British Muslims for Secular Democracy

British Muslims for Secular Democracy

Founded	2006[1]
Founder	Nasreen Rehman and Yasmin Alibhai-Brown
Website	http://www.bmsd.org.uk/

British Muslims for Secular Democracy is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to supporting secularism in the United Kingdom.^[2] It was founded in 2006 by Nasreen Rehman and Yasmin Alibhai-Brown.^[3] The group believes the diversity of views among British Muslims is not adequately represented to wider British society and that their image is distorted.^[4][5] The organization is one of the growing number of feminist and progressive Muslim organizations.^[6]

The organisation says it aims to:

• Challenge those who have a vested interest in promoting the 'clash of civilizations' narrative. They claim that these include some Muslim leaders and prominent white commentators.
• Highlight the rights of Muslims who are marginalised because of their inability to cope with or succeed within the system.
• Encourage British Muslim men and women to recognise the contributions they have made to Britain.^[7]
• Examine the role of political parties that pander to "community leaders"
• Enable Muslims to become more aware of their autonomous rights and question Muslim leaders who set themselves up as 'representatives' or ‘experts’.
• Work with other global progressive Muslims opposing Saudi influenced Salafism and its offshoots.
• Challenge the ill-informed and politicised nature of the state's intervention in the organisation of religious life in this country and the influence faith-based groups now have on public policies.
• Object to government policies that curtail civil liberties using the prevailing sense of fear of terrorism.
• Work with young Muslims and try to win over their hearts and minds, so they espouse the quiet and compassionate Islam practised by Muslims through generations.

Trustees

• Nasreen Rehman (Chair)
• Yasmin Alibhai-Brown^[8]

• Mona Bauwens (Vice Chair)
• Shaaz Mahboob
• Ghayasuddin Siddiqui
• Andy Gregg

Staff

• Tehmina Kazi, Director (since May 2009)
• Hanif Abdulmuhit, Head of Operations (since January 2014)

References

1. "What I now have in common with Jemima". Evening Standard. Retrieved 2012-08-15.
2. "Muslims launch new organisation to challenge perceptions". Asians in Media Magxine. Retrieved 2012-08-15.
3. Ahmad, Imran (2008-05-01). "Representing ourselves better". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 2012-08-15.
4. "British Muslims for Secular Democracy asks for pro-bono support". PR Week. Retrieved 2012-08-15.
5. Whitaker, Brian (2008-05-01). "Scratching secularism's surface". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 2012-08-15.
6. Nancy Graham Holm (2 February 2013). "Lonely Progressive Muslims: Trapped in the Crossfire Between Islamophobes and Intra-Muslim Hatred". Huffington Post.
7. "Muslims launch new organisation to challenge perceptions". Asians in Media Magazine. Retrieved 2012-08-15.
8. "Yasmin Alibhai-Brown: The closed minds that deny a civilisation's glories". Independent. London. 15 February 2010. Retrieved 2010-02-15.

External links

• British Muslims for Secular Democracy