By Maira Butt
An organisation has been launched to serve as a bridge between Muslim communities and UK policy-makers. The British Muslim Network seeks to fills a void of 17 years after successive governments failed to engage with the Muslim Council of Britain, which was founded for the same purpose.
The British Muslim Network (BMN) was launched in London when 60 people began by taking part in round-table discussions on social mobility, storytelling, Islamophobia, philanthropy, community infrastructure and health and wellbeing.
The discussions were followed by a large reception with about 300 people, speeches from government officials including the health secretary, Wes Streeting; the deputy Commons Speaker, Nusrat Ghani; faith minister Lord Khan; and a former faith minister, Baroness Warsi.
Mr Streeting acknowledged that governments had let down Muslim communities in the past and insisted on the importance of tackling anti-Muslim hate crimes and Islamophobia.
He said it was important that “the government gets this relationship right, to acknowledge with humility that successive governments have not got this relationship right“.
He said he “acknowledged … that the Labour party hasn’t always got this right, particularly in recent years” and added that he was committed “to underscore my commitment to defending the space for Muslims across our country“.
The BMN seeks to convene expert panels to share information on the views and practices of Muslim communities to policy-makers. Its co-chairs are Akeela Ahmed and Imam Qari Asim.
Imam Asim, who leads the Makkah Mosque in Leeds and was once a government adviser on Islamophobia, told the Religion Media Centre: “It was really uplifting to see such a diverse group of people, from different faith backgrounds to civil society, to organisations, as well as the diversity of the Muslim community, being reflected in this room. We contribute so much to society but sadly we are mostly seen through the lens of extremism.
“That’s painful. We see young people feeling frustrated and alienated. They’re not feeling welcomed in their own neighborhoods. So BMN wants to bring a range of voices, to hear their perspectives and to bring their own insight to share with think tanks, policy-makers and the government. We believe those pillars of society can benefit from this young talent.”
Speaking on the policy of disengagement, Imam Asim said Muslims were not “asking for special treatment” but rather “equal citizenship”.
The launch has been plagued with comparisons to the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) and suspicions that it is seeking to undermine the organisation, or create a split between “good” and “bad” Muslims.
However, all people affiliated with the group have insisted that is not the case. “BMN is going to be one of the voices among many other voices in this country, highlighting and showcasing the contributions, therefore it does not intend to replace any organisation,” Imam Asim added.
“We believe in collaboration. Our faith encourages us to collaborate. We have been in conversation with many organisations, including the MCB. It’s about working together to defeat the defeatist mentality that is unfortunately rising in the minds of young people because of the way they’re treated in this country.”
Baroness Warsi pointed to the urgency of the work, stating that the engagement was important for democracy. “Courage is important. These times require you to be so,” she said. “We are not just talking about protecting British Muslims and creating a society where British Muslims feel like they have equal worth and value. We’re fighting to protect inclusive liberal democracies. That is where we are at now.“
Akeela Ahmed, who previously chaired the government’s working group on anti-Muslim hatred, agreed with the sentiment pointing to the “global backdrop” of the launch. “The far right is becoming more prominent again in Europe and in the UK as well,” she said. “We wanted to step up because we understand that there are huge challenges, external challenges that we all need to work to address.”
Nusrat Ghani, a Conservative MP, reflected on her own experience as she said that “earlier experiences of racism were down to the colour of our skin,” whereas now “it is down to our faith”.
Professor Mike Clarke, chairman of the Together Coalition, which was set up to foster social cohesion after the murder of the Labour MP Jo Cox in 2016, also backed the initiative.
“With the recent and shocking events of the riots last summer, we recognised the need to give expression to voices that need to be heard to have a diverse and inclusive society,” he told the Religion Media Centre. “We’ve been very proud to support that.”
Many commented on the energy and dynamism in the room throughout the evening, including Professor Clarke, who added: “My overwhelming sense is that there’s a lot of love and goodwill in this room, and I find that very inspiring.”
Addressing criticism about the Together Coalition’s involvement in the group’s setting up he said: “Frankly, I don’t think there are enough voices being heard. If the people here feel there is a need to create more opportunities for those voices to be heard, then it’s important to do that.”
The British Muslim Network intends to operate on the basis of the “Three C’s”: connecting, celebrating and collaborating.
- Connecting relates to “bringing people of different backgrounds together”.
- Celebrating pertains to honouring the “positivity within the British Muslim community”.
- Collaboration refers to organisations working together as well as inclusion of the “multiplicity of voices” within the demographic.
Members of the group’s advisory board include Sumayah Saadi, owner of the Sumayah modest fashion brand; Abdurahman Sayed, chief executive of London’s Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre; and Dr Hina Shahid, who chairs the Muslim Doctors Association.
The network will include public figures from politics, media, business, entertainment and sport, as well as imams, lawyers, doctors and academics.
Some joined a panel which concluded the event including Shabna Begum, chief executive of the Runnymede Trust, and entrepreneur Jennifer Ogunyemi.
Many labelled the event an important one in British Muslim history. Mr Streeting said: “This has to be a catalysing moment that mobilises grassroots communities right across the country to make sure that people feel able to be heard and genuinely listened to.
“But more than that [they must be] able to shape their communities, to shape our country and to do this together across the divides of difference and diversity uniting around what we have in common.”
Events will be held for Muslim communities to speak to each other and common concerns will be shared with the government to bring change.
