Episode 126 - MVM: Mobilising the Ummah or Normalising the System? | Ghaith Krayem & Dr. Yassir Morsi

Is Muslim political mobilisation in Australia empowering the community — or playing into a system that was never built for us?

In this powerful and timely episode of Boys in the Cave, we host a critical dialogue with Ghaith Krayem (national spokesperson of Muslim Votes Matter) and Dr. Yassir Morsi (lecturer, political theorist, and author of Radical Skin, Moderate Masks).

Together, we unpack the tension between grassroots activism, electoral politics, and the deeper philosophical questions around identity, power, and belonging in a settler colonial state.

One of the most urgent questions facing Muslims in Australia today is:

👉🏽 Are we truly building political power — or just legitimising a broken system?

Following the devastating events in Gaza and the growing disillusionment with traditional Muslim institutions, Muslim Votes Matter emerged as a bold new grassroots campaign.

Ghaith outlines its origins, strategies, and goals — including the mobilization of Muslim voters across 11 key electorates in a way Australia has never seen before.

But with political slogans now echoing those of the mainstream — “cost of living,” “housing crisis,” etc. — many wonder: Has the focus on Gaza been diluted? 

That’s where Dr. Yassir Morsi steps in. Known for his critical approach to liberal democracy and his deep engagement with Muslim political subjectivity, Yassir offers his critique.

Through his framework of Green, Amber, Red, he challenges not just tactics, but the very assumptions beneath Muslim participation in electoral politics.

🟢 Green: Even if we get MPs elected, then what?

🟡 Amber: Let’s slow down and question the language we’re using — are we naturalising liberal democracy?

🔴 Red: Have we diluted righteous anger over Gaza into civic slogans and softened resistance into vote-counting?

Key Themes Explored:

• The real motivations behind launching Muslim Votes Matter post-Gaza
• What it means to be a political lobby group — beyond peak bodies and backroom meetings
• Whether voting creates leverage or limits for Muslims - How the Muslim “bloc vote” operated, and whether it even exists
• Dr. Yassir’s critique of political imagination, civic language, and electoral pragmatism
• Whether the rage and moral clarity sparked by Gaza has been rechanneled into a system that neutralizes resistance
• The dangers of “pragmatism” without deeper community discourse

Ghaith Krayem is the national spokesperson for Muslim Votes Matter, and is a former head of the Islamic Council of Victoria (ICV), and former CEO of the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils, and current operator of Hikmah Consulting.

Dr. Yassir Morsi is a provisional Psychologist at Australian international Academy and lecturer in Aboriginal Studies at La Trobe University. With a PhD in Political Science and Islamic Studies, he is the author of "Radical Skin, Moderate Masks".

🎧 Whether you're an organiser, skeptic, or student of political theology, this conversation is a must-watch. It’s not just about votes — it’s about vision.

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