The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has elected as its leader a doctor who campaigned against the Labour Party during last year's general election.
Wajid Akhter, a general practitioner, defeated another doctor, Muhammad Adrees, to become Secretary General of the MCB in an election on Saturday. Established in 1998, the council describes itself as the UK's largest Muslim umbrella organisation, with more than 500 members.
Both Dr Andrees and Dr Akhter were vocal supporters of The Muslim Vote, a campaign launched during last year’s general election to mobilise Muslims against Labour.
The campaign said it would endorse alternative candidates who had voted for a ceasefire in Gaza, encouraging British Muslims to vote for them.
Labour lost four seats to independent candidates endorsed by the campaign, including Khalid Mahmood, the UK’s longest-standing Muslim MP, and nearly a third of Muslim votes over its stance on Gaza.
Both Dr Adrees and Dr Akhter have faced criticism in a think tank report for some of their aired views.
The Policy Exchange think tank reported earlier this month that Dr Adrees, a consultant physician in the NHS, had voiced support for the regime in Iran.
It noted a piece he had written for a 2017 issue of the publication Islam Today, which included a reference to Iran's former supreme leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
Dr Adrees wrote that a visit to Khomeini's former home during a trip to Iran "took my thoughts to the time of Iranian Revolution when the great leader led the nation to its destiny".
In a statement following the Policy Exchange report, Dr Adrees said: "I categorically do not endorse the Iranian state regime nor do I have any affiliation with them."
In his manifesto to stand as MCB leader, Dr Akhter noted that international Muslim groups he was in contact with during the pandemic did not know about the "fact that the Government did not speak to us".
He has vowed to "transform the structure, strategy, funding and culture" of the MCB, and for the organisation to be a "unifying force" in the Muslim community.
Dr Akhter has rejected claims that he previously suggested faith should come before nation, insisting it is not a "binary choice".
In a letter published in the The Telegraph newspaper, in response to the contents of the same Policy Exchange report, he wrote: "Being British is a cultural and national identity while being Muslim is a matter of faith – these are not mutually exclusive, nor are they in conflict."
Dr Akhter succeeds outgoing secretary-general Zara Mohammed, who made history when she was chosen to head the MCB in 2021, becoming the first woman and youngest person to take on the role at the age of just 29. She has since served two consecutive two-year terms.
The MCB has not had contact with the UK government since 2009 and successive political administrations have followed a policy of non-engagement. Former Labour prime minister Gordon Brown broke contact with the MCB after its deputy leader signed a letter which ministers said condoned attacks on British forces.
They were restored the following year after the MCB stated its opposition to violence, but more recently both the Conservative and Labour administrations have refused any official engagement.
The election of Dr Akhter comes as prominent British Muslims are backing a new national body that will speak to the government about issues affecting the UK's Muslim communities.
Called the British Muslim Network, it is cofounded by Julie Siddiqi, a well-known interfaith and women's campaigner, sources familiar with the organisation told The National.
Labour minister Alex Norris confirmed to Parliament in August that the Government's policy not to engage remained unchanged and that there were no plans for ministers to meet the MCB.
The specs: 2018 Honda City
Price, base: From Dh57,000
Engine: 1.5L, in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission
Power: 118hp @ 6,600rpm
Torque: 146Nm @ 4,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 5.8L / 100km
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Tips on buying property during a pandemic
Islay Robinson, group chief executive of mortgage broker Enness Global, offers his advice on buying property in today's market.
While many have been quick to call a market collapse, this simply isn’t what we’re seeing on the ground. Many pockets of the global property market, including London and the UAE, continue to be compelling locations to invest in real estate.
While an air of uncertainty remains, the outlook is far better than anyone could have predicted. However, it is still important to consider the wider threat posed by Covid-19 when buying bricks and mortar.
Anything with outside space, gardens and private entrances is a must and these property features will see your investment keep its value should the pandemic drag on. In contrast, flats and particularly high-rise developments are falling in popularity and investors should avoid them at all costs.
Attractive investment property can be hard to find amid strong demand and heightened buyer activity. When you do find one, be prepared to move hard and fast to secure it. If you have your finances in order, this shouldn’t be an issue.
Lenders continue to lend and rates remain at an all-time low, so utilise this. There is no point in tying up cash when you can keep this liquidity to maximise other opportunities.
Keep your head and, as always when investing, take the long-term view. External factors such as coronavirus or Brexit will present challenges in the short-term, but the long-term outlook remains strong.
Finally, keep an eye on your currency. Whenever currency fluctuations favour foreign buyers, you can bet that demand will increase, as they act to secure what is essentially a discounted property.
Squads
Pakistan: Sarfaraz Ahmed (c), Babar Azam (vc), Abid Ali, Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Sohail, Mohammad Hasnain, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Shadab Khan, Usman Shinwari, Wahab Riaz
Sri Lanka: Lahiru Thirimanne (c), Danushka Gunathilaka, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Avishka Fernando, Oshada Fernando, Shehan Jayasuriya, Dasun Shanaka, Minod Bhanuka, Angelo Perera, Wanindu Hasaranga, Lakshan Sandakan, Nuwan Pradeep, Isuru Udana, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara
Petrarch: Everywhere a Wanderer
Christopher Celenza,
Reaktion Books
MATCH INFO
BRIGHTON 0
MANCHESTER UNITED 3
McTominay 44'
Mata 73'
Pogba 80'
SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202-litre%204-cylinder%20turbo%20and%203.6-litre%20V6%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeven-speed%20automatic%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20235hp%20and%20310hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E258Nm%20and%20271Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh185%2C100%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More on Quran memorisation:
Greatest Royal Rumble results
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Braun Strowman won the 50-man Royal Rumble by eliminating Big Cass last
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
The%20National%20selections
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Sheikh Zayed's poem
When it is unveiled at Abu Dhabi Art, the Standing Tall exhibition will appear as an interplay of poetry and art. The 100 scarves are 100 fragments surrounding five, figurative, female sculptures, and both sculptures and scarves are hand-embroidered by a group of refugee women artisans, who used the Palestinian cross-stitch embroidery art of tatreez. Fragments of Sheikh Zayed’s poem Your Love is Ruling My Heart, written in Arabic as a love poem to his nation, are embroidered onto both the sculptures and the scarves. Here is the English translation.
Your love is ruling over my heart
Your love is ruling over my heart, even a mountain can’t bear all of it
Woe for my heart of such a love, if it befell it and made it its home
You came on me like a gleaming sun, you are the cure for my soul of its sickness
Be lenient on me, oh tender one, and have mercy on who because of you is in ruins
You are like the Ajeed Al-reem [leader of the gazelle herd] for my country, the source of all of its knowledge
You waddle even when you stand still, with feet white like the blooming of the dates of the palm
Oh, who wishes to deprive me of sleep, the night has ended and I still have not seen you
You are the cure for my sickness and my support, you dried my throat up let me go and damp it
Help me, oh children of mine, for in his love my life will pass me by.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20NOTHING%20PHONE%20(2A)
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More on Yemen's civil war
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
Scoreline:
Everton 4
Richarlison 13'), Sigurdsson 28', Digne 56', Walcott 64'
Manchester United 0
Man of the match: Gylfi Sigurdsson (Everton)
THE BIO
Favourite place to go to in the UAE: The desert sand dunes, just after some rain
Who inspires you: Anybody with new and smart ideas, challenging questions, an open mind and a positive attitude
Where would you like to retire: Most probably in my home country, Hungary, but with frequent returns to the UAE
Favorite book: A book by Transilvanian author, Albert Wass, entitled ‘Sword and Reap’ (Kard es Kasza) - not really known internationally
Favourite subjects in school: Mathematics and science
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'I Want You Back'
Director:Jason Orley
Stars:Jenny Slate, Charlie Day
Rating:4/5
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20NOTHING%20PHONE%20(2a)
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Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
Imperial%20Island%3A%20A%20History%20of%20Empire%20in%20Modern%20Britain
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Crops that could be introduced to the UAE
1: Quinoa
2. Bathua
3. Amaranth
4. Pearl and finger millet
5. Sorghum
'The Lost Daughter'
Director: Maggie Gyllenhaal
Starring: Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, Dakota Johnson
Rating: 4/5
The nine articles of the 50-Year Charter
1. Dubai silk road
2. A geo-economic map for Dubai
3. First virtual commercial city
4. A central education file for every citizen
5. A doctor to every citizen
6. Free economic and creative zones in universities
7. Self-sufficiency in Dubai homes
8. Co-operative companies in various sectors
9: Annual growth in philanthropy
Match info
Uefa Champions League Group C
Liverpool v Napoli, midnight
RESULT
Huddersfield Town 1 Manchester City 2
Huddersfield: Otamendi (45' 1 og), van La Parra (red card 90' 6)
Man City: Agüero (47' pen), Sterling (84')
Man of the match: Christopher Schindler (Huddersfield Town)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UFC Fight Night 2
1am – Early prelims
2am – Prelims
4am-7am – Main card
7:30am-9am – press cons
Tottenham's 10 biggest transfers (according to transfermarkt.com):
1). Moussa Sissokho - Newcastle United - £30 million (Dh143m): Flop
2). Roberto Soldado - Valencia - £25m: Flop
3). Erik Lamela - Roma - £25m: Jury still out
4). Son Heung-min - Bayer Leverkusen - £25m: Success
5). Darren Bent - Charlton Athletic - £21m: Flop
6). Vincent Janssen - AZ Alkmaar - £18m: Flop
7). David Bentley - Blackburn Rovers - £18m: Flop
8). Luka Modric - Dynamo Zagreb - £17m: Success
9). Paulinho - Corinthians - £16m: Flop
10). Mousa Dembele - Fulham - £16m: Success
