Our Lord instructs us to pray, so we establish masjids. He instructs us to spread knowledge, so we establish schools. He instructs us help the poor, so we establish charities.
He instructs us to be united and “not be divided” (Quran, 3:103) - how can we fulfil this duty?
At national level in the UK, the MCB is the platform for British Muslim community organisations to unite and work together.
The barakah of greater unity - You gain and the community gains:
- Capacity Building & Networking - Discounts and priority access to training courses, conferences and networking opportunities nationwide.
- A Stronger Voice - As Islamophobia and far-right divisive forces continues to grow, having a strong, collective voice is essential in campaigning against this and advocating for a just and fairer Britain for all.
- From Good to Great - Through campaigns, roundtables and conferences, we can quickly share the excellent work from our mosques and organisation for all to learn from.
- Democratic Leadership - Full Community Members have voting rights in two-yearly MCB leadership elections
The Muslim Council of Britain is the UK’s largest and most diverse national representative Muslim body, with over 500 member organisations including mosques, charities, schools, and professional networks.
We are here to Unite - Empower - Serve.
We work for the common good by encouraging active Muslim participation in public life, and by promoting unity, equity and shared prosperity across society. Guided by our Vision 2050, the MCB’s mission is to Unite our communities around shared purpose, Empower individuals and organisations to lead and serve, and Serve both British Muslims and wider society through our projects, advocacy and engagement.
Following the crises in the Balkans and the first Gulf War in the 1990s, there was a growing sense of apprehension amongst Muslims in Britain that Muslim communities lacked unity and coordination.
In April 1994, approximately fifty community bodies and networks convened in Birmingham to form the NICMU – the National Interim Committee for Muslim Unity. This body was mandated to conduct a consultation exercise within the community to establish the need for an umbrella body and seek views on its priorities and structure.
NICMU met at regular intervals and in various UK cities, including Markfield, Birmingham and Leicester. A working group was established to carryout a process of countrywide consultations, and a postal questionnaire was prepared and circulated to Muslim organisations, Mosques, Islamic centres and institutions. Translations were also done in community languages such as Urdu and Bengali to ensure a comprehensive reach.
The findings of the consultations were presented to NICMU in July, 1995 and indicated that the majority of British Muslims were very concerned with the lack of unity, coordination and representation and supported the establishment of an umbrella body. NICMU then formed a sub-group to prepare a draft Constitution, which reported back its recommendations.
The final meeting of NICMU took place on 25th May 1996 in Bradford, at which time the name “The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB)” was chosen for the new organisation. The inauguration of the Muslim Council of Britain was held at Brent Town Hall in London on 23rd November 1997.
The Muslim Council of Britain is an independent body that conducts its affairs with openness and transparency and in accordance with a written constitution.
Further information about our Governance Structure can be found here
Enshrined in the MCB’s constitution is recognition of the diversity of Islam and Muslims and the desire to come together on matters of common concern.
It is a cross-sectarian body working for the common good without assuming any judgmental attitude toward the variety of expressions of Islamic belief and conduct except that which falls outside Islam. It is a broad-based, representative organisation of Muslims in Britain, accommodating and reflecting the variety of social and cultural backgrounds and outlooks of Muslim communities.
Practically it does this through lively discussion at all decision making levels and through an obligation placed on the leadership to reflect the diversity of British Muslim communities and foster an atmosphere of dialogue and collaboration.
Any UK-based Muslim-led community organisation is eligible to become an MCB member. This includes most non-profits, mosques, charities or community groups.
We also offer Individual and Corporate (for businesses / SMEs etc) membership. For details, visit: /blog/archive-2.
No. Member organisations remain fully independent and continue to operate under your own governing documents e.g. constitution with Charity Commission, or Articles of Association with Companies House.
MCB doesn’t control how members run their own affairs. Instead, membership gives your organisation a voice in how MCB’s affairs are run, including for full community members the right to vote, stand for leadership, and shape MCB’s policies and campaigns.
It’s a partnership of unity that strengthens your voice, not one that limits your independence.
For almost 20 years, the Muslim Council of Britain published a list of all organisations affiliated to it. However, with the rise of Islamophobia, it has become apparent that these organisations have subsequently become a target of hostility, affecting the very physical security of these organisations and the communities participating. For this reason, we have taken the difficult decisions of discontinuing with this practise. However, the membership list is shared with affiliates themselves at the Muslim Council of Britain's Annual General Meeting and those wishing to become affiliates (after completing due diligence checks).
The MCB’s Constitution demands an organisation that will base its policies and decisions on consensus of its members and the largest practicable measure of common agreement. The final decision-making and ruling body of the MCB is its General Assembly that must meet at least once a year. The Assembly is comprised of delegates from MCB member organisations. The other organisational units within the MCB are the National Council, various specialist committees and task groups, and the office bearers. See more on MCB governance structure here.
The MCB’s leadership is elected by its General Assembly, which is made up of delegates from member organisations.
Every two years, the Assembly elects the Secretary General, Deputy Secretary General, and National Council. From these, the Office Bearers and Executive Committee are appointed to run the organisation. All Office Bearers serve on a voluntary basis and can only hold the same post for a maximum of two consecutive terms (four years). To ensure fairness, an independent election commissioner is appointed in advance of each election and oversees the entire process independently of the current leadership. You can find more information about our governance structure and current Office Bearers here.
As a body representing our affiliates, the Muslim Council of Britain will therefore seek to engage with government, public bodies, civil society and any body that affect the lives of British Muslims. We seek positive engagement and will put forward our considered position without fear or favour. We seek constructive relations in the interest of our communities and nation.
The Muslim Council of Britain’s approach to dealing with public affairs is one of participation not agitation. The MCB views its dealings with government and policymakers as a matter of constructive engagement. This means that the MCB strives to understand and deal with problems and influence policies and outcomes through principled and effective participation. The MCB is a non-partisan, cross-sectarian, democratic and independent umbrella organisation that seeks constructive partnerships with all other entities interested in our common well being as citizens of the UK.
Muslims in Britain are British citizens with an Islamic heritage and the MCB encourages British Muslims to make full use of their rights and responsibilities to further and advance equality for all communities, tolerance of differences and a staunch defence of our liberal democratic traditions and enviable civil liberties.
The MCB does not seek special rights or privileges for British Muslims. Rather, the MCB seeks to mainstream British Muslims by removing barriers to integration, whether these be obstacles encountered within the community or without; such as in policy making or in our public discourse on Islam and Muslims.
See here the MCB’s “Our Shared British Future” report published in March 2018 for further information aswell as our submission to the Independent Commission on Community & Cohesion.
The Muslim Council of Britain has never claimed to speak for or represent all Muslims in Britain. The MCB only ever claims to speak on behalf of its members, who by virtue of being members, grant MCB the legitimacy to represent their concerns and interests. The MCB tries its utmost to ensure that it’s members, through their number, diversity and geographic spread across the UK, represent a large cross section of British Muslim communities.
The MCB is built on grassroots connection. Our members include mosques, charities, and community organisations across the UK, and our leadership is elected from this diverse base. Through them — and with them — we:
- Unite British Muslims by building common purpose across diverse communities, encouraging inclusive collaboration, and strengthening a shared voice on issues that matter.
- Empower individuals by creating platforms to lead, volunteer, and contribute — and by supporting our affiliates, forging partnerships, and uplifting underrepresented voices.
- Serve by delivering projects, events and training that benefit both British Muslims and wider society, and by using our collective voice and resources to advocate for justice and equity at home and abroad.
Whether you’re part of an organisation or not, you can still get involved — as a volunteer, as a contributor to one of our teams, or by becoming a Friend of MCB.
The MCB’s core administrative expenses are funded entirely by affiliation fees from members, as well as donations from individuals and grant-giving organisations. Donations are also received by the MCB Charitable Foundation (MCBCF), an independent entity registered with the Charity Commission. It’s aim it to build a capital fund through which activities of the MCB that are exclusively charitable can be supported. The MCB also runs projects to raise the capability of British Muslim communities and to widen good practice. All MCB projects self-fundraise through sponsorship, donations or grants, and MCB does not have a central ‘pot’ of money to fund internal or externally-led projects.
No. The Muslim Council of Britain, alongside a number of civil society organisations, human rights groups and liberty advocates, have long highlighted a number of serious failings and lack of transparency with the Prevent policy and the need for an independent review.
A small amount of Sadaqah can transform the phenomenal work that is being carried out within mosques and Muslim institutions across the UK. Find out more about donating your Sadaqah here.