Twelve hundred people representing nearly six hundred mosques and Islamic institutes from across the country and from all sections of the Muslim communities, Shi’as as well as Sunnis joined together on Sunday 10th May 2009 in Birmingham to make Muslim disunity a thing of the past by electing the most influential Muslim board in the UK – the Mosques & Imams National Advisory Board (MINAB).
The influential Board brings together for the first time all key Islamic traditions and schools of thought to help modernise and open up Britain’s 1500 religious institutions.
The very idea of bringing Shias and the different sects of Sunni Islam into one Board was perceived by many to be impossible. However, the UK’s four key Muslim groups, the British Muslim Forum, Muslim Council of Britain, Muslim Association of Britain & Al-Khoei Foundation worked hard to make real this historical moment.
The election of a board that is independent, community-led and set up to facilitate self-regulation, guidance and promote good practice amongst Mosques & Imams for the betterment of all marks a key milestone and major step forward for Muslim communities in Britain.
The Board is made up of fifty members out of which twenty per cent are women and twenty per cent from the Shi’a Muslim communities. Allama Shahid Raza OBE was elected as chairman. He is supported by four vice-chairs from the four key founding groups; Said Ferjani of the Muslim Association of Britain, Allama Ahmed Nisar Begg Qadri of the British Muslim Forum, Maulana Sarfraz Madni of the Muslim Council of Britain and Sister Sayeeda Khalida Rahman of the Al-Khoei Foundation.
The Board also elected Allama Masood Alam Khan as Secretary and Yousuf Al-Khoei as Treasurer.
In his welcoming statement the new chairman, Allama Shahid Raza OBE, set out the challenges for MINAB: “While Muslims do not believe mosques are the source of extremism many younger Muslims, particularly women, have long complained mosques are run by men from distinct clans or families, rather than by the wider communities that they serve”, he said.
"We have to be honest with ourselves. The majority of our Imams lack the capacity to connect with our wider communities whilst Mosques are poorly resourced and do not necessarily have the capacity, skills and experience to fulfil the growing needs of the population”.
"We not only need to urgently re-engage and re-connect with our communities but our neighbours and the wider society. We must become outward looking and reject a silo mentality in order to play a full and effective part in our society”, said Allama Shahid Raza OBE, chairman of MINAB.
The Board will now meet on 9th June 2009 to complete the process of further Board appointments and agree actions on key priorities.
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NOTES TO EDITORS:
- The first stage of creating MINAB was a national consultation, which sought views on issues such as the accreditation of Imams, better governance of Mosques and interfaith activity.
- Since its launch, MINAB’s work has been undertaken through an interim Steering Group, comprising of representatives from the Al-Khoei Foundation, British Muslim Forum, Muslim Association of Britain and Muslim Council of Britain to bring it to a position where an inclusive election representing all traditions & schools of thought could take place.
- The four organisations have achieved consensus on a Constitution for MINAB and developed a draft framework of core minimum standards for those who become its members. Membership of the MINAB is open to all mosques and Muslim educational and training establishments.
