Connecting with Welsh Muslims May 2022
MCB Secretary General Zara Mohammed and MCB Assistant Secretary-General, Dr Shahzad Amin undertook a 4-day visit (20th –23rd May 2022), of Welsh towns and cities to learn of the vibrant work undertaken by Muslim communities. They visited around 18 organisations in Cardiff, Swansea and Newport.
With an estimated Muslim population of over 50,000, Wales has been a historic home for Muslims, with the earliest modern Muslim communities reportedly settling in since the 19th century.
The tour was kindly arranged by the Muslim Council of Wales, an affiliate of the MCB and the main umbrella body for Welsh Muslim organisations. We are particularly grateful to Dr Abdul-Azim Ahmed, the Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Wales and his team for hosting MCB’s leadership team.
The team visited a number of organisations and Islamic centres including the Madinah Mosque, Dar ul Israa and Ikhlas Mosque in Cardiff. In Swansea, the team met with leaders at the Swansea Mosque and the Swansea University Mosque. Mosques and Islamic associations in Wales have acted as beacons for Muslim communities throughout the United Kingdom as they serve their congregations and the communities around them, of all faiths and none. They were honoured to attend the opening of the pavilion grange in Cardiff which is a wonderful community centre and was joined by hundreds of people from diverse background.
Academic and Civil Society Pioneers
Zara Mohammed also met with a cross section of Muslim and wider civil society. She visited Cardiff University’s pioneering Centre for the Study of Islam in the UK, an institution that has fostered impactful research into British Muslims. Her host, Centre director Professor Sophie Gilliat-Ray OBE said: “We were delighted to host Zara Mohammed at the Centre and to have the opportunity to talk about the important research that we are working on. I’m grateful to her for taking the time to meet with students and members of staff, all of whom are dedicated to increasing our understanding of the issues affecting Muslim communities in Britain today.”
Zara was also welcomed by Assistant Principal Yusuf Ibrahim of Cardiff Vale College, including an afternoon tea with the senior leadership team and the diverse student community. Zara shared her insights in working better with diverse groups, providing networks for mentorship and support after they complete their education being vital.
The college is a leading place for technology and innovation in education as well as celebrating difference, SG Zara was featured in a podcast for the college to end her visit.
In Swansea, Zara got to learn about the wonderful work of EYST – the Ethnic Minorities & Youth Support Team of Wales. EYST is an award-winning charity supporting BME young people across Wales and has expanded its mission and vision to also meet the needs of families and individuals including refugees and asylum-seekers living in Wales.
Concluding the tour, Zara Mohammed said:
“We were really inspired by the work of Muslims in Wales, who have been supported and in turn support also the wider Welsh community from all faiths and none. I was met by optimism and a hope for a better future wherever I met. This is one of the oldest Muslim communities in Britain, and there is a real commitment to service, we look forward to future opportunities to share best practice and develop our future leaders.
I have been left thinking about the voices of the young people I met at Cardiff Muslim primary and Revive academy, full of energy and confidence – they are a reminder of why we do this work and what difference we can make, Thank you to all my hosts and new friends.”
