A group of pro-establishment Muslim organisations are holding a conference on “British Islam” in London.
The “British Islam 2017” conference organised by New Horizons in British Islam featured a plethora of government-friendly reformist institutions such as the Quilliam Foundation, the Islamic Society of Britain, Tell MAMA and Imams Online. LGBT activists, Ahmadiyyas and Zionists were also backing the event.
However, none of the major British Muslim organisations with significant grassroots following attended. No mainstream Barelvi, Deobandi, Salafi, Shia, Brotherhood inclined or political Islamic groups were invited, though the conference claimed to be an “open market of ideas”.
The event aimed to “promote collaboration and thinking around the idea of a British Islam and to encourage the development of British Muslim thought, identity and culture; to create a space for development of networks and partnerships.”
Dilwar Hussain, founder of NHBI said: “This conference is unique in bringing together a diverse audience such as: Imams, Muslim activists, academics, humanists and LGBT activists to confront and debate hard-hitting themes, however controversial.
“Aside from debate and discussion, it will also use art and culture to energise Muslim thought to meet the challenges of the day and build important alliances. This is so important in these very polarised times.”
The list of presentations and workshops by activists, organisers, thinkers and scholars includes:
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Sughra Ahmed, Yale University – Taking a walk on the wild side
Raya Al-Jadir, Disability Horizons Arabic – My disability, childhood years and dreams
Rashad Ali, Institute for Strategic Dialogue – Reason, revelation and sharia
Aisha Ali-Khan, Asian Mums Network – Refugees: the forgotten people
Alima Aminu, House of Khaleemah – Being Black, being Muslim
Salah Ansari, Quilliam Foundation – Carving Muslim identity between political Islam and Muslim scholars
Jonathan Arkush, Board of Deputies of British Jews, Are British and faith values in conflict?
Fatimah Ashrif, Rumi’s Circle – Spiritual activism
Qari Asim, Imams Online – British Mosques
Adam Aslam, Islamic Society of Britain – What can British Islam learn from Indonesia?
Khadeejah Ateeq, House of Khaleemah – Being Black, being Muslim
Asma Bhol, Inclusive Mosque Initiative – Who’s afraid of female imams?
Saleema Farah Burney, SOAS – British Muslim women, building British Muslim lives
Eviane Cheng Leidig, Centre for Research on Extremism – Beyond the White working class: ethnic minority, Islamophobia and the populist radical right
Amanullah de Sondy, University College Cork – The crisis of Islamic masculinities in the context of British Islam
Joseph Dobson, Islamic Society of Britain – What can British Islam learn from Indonesia?
Daniel Thomas Dyer, Chickpea Press – Teaching our children a holistic Islam
Saimma Dyer, Chickpea Press – Teaching our children a holistic Islam
Bonnie Evans-Hill, Diocese of St Albans – Belongings and longings: integrating multiple identities
Bharath Ganesh, Tell MAMA – Right wing extremism, social media & the geopolitics of anti-Muslim hate
Halima Gosai Hussain, Inclusive Mosque Initiative – Who’s afraid of female imams?
Asim Hafiz, British Armed Forces – Your country needs you!
Syed Haider, SOAS – Creating a British Islamicate
Rabiha Hannan, New Horizons in British Islam – Did Islam really emancipate women?
Mike Hardy, Centre for Trust, Peace & Social Relations – The Amman Message and challenges for Muslim identity in Europe
Hifsa Haroon-Iqbal, West Midlands Regional Prevent Lead FE & HE – Supporting Muslim chaplaincy on campus
Usama Hasan, Quilliam Foundation – Balancing Salafism & Sufism
Chris Hewer – What can British Muslims learn from what happened to British Christianity? // Fazlur Rahman – what can he offer to British Muslims today?
Dilwar Hussain, New Horizons in British Islam – What can the Reformation teach us?
Hera Hussain, Chayn – Domestic abuse in British muslim communities: how we can confront & prosecute cruelty against women
Ibrahim Ikhlaf, Ahmadiyya Muslim Association – Persecution of the Ahmadiyya community
Laura Janner-Klausner, Movement for Reform Judaism – How to bring people with you on journeys of religious change
Sunder Katwala, British Future – Has integration failed? (panel discussion)
Ali Khaki, al-Mahdi Institute – Quranic understandings in reconciling Islamic law and modernity
Sara Khan, Inspire – Diversity, human rights and pluralism: standing together for our shared values
Mirnes Kovač, Journalist & Political Analyst – Islam of sharing: the experience of Islam in Bosnia
Jemma Levene, Hope Not Hate – Our fight is your fight: anti-Muslim hatred in the context of wider prejudice
Natan Levy
Irfan Malik – First World War contributions of Dulmial Village, Pakistan
Peter Mandaville, George Mason University, former Senior Advisor at US State Dept – The Securitization of Islam in Trump’s America
Laura Marks, Nisa Nashim – Jewish and Muslim women challenging the narrative
Farhana Mayer, Independent Researcher – The blasphemy in blasphemy laws
Lutfi Radwan, Willowbrook Farm – Stewards of the natural environment
Onjali Rauf, Making Herstory – The role of faith in battling misogyny and violence against women
Jeremy Rodell, British Humanist Association – Encouraging Muslim/non-religious dialogue
Shahed Saleem, makespace – New Muslim architecture in Britain
Pasha Shah, Department for Communities and Local Government – Engaging with government
Shanon Shah, Muslim Institute – Boundaries and bridges: Muslim LGBT allies
Halimat Shode, The Black Muslim Times UK – Being Black, being Muslim
Rehana Sidat, Jamila’s Legacy – Your mental health matters
Naved Siddiqi, New Horizons in British Islam – The societal value of mosques
Julie Siddiqi, Nisa Nashim – Jewish and Muslim women challenging the narrative
Nadiya Takolia, Coexist House & Cambridge Inter-Faith Programme – Scriptural reasoning workshop: refugees
Rianne C ten Veen, Green Creation – Islam & sustainable development: the role of Muslims in the UK
Tom Wilson, St Philip’s Centre – Free to believe?
