Muslim Council of Britain
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The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) is an unincorporated association founded in 1997 with the following aims:
- To promote co-operation, consensus and unity on Muslim affairs in the UK.
- To encourage and strengthen all existing efforts being made for the benefit of the Muslim community.
- To work for a more enlightened appreciation of Islam and Muslims in the wider society.
- To establish a position for the Muslim community within British society that is fair and based on due rights.
- To work for the eradication of disadvantages and forms of discrimination faced by Muslims.
- To foster better community relations and work for the good of society as a whole.
It is based at Boardman House, 64 Broadway, Stratford, London E15 1NT. It was inaugurated on 23 November at Brent Town Hall.
As an umbrella organisation it unites many national, regional, local and specialist organisations and institutions from different ethnic and sectarian backgrounds within UK Islamic society. However MCB shuns liberal Muslims such as the gay Muslim group, Al-Fatiha. The Muslim Council of Britain has condemned the war in Iraq. It also condemns terrorism by Muslims and non-Muslims alike.
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[edit] History
In 2006, Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari, was elected as the Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain[1]. More than 250 delegates from around the country gathered at the council's annual general meeting to elect the former deputy secretary general as the new leader of the organisation. Dr Abdul Bari has been the deputy secretary of the council for four years and is the chairman of the East London Mosque. Dr Daud Abdullah was elected as Deputy Secretary General, and Mrs Unaiza Malik as Treasurer.
To comply with the MCB's constitution, the previous Secretary General, Iqbal Sacranie, stepped down from the post having served two consecutive two-year terms. Sacranie had been awarded a knighthood in the 2005 Queen's Birthday Honours List for his long standing service to the community and interfaith dialogue[2]. In a statement Sir Iqbal noted, "I believe this Honour represents recognition for the positive work carried out by all at the Muslim Council of Britain together with the British Muslim community in building better relations and playing their due role in mainstream society for the common good of all. The over-riding objective of all Muslims is to work to seek the pleasure of our Creator". He also stated that the award of a knighthood would not prevent him making criticisms of Government policy on matters such as Iraq.
Following the 7 July 2005 London bombings, the MCB expressed its disgust at the events, in particular at the fact that bombers are thought to be British-born. The Home Secretary, Charles Clarke, has called upon the Muslim community to work with the Government to defeat terrorism.
However, on the 14 February 2006, the MCB urged MPs, to vote for the removal of the ‘glorification of terrorism’ clause from the Terrorism Bill.[3] The MCB say the Bill is perceived as "unfairly targeting Muslims and stifling legitimate debate".[4] Tony Blair managed to win the battle, banning the glorification of terrorism, by 315 to 277 votes. He said, "The new law will mean that if people are going to start celebrating acts of terrorism or condoning people who engage in terrorism, they will be prosecuted, and if they do not come from this country, they should not be in this country. We have free speech in this country, but you cannot abuse it."[5] Sunny Hundal[6], editor of Asians in Media Magazine[7] writes, "The MCB is clearly disappointed that the law will 'criminalise legitimate armed struggles against violent regimes'[8], essentially meaning they'll have to be careful when expressing support for suicide bombers in Israel or terrorists in Kashmir."[9]
The Muslim Council of Britain boycotts Holocaust Memorial Day. The council is in favour of a day for all people who have suffered genocide rather than one dedicated to the Holocaust, and insists that such a genocide day should replace, rather than coexist with, Holocaust Memorial day.
[edit] Mosques & Imams National Advisory Board (MINAB)
In 2006, MCB along with other major muslim organisations launched "Mosques & Imams National Advisory Board" (MINAB), an independent self-regulatory body to supervise mosques, train imams and to promote best practice in the British mosques.[10]
[edit] Funding
Letters between the home office and a high-profile muslim group reveal that the government has given at least £150,000 to it. The muslim council of Britain (MCB), led at the time by Sir Iqbal Sacranie, received the grant after asking the government for £500,000, according to correspondence disclosed under the freedom of information act (FOIA).[11]
The group claim that it has never sought funding for its core work, rather it has applied and gained finance for projects devoted to the development of Muslim communities in Britain. [12]
[edit] Comments on homosexuality
On January 3, 2006, Iqbal Sacranie told BBC Radio 4's PM programme he believes homosexuality is "not acceptable", and denounced same-sex civil partnerships as "harmful". He said that bringing in 'gay marriage' did "not augur well" for building the foundations of society. The MCB position on homosexuality is clear. Documents from their website explicitly state, "homosexuality leads to AIDS". Subsequently, the Metropolitan Police Service examined Sacranie's comments to see if they constituted an offence under the Public Order Act, following a complaint from a member of the public but no further action was taken.
[edit] MCB members want freedom of expression
In response to Police investigation, MCB members say, "All Britons, whether they are in favour of homosexuality or not, should be allowed to freely express their views in an atmosphere free of intimidation or bullying. We cannot claim to be a truly free and open society while we are trying to silence dissenting views."[13]
[edit] MCB deplores Danish newspaper
Twelve editorial cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad were printed in the Danish daily newspaper Jyllands-Posten on September 30, 2005. The furore surrounding the Muhammad drawings continues into February 2006, as an MCB delegation is due to meet the Danish Ambassador. Iqbal Sacranie states, "These newspapers have printed extremely offensive caricatures of the beloved Prophet of Islam and this case, worryingly, reflects the emergence of an increasingly xenophobic tone being adopted towards Muslims in parts of the Western media. Newspaper editors must exercise due care and restraint when dealing with issues like this."[14]
[edit] MCB and Sheikh Yassin
The official MCB position regarding suicide bombing is that the loss of life, both Muslim and Non-Muslim cannot be condoned. Iqbal Sacranie condemned the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and 7/7 in strong terms. However, when several Muslim organisations in London held a memorial service for the assassinated Palestinian leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, Spiritual Leader of Hamas who defended suicide bombings, at the Central Mosque in Regents Park, Sir Iqbal chose to attend the service and organisation. The MCB described Sheikh Yassin as "the renowned Islamic scholar." [15]
[edit] See also
- Islam in the United Kingdom
- Mosques & Imams National Advisory Board
- MCB's boycott of Holocaust Memorial Day
- Festival of Muslim Cultures
- Homophobia
- Homosexuality and Islam
[edit] External links
- Official website
- MCB Watch - Monitoring & critiquing the MCB
- Stance against Extremists
- The Times - transcript of Radio 4 interview - Gays are 'harmful'
- BBC News - Investigated by police for saying that homosexuality was 'harmful'
- The Times - MCB wants freedom of expression
- MCB condemn Danish newspaper
- Carolyn Quinn interviews Panorama reporter John Ware & MCB spokesman Inayat Bunglawala for the BBC's Today programme
- Asians In Media - What the terrorism law means for British Muslims
- The Guardian - A very British balancing act
