Information about the newly-launched British Muslim Network
From left to right, Julie Siddiqi, Aadil Asghar, Jennifer Ogunyemi, Shabna Begum and Sunder Katwala at the British Muslim Network launch event in London.
Information about the newly-launched British Muslim Network
On the 25th of February, 2025, the British Muslim Network was officially launched. This is an independent network bringing together voices from across British Muslim communities to advocate for positive change.
The British Muslim Network aims to highlight contributions made by British Muslims to society, and encourage Muslims to take up positions on boards and vote. By engaging with a diverse range of professionals and community members, the network aspires to influence government policy on issues pertinent to the approximately 4 million British Muslims in the UK.
Attendees of the British Muslim Network Launch Event
The launch event was celebrated in London and featured roundtable discussions with approximately 60 participants, with an important mix of figures including politicians, activists, business owners, health and care professionals and faith leaders from all over the UK.
Prominent figures have expressed support for the British Muslim Network and were in attendance at the launch event last Tuesday, including the following:
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Baroness Sayeed Warsi, lawyer, politician, and member of the House of Lords. She made history as the first Muslim woman to serve in a British cabinet. In September 2024, she resigned from the Conservative Party, citing concerns over the party's direction and its treatment of Muslim communities.
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Wes Streeting, Health Secretary. He has also been serving as the Member of Parliament for Ilford North since 2015.
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Lord Wajid Khan, Lords Minister for Faith, Communities, and Resettlement. He has also served as a local councillor, Mayor of Burnley, and Member of the European Parliament for the North West.
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Mishal Husain, journalist and broadcaster renowned for her incisive interviewing style and extensive international reporting.
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Azeem Rafiq, former professional cricketer who played for Yorkshire County Cricket Club. He gained national attention in 2020 after speaking out about the racism and discrimination he experienced during his cricketing career.
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Julie Siddiqi, gender equality campaigner. She has been involved in various initiatives aimed at promoting women's rights and interfaith dialogue.
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Shabna Begum, CEO of the Runnymede Trust, the UK's leading race equality think tank. She joined the Trust in 2021, advancing to Director of Research before assuming her current leadership role.
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Sunder Katwala, director of British Future, a think tank focused on issues of identity, integration, migration, and opportunity in the UK.
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Brendan Cox, campaigner and activist, known for his work on social integration and combating extremism. He co-founded The Jo Cox Foundation in memory of his late wife, MP Jo Cox, to advance the causes she championed, including community cohesion and internationalism.
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Asim Hafiz, Islamic religious advisor to the UK Armed Forces.
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Nusrat Ghani, Conservative MP for Wealden since 2015. Ghani has been an advocate for issues such as transport accessibility, women's rights, and addressing Islamophobia.
Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, presenting at the British Muslim Network launch event.
Is the British Muslim Network supported by other Muslim community organisations?
Co-chaired by equalities campaigner and founder of She Speaks We Hear, Akeela Ahmed, and Imam Qari Asim of the Makkah Mosque in Leeds, the British Muslim Network has reported seeking to complement existing organisations like the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), rather than rival them.
Akeela Ahmed and Imam Qari Asim, hosting the British Muslim Network launch event.
Sharmeen Ziauddin, digital journalist and podcaster who attended the launch event, publicly declared that the British Muslim Network “is not a replacement of any existing organisation”.
During the launch event, Baroness Sayeed Warsi, expressed some remarks suggesting that the British Muslim Network had reached out to Muslim community organisations, including the Muslim Council of Britain, and had their support.
However, the Muslim Council of Britain’s secretary-general, Wajid Akhter, reported that they had not been in contact with anyone from the British Muslim Network and had not endorsed the launch of the organisation.
“No such endorsement has been given and no contact has been established or sought with the current leadership of the Muslim Council of Britain," were the words that Akhter shared with Middle East Eye.
In 2024, Lee Rowley, Former Minister of State for Housing and Planning, shared that the Government, under successive administrations, had a long-standing policy of non-engagement with the Muslim Council of Britain due to previous MCB leaders “taking positions that contradict our fundamental values”.
However, the British Muslim Network is backed by various political figures and seems to be the organisation that will lead the communications between practitioners and policymakers, tackle challenges in health, education, immigration and bridge research with government goals, as shared by Sumayah Saadi, member of the advisory board and one of the speakers at the BMN launch event.
Sumayah Saadi presenting at the British Muslim Network launch event.
The Guardian reported that the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government has been approached for comment on the British Muslim Network launch.
Who is funding the British Muslim Network?
The British Muslim Network is allegedly funded on contributions from the Muslim community, however, some reports suggest that it’s receiving financial support from Brendan Cox’s charity, The Together Coalition, which is linked to former Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby.
Khalida Khan, an activist and writer on Muslim issues, expressed that individuals linked to the charity “ lack real knowledge and understanding of the needs and issues of the community. Or the skills and expertise to influence legislation, strategies and policies”.
What’s next for the British Muslim Network?
Akeela Ahmed said that the British Muslim Network aimed to overcome negative attitudes against Muslims and “really put into the public sphere and the public conversation the reality of the lived lives of British Muslims around the UK”.
“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,” she expressed.
Qari Asim said members of the British Muslim Network will reach out to the government about concerns affecting Muslim communities such as health, education, immigration, equalities and the economy.
Imam Qari Asim and Akeela Ahmed posting at the British Muslim Network launch event.
