Latest news with #BMN
Middle East Eye
24-03-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
UK Islamophobia definition to protect right to 'insult religions'
The UK government has published more details about a working group set up to advise it on a possible definition of Islamophobia which would also protect the right to "insult" religious beliefs and practices. The membership of the working group appears to signal that the government is engaging with the recently launched British Muslim Network (BMN), but not the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) - the largest umbrella body claiming to represent British Muslims. Dominic Grieve, a former Conservative attorney general, has been appointed chair of the group with BMN co-chair Akeela Ahmed among its four other members. Earlier this year it emerged that the government was planning to create a working group to draw up an official definition for anti-Muslim discrimination. This suggested it was rowing back plans to adopt the definition proposed in 2018 by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for British Muslims. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters That definition, which the Conservative government rejected, was criticised by some as potentially stifling criticism of Islam, which the APPG strongly denied. Adopted by Labour in opposition, the definition characterises Islamophobia as "a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness". In September 2024, Labour's faith minister Lord Wajid Khan said that "the definition proposed by the APPG is not in line with the Equality Act 2010, which defines race in terms of colour, nationality and national or ethnic origins". Freedom of speech The new working group's terms of reference, published on Monday, include giving advice on "the merits of government adopting a non-statutory definition of unacceptable treatment of Muslims and anyone perceived to be Muslim, including what a proposed definition should be". This establishes that the government has not yet decided that it will adopt any definition of Islamophobia. In apparent reference to widespread criticism, the terms say that any proposed definition "must be compatible with the unchanging right of British citizens to exercise freedom of speech and expression - which includes the right to criticise, express dislike of, or insult religions and/or the beliefs and practices of adherents." Ahmed's inclusion in the working group comes just weeks after the official launch of the BMN in February with backing from faith minister Khan, and after Middle East Eye had previously revealed it had lost much of its Muslim support and was being backed by a charity set up by disgraced former Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby. Exclusive: British Muslim Network backed by charity set up by former archbishop Welby Read More » MEE reported ahead of the launch that several Muslim MPs privately said they would not attend after a series of controversies. Critics have suggested that the BMN's co-chairs and advisory board lack credibility, warning that the government could use the network to continue to avoid engaging with the Muslim Council of Britain. But the BMN's leadership has argued that the government should engage with a "whole range" of Muslim groups, including both the MCB and BMN. Consecutive governments have followed a policy of refusing to engage with the MCB - despite it having over 500 member organisations, including mosques, schools, local and county councils, professional networks and advocacy groups. Starmer's government adopted this approach and even ignored communications from the MCB during the far-right riots that raged across the country for over a week in August. The BMN does not claim to be a similarly representative body. But its representation on the new working group indicates that the government has chosen to engage with the organisation while continuing to boycott the MCB. Another notable omission from the membership list is Tell Mama, an Islamophobia reporting service funded by the communities ministry and accused of severely under-reporting hate crimes. The Guardian reported earlier this month that no grant will be provided to the organisation from the end of March, leaving it facing closure. Working definition Also on the working group is Professor Javed Khan, managing director of Equi, a new think tank which says it was "born out of the UK Muslim community". At the parliamentary launch of an Equi report last month, Khan told parliamentarians and civil society figures that the think tank was "seeing engagement" from the Labour government, including ministers and special advisers. "The government needs to be faith literate in its policy development," he said. Equi's report on Muslims in the British arts and culture scene notably warned that Muslim creatives are often "herded" into receiving funding from the contentious Prevent counter-extremism programme, which "often toxifies, devalues and limits artistic intent". British Muslim creators 'herded' into Prevent funding, says Equi think tank Read More » Grieve, the chair of the working group, previously chaired the Citizens' UK Commission on Islam, aimed at promoting dialogue between Muslims and non-Muslims, and wrote the foreword to the contentious APPG report on Islamophobia in 2018, calling it "food both for thought and positive action". He said last month that "defining Islamophobia is extremely difficult for perfectly valid reasons relating to freedom of expression", but noted that "perfectly law-abiding Muslims going about their business and well integrated into society are suffering discrimination and abuse". Baroness Shaista Gohir, a crossbench peer and CEO of Muslim Women's Network UK (MWNUK), is another member of the working group. MEE revealed in late February that an MWNUK event in parliament in March celebrating the "cultural contribution of Muslims in the UK" was supported by TikTok, the social media giant accused of censoring content on human rights abuses faced by Uyghur Muslims in China. Aisha Affi, an independent consultant, is also named as a member of the working group. The terms of reference say that the group will have six months to deliver a working definition of Islamophobia to ministers. It establishes that the government "has the right to disband the Group at any point and without notice if they deem that it is no longer meeting its aims and objectives".
Middle East Eye
26-02-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Muslim Council of Britain denies endorsing British Muslim Network
The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has distanced itself from the British Muslim Network (BMN) after Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, a former government minister, suggested that the new organisation had the MCB's support at a launch event on Tuesday. Addressing remarks made by Warsi in which she praised the organisers of the new network for reaching out to Muslim community organisations, Wajid Akhter, the MCB's secretary-general, told Middle East Eye that the MCB had not been approached by anyone from the BMN and had not endorsed it. "It has been brought to our attention that the Muslim Council of Britain has somehow endorsed a new organisation launched this week," Akhter, who was elected to the MCB leadership last month, told MEE. "No such endorsement has been given and no contact has been established or sought with the current leadership of the Muslim Council of Britain." Akhter's comments came after Warsi, a former Conservative minister under David Cameron who now sits in the House of Lords as an independent peer, said that the MCB was among Muslim organisations which had been approached ahead of the launch of the BMN and were supporting the initiative. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters "I am delighted that you have reached out to every Muslim community organisation that I could possibly think of, including the Muslim Council of Britain, and I am delighted that you have their support, too," Warsi told the audience. Warsi said that Zara Mohammed, the previous secretary-general of the MCB, had hoped to attend, and said that Miqdaad Versi, a spokesperson for the MCB, sent "best wishes" to the gathering. "I know that Zara, the current secretary-general who has just stepped down, was hoping to be here but couldn't be here because of other work commitments, and Miqdaad also sends his best wishes," she said. MEE has approached Mohammed and Versi for comment. Notable figures Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who nearly lost his seat in the last election to pro-Palestine activist Leanne Mohamad by 500 votes, and Labour's faith minister, Lord Wajid Khan, also spoke at the BMN's launch and praised the group. Streeting admitted that "successive governments and the Labour Party had not got the relationship right" with the Muslim community. Other notable figures who attended Tuesday's launch event included Brendan Cox (the widowed husband of the murdered Labour MP Jo Cox who has since remarried), who MEE understands is a key figure behind the network. Warsi personally thanked Cox during her speech. Figures from the Good Faith Partnership also attended the event, alongside Asim Hafiz, a British Army imam who was appointed as the UK Ministry of Defence's Islamic religious adviser. Earlier this year, Warsi became one of the first Muslim figures to publicly declare her support for the BMN in a report in the Times newspaper. Details of Warsi's reported involvement with the network came days after she was one of the main speakers at the MCB's annual dinner and criticised the government's policy of not engaging with the MCB, an umbrella organisation of about 600 mosques and community groups which has long been considered the main body representing and speaking for Muslims in the UK. Sir Stephen Timms, a Labour minister, was spoken to after he attended the MCB dinner. Labour's leadership reportedly "reminded" Timms of his "duty to uphold collective responsibility". Critics have accused the BMN of lacking credibility within Muslim communities and undermining the MCB's attempts to engage with the Labour government. The BMN's leadership has argued that the government should engage with a "whole range" of Muslim groups, including both the MCB and the BMN. The BMN does not claim to be a similarly representative body. But the faith minister's support signals that the government is likely to engage with the new body, despite its ongoing boycott of the MCB. Lost funding Last year, Middle East Eye first reported on plans to create a new Labour-supported Muslim group to engage with the government. MEE revealed earlier this month that the initiative had lost most of its backing, including hundreds of thousands of pounds in funding. Several Muslim MPs privately said they would not attend the BMN's launch. On Tuesday morning, BBC Radio Four asked BMN co-chair Akeela Ahmed whether "reports of withdrawals of offers of funding for your body and disquiet from some Muslim Labour MPs" were true. Ahmed replied: "It's not true. We are in very early days, we are in start-up days at the moment. We are privately funded, and we are speaking to people within the British Muslim communities about funding for the organisation, but we haven't had any funding withdrawn." Exclusive: British Muslim Network backed by charity set up by former archbishop Welby Read More » Qari Asim, an imam and another BMN co-chair, recently joined other Muslim scholars in signing the "Reconciliation Accords" with Jewish leaders, including Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis. The accords were presented as "rebuilding a meaningful trust between Muslim and Jewish communities" and the signatories, including Asim, met King Charles at Buckingham Palace on 11 February. The BMN's advisory board, made public this week, includes Abdurahman Sayed, the CEO of London's Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre, and Zahed Amanullah, a former director of the Concordia Forum think tank. Amanullah, currently a fellow at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, spoke at an event hosted by the UAE-backed "countering extremism" organisation Hedayah last December on countering antisemitism and Islamophobia.
Middle East Eye
25-02-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Labour's faith minister backs new British Muslim Network
Labour's faith minister has backed the British Muslim Network (BMN), a new national body appearing to undermine the leadership credentials of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), ahead of its launch on Tuesday evening. Labour's faith minister, Lord Wajid Khan, has thrown his support behind the new network, along with deputy speaker and Conservative MP Nusrat Ghani, former Conservative chair Baroness Sayeeda Warsi and ex-England cricketer Azeem Rafiq, according to the Guardian. The launch event, set to take place in London on Tuesday evening, follows a series of controversies surrounding the network. Critics have accused the BMN of lacking credibility within British Muslim communities and undermining the MCB's attempts to engage with the Labour government. But the BMN's leadership has argued that the government should engage with a "whole range" of Muslim groups, including both the MCB and BMN. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters 'Start-up days' Last July, Middle East Eye first reported on plans to create a new Labour-supported Muslim group designed to engage with the government. MEE then revealed earlier this month that the initiative had lost most of its backing, including hundreds of thousands of pounds in funding, with several Muslim MPs saying privately that they would not attend the BMN's launch. On BBC Radio Four on Tuesday morning, BMN co-chair Akeela Ahmed was asked whether "reports of withdrawals of offers of funding for your body and disquiet from some Muslim Labour MPs" were true. Exclusive: British Muslim Network backed by charity set up by former archbishop Welby Read More » Ahmed replied: "It's not true. We are in very early days, we are in start-up days at the moment. We are privately funded, and we are speaking to people within the British Muslim communities about funding for the organisation, but we haven't had any funding withdrawn." Qari Asim, an imam and another BMN co-chair, recently joined other Muslim scholars in signing a pact called the "Reconciliation Accords" with Jewish leaders, including Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis. The accords were presented as "rebuilding a meaningful trust between Muslim and Jewish communities" and the signatories, including Asim, met King Charles at Buckingham Palace on 11 February. The BMN's advisory board, made public this week, includes Abdurahman Sayed, the CEO of London's Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre, and Zahed Amanullah, a former director of the Concordia Forum thinktank Amanullah, currently a fellow at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, spoke at an event hosted by the UAE-backed "countering extremism" organisation Hedayah last December on countering antisemitism and Islamophobia. Questions of representation Headlines have focused on the support the BMN has received from Sayeeda Warsi, who was the first Muslim woman to serve in cabinet under David Cameron's Conservative government. Warsi is now an independent peer after quitting the Conservatives last September, complaining that the party had moved too far right. "For too long British Muslims have been made to feel their voices do not matter," Warsi told the Guardian ahead of the BMN's launch. "The British Muslim Network is part of a much-needed effort to change that." 'For too long British Muslims have been made to feel their voices do not matter' - Baroness Sayeeda Warsi The BMN's website says: "British Muslim communities face many internal and external challenges - such as social and economic disadvantage, anti-Muslim prejudice and inadequate funding and professional advice. "Yet our communities also hold immense talent, expertise and potential, which can offer solutions not just to our own challenges, but to those of wider British society." An invitation to the launch event, seen by MEE, said the network had been created as a result of 'the joining of many heads and hearts over the past few months and is linked to conversations that have been taking place in British Muslim communities for many years.' The network has insisted it does not aim to challenge the Muslim Council of Britain's role, with Ahmed saying the BMN aims to "complement" the MCB's work. Critics have suggested that the BMN's co-chairs and advisory board lack credibility, warning that the government could use the network to continue to avoid engaging with the MCB, Britain's largest umbrella body claiming to represent British Muslims. Consecutive governments have followed a policy of refusing to engage with the MCB - despite it having over 500 member organisations, including mosques, schools, local and county councils, professional networks and advocacy groups. Exclusive: British Muslim Network backed by charity set up by former archbishop Welby Read More » Starmer's government adopted this approach and even ignored communications from the MCB during the far-right riots that raged across the country for over a week in August. The BMN does not claim to be a similarly representative body. But the faith minister's support signals that the government is likely to engage with the new body, despite its ongoing boycott of the MCB. One well-placed Labour insider, who asked to remain anonymous, told MEE the BMN risked facilitating "attempts to divide the Muslim community into so-called good Muslims that will be allowed to engage with the government, and so-called bad Muslims that will be boycotted." This is a characterisation that the BMN rejects. Speaking to the BBC on Tuesday, Ahmed said the government should engage with the MCB. "The MCB is one group that is working in this space, and the government should engage with it," she said. "But the government should also engage with a whole range of British Muslim organsiations and British Muslims around the country. "That engagement is not taking place," Ahmed added.
The Guardian
25-02-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Sayeeda Warsi and Mishal Husain back new lobby group for British Muslims
Prominent British Muslims in politics, media, business and sport have come together to influence government policy on behalf of 4 million British Muslims. The minister for faith Wajid Khan, the Tory MP and deputy speaker Nusrat Ghani, the former Conservative party chair Sayeeda Warsi, the broadcaster Mishal Husain, the ex-England cricketer Azeem Rafiq and the anti-racism group Hope Not Hate are backing the newly formed British Muslim Network (BMN). The Muslim Council of Britain has been the main representative body for Muslims for about 30 years, but successive governments have had a policy of 'non-engagement' with the MCB dating back over a decade. Akeela Ahmed, co-chair of BMN, told the Guardian this meant policies concerning British Muslims were being made without their voices being heard, affecting cohesion, while insisting BMN aimed to 'complement' organisations like the MCB, rather than replace them. BMN aims to bring together practitioners and experts to identify challenges British Muslims face to policymakers, in areas including health, education, immigration, equalities and the economy, aligning research with government's goals, while growing its membership nationwide. It also aims to counter negative attitudes by highlighting contributions made by British Muslims to society, and encourage Muslims to take up positions on boards and vote. The establishment of BMN marks a shift towards promoting the interests of the UK's Muslims as a diverse British social identity, rather than purely as a faith group, and comes after a surge in Islamophobic incidents, revealed by charity Tell Mama. Co-chair Qari Asim, one of the UK's most prominent imams, said BMN's mission went beyond tackling anti-Muslim prejudice, and that it was 'not being set up just to be a conduit to talk to the government,' but would link 'activists, strategists, professionals and policymakers for the benefit of British society.' Ahmed said: 'There's a lot of misconceptions and negative attitudes attached to British Muslims … some from particular politicians and their rhetoric. 'Of course, there are challenges within the Muslim community, like with any community, like in British society, but some of those challenges have been weaponised, I think, to really paint a very negative picture of British Muslims. 'So the British Muslim Network, we're hoping to overcome some of those negative attitudes, to really put into the public sphere and the public conversation the reality of the lived lives of British Muslims around the UK and that they are overwhelmingly, just like any other person in the UK, just trying to live their lives. 'They care about education, they care about employment, they care about health, they care not just about their local communities, but the wider challenges facing the country. We really want to put forward a positive and confident narrative around British Muslims and their role in British society.' The founding of BMN follows months of discussions between leading British Muslims, amid concerns of a 'growing sense of alienation,' a spokesperson said. Speaking ahead of BMN's launch event, Sayeeda Warsi, the peer who was the first Muslim woman to serve in cabinet, said: 'For too long British Muslims have been made to feel their voices do not matter … The British Muslim Network is part of a much-needed effort to change that.' Nusrat Ghani said British Muslims were 'making contributions across the UK and I am pleased to play a role in highlighting that', while Sunder Katwala, the director of the British Future thinktank, said: 'Britain will be a more inclusive country once every institution of power and influence can confidently engage with all parts of society.' The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government has been approached for comment.
Middle East Eye
13-02-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Exclusive: British Muslim Network backed by charity set up by former archbishop Welby
A new national body appearing to challenge the leadership credentials of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has lost many of its earlier backers and is being backed by a charity set up by disgraced former Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, Middle East Eye can reveal. The new body, the British Muslim Network (BMN), is set to hold its launch event on 25 February but faces an escalating crisis as increasing numbers of Muslim MPs refuse to attend, MEE understands. Last July, MEE first reported on plans to create a new Labour-supported Muslim group designed to engage with the government. Since then, MEE understands that the initiative has lost most of its backing, including hundreds of thousands of pounds in funding. Several Muslim MPs have privately said they will not accept invitations to attend the upcoming launch event. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters BMN co-founder Akeela Ahmed said in late January that the network was 'only speaking to potential funders within the British Muslim community'. But three anonymous Labour insiders with knowledge of the matter told MEE that the BMN is receiving a large part of its support from the Together Coalition. The coalition is a charity co-founded by Welby and Brendan Cox, the husband of the Labour MP Jo Cox who was murdered by a far-right-inspired gunman in 2016. Muslims Don't Matter: Sayeeda Warsi lacerates her former Tory colleagues Read More » According to its website, the Together Coalition's steering group, which oversees its direction, is chaired by the Archbishop of Canterbury, a title held until recently by Welby. Welby resigned as archbishop late last year after a report found that the Church of England covered up sexual abuse by a barrister who attacked as many as 130 boys and young men. Welby's successor as archbishop has not yet been appointed. Prominent members of the Together Coalition's steering group include Matthew Elliot, who was the chief executive of the Vote Leave campaign that advocated for Brexit in 2016, and Lord Richard Dannatt, a former head of the British army. Women's equality activist Julie Siddiqi, another member of the steering group, is understood to be heavily involved in the BMN. 'No credibility ' Labour insiders told MEE that Cox, who is the Together Coalition's head of strategy and is understood to be close to the Labour leadership, is a key figure behind the new network. MEE also understands that Cox is concerned that figures like Siddiqi who are behind the BMN lack credibility within the Muslim community. 'The BMN has not gone in the way that they expected and instead of bringing people together, it is creating further division' - Labour source "Brendan is aware that figures who are rumoured to be involved with the BMN, like Julie Siddiqi or Imam Asim Hafez, have no credibility within the community,' said a source who is in regular contact with grassroots Muslim groups. "The BMN has not gone in the way that they expected and instead of bringing people together, it is creating further division." Cox, who is not a Muslim, has previously praised the controversial Prevent programme and warned that 'You don't need to import the conflict from Israel-Palestine into the UK'. In 2018, Cox confessed to inappropriate behaviour and resigned from two charities after multiple allegations of sexual assault surfaced. He strongly denied the accusations. MEE understands that a number of people involved in the project to create a new Muslim organisation held a meeting last May which was organised by the Together Coalition at Cumberland Lodge, a 17th-century country house in Windsor. The BMN has presented itself as seeking to allow the government to engage with British Muslim communities, which is what the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), founded in the late 1990s, aims to do. British Jews explain their turn away from Israel and Zionism Read More » An invitation to the BMN's launch event, seen by MEE, said the network had been created as a result of 'the joining of many heads and hearts over the past few months and is linked to conversations that have been taking place in British Muslim communities for many years.' The proposal document MEE reported on last July said that the government and policy makers 'are not easily able to access, connect or seek credible and expert advice from diverse British Muslim communities', creating a 'dire need for a credible group'. But consecutive governments have followed a policy of refusing to engage with Britain's largest umbrella body claiming to represent British Muslims, the Muslim Council of Britain. The MCB has over 500 member organisations, including mosques, schools, local and county councils, professional networks and advocacy groups. In August, MEE revealed that the Labour government even ignored communications from the MCB during the far-right riots that raged across the country for over a week. Another Labour insider, speaking on condition of anonymity, told MEE there was outrage over 'repeated attempts to divide the Muslim community into so-called good Muslims that will be allowed to engage with the government, and so-called bad Muslims that will be boycotted. 'It is as dangerous as it is racist,' the source added. 'The involvement of non-Muslim individuals and organisations in driving these divisive projects particularly reeks of Islamophobia.' A spokesperson for the Together Coalition told MEE: 'As part of our work to address threats to community cohesion, we work with a wide variety of civil society groups to help ensure voices and communities that are marginalised get the support they deserve.' Access and representation MEE understands that Cox has played a central role in shaping Labour's broader faith engagement strategy, with the party relying heavily on the Together Coalition for community outreach. According to a Labour Party source, Cox has emerged as a key figure in these efforts. His influence is reportedly tied to his connections within the party and his broader interfaith work, particularly through relationships with figures like the former archbishop. 'You don't need to import the conflict from Israel-Palestine into the UK' - Brendan Cox Cox's involvement has facilitated structured engagement with faith communities, but sources suggest that these efforts are often not representative. And Cox has previously taken controversial positions on contentious political issues such as the Gaza war. In December 2023, the Together Coalition held a mass vigil aiming to 'bridge divisions' by bringing people who lost family in Gaza together with those who lost family in Israel. 'The vast majority of the debate is dominated by the loudest, most extreme voices,' Cox said in an interview before the vigil. 'What we're being told time and time again is you have to take a side, there's only one side and the other side is evil. And in those moments, I guess my concern about it is you whip up this anger, you whip up this hatred.' Prime Minister Keir Starmer has so far continued the previous government's policy of not engaging with the MCB (AFP) He added: 'You don't need to import the conflict from Israel-Palestine into the UK.' Cox has also advocated 'increasing public support' for the controversial Prevent anti-extremism programme, advocating for its reform but defending it against criticisms made in 2023 by government-appointed reviewer William Shawcross, who accused Prevent of insufficiently targeting Islamist extremism. Cox also disputed the 'perception of Prevent as biased against Muslim communities', saying that the policy's mistakes in its early stages had been 'exploited by groups who wanted to undermine Prevent for ideological reasons'. British Muslim creators 'herded' into Prevent funding, says Equi think tank Read More » The Times reported in late January that prominent supporters of the new network included Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, a former Conservative minister and member of the House of Lords. The report came just days after Warsi was one of the main speakers at the Muslim Council of Britain's annual dinner, where she criticised successive governments for not engaging with the organisation. "How dare they? How dare we be told who we can have to speak on our behalf? How dare we not be allowed the agency of our own representation?" Warsi said in her speech. "How dare we be told that we are going to be accountable for what somebody may have said two decades ago? How dare we be held accountable for every single word of every single person who's ever been involved in an institution?" MEE contacted Warsi for comment but did not receive a response by time of publication. A spokesperson for the Muslim Council of Britain said the organisation "welcomes all genuine efforts to serve British Muslim communities. With over 500 affiliated organisations and regular democratic elections, we remain focused on uniting, empowering, and serving our communities through impactful grassroots work and constructive dialogue with all partners. "As part of this commitment, our Vision 2050 sets out a long-term roadmap for a confident, successful, and engaged British Muslim community."
