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Zara Mohammed will lead the Muslim Council of Britain as the first female secretary general.
The UK’s largest Muslim coordinating body has elected its first female secretary general.
Zara Mohammed, 29, was voted on Sunday to lead the Muslim Council of Great Britain (MCB) at the organization’s annual general meeting, held virtually this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
She is also the youngest to lead the MCB, founded 24 years ago.
Mohammed will serve as secretary general for a two-year term.
A training and development consultant from Glasgow, Scotland, Mohammed collected 107 votes to beat opponent Ajmal Masroor, an imam who won 60 votes.
Mohammed, who holds a master’s degree in human rights law, said it was an “honor” to be the first woman to take the reins of MCB, whose member organizations include mosques, schools, charities and professional networks.
“My vision is to continue to build a truly inclusive, diverse and representative body; one that is motivated by the needs of British Muslims for the common good, ”she said in a statement after Sunday’s vote.
Mohammed said she hoped her election “would inspire more women and young people to come forward to take on leadership roles.”
“They are the future of this organization and our society,” she said.
Mohammed succeeds Harun Khan, outgoing general secretary of the MCB. Khan had served a maximum of four years at the helm of the organization, which was founded in 1997.
“I wish Ms. Zara Mohammed the best of luck – may she continue to lead this organization to greater heights for the betterment of our communities across the country,” he said in a statement. .
Mohammed’s appointment has also been hailed by officials from all walks of life in the UK.
Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London and member of the main opposition Labor Party, tweeted that Mohammed’s victory was “great” news.
Baroness Warsi, a member of the House of Lords and former president of the ruling Conservative Party, hailed Mohammed’s rise to the top of the MCB as a “huge moment”.
“Every day I remember that the real driving force behind our communities are its women,” she tweeted.
The UK is home to more than 3.3 million Muslims, according to the Office for National Statistics – around 5% of the total population.
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