80th Anniversary of Victory in Europe and Victory over Japan

Lord Rook Excerpts

Friday 9th May 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Rook (Lab)]

My Lords, I am grateful for the opportunity to participate in what has been a most moving and inspiring debate. I give my congratulations in particular to the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Peterborough on a wonderful maiden speech, and I welcome her. It is always good to have another former youth and children’s worker in the House.

Earlier this week, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government hosted an exhibition titled, “Great Faith: Stories of Sacrifice and Contribution”. Here I must declare an interest, as I am a partner at the Good Faith Partnership, which played a modest role in supporting Colourful Heritage, the wonderful charity that produced this arresting exhibition.

On Wednesday, visitors to the atrium at the MHCLG came face to face with 80 extraordinary individuals. Each picture, painted by the renowned portrait artist Arabella Dorman, commemorates and celebrates the lives of a Muslim serving in our Armed Forces from World War I to this very day. My remarks henceforth will no doubt pick up similar themes to those shared by my noble friend Lord Sahota.

Each face tells a story of faithfulness to God and to country. One painting is of Abdul Hafiz, the first Muslim soldier to win the Victoria Cross. On 6 April 1944, Abdul Hafiz led his platoon up a treacherous hillside in Japan. Already wounded, he seized a Japanese machine gun and led a charge of such ferocity that the enemy fled the battlefield.

Another portrait features Noor Inayat Khan, a British resistance agent who served as a wireless operator for the Special Operations Executive, supporting the resistance in France. Noor, whose Arabic name translates as “radiant light”, took the codename “Madeleine”. Following the arrest of her colleagues, Noor remained in France, moving from place to place. Dancing in the shadows of the darkest hour, she transmitted messages back to London. True to her faith, her country and her name, she shed essential light on the dangerous activities of Nazi forces. She was eventually betrayed, arrested and subsequently executed at Dachau. Noor Inayat Khan was posthumously awarded the George Cross.

Muhammad Hussain, who also featured in the exhibition, was 16 years old when he ran away from home to join the volunteer British Indian Army in 1941. He served as a machine-gunner in the Indian 8th Infantry Division, fought in the battle of Monte Cassino—the noble Lord, Lord Carter, will be pleased at a second mention—and, on VE Day, Muhammad and his comrades advanced into Austria. The war over, he moved to the United Kingdom, where he lives to this day—one of the last remaining veterans of VE Day. As if his military service did not offer enough, Muhammad has dedicated the last 75 years to serving his local community and our country, supporting fellow veterans and promoting greater understanding among young people.

I am grateful to my noble friends Lord Coaker and Lord Boateng, and the noble Lord, Lord Wallace, among others, for drawing our attention to the contributions of service men and women from the Commonwealth countries, particularly in Africa and on the eastern front. Lest we forget, more than 5.5 million Muslims fought as part of the allied forces in World War II, with a staggering 1.5 million killed during the conflict. Yet research from British Future indicates that only 34% of the British public are aware that Muslim men and women served in the Second World War.

At the “Great Faith” exhibition, my noble friend the Minister for Faith, Communities and Resettlement, Lord Khan, announced progress in the creation of a national Muslim war memorial. I am grateful to His Majesty’s Government for the progress made and, with other noble Lords, look forward to paying my respects at that memorial in due time.

I humbly ask His Majesty’s Government to seize the gift offered to our country through the creativity of Colourful Heritage and the artistry of Arabella Dorman to ensure that these beautiful paintings are seen and these powerful stories told up and down our land. I hope that these heroic faces will be seen in schools and universities, government buildings and community settings, places of work and of worship. I hope that these stories will be told far and wide.

Lastly, one final face staring out of the canvas in the “Great Faith” exhibition belongs to Imam Asim Hafiz, the first imam to serve as a chaplain in the Armed Forces. He serves today as an adviser to the Ministry of Defence and as a reservist in our Army. Imam Asim wrote:

“As a British Muslim and someone privileged to serve alongside our Armed Forces, VE Day reminds me of the often-overlooked sacrifices made by Muslims in the struggle against tyranny and in promoting peace. Today, I see that same spirit of service and dedication in the British Muslim personnel I work with, proud to wear the uniform, grounded in faith, and committed to the values we all defend. I believe a good Muslim makes a good British soldier”.


Whether their service is in the past, present or future, when it comes to our Muslim service men and women, we should remember them.