Spreading the message of the Conservative Muslim Forum requires both explicitly political activities, and also much quiet networking.

On Saturday 25 March CMF Treasurer Samir Thantrey attended a charity dinner was organised by Muslim Care, a UK registered charity,  to raise funds for The Citizens Foundation, a charitable organisation that builds schools in Pakistan.

The event was held at Abbey Manor in Park Royle there was approximately 400 people attending.

Samir donated 3 items of sporting and music memorabilia for the auction which raised £1,300 towards their current project.

In the picture below, from left to right, are:

1. Rashid Diwan, Chairman Muslim Care
2. Councillor Parvez Ahmed, current Mayor of Brent
3. Samir Thantrey

Pictured below is one of the music acts.

One important way of spreading the CMF’s message is for CMF members to attend events where other senior Muslims will be present.

On Thursday 23 March 2017, the Pakistan High Commission marked Pakistan Day with a flag hoisting ceremony, which was well attended by the community. CMF Treasurer Samir Thantrey was amongst them.

A one minute silence was observed to reflect on the victims of the previous day’s terrorist attack in London.

The High Commissioner paid tribute to Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and the other founding fathers of Pakistan. He stated that, through their unwavering resolve and visionary leadership, they brought the Muslims of the sub-continent to one platform and created a separate homeland for them.

The High Commissioner also shared details of the planned celebrations for the 70th Independence Anniversary of Pakistan. He invited the community to participate in the celebrations as proud Pakistanis. The High Commissioner also commended the role of the community in the development and progress of Pakistan and the UK.

Below is a photograph of Samir (wearing a blue shirt) with the Deputy High Commissioner of Pakistan Dr Israr Hussain.

The true spirit of London is shown by the way that Londoners come together after major tragedies.

Sadly this spirit was needed again after the terrible terrorist attack on Westminster Bridge outside Parliament on Wednesday 22 March 2017 which the CMF condemned in its statement on the same evening.

Early evening the following day, Londoners from all walks of life, and from all faiths and none, came together for a vigil in Trafalgar Square. Amongst them was CMF Deputy Chairman Ash Zaman.

The first picture below shows the variety of the crowd which was present. The second shows Ash on the far left of the picture next to a banner carrying a more authentic message of Islam than the hatred that clearly filled the attacker.

In recent years, many terrorist attacks overseas have shown that, sadly, killers do not need sophisticated weapons or complex plots to wreak mayhem. Driving a vehicle into pedestrians and attacking with a knife can be enough to create carnage.

Today this type of terrorism came to London. While the attacker’s identity and precise motivation are not yet known, driving into policemen and civilians on Westminster Bridge and then attacking policemen guarding Parliament with a knife are the clearest indicators that this was ideologically motivated violence.

As our Prime Minister has said:

“The location of this attack was no accident. The terrorist chose to strike at the heart of our capital city where people of all nationalities, religions and cultures come together to celebrate the values of liberty, democracy and freedom of speech.”

We welcome the Prime Minister’s determination that:

“We will all move forward together, never giving in to terror and never allowing the voices of hate and evil to drive us apart.”

Our thoughts and prayers go out to those who have experienced terrible life-changing injuries, and to the relatives and friends of those who have been killed.

Incidents like today’s remind us that every day our police forces put themselves at risk to protect all of us from harm.

The Police Dependants Trust is a charity that provides support to officers who have been injured on duty, and to the families of those officers who have lost their lives in the line of their police work. You can make a donation to it, as our Chairman has already done, by following the link https://www.pdtrust.org/ and then clicking the “Donate Now” button in the top right hand corner.

The CMF held a general meeting on 14 March 2017. While the meeting was private and formal minutes of the meeting will be laid before the next annual general meeting, this page contains a brief summary.

The evening opened with a Quran recitation in Arabic with English translation given by Imam Ali Omar, Muslim Chaplain to the Armed Forces. CMF Chairman Mohammed Amin had selected Quran 42:36-38 because the consultation practiced by the Muslims of that time can be seen as a form of democracy for that period.

The English translation below is from Muhammad Asad’s “The Message of the Quran”:

AND [remember that] whatever you are given [now] is but for the [passing] enjoyment of life in this world – whereas that which is with God is far better and more enduring.

[It shall be given] to all who attain to faith and in their Sustainer place their trust; and who shun the more heinous sins and abominations; and who, whenever they are moved to anger, readily forgive; and who respond to [the call of] their Sustainer and are constant in prayer; and whose rule [in all matters of common concern] is consultation among themselves; and who spend on others out of what We provide for them as sustenance;

The CMF’s triennial elections for the Executive were held at this meeting.

The following were returned unopposed:

1. Chairman – Mohammed Amin
2. Deputy Chairman – Ash Zaman
3. Secretary – Faruk Miah

All of the other positions were contested, and secret ballots were held with Imam Ali Omar and Mr Wafik Moustafa invigilating.

Samir Thantrey was elected as Treasurer. Nine people were elected as Members of the Executive Committee.

The full new Executive is shown below, apart from Executive Committee member Dr Alam Ara Khan who was overseas.

From left to right:

1. Mohammed Amin – Chairman
2. Faruk Miah – Secretary
3. Ash Zaman – Deputy Chairman
4. Hashim Bhatti – Executive Committee Member
5. Samir Thantrey – Treasurer
6. Lady Sheikh – Executive Committee Member
7. Mike Mogul – Executive Committee Member
8. Tahara Amin – Executive Committee Member
9. Kamru Ali – Executive Committee Member
10. Ajantha Tennakoon – Executive Committee Member
11. Attic Rahman – Executive Committee Member
12. Jeanne-Marie Douglas – Executive Committee Member

While there is still more to do, Britain can be proud of having managed the integration of racial and religious minorities far better than most other countries in Western Europe.

A simple illustration is given by the British Kebab Awards 2017. As well as showcasing the culinary contribution of the Turkish and other Eastern Mediterranean communities in the UK, the attendance showed the integration of immigrants into life in Britain.

The picture below shows from right to left:

1. Paul Scully, MP for Sutton and Cheam
2. Mike Mogul, Member of the CMF Executive
3. Ibrahim Dogus, Founder and Director of the Centre for Turkey Studies and Development and Founder of the British Kebab Awards
4. Councillor Ali Gul Ozbek, Mayor of Haringey 2016-2017
5. Councillor Saleha Jaffer, Mayor of Lambeth

The event was also attended by CMF Secretary Faruk Miah MBE who is not in the picture below.

Probably the single most important part of winning elections is to get people who already support you to turn out and vote. Accordingly, telephone canvassing to identify such people, and to persuade them to vote, is vital. CCHQ has a continous canvassing operation going, which of course is ramped up during important periods such as the recent by-elections in Stoke and Copeland.

Members of the Conservative Muslim Forum do their bit whenever they can, and sometimes get pictures for the scrapbook. On Tuesday 21 February CMF Executive member Ajantha Tennakoon (behind Boris Johnson’s left shoulder)  and CMF Executive Secretary Shaheen Thantrey found themselves canvassing in CCHQ with the Foreign Secretary.

Dan Watkins, recently Conservative candidate for Tooting in the 2015 general election and in the by-election which followed Sadiq Khan’s election as Mayor of London is a good friend of the Conservative Muslim Forum and someone who works tirelessly for better community cohesion.

Accordingly we are very pleased to publish the story below of his recent visit to the Tooting Islamic Centre.

FROM DAN WATKINS

‘Visit My Mosque’ Events Help Build a more Inclusive Britain

Last Sunday, [5 February] saw 150 mosques across Britain open their doors and invite all members of their local communities to come inside and learn more about Islam and its beliefs. As part of this, I was delighted to speak at our largest local mosque, the Tooting Islamic Centre, which ran a ‘Visit My Mosque’event (www.visitmymosque.org).

In the weeks before, the congregations of participating mosques distributed invites to local residents via posters and social media, aimed at attracting as many local people to visit the mosque as possible. First-timers were very much welcome, since the aim of the day was to educate those who know little or nothing about Islam about the religion and its practises.

At the Tooting event, after our local Imam did a hugely informative ‘Introduction to Islam’, I had a chance to say a few words about the day and why I felt it was so important that we support Visit My Mosque and other cross-community initiatives.

We live in turbulent times across the world, but if we are to build a society which is tolerant and inclusive, we need to break down barriers between different communities. As a long-term resident of Tooting, I have always been impressed at how few divisive incidents we have had. Yet beneath the surface, it is clear from the thousands of conversations I’ve had with residents on the doorstep that some still have concern over Muslim teachings and practises, and what they might mean for our area and Britain as a whole.

Through grassroots projects like VisitMyMosque we can start to inform and educate all elements of our community about Islam, about what happens in Mosques, and about the broader contribution that Muslims make not just to their community, but to people of other faiths and none.

Not only do attendees of VisitMyMosque get to see that many of the values of Mulsims are shared with people of other faith or no faith – that there is so much more than unites us than divides us – but they also hear of projects that their mosque does to benefit all of the community.

For instance, I was invited to help at the Muslim Aid event at the Tooting and Balham Mosques last month, in which the congregation donated four tons of food to the needy, which was distributed to Wandsworth churches where foodbanks are run.

I truly believe that we are ‘one humanity’ and that by holding positive, informative events in our community such as VisitMyMosque, we can help build a better, more inclusive Britain. As such, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to the trustees and congregation of all mosques across the country for welcoming in their neighbours to VisitMyMosque.

Below is a picture of Dan with the Imam of the Tooting Islamic Centre, Imam Khubaeb Raja.

On Friday 27 January 2017, US President Donald Trump issued an Executive Order about immigration. The full text can be read on the White House website at the link “Executive Order: Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States.”

Despite the words “Islam” and “Muslims” never being mentioned in the order, from the choice of countries and other language in the order, it is clear that the order is aimed at Muslims, consistent with Mr Trump’s call while a candidate for a ban on Muslim entry into the USA. The Executive Order has caused signficant concern both outside the USA and inside, and has been criticised by many members of the United States Senate and Congress and by many members of the UK Parliament.

CMF President Lord Sheikh and CMF Chairman Mohammed Amin took action on Monday. They wrote a polite CMF letter to the US Embassy explaining why the Executive Order is not in the best interests of the USA, or of its allies.

Their letter is reproduced below.

CMF letter to US Chargé d’Affaires

30 January 2017

Mr Lewis Lukens
Chargé d’Affaires
Embassy of the United States of America
24 Grosvenor Square
London
W1A 2LQ

Dear Mr Lukens

The Conservative Muslim Forum is a voluntary grouping within the British Conservative Party.

Our nine formal aims are set out in our constitution, but they can be distilled into the statement that we encourage British Muslims to engage in the democratic process in our country by voting, joining political parties and standing as candidates, with a particular emphasis on supporting the Conservative Party. Our membership, and our Executive Committee, consists of both Muslims and adherents of other religions. More information about us is available on our website, details at the foot of this letter.

On Friday, President Trump signed an Executive Order (EO) restricting immigration.

Amongst other provisions, it prohibits for three months entry into the USA of people from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen. We understand that this EO applies to people who are already lawful residents of the USA holding a “green card” who will not be allowed to re-enter the USA if they were overseas when the EO was made. We also understand that the EO has been challenged in court, and that U.S. District Court Judge Ann Donnelly has stayed removals from the USA under the EO pending a substantive trial of the issues.

We are writing because both of us are friends of the USA. No countries have done more to embed freedom, democracy and the rule of law into the modern world than the UK and the USA. Against that background, we ask you to convey to your President our deep concern regarding this EO. Amongst other matters:

• It feeds the narrative of ISIL/ Daesh that there is irreconcilable conflict between America (and by extension other liberal democracies) and Muslims. While the EO does not name Islam or Muslims, all of the countries have Muslim majorities, and there is widespread acknowledgement both inside and outside the USA that the order is aimed at Muslims. Not least because as a presidential candidate, Mr Trump proposed a ban on Muslims entering the USA.
• It is seriously injurious to lawful residents of the USA seeking to return home. In many cases, it will separate parents from children who are American citizens, and separate green card holding spouses from husbands and wives who are American citizens.
• It damages the reputation of the USA as a beacon for non-discrimination and treatment of people on individual merit. Instead, with no warning, a wide class of people have been prohibited from lawful entry (or re-entry) into the USA. Damaging America’s relationships with not just citizens of the countries listed, but with Muslims everywhere, harms the security of the USA, and the UK, by emboldening those voices preaching division, and alienating Muslims whose support we need in fighting terrorism.

Overall, this EO does not make America a safer place. Instead, it will please ISIS/Daesh and other enemies of co-operation between Muslims and non-Muslims, and feed the narrative of religious strife.

Our advice to your President is to rescind this EO immediately, and to consult widely within the USA regarding measures that will make the USA a safer place, rather than playing into the hands of our mutual enemies.

Yours sincerely

Lord Sheikh
CMF President

Mohammed Amin
CMF Chairman

World Interfaith Harmony Week is officially recognised by the United Nations and this year ran from 1 – 7 February.

To mark UN World Interfaith Harmony Week 2017, on 1 February 2017 CMF President Lord Sheikh hosted an event in Committee Room 4A, in the House of Lords: “Spreading Religious Harmony.”

It was organised by CMF Executive member Ajantha Tennakoon and very well attended.

The audience comprised specially invited guests from different walks of life and from different faith forums.

Below is a group photograph of the speakers . From left to right:

1. Ash Zaman -CMF Deputy Chair (He gave the Vote of Thanks)
2. Ven. Ajahn Amaro – Head of the Amaravati Buddhist Monastery, Hemel Hempstead
3. Dr. Nirav Amin- Volunteer at the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir, Neasden
4. Ajantha Tennakoon- CMF Executive member (Master of Ceremonies)
5. Lord Sheikh- Baron Sheikh of Cornhill in the City of London
6. Dr. Harvey Belovski – Rabbi of Golders Green Synagogue
7. Mandeep Kaur- Sikh Chaplain to British Armed Forces
8. Father Alan Green – Rector of St. John on Bethnal Green, Tower Hamlets