UK gets Muslim minister of culture

London, NU Online
Sajid Javid, MP for Bromsgrove, has been appointed as the second Muslim minister in David Cameron government after replacing Maria Miller, who resigned earlier this morning, as the new Culture Secretary, The Independent reported on Wednesday, April 9.<>

"He is a specialist in helping to raise investment in developing countries and is considered a global leader in this field,” Javid’s website says.

“He has been engaged in community work his entire adult life, including raising £710,000 in a single event for the Disasters Emergency Committee and leading a charity expedition to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro for Help the Aged."

Javid replaces Miller who resigned from the Cabinet on Wednesday after facing a chorus of criticism of her response to a parliamentary inquiry into her expenses.

In her letter to the Prime Minister, Ms Miller said she was resigning with “great regret”.

Giving thanks to Cameron for his personal support, she added: “It has become clear to me that the present situation has become a distraction from the vital work this Government is doing to turn our country around.”

Nicky Morgan, the Treasury Economic Secretary, was promoted to Javid’s role as number three at the Treasury.

She will also take on Miller’s role as Minister for Women, which will allow her to attend Cabinet meetings.

Britain has a sizable Muslim minority of nearly 2.7 million Muslims, mainly of Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Indian origin.

Javid is the second Muslim minister in Cameron’s government, joining Baroness Warsi, the Senior Minister of State and Minister for Faith and Communities.

Self-made Man

Javid is known as a successful self-made son of an immigrant bus driver.

He attended state schools and won a place at Exeter University to study Economics and Politics.

He became the youngest vice president in the history of Chase Manhattan Bank at the age of 24 before being headhunted by Deutsche Bank.

The Muslim banker was a specialist in helping to raise investment in developing countries and considered a global leader in this field.

His last role with Deutsche Bank was as Manager Director of its finance, private equity and commodities businesses in Asia.

Javid has helped many budding entrepreneurs build businesses and create job.

He is also an accomplished businessman and private investor.

He has been engaged in community work his entire adult life, including raising £710,000 in a single event for the British Red Cross and leading a charity expedition to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro for Help the Aged.

He is a Trustee of Westminster Children’s Society, London’s largest childcare charity.

His appointments have given Cameron the ability to take on critics who have repeatedly pointed to the number of private school educated politicians in the Cabinet.

More than half of the Cabinet, including David Cameron, the Prime Minister, George Osborne, the Chancellor, and Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister, are thought to have gone to private school and are independently very wealthy.

Last Autumn, Javid was one of those critics, saying that the lack of social mobility in British public life is “troubling”.

Javid said: “It should trouble every politician of any background and any party because you can never have enough of it.”

Editing by Sudarto Murtaufiq