The Muslim Council of Britain was attacked in a piece by Sir John Jenkins in the the Jewish Chronicle on 1 February 2019, suggesting it is somehow connected to or dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood.
The following Letter to the Editor rebutting the false allegations was published in the Jewish Chronicle on 8 February 2019:
The Jewish Chronicle – Letters to the Editor
8 February 2018
https://www.thejc.com/comment/letters/the-jc-letters-page-8th-february-2019-1.479946
Stop relying on the Brotherhood bogeyman
In his heavily redacted government review, Sir John Jenkins claims that my organisation, the Muslim Council of Britain, is dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood. He repeats the claim in the Jewish Chronicle (Security will not be enough, February 1), where he worries that the authorities might ‘reconsider the decisions by previous governments not to engage’.
My experience of the Muslim Council of Britain as a young volunteer for the last few years is very different. It is a broad-based, inclusive and cross-sectarian umbrella body representing Britain’s diverse Muslim communities. It campaigns for interfaith harmony (including the forthcoming Visit My Mosque Day on 3 March), the rights of women and for British Muslims to be equal and contributory participants to our society.
The Muslim Brotherhood bogeyman is used and abused by bigots and those eager to deny the right of Muslims to organise themselves on their own terms. Sadly, it is used also by those like Sir John who is opposed to the current proposed definition of Islamophobia.
We are told that our Jewish cousins should have the right to define anti-Semitism on their own terms. Why aren’t Muslims afforded the same opportunity in defining Islamophobia without being accused of following some phantom Muslim Brotherhood conspiracy?
I am quite clear where I stand as a Briton and a Muslim. I am sick and tired of having my loyalty to this country and motives questioned at every turn.
Hassan Joudi,
Deputy Secretary General, Muslim Council of Britain
