pancras constituency in the capital, London.
Following the oath-taking, the new deputy celebrated the milestone on her X (formerly Twitter) account, stating: “I have officially taken the oath! It was a wonderful day meeting all my new colleagues, and I am very excited to represent the people of Holborn and St Pancras.”
Abdulwali, 42, secured approximately 45% of the votes, compared to 33% for her opponent, Bolansky, retaining the seat previously held by former British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who resigned from Parliament last September.
The video sparked widespread engagement on social media platforms, with activists sharing clips of the deputy taking her oath on the Holy Quran, alongside praise for her parliamentary entry and criticism of her political stance and identity.
They added that Abdulwali, a member of the Labour Party, defeated Green Party leader Zak Bolansky in the by-election, noting that she faced criticism for what they described as her silence regarding the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip.
Bloggers congratulated Abdulwali on her victory and oath-taking, expressing hopes for her success in her new responsibilities, while others praised her choice to take the oath on the Holy Quran.
In contrast, British activist and political commentator Lucy White launched an attack on Abdulwali for taking her oath with her hand on the Quran, writing: “Sughla Abdulwali just took the Oath of Allegiance with her hand on the Quran. I will never understand how we allow this in England. This is a blatant betrayal. There should be no Muslims in our parliament, no foreigners in our parliament, and certainly no Somalis in our parliament.”
Other activists questioned Abdulwali’s loyalty to Britain due to her place of birth, wondering whether a law should be enacted to prevent those born abroad from running for Parliament.
One claimed her loyalty would remain with Somalia, the country of her birth, arguing that she should not be making laws affecting the British people.
Bloggers also described her entry into Parliament as “a sad day for the United Kingdom,” with one writing, “What a disgrace for Britain,” while others called for restricting lawmaking powers to those born in Britain, excluding immigrants and people of African descent.
Sughla Abdulwali was born in Somalia and arrived in Britain with her family as a refugee in the 1990s, while still a child. She grew up in Camden, north London, where she began her career in public service.
Abdulwali later worked as a housing officer for the local council before entering local politics by being elected to Camden Council in 2022.
Last May, she assumed the role of council leader, leveraging her experience in local governance, which formed a central pillar of her election campaign.
According to the Labour Party, Abdulwali volunteered for local charities and held administrative positions in them for over 10 years. She also served on the boards of two schools as part of her community engagement.
Before becoming Camden Council leader, she oversaw housing improvement initiatives, supervising efforts to provide safe and suitable housing for residents, as well as a £670 million program to improve social housing.
