Muslim Council of Britain elects Mohammed Wajid Akhter as secretary general
Akhter, a doctor from Essex, had run on a platform of modernising the MCB and beat Dr Muhammad Adrees to succeed Zara Mohammed
–
Mohammed Wajid Akhter, a doctor from Essex, has been elected secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain.
Akhter was appointed to the role at the organisation’s annual general meeting, which was held at the East London Mosque on Saturday. It marks the end of Zara Mohammed’s four-year tenure as the MCB’s first female general secretary after she completed the maximum two terms.
The MCB is the largest representative body of British Muslims across the UK, with more than 500 affiliates including mosques, schools and charities.
In his inaugural speech, Akhter — who had run on a platform of modernising the organisation — announced that his first act as secretary general would be to initiate a “root and branch review” of the MCB.
Akhter said he would examine “every nook and cranny, every single action and inaction we take, so that we know whether this is fit for purpose”.
“This body needs open heart surgery,” he told delegates. “We will be reaching out to the Muslim community, every single part of it. If you are a revert in Wales, an elderly person in Scotland, a Bengali sister in east London, or a Somali brother in Northern Ireland, wherever you are, we want to hear from you, because you are us and we are you.”
Akhter told delegates he wanted to create a “dream team” at the MCB, and called on more people from the Muslim community to volunteer with the organisation.
“The most important resource [the MCB] has lacked is human beings,” he said. “We need people. We cannot rely on saviours — we need more volunteers, more talent, more potential than it has ever seen before. Anyone with an ounce of talent or skill will come and ask: ‘How can I make it better?’ We will listen to everyone.”
Akhter also vowed to devolve power through the MCB, telling delegates it had become a “London-centric organisation”.
“Ultimately our purpose is service to the grassroots,” he said. “There will be a Muslim council in the north, in Northern Ireland, in the Midlands. Wherever there are Muslims, there will be a Muslim council, made by you and for you.”
Also standing for the position of secretary general was Dr Muhammad Adrees, the convenor of the Muslim Council of Scotland. Adrees told Hyphen earlier this month he favoured repairing relations with the government. The MCB has found itself out in the cold ever since the then Labour government cut ties with the group in 2009.
Last week, one of the co-founders of a new group, the British Muslim Network, told Hyphen exclusively that it would not seek to compete with the MCB as a representative body — but that it was hopeful about being able to forge better relations with all three of the largest political parties in Westminster.
Saturday’s vote also saw Maswood Ahmed, the former MCB assistant secretary general, elected to the position of deputy secretary general.
Topics
Get the Hyphen weekly
Subscribe to Hyphen’s weekly round-up for insightful reportage, commentary and the latest arts and lifestyle coverage, from across the UK and Europe
This form may not be visible due to adblockers, or JavaScript not being enabled.