Sajjad Karim

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Sajjad H Karim (nickname "Saj"; born 11 July 1970) is a Member of the European Parliament for North West England for the Liberal Democrats. He was the first British Muslim elected to the European Parliament in 2004.

Karim is a solicitor and former member of Pendle Council. One of his parents was a Conservative Party councillor. He is married to a teacher, and attended London Guildhall University.

Following fellow North West MEP Chris Davies' resignation, Karim entered the race to become the new Leader of the Liberal Democrat European Parliamentary Party and but was defeated on 1 June 2006 by Diana Wallis. Due to the expansion of the European Union, Karim is in a two horse race with fellow MEP Chris Davies as to who would be the Liberal democrat representative for the North West of England in the next general election.

He focused on many issues in his first term including Kashmir, the head scarf ban and pensions.

Sajjad Karim MEP

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Sajjad Karim MEP

Sajjad H Karim (nickname "Saj"; born 11 July 1970) is a Member of the European Parliament for North West England for the Liberal Democrats. He was the first British Muslim elected to the European Parliament in 2004.

Karim attended London Guildhall University he is a solicitor and former member of Pendle Council. His father was a Conservative Party councillor. He is married to a teacher, Zahida, and has two young children.

Following fellow North West MEP Chris Davies' resignation, Karim entered the race to become the new Leader of the Liberal Democrat European Parliamentary Party and but was narrowly defeated on 1 June 2006 by Diana Wallis.

Sajjad serves on the International Trade and Human Rights Committees and was a Member of the European Parliament's Committee of Investigation into alleged CIA extraordinary renditions and secret prisons.

He is Vice-President of the European Parliament's Anti-Racism and Diversity Intergroup and Co-Chair of the European Muslim Forum. He has focused on the rise of intolerance in Europe in recent years, notably the rise of Islamophobia and anti-Semitism.

Sajjad has focused on many issues in his first term. He is the European Liberal Group, ALDE, Spokesperson on the Doha Development Round and he is the European Parliament Rapporteur on EU-India Trade and Economic relations.

He is interested in numerous human rights issues including Kashmir, Child Labour and civil liberties in the War on Terror.

Sajjad led the successful campaign for the commutation of the death penalty of British man, Mirza Tahir Hussain, who had spent half of his life on deathrow in Pakistan, for a crime he maintains he did not commit.