Asalaamu Alaikum,
I pray you are keeping in the best of health and imaan, insha'Allah,
This year has been a year of many firsts, and I thank you all again for your trust and confidence in me and our leadership team to take on this work, here are some of my reflections on what we have learned so far:
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Our community concerns
It has been almost twelve months since I was elected Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Britain. It has been a real privilege to have spoken to and met the wonderful diversity of our Muslim communities, many of whom are tireless and dedicated volunteers themselves.
I learned of the increasing challenges faced by our communities. They are having to tackle issues such as mental health, domestic abuse, breakdown of the family to youth crime, and unemployment. These are matters that require our collective response and action.
To add to this, local communities face the brunt edge of growing Islamophobia. Many Mosques expressed to me the impact this had on places of worship – with vandalism and abuse and now the need for increased security. This is amidst the backdrop of deep conversations taking place in society about the state of racism and the treatment of minorities.
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Speaking up for Muslims
Amidst all this, there is a growing sense of disenfranchisement amongst British Muslims. A healthy democracy must ensure all voices are heard. I, along with my fellow leadership colleagues, have raised these concerns in meetings with Members of Parliament, leaders of civil and faith organisations, and other key partners.
On a national level, we have made sure the voice of our community is heard loud and clear, especially at times of crises. We coordinated with local and national Muslim groups to ensure our condemnation and solidarity was well known following the murder of Sir David Amess in October and the attempted bomb attack in Liverpool in November.
Internationally, we have joined campaigns to speak out against the oppression of Uighur Muslims in China and the continued suppression of Palestinians, particularly during the blessed month of Ramadan. We also joined international NGOs, global activists, and faith communities as the world converged in my hometown of Glasgow during the COP26 climate change conference.
As we look ahead, the message is clear, it is only with our collective good work and action can we realise the true potential of our communities and thus create a better future for British Muslims.
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Dealing with the pandemic
British Muslim communities have shown great fortitude as the pandemic has continued. We have seen incredible acts of charity and great courage from those on the frontline. The MCB has continued its work with our partners and affiliates to help those still battling illness, those coming to terms with bereavement and loss and those affected by the economic impact of the pandemic.
With the new variant and the increasing risk of infections, I encourage all to get vaccinated, wear your masks and take what precautions you can to keep yourself and others safe.
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The future of our community in the next 25 years
This month, we hosted the ‘Our Mosques, Our Future’ winter conference, an event to celebrate our success and come together on shared challenges. The conference covered key things connected to our strategy; diversity and inclusion, supporting bereavement and loss to safeguarding and security.
In the new year we will be launching our new strategy on these themes as well as launch our Muslim Leadership Dinner Women, to celebrate the success of Muslim women.
Next year marks the MCB 25th Year Anniversary, we hope a year to celebrate our shared success with you and consider, what does 'working for the common good' mean today. There will be many opportunities for learning, sharing, and hopefully coming together again, inshaAllah.
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May Allah grant us a prosperous and successful 2022, keep our hearts united as we work for the common good, Ameen.
JazakhaAllah Khair,
Zara Mohammed
MCB Secretary General
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