Muslim Council of Britain (MCB)

Clerics & Preachers

Over 400 UK imams reject new extremism definition targeting Muslim groups Religious scholars accuse government of 'divisive tactics' and attempting to crack down on groups opposed to Israeli actions against Palestinians

March 22, 2024   

(Middle East Eye) Over 400 British imams and religious scholars have signed a letter rejecting a new UK government definition of extremism that targeted several British Muslim organisations. Last week, Communities Secretary Michael Gove announced a contentious new definition of extremism, though the […]

Demonstrations

Michael Gove says ‘good-hearted people’ at pro-Palestine marches should question potential ‘extremist organisers’ Tens of thousands of people participated in a Gaza protest on Saturday in London — the fifth march in the capital this year — which saw five arrests and a counter-protester de-arrested.

March 10, 2024   

(Sky News) Michael Gove has urged pro-Palestinian protesters to question whether extremist groups are behind some of the demonstrations — days ahead of publishing a new official definition of extremism. The housing secretary said “good-hearted people” attending the marches should be aware […]

Academics & Education

UK to create ‘blacklist’ of Muslim groups under new extremism definition Government is bringing in robust changes to target groups and individuals 'undermining' British values

March 5, 2024 and   

(National-UAE) The UK government is creating a “blacklist” of organisations under a new definition of extremism which would see their funding cut. Several Muslim groups are likely to be on the list after being singled out in government reports. The groups facing […]

Government & Politics

UK withdraws interfaith charity funding over Muslim Council of Britain links The decision to stop funding the Inter Faith Network was due to the 'reputational risk' posed for government

January 25, 2024   

(Middle East Eye) The British government intends to stop funding an interfaith charity because one of its trustees is a member of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), which the British government refuses to engage with. Communities Secretary Michael Gove told the […]

Clerics & Preachers

Senior UK Muslim clerics condemn Hamas attacks on Israel in landmark statement 15 Muslim clerics also condemn ‘excessive force’ by Israel but don’t apportion blame for hospital strike

October 18, 2023   

(Jewish News) Some of Britain’s most senior Muslim leaders have said they “denounce Hamas’s killing and abduction of innocent people” on 7 October and have steered clear of apportioning blame for the Gaza hospital killings. In a significant intervention by leading Muslim […]

Banks & Banking

Like Nigel Farage, British Muslims say they are being ‘de-banked’ Often without providing clear reasons, major high-street banks appear to be disproportionately closing the accounts of British Muslims, members of the minority group and experts say.

August 15, 2023   

(Al-Jazeera) Two months ago, the Cordoba Foundation, a British think tank, was organising a forum in central London about political tensions in Tunisia. But when trying to settle invoices, its efforts to pay for the event failed. “Multiple attempts to pay the […]

Banks & Banking

Banks accused of closing accounts belonging to British Muslims The Muslim Council of Britain has written to political leaders, saying members of the community are 'disproportionately affected' and need to have their rights protected.

August 1, 2023   

(Sky News) British Muslims are having their bank accounts closed “without adequate transparency and recourse,” representatives have claimed. The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) said individuals and organisations in the community were being “disproportionately affected by this issue” — leaving the group […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

Tory ‘turmoil’ stopped party tackling Islamophobia in its ranks Two years after a report into discrimination within the party concluded, its author says progress has been 'slow' due to multiple changes at the top.

July 24, 2023   

(Sky News) The “turmoil” at the top of the Tories has led to “slow” progress in tackling Islamophobia within the party, an independent reviewer has said. Boris Johnson launched an inquiry into discrimination within its ranks after the last election in 2019. […]

Children & Teens

Suella Braverman describes grooming gang comments as ‘unfashionable facts’ after backlash The home secretary claimed it was not racist to speak 'plain truths' after she was accused of amplifying far-right narratives with claims most grooming gang members are British-Pakistani.

April 20, 2023   

(Sky News) Suella Braverman has defended her use of language after claiming grooming gang members are “almost all British-Pakistani,” describing them as “unfashionable facts” in the face of a backlash. In a column for the Spectator, the home secretary said it was […]

Children & Teens

Muslim groups urge Suella Braverman to withdraw ‘irresponsible and divisive’ grooming gang comments A Home Office-commissioned study in 2020 found that group-based child sexual exploitation offenders are most commonly white.

April 11, 2023   

(Sky News) Suella Braverman has been urged to withdraw “divisive” comments around child sexual exploitation (CSE) by dozens of medical bodies, businesses and Muslim community organisations, Sky News can reveal. A number of Muslim organisations across the country have written to Rishi […]

Government & Politics

Government’s anti-terror programme failing to ‘understand and tackle antisemitism’ William Shawcross's long-[awaited] report into the Prevent programme includes references to cases that the author says show 'the prevalence of extreme antisemitism'

February 8, 2023   

(Jewish News) The government’s anti-terror programme is not doing enough to “understand and tackle antisemitism,” a new report has concluded. The findings of former Charity Commission chairman William Shawcross’s long-awaited report into the Prevent programme included claims by the author he was […]

Demographics

UK: Growing Muslim population hailed as ‘strategic national asset’ New census data suggests Christians now a minority in England and Wales while number of those with 'no religion' increases

November 30, 2022   

(Middle East Eye) The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has said that the growth of the UK’s Muslim population is a “strategic national asset” for the country but raised concerns about the levels of poverty the community continues to live in. Results […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

‘UK leadership candidates not held to account over Islamophobia’ Addressing anti-Muslim hatred is not government’s priority, says former head of Conservative Muslim Forum

August 9, 2022   

(Anadolu) The UK leadership candidates must address Islamophobia within the Conservative Party, according to the head of the country’s largest and most diverse Muslim umbrella organization. That has triggered demands that the next prime minister takes Islamophobia within the Tory party seriously […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

New leader must tackle Islamophobia within UK ruling party: Muslim group Whoever wins race to succeed Boris Johnson 'must represent everybody,' says Muslim Council of Britain head

July 14, 2022   

(Anadolu) The new British prime minister must treat “systemic” Islamophobia in the ruling Conservative Party seriously, according to the head of the UK’s leading Muslim organization. As the party searches for outgoing premier Boris Johnson’s successor, whoever wins “must represent everybody and […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

UK’s charity regulator urged to investigate Policy Exchange over ‘anti-Muslim agenda’ Complaint to Charity Commission accuses think tank of Islamophobia over report in which David Cameron said Muslim critics of Prevent were 'enabling terrorism'

May 11, 2022   

(Middle East Eye) The UK’s charities regulator is being urged to investigate the Policy Exchange think tank for alleged racism and Islamophobia, over a report in which it accused Muslim critics of the government’s Prevent strategy of “enabling terrorism.” In a letter […]

Government & Politics

French government calls UK advocacy group Cage ‘Islamist militants’ Anti-radicalisation body accuses organisation of supporting terrorists and seeking to smear France

April 28, 2022   

(National-UAE) UK advocacy group Cage, which has a focus on Muslim detainees, has been labelled “Islamist militants” by the French government’s anti-radicalisation body. The Interministerial Committee for the Prevention of Delinquency and Radicalisation has published nine tweets accusing Cage, founded by former […]