Muslim Council of Britain denies endorsing British Muslim Network

The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has recently distanced itself from the British Muslim Network (BMN). This comes after Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, a former government minister, implied at the BMN's launch event on Tuesday that the organization had the MCB's backing. This claim prompted a public denial from the MCB, highlighting the complex relationships within the British Muslim community.

In response to Warsi's comments praising BMN organizers for actively engaging with Muslim community organizations, MCB Secretary-General Zara Mohammed told Middle East Eye that the BMN had never contacted the MCB, nor had the MCB endorsed the organization. Akhtar emphasized that the MCB had not given any form of endorsement to the BMN, and no contact had been established or sought between the leadership of the two organizations.

Warsi had stated that the MCB was among the Muslim organizations contacted and supported before the BMN's launch. She also mentioned that former MCB Secretary-General Zara Mohammed had initially hoped to attend the launch, and MCB spokesperson Miqdaad Versi had sent the conference his "best wishes." Middle East Eye has contacted Mohammed and Versi for comment.

Notably, UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Labour's Shadow Faith Minister Lord Wajid Khan also attended the BMN launch and expressed their support for the organization. Streeting acknowledged that "relations between successive governments and the Labour Party with the Muslim community have not always been handled well." Furthermore, Brendan Cox, the widower of murdered Labour MP Jo Cox, was also present at the event and is understood to be a key figure in the BMN. Warsi personally thanked Cox in her speech.

The BMN leadership argues that the government should engage with a "variety" of Muslim groups, including both the MCB and the BMN. While the BMN does not claim similar representation, the Shadow Faith Minister's support suggests the government is likely to work with the new body despite continuing to resist the MCB. Middle East Eye previously reported that the initiative had lost much of its support, including hundreds of thousands of pounds in funding. Several Muslim MPs privately stated they would not attend the BMN launch.