On 31st January, the 23rd Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the MCB took place virtually for the first time. This follows the online hustings between the two Secretary General candidates, Ajmal Masroor and Zara Mohammed, the week before.
The new Secretary General (SG) as announced by the Election Commissioner Khalid Sofi, is Zara Mohammed.
Upon her election, Zara Mohammed, said: “My vision is to continue to build a truly inclusive, diverse and representative body; one which is driven by the needs of British Muslims for the common good. Being elected as the first female Secretary General is quite an honour and I hope it will inspire more women and young people to come forward to take on leadership roles. They are the future of this organisation and our society.”
Hassan Joudi has also been re-elected as Deputy Secretary General.
Outgoing Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain, Harun Khan, said: “It has been a privilege and honour to serve our communities over the past four and a half years as Secretary-General of this great national institution. There have been some amazing achievements during my tenure which stand testament to the dedication of volunteers, staff and our members. I wish the very best of success to Ms. Zara Mohammed – may she continue to lead this organisation to greater heights for the betterment of our communities across the country.”
Following the announcement of a new “Stay At Home” lockdown and a 'Major Incident' declared in London as an estimated 1 in 30 Londoners had COVID-19, the MCB issued a press release and updated guidance.
As the national COVID19 vaccination programme accelerates, the MCB is supporting the British Islamic Medical Association's (BIMA) comprehensive set of infographics addressing common misconceptions and myths.
A 'Genocide Amendment' to the UK Trade Bill was passed in the House of Lords this month, aiming to promote a UK trade policy that challenges trade partners such as China who are accused of genocide.
The MCB issued a detailed briefing to MPs (click here to read briefing)however the bill was narrowly voted down by 11 votes on 19th January. A revised bill is being drafted to go through Parliament again shortly, to keep up pressure on the UK Government to take stronger action against China for the ongoing persecution of Uighur Muslims.
Meeting with Irish Muslim Representatives
On 27th January, MCB leadership and affiliates, including Belfast Islamic Centre, met with representatives of the Irish Muslim Peace & Integration Council (IMPIC) including Chairperson Shaykh Umar Al-Qadri.
Discussions included building stronger Ireland-UK Muslim community ties and in Europe more widely, the ongoing impact of COVID19, convert care, and tackling increasing Islamophobia & hate crime such as the recent Belfast Multi-Cultural Association arson attack.
Donate to Stop Forced Cremations in Sri Lanka
The MCB is supporting efforts to submit a complaint to the United Nations Human Rights Committee (UNHRC) to reverse the Sri Lankan Government's current flawed policy of 'forced cremation' of COVID-19 deceased persons.
A task force consisting of UK-based Sri Lankan representative bodies, lawyers and medical experts is driving forward this work. You can help by donating to aid this campaign here.
To follow the campaign to end forced cremations in Sri Lanka, please click here.
Upcoming Events
Understanding Islamophobia
Islamophobia is a pervasive societal challenge that the MCB remains committed to tackling however and wherever it may manifest.
February will see a series of interventions aimed at fostering a greater understanding of what Islamophobia is and tackling Islamophobia across society. Watch this space for more details.
Racial Justice E-Modules
A series of short e-Learning modules for community members on Islam and racial justice are planned in early 2021.
The modules will build on the Proudly Muslim & Black campaign that the MCB is facilitating together with several partners. Watch this space for more details! For further information or to get involved, email [email protected]
Community News
Inspirited Minds - Free Mental Health Training for Imams & Community Leaders
Inspirited Minds is offering free mental health and wellbeing training on 14th February to equip Imams and Community Leaders to support your community better!
Click here to sign up now as spaces are limited! If you have any issues registering, register directly at inspiritedminds.eventbrite.com
National Zakat Foundation - Imam Development Fund, apply by 5th February
The Imam Development Fundhas been set up to provide grants to existing and aspiring Imams and Scholars to upskill and gain qualifications which will help them to better serve their communities and congregations in the UK.
The National Zakat Foundation has allocated £100,000 from the Education Fund to build this crucial capacity in Muslim communities across the UK. If you are an aspiring or existing Imam, click here to register.
Deadline to apply: 5 Feb 2021
National Huffadh Association - Publication of a study on Qur'an memorisation
Does learning the Qur’an improve memory capacity?
This study supported by the National Huffadh Association UK explores this and related issues and identifies ways in which memorisation of the Qur'an might be improved based on the latest evidence from memory science. Click hereto access the publication abstract and full text.
Race Equality and Civil Rights Through Football
MCB Assistant Secretary General Rashidat Hassan will be speaking at a live webinar organised by the Black and Asian Coaches Association to celebrate Rosa Parks Day on Thursday 4th February, 3-5pm. Book via eventbrite here.
Donate to Support More of this Work
Your Zakat helps the MCB in creating a better environment for British Muslims across the board. Did you know that the MCB has a number of Zakat eligible projects actively running?
Donate as little as £5/month towards MCB's various campaigns and projects.
Financial Times: Tory rebels seek to block trade deal with China over Uighurs. "It (the amendment to the trade deal) is backed by all the opposition parties as well as the Muslim Council of Britain and the Board of Deputies of British Jews."
Also in The GuardianThe Guardian view on Xinjiang and crimes against humanity: speaking and acting and The IndependentBoris Johnson facing China trade deal Tory rebellion with ‘genocide amendment’
Prevent and William Shawcross appointment
The Guardian: A spokesperson for the Muslim Council of Britain said Shawcross’s appointment was a “Trumpian” move. They said: “Once again, the government is making it clear it has no interest in truly reviewing the policy. William Shawcross is singularly unfit to be a neutral and fair assessor of this government policy, which has been criticised for unfairly targeting British Muslims, given his frightening views about Islam and Muslims. “It is ironic that a policy supposedly charged with preventing extremism is to be scrutinised by a person who holds hostile views on Islam and Muslims, who has links to people with extreme views on us, and who defends the worst excesses of the so-called ‘war on terror’.”
The Guardian: A spokesperson for the Muslim Council of Britain, said: “These latest figures and the example of the four-year-old Muslim boy reaffirm our view that Prevent is a flawed policy, presenting fundamental issues that must be subjected to a robust and truly independent review."
Daily Mail: Harun Khan, the organisation's (MCB) secretary-general, said: "For far too long, the Prevent strategy has affected the lives of innocent families, been criticised for mainstreaming discrimination and lost the trust of communities around the UK."
COVID19 Lockdown and Vaccination Myths
BBC News: The Muslim Council of Britain urges "strong caution for mosques wishing to continue remaining open to the public for worship... and for tremendous care to be exercised".
The Guardian: Harun Khan, said some mosques in England had voluntarily suspended communal activities in recent weeks “out of precaution” and many Muslims had taken individual decisions regarding the risks of going their mosque to pray. Mosques should take “tremendous care in choosing to remain open to the public" and on vaccinations, The Muslim Council of Britain has also circulated BIMA’s position statement on the Pfizer/BioNTech and Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccines, which states they contain no animal products or human embryo cells.
SW Londoner: Hassan Joudi, the Mosque Affairs Coordinator at the Muslim Council of Britain, said: “A lot of mosques are really feeling the impact.” Joudi highlighted the reduction in donations provoked many Mosques to “think about financial stability and technology” including the introduction of contactless payment in places of worship.
Islamophobia
Foreign Policy: In 2020, the Muslim Council of Britain sent a dossier of 300 allegations of Islamophobia against Prime Minister Boris Johnson and members of the Conservative Party to the Equalities and Human Rights Commission.
Sri Lanka Forced Cremations
The Muslim News:“We welcome the expert panel’s revised guidance which allows for burials and is in line with the World Health Organization recommendation. This is a positive step, and we urge the Sri Lankan Government to reverse the policy of compulsory cremation,” said MCB Secretary-General, Harun Khan.
Media coverage of the new Secretary General will be covered in next month's newsletter.
Vacancies
We are regularly recruiting for a range of voluntary and paid roles at the MCB. These currently include:
