London: Life for Muslims in the UK may often be difficult, with Islamaphobic attacks on the street becoming more common and with reports of more deeply-rooted, day-to-day discrimination in the workplace, but one man refusing to be downcast is Harun Khan, the new secretary-general of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB).
While recognising the challenges the British followers of the faith face, Khan steadfastly remains optimistic, preferring to focus instead on the positive aspects of life in the UK — such as the freedoms in society and the general tolerance of the people.
The 46-year-old of Bangladeshi origin last month became the first second generation British Muslim to be voted leader of the MCB, and he hopes his confident outlook will encourage young people to engage with the organisation and increase its standing with policymakers in government.
“Aside from all the negative stories around terrorism, extremism and the growth of Islamaphobia, my view is that the way to overcome it is to have a positive outlook,” Khan told Gulf News.
“The majority of people in the UK — non-Muslims as well as Muslims — are basically going about their lives doing good work. Plus mosques and communities up and down the country are contributing in their own way, as well as adhering to their faith in a very free society. This is the environment that I have grown up in.
“Obviously there are challenges in life — you face prejudice and so on and I’m not taking away from people who have suffered verbal or physical abuse, but I would say it’s in the minority.
“My experience of life growing up in the UK, working for 26 years in the public sector, dealing with a wide range of people, by far has been positive. If I compare it to stories I hear and read about Muslims in other countries, it seems as though it’s a lot worse outside the UK. I don’t know that for a fact, but I’m very happy where I am.
“I feel confident as a Muslim and as a Briton. My three daughters have grown up here, they have no issues whatsoever — they haven’t experienced anything negative. Obviously I had a few encounters growing up in the 1970s, there was racism around, especially in the east end of London, but things have moved on.”
The MCB is the largest umbrella body for Muslims in the UK, as it boasts more than 500 affiliated national, regional and local organisations, mosques, charities and schools. Khan, whose parents migrated to the UK in the late 1950s, has been involved with the MCB since its inception in 1997 and was most recently the deputy secretary-general, in which role he launched the popular Eid celebrations in London’s Trafalgar Square.
He is keen to encourage young Muslims to contribute to British society and believes positive role models like four-time Olympic champion Mo Farah, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and Nadiya Hussain — the 2015 winner of hugely popular BBC reality show The Great British Bake Off — are vital.
“Role models are hugely important,” Khan said. “High-profile Muslims like Mo Farah and Sadiq Khan, celebrities like Nadiya Hussain — she’s a confident woman, wears a hijab, she’s doing everything that she needs to do. She’s facing challenges, she’s written about incidents that she’s had, but it’s not stopping her and her work. Same as Sadiq Khan, he didn’t have it easy.
“And irrespective of whether you’re an observant Muslim or not, I think the Muslim name, badge and dress sticks with you, so I think it’s very important to be seen to be confident in what you do.
“I hope that through what I do I become a role model for others, that they see they can do this kind of work. Be professional, do your work, and also serve the community. I hope to inspire others that they can live here, work here and be confident Muslims as well as confident Britons.”
Khan has high hopes for what he can achieve in his new role, but he will be limited by the fact he must carry out his responsibilities on a voluntary basis while also juggling his career as a senior manager at Transport for London and his busy family life. But he wouldn’t want it any other way.
“To some extent I’m used to it because I’ve always done voluntary work. Whether with the MCB or as a school governor for 10 years, I’ve done something outside of my own personal life and that comes with my faith,” he said.
“As a Muslim, I feel as though I have to contribute. It’s about doing good and that’s a very important aspect for me. In whichever way I can, within my means, whatever I am capable of doing I will do. Some people do lots of humanitarian work, charitable work. For me this is my charity, my way of giving back to society.”
- The writer is a freelance journalist based in the UK
Muslim Council of Britain
Established in 1997.
Is an independent body, democratic and nonsectarian.
Funded entirely by affiliate fees and donations.
Vision statement: To empower the Muslim community to contribute towards achieving a cohesive, just and successful British society.
Core principles: Faith and community; inclusive, independent, intra-faith; open and transparent.
Source: mcb.org.uk
