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Issue 255, Friday 30 July 2010 - 18 Sha'ban 1431

MCB elects new leader

By Abdul Adil

The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) elected a new Secretary General, Farooq Murad, at its 13th Annual General Meeting in London on June 20.

In his inaugural address, Murad, who is a management and training consultant by profession, paid tribute to the work of the outgoing office-bearers and build on their work. “To have the honour to serve as the Secretary General of the UK’s largest Muslim umbrella organisation is no light task. But I will approach the trust and confidence you have all entrusted in me with great humility and humbleness,” he said.

He also pledged that “with grit, determination and heart, I will tirelessly champion the great challenges of our time. We are a diverse, young and evolving community and I want to say to the rest of the country ‘we are all in this together’. We may differ in our religious convictions but we all have the same worries and concerns whether we can cling on to our jobs in this recession, whether our schools cater for the needs of our children or whether we are moving in the right direction in creating a more cohesive Britain. The MCB is an evolving organisation and our voice will always be based on justice, equality and fairness.”

Murad, former President of the Islamic Society of Britain, Chair of Muslim Aid 2004-08 and a current trustee, praised the outgoing Secretary General, Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari, by saying that he had been “a truly remarkable ambassador for our community and our country. He served the MCB during turbulent times and consolidated the MCB as an organisation with renewed vigour and a sense of purpose.”

Dr Abdul Bari, in his farewell speech, said the British Muslim community “has a lot to offer to help Britain overcome its economic difficulties while also contributing to the new politics that has overtaken our civic duties.”

“With increasing political and social participation in British life and an assertive and youthful population, there is now a tremendous potential for Muslims to contribute to Britain’s economic prosperity and civic renewal. Over the past years, the MCB has been able to attract a good number of talented young men and women, and professionals from across the country to volunteer for MCB’s diverse work,” he said.

The meeting, which was attended by over 200 delegates from around the UK, also elected Deputy Secretary General, Dr Shuja Shafi and Treasurer, Harun Rashid Khan.

Dr Shafi worked at the NHS, University of London, Public Health Laboratory Service and Health Protection Agency as Lecturer, Hospital Consultant and a Clinical Regional Post Graduate Advisor.

Khan is a Civil Engineer by profession.

The new Central Working Committee will be convening soon to elect three assistant secretary generals and an assistant treasurer.


The Muslim Council of Britain is the UK's largest Muslim umbrella body with around 500 affiliated national, regional and local organisations, mosques, charities and schools.