British Muslims for Secular Democracy

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British Muslims for Secular Democracy
Founded 2006[1]
Founder(s) 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 a 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]
  • 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
  • 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. ↑ "Representing ourselves better". The Guardian. Retrieved 2012-08-15. 
  4. ↑ "British Muslims for Secular Democracy asks for pro-bono support". PR Week. Retrieved 2012-08-15. 
  5. ↑ "Scratching secularism's surface". 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


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