Iqbal Sacranie

Sir Iqbal Abdul Karim Mussain Sacranie, OBELondonGazette|issue=57665|supp=yes|startpage=1|date=11 June 2005|accessdate=2007-12-10] (born Malawi, 1952) served as General Secretary of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) until June 2006. He arrived in UK in 1969. He was founding Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain (established 1997), and served further four years as Secretary General in 2002-04 and 2004-06. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1999.

Achievements

* In 1999 the Observer magazine produced a Power List of 300 most powerful people and he was numbered at 246. The Guardian newspaper named him in 2002 as ‘The most influential Muslim in the UK’. In 2005 the GQ magazine produced a list of 100 Most Powerful Men in Britain and he was ranked at number 10 as the voice of Muslims in Britain, who plays a vital role as mediator in multi-cultural Britain.

* Prime Minister Tony Blair awarded him OBE in 1999 Honours List and a recipient of Muslim News Award for Excellence - Good Citizenship. He was awarded a plaque for Commitment and Dedication to Community work by Memon Association UK, which was presented by HRH Prince of Wales in 2001. In March 2005 he was presented with the Life Time Achievement Award for community work presented by the World Memon Organisation in Bombay, India.

* He Chairs the Board of Trustees of Memon Association UK. He led the Committee in raising £1.2 million pounds primarily from the Memon and Muslim community to build a unique Sports and Community Centre in South London. HRH Prince of Wales officially opened it in February 2001. All communities in London use the Memon Centre. He inspired the community to donate and be self-reliant and not to be dependent on government and institutional support.

* He was elected Deputy President of World Memon Organisation (WMO) in 2002, which is an umbrella body of Memon organisations from different parts of the world. The WMO carries out charitable work for the upliftment of its community in number of countries particularly in India and Pakistan.

* He Chairs the Board of Trustees of Balham Mosque and Tooting Islamic Centre. Also chairs the Al-Rissala Education Trust, which runs independent primary and secondary schools.

* He was appointed Vice President of Family Welfare Association, a national charity in the UK that focuses on helping suffering children around the world. He is a trustee of Muslim Aid an international relief agency serving in more than 45 countries.

* Iqbal is a Patron of Abdulla Quillam Society in Liverpool, Chairs the MCB Charitable Foundation and is a member of Home Office Race and Equality Advisory Panel. He has served on the Advisory Council of the previous four Home Secretary’s advising the government on matters relating to equality and race relations.

* Iqbal has over the years served on number of other charitable and community organisations including British Heart Foundation, National Co-ordinating Committee of European Year Against Racism, National Consultation on Chaplaincy, Interfaith Network, Coroners Review Group and the Prince’s Trust.

* He was awarded an OBE in 1999 and a knighthood in the 2005 Queen's Birthday Honours for "services to the Muslim community, to charities and to community relations."

Muslim Council of Britain

Sacranie was General Secretary of the MCB during the September 11th attacks on New York and the beginning of the War on Terror.

After the Madrid bombings he said "The hearts of Muslims and all peoples of conscience go out to families of those whose loved ones have been murdered and those who have been wounded in these appalling atrocities. Our heartfelt condolences go out to the Spanish people at this time of shock and grief."

In 2006, Muhammad Abdul Bari was elected to replace Iqbal Sacranie as General Secretary of the MCB.

Controversies

Comments on Salman Rushdie

During the Satanic Verses controversy, Sacranie was noted to have commented in regard to the Salman Rushdie, "Death, perhaps, is a bit too easy for him… his mind must be tormented for the rest of his life unless he asks for forgiveness to Almighty Allah." [ [http://books.guardian.co.uk/departments/generalfiction/story/0,6000,112335,00.html Rushdie in hiding after Ayatollah's death threat | By genre | Guardian Unlimited Books ] ]

Comments on homosexuality

On January 3 2006, Sacranie told BBC Radio 4's PM programme he believes homosexuality is "not acceptable", and denounced same-sex civil partnerships as "harmful". He said that bringing in 'gay marriage' did "not augur well" for building the foundations of society. [cite web | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4579146.stm | title = news.bbc.co.uk | accessdate = 2007-06-18 | publisher = ] [cite web | url = http://timescolumns.typepad.com/gledhill/2006/01/islam_and_gays.html#more | title = timescolumns.typepad.com | accessdate = 2007-06-18 | publisher = ] [cite web | url = http://politics.guardian.co.uk/columnist/story/0,9321,1688939,00.html | title = politics.guardian.co.uk | accessdate = 2007-06-18 | publisher = ] In response, Peter Tatchell of gay rights group OutRage! said: "It is tragic for one minority to attack another minority."

See also

*Islam in the United Kingdom
*Festival of Muslim Cultures

Notes

External links

* [http://www.mcb.org.uk/ Official website of the MCB]