Muslim Association of Britain

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.

The current president is Dr Omer El-Hamdoon and the vice-president is Mohammad Kozbar. The organisation itself was previously headed by the Iraqi-born Anas Altikriti, whose family are prominent within the Iraqi Islamic Party; part of the wider Islamist organisation the Muslim Brotherhood.

MAB's vision

The vision of the Muslim Association of Britain is: "Muslims At Their Best."^[1]

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'.^[2] 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’.^[3] This reassured MAB that it would not ‘melt into that big coalition’ ^[4] 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.^[5]

Political endorsements

It encourages its members to vote certain ways in elections—it supported Labour's Ken Livingstone for Mayor of London,^[6] Respect in London^[7] 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.^[8] 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.^[9]

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.^[10]

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".^[11]

The MAB opposed the US extradition request for Babar Ahmad, a UK IT specialist who has been accused of setting up websites which urged Muslims to "kill the Americans and their allies-civilians".^[12]

In May 2014, MAB condemned the kidnappings of school girls by Boko Haram.^[13]

In November 2014, the organisation was listed as a terrorist group by the United Arab Emirates.^[14] MAB expressed "total and utter condemnation" at this action.^[15]

In early 2015, MAB’s vice president, Mohammed Kozbar, urged the government to acknowledge that British foreign policy is the root of radicalism and that marginalising and criminalising young British Muslims is actually more likely to push them towards terrorist groups like ISIS.^[16]

On the 27th of February 2016 MAB joined the CND rally against Trident.^{[17] [18]}

Controversy

The group was previously led by Anas Altikriti, who leads the Cordoba Foundation, a group that has been described by Prime Minister David Cameron as a “political front for the Muslim Brotherhood."^[19] In 2007, Altikriti split from the MAB and, along with other former MAB members, formed the British Muslim Initiative.

Activities

During February 2016, The Muslim Association of Britain joined FOSIS in a national wide campaign called: "Believe and Do Good". The campaign was carried out with over 60 Islamic societies throughout the UK. ^[20]

References

External links

• Official website