A government-friendly new Muslim organisation – the British Muslim Network (BMN) – officially launched in London last night with the remit of liaising with the authorities over Muslim issues.
The key figures fronting the organisation are Imam Qari Asim of Leeds Makkah Mosque, equalities activist Akeela Ahmed and gender equality campaigner Julie Siddiqui.
All three have historically had extensive ties within government and have worked with Zionist organisations.
The BMN, which was launched without wide consultation within the community, is also backed by the Faith Minister, Lord Khan, ex Tory cabinet member Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, Tory MP Nusrat Ghani, broadcaster Mishal Husain and ex cricketer Azeem Rafiq.
Its launch comes amid widespread discontent against the Labour government given its support for Israel in its genocidal war against the Palestinians. This discontent was manifested in a collapse of the Labour Muslim vote at the General Election last year.
According to the Religion Media Centre, co-founder Qari Asim told the launch event that the network was about connecting Muslim individuals and organisations, celebrating the positive contributions they can make to wider society and encouraging collaboration within the Muslim population.
He said the network will talk to the government about issues affecting Muslim communities such as health, education, immigration, equalities and the economy.
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The other co-founder, Akeela Ahmed, said governments had failed to engage with British Muslim communities for 17 years and Muslims had been marginalised and absent from national conversations, but challenges in society needed to be addressed.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting addressed the audience at an undisclosed London hotel: “Speaking as a government minister on behalf of the Government, (it’s good) to talk about how important it is for the government to get this relationship right, to acknowledge with humility that successive governments have not got this relationship right.”
He added that he was committed to ensuring the space for Muslims across the country to participate and express their faith.
And Faith Minister, Lord Khan, said it was a government priority to tackle Islamophobia and it was “through dialogue, partnerships and shared action that we overcome division and build a more harmonious society.”
There is widespread scepticism within the Muslim community about how representative the British Muslim Network is given the figures fronting the organisation and the lack of consultation.
The MCB, with over 500 member organisations, has historically positioned itself as the primary conduit between British Muslims and the state. However, successive administrations — both Labour and Conservative — have distanced themselves, citing concerns over past statements and affiliations.
Funding for the BMN has also raised eyebrows. While Akeela Ahmed initially claimed the BMN would rely solely on contributions from within the Muslim community, reports suggest it’s receiving significant support from the Together Coalition, a charity co-founded by Brendan Cox and linked to former Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby.
