Muslim Association of Britain

Muslim Association of Britain
Abbreviation MAB
Formation November 1997, UK
Type Non-profit organisation
Headquarters London, England
Location
  • United Kingdom
Website www.mabonline.net

The Muslim Association of Britain (MAB) is a British Sunni Muslim organisation founded in 1997. MAB has been well known for its participation in the protests opposing the Iraq war. More recently, it has been known for promoting Muslim participation in Britain.[1][2]

The newly elected president in 2018 is Anas Altikriti, who is the CEO and founder of The Cordoba Foundation.[3] Prior to him, Dr Omer El-Hamdoon headed the organisation for six and a half years.

Vision

The vision of the Muslim Association of Britain is: "Muslims At Their Best."[4]

Anti-war activities

Along with Stop the War Coalition (StWC) and Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, it has co-sponsored various demonstrations against the 2003 invasion and occupation of Iraq. MAB first started working with the StWC in 2002 when they agreed to join together a demonstration they had planned to mark the anniversary of the Second Palestinian Intifada with a demonstration StWC had planned against the looming Iraq war at the opening of the Labour party. The march took place under the dual slogans 'Don't attack Iraq' and 'Freedom for Palestine'.[5] According to Altikriti, MAB ‘spoke to Stop the War and we said to them, we will join you; however we will not become part of your coalition, we will be a separate and independent entity but we will work together with you on a national basis as part of the anti-war movement’.[6] This reassured MAB that it would not ‘melt into that big coalition’ [7] that was known to be led by the Left. They would remain a distinct and autonomous bloc, able to shape the agenda. Altikriti and others in the MAB leadership were working to persuade members that collaboration with non-Muslim anti-war activists was halal (religiously permissible) and that it was within the remit of their organisation. Their argument was that, if gender-segregated spaces and halal food could be provided at meetings, demonstrations and other events, then Muslims could participate in the anti-war movements without being assimilated.[8]

In February 2017, MAB along with other Muslim and British organisations, organised an anti-Trump protest. This followed President Trump's ban on visitors coming from seven predominantly Muslim countries.

Political endorsements

It encourages its members to vote certain ways in elections—it supported Labour's Ken Livingstone for Mayor of London,[9] Respect in London[10] and the Green Party of England and Wales in South East England. In 2004, its president Anas al-Tikriti stood down to become a European election candidate for Respect in the Yorkshire and the Humber region.[11] He was not elected.

Reaction to 2005 London bombings

MAB condemned the 7 July 2005 London bombings and joined the StWC in holding a vigil for the victims at the Peace Garden in Euston, London on Saturday, 9 July 2005 and a further solidarity gathering at Russell Square, close to one of the Underground stations targeted, on Sunday, 17 July 2005.[12]

Other

In late 2002, the Muslim Association of Britain organised a speaking tour in the UK for Anwar al-Awlaki, including events at the London School of Economics, Imperial College, King’s College and the School of Oriental and African Studies.[13] Al-Awlaki was later killed in a drone strike by the United States.

In 2005, the MAB took control of Finsbury Park Mosque and expelled followers of the extremist cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri whom they accused of "promoting hatred".[14]

The MAB opposed the US extradition request for Babar Ahmad, a UK IT specialist[15] who was accused of operating websites which offered support to the then Taliban government in Afghanistan.[16]

In May 2014, MAB condemned the kidnappings of school girls by Boko Haram.[17]

In November 2014, the organisation was listed as a terrorist group by the United Arab Emirates.[18] MAB expressed "total and utter condemnation" at this action.[19] It further challenged the UAE government to produce any evidence to support its claim, which it has yet to do.

In early 2015, MAB’s vice president, Mohammed Kozbar, urged the government to acknowledge that British foreign policy is a contributing factor to radicalism and that marginalising and criminalising young British Muslims is actually more likely to push them towards terrorist groups like ISIS.[20]

On 27 February 2016 MAB joined the CND rally against Trident.[21][22]

2015 Government report

In 2015, David Cameron's administration released a report accusing the Muslim Association of Britain of being "dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood". However, Muslim Association of Britain president Omer El-Hamdoon said it had no links to the Brotherhood. El-Hamdoon claimed that the government's accusations were politically motivated, as his organization had criticized Cameron's foreign policy on Iraq.[23]

Other activities

During February 2016 and 2017, the Muslim Association of Britain joined FOSIS in a nationwide campaign called "Believe and Do Good". The campaign was carried out with over 60 Islamic societies throughout the UK.[24]

References

  1. ↑ bestofbritishmuslims.com
  2. ↑ Muslim Association of Britain (18 November 2016). "Best Of British Muslims 2016". Retrieved 5 June 2017 – via YouTube.
  3. ↑ Foundation, The Cordoba. "The Cordoba Foundation - Cultures in Dialogue". www.TheCordobaFoundation.com. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  4. ↑ http://www.mabonline.net/about-mab/
  5. ↑ Unity with MAB, in Stop the War: The story of Britain's biggest mass movement, Andrew Murray and Lindsey German, ISBN 1-905192-00-2 P. 81–89
  6. ↑ 2008 Institute of Race Relations Vol. 50(2): 101–113
  7. ↑ Alladin Fida, MAB, NB, 16/5/07.
  8. ↑ Shahed Yunus, founding member of Bangla 2000, JI, 08/03 2007.
  9. ↑ "Muslims vote smart for Mayoral Elections". mabonline.net. Muslim Association of Britain. Archived from the original on 23 April 2008. Retrieved 2 May 2015.
  10. ↑ "Galloway's East End street fight". BBC. 6 May 2005. Retrieved 2 May 2015.
  11. ↑ "Full profile: Anas Altikriti". The Guardian. 3 June 2008. Retrieved 2 May 2015.
  12. ↑ Anti-war vigil attracts hundreds, BBC, 17 July 2005
  13. ↑ "Al-Qaeda leader's tour of Britain revealed". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  14. ↑ Casciani, Dominic (7 February 2006). "UK | The battle for the mosque". BBC News. Retrieved 27 March 2010.
  15. ↑ "MAB Publication" (PDF). MABOnline.info. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  16. ↑ Verkaik, Robert (12 March 2016). "The trials of Babar Ahmad: from jihad in Bosnia to a US prison via Met brutality". The Observer. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
  17. ↑ http://www.mabonline.net/images/docs/1399542946Press%20Release%20-%20Nigeria%20Kidnapping.pdf
  18. ↑ "UAE Cabinet approves list of designated terrorist organisations, groups". WAM Emirates News Agency. 15 November 2014. Archived from the original on 24 December 2016.
  19. ↑ "Anger as UAE puts Nordic, UK Muslim groups on terror list". World Bulletin. 17 November 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2015.
  20. ↑ Crowcroft, Orlando (10 June 2015). "UK Isis jihadis: Who are the British fighters waging war in Iraq and Syria for Islamic State?". IBTimes.co.uk. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  21. ↑ "Who's speaking at today's Stop Trident rally?". www.CNDUK.org. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  22. ↑ Fourman Films (29 February 2016). "Raghad Tikriti Muslim Association of Britain Stop Trident Demonstration Campaign Nuclear Disarmament". Retrieved 5 June 2017 – via YouTube.
  23. ↑ "UK groups deny government claims they are linked to possible terrorists".
  24. ↑ "BADG 2017". BelieveAndDoGood.com. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
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