Muslim Council of Britain chooses new head
-05/06/06
The Muslim Council of Britain (MC
Muslim Council of Britain chooses new head
-05/06/06
The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has elected Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari to succeed Sir Iqbal Sacranie as its latest secretary general.
The new leader, a 52-year-old Bangladeshi, is a specialist teacher in behavioural support for Tower Hamlets Council in East London. He was chosen from a list of 37 candidates.
Dr Bari told the BBC today that among the challenges MCB and its constituent organisations and mosques faced ìis the deprivation [and] social alienation of the whole communityî together with ìelements of extremism and radicalism [among] a tiny sectionî and ìIslamophobia, racism, xenophobiaî in wider society
His predecessor, Sir Iqbal Sacranie, was knighted in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in summer 2005. He helped found the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), an umbrella body drawing support from hundreds of affiliates, in 1997 – and became its leader in 2002.
The group has been influential within 10 Downing Street and at the Home Office, especially following 9/11 in the US and the 7/7 London bombings last year, when concerted attempts were made to understand the alienation behind support for such terrible actions ñ while distancing them from mainstream Islam.
But critics say that MCB is out of touch with young Muslims, still harbours some groups with extreme views, and is representative of only some sections of the Islamic community.
It has also been attacked for refusing to back Holocaust Memorial Day, saying that it wishes to have a ìmore inclusiveî genocide day that does not focus on the suffering of the Jews alone.
MCB backed the controversial Racial and Religious Hatred Bill and has criticised the circulation of printed and recorded material offensive to Muslims, incurring the wrath of free speech advocates.
Others say that these criticisms fail to recognise the enormous strides a small organisation with limited funding has made in just a few years, and praise Mr Sacrani for his willingness to promote a reform agenda.
The past MCB head recently got into hot water over his dismissive approach to lesbian gay rights, prompting a complaint over comments he made on the BBC.
[Also on Ekklesia: UK Muslim body to reconsider Holocaust event; Sacranie charge dropped, but Muslim gay row continues; Religious leaders call for end to detention without trial in Iraq; BNP members involved in ‘Christian’ front; Iraqi, Muslim and Palestinian support for peace hostages grows; UK faith groups concerned at ID card scheme; Muslims and Christians unite against bomb attacks; British Muslims face abuse after London bombs]
Muslim Council of Britain chooses new head
-05/06/06
The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has elected Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari to succeed Sir Iqbal Sacranie as its latest secretary general.
The new leader, a 52-year-old Bangladeshi, is a specialist teacher in behavioural support for Tower Hamlets Council in East London. He was chosen from a list of 37 candidates.
Dr Bari told the BBC today that among the challenges MCB and its constituent organisations and mosques faced ìis the deprivation [and] social alienation of the whole communityî together with ìelements of extremism and radicalism [among] a tiny sectionî and ìIslamophobia, racism, xenophobiaî in wider society
His predecessor, Sir Iqbal Sacranie, was knighted in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in summer 2005. He helped found the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), an umbrella body drawing support from hundreds of affiliates, in 1997 – and became its leader in 2002.
The group has been influential within 10 Downing Street and at the Home Office, especially following 9/11 in the US and the 7/7 London bombings last year, when concerted attempts were made to understand the alienation behind support for such terrible actions ñ while distancing them from mainstream Islam.
But critics say that MCB is out of touch with young Muslims, still harbours some groups with extreme views, and is representative of only some sections of the Islamic community.
It has also been attacked for refusing to back Holocaust Memorial Day, saying that it wishes to have a ìmore inclusiveî genocide day that does not focus on the suffering of the Jews alone.
MCB backed the controversial Racial and Religious Hatred Bill and has criticised the circulation of printed and recorded material offensive to Muslims, incurring the wrath of free speech advocates.
Others say that these criticisms fail to recognise the enormous strides a small organisation with limited funding has made in just a few years, and praise Mr Sacrani for his willingness to promote a reform agenda.
The past MCB head recently got into hot water over his dismissive approach to lesbian gay rights, prompting a complaint over comments he made on the BBC.
[Also on Ekklesia: UK Muslim body to reconsider Holocaust event; Sacranie charge dropped, but Muslim gay row continues; Religious leaders call for end to detention without trial in Iraq; BNP members involved in ‘Christian’ front; Iraqi, Muslim and Palestinian support for peace hostages grows; UK faith groups concerned at ID card scheme; Muslims and Christians unite against bomb attacks; British Muslims face abuse after London bombs]