Author: CMF

CMF Executive member, Zaid Belbagi, gives a talk at the launch of the Equality Review’s Islamophobia Index at the House of Commons. Between 2021/22 42% of hate crimes were targeted towards the Muslim community…@TellMamaUK

Our Chairman recently highlighted this stark figure which led to the launch of his campaign EliminHate to raise awareness around the issue and to encourage bystander intervention.

 

CMF Deputy Chairman Naveed Asghar attends the Glasgow City Remembrance Sunday parade in George Square today and laid  a wreath on behalf of the Conservative Muslim Forum.
“We commemorate all those soldiers who gave their lives for us to live a life of freedom today”.
He was delighted to meet up with a Royal Navy Commander (Nato), The Lord Provost of Glasgow, Bailie Thomas Kerr and various members of the armed forces and veterans.

Last week, our Chairman as the pioneer of the party’s first ever interfaith reception organised another reception this year in Birmingham alongside our lovely partners at the Conservative Christian Fellowship. Thank you to Jake Berry MP (party chairman), Paul Scully MP and Pam Gosal MSP for speaking at the reception and sharing their experiences about faith in politics.

Many thanks to our kind sponsors CAP UK & the Edward Cadbury Centre in Birmingham.

 

 

Mohamed Iltaf Sheikh was born in Kenya on June 13, 1941, the son of Mohamed Abdullah Sheikh and Kalsum Ara Sheikh; the family originated from the Punjab, India. His father dealt in coffee and cotton.

He was brought up in Uganda, where his father also built a property portfolio. Moving to London aged 20, he joined Sun Alliance as a trainee broker, taking his qualifications at Holborn and City of London colleges. He moved to Household & General Insurance in 1966, and in 1969 to Guardian Royal Exchange, before joining Camberford Law.

Of his family’s arrival from Uganda in the clothes they stood up in, he recalled: “Idi Amin took everything from us, except what we had in our minds. Because we were doing very well in Uganda, we came here and we were prepared to work hard. What we did in this country was perhaps what we had learned in Uganda, and that is to use our brains, to use our initiative, and we have done very well.”

As well as driving the success of Camberford Law, Sheikh became the chairman of several property companies and a director of other businesses.

In 2021, he was added to the Indiaspora Government Leaders List, which recognises 200 public figures of Indian heritage in countries around the world.

Sheikh was the author of An Indian in The House: The lives and times of the four trailblazers who first brought India to the British Parliament (2019) and Emperor of the Five Rivers: The life and times of Maharajah Ranjit Singh (2021). At the time of his death, he had nearly completed a historical novel.

He chaired the Sheikh Abdullah Foundation and was a patron of Orphans in Need.

He was elevated to the House of Lords in 2006 and was an active Peer regularly speaking in the House of Lords on a variety of subjects. His work included participation in various All Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs) including the APPG for Islamic and Ethical Finance in British Parliament.

Lord Sheikh was a patron of several Muslim and non-Muslim organisations and was actively involved in strengthening relationships between various racial and religious groups. His Coat of Arms signified the values of education and gives a message that Islam is a religion of peace.

A much-loved asset to the Conservative Party, Lord Sheikh was first Muslim Conservative Peer and he will always be remembered for the tremendous role he played in strengthening relations between the Party and the British Muslim community. Having set up the Conservative Muslim Forum, Lord Sheikh was a pioneer in helping the Party engage with British Muslims.

In recent years, Lord Sheikh’s expertise and guidance was instrumental in supporting the Party to tackle accusations of Islamophobia. He was always an advocate for promoting the Party’s shared values with the Muslim community of family, hard work, compassion, sacrifice and opportunity. Thanks to his help, the Party was able to host its first ever Iftar reception at CCHQ this year, reflecting the sheer strides we have made in our engagement with the community. Given the success of the Iftar reception, I hope it will be made an annual event, which will be a fitting tribute to Lord Sheikh’s memory.

Lord Sheikh, a businessman, academic, philanthropist and writer. His loss will be felt by those of us in the House of Lords and the many lives he touched through his work in business, academia, philanthropy and through his writing.

Lord Mohamed Sheikh, born June 13 1941, died September 22 2022.

(This post was taken from Lord Dolar Popat’s comments in the Asian Voice on the passing of Lord Sheikh), link below.

Lord Sheikh, the Conservative Party’s first Muslim peer and a champion of Musl… (asian-voice.com)

Last week, the CMF hosted an Afternoon tea reception in the House of Lords to honour Her Majesty’s 70 years on the throne. The Platinum Jubilee reception was oversubscribed and sold out within minutes. The CMF was the only Friend’s Group to do so.
Key points from our Chairman:
1. First & only Muslim group to be directly affiliated to the party with the youngest Chairman.
2. Only friend’s group with regional branches across the UK.
3. Only group to have a diverse and young Executive Board from all walks of life.
4. First and only group to host an iftar, Eid, interfaith and now Jubilee celebration with the party
5. Only group to increase membership by 10% in the past 6 months alone.
On the evening, Lord Sheikh also presented awards to Suleman Raza from Spice Village and Amrit Maan from the Punjab restaurant for their hard work in providing free food to the NHS throughout the pandemic.
Guests in attendance included:
Lord Sheikh (President)
Hashim Bhatti (Chairman)
Deputy Chairman (Naveed Asghar)
Rt Oliver Dowden CBE MP (Party Chairman)
Lord Syed Kamall
Nusrat Ghani MP
Steve Baker MP
Malik Karim (Party Treasurer)
His Excellency Hakim Hajoui, Moroccan Ambassador
Baroness Manzoor
Joy Morrissey MP as well as many other…
Press Release Statement Below:
Conservative Muslim Forum hosts Queen’s Jubilee Reception in the House of Lords
 
On 22nd June 2022, the Conservative Muslim Forum held a reception in honour of her Majesty’s 70 year reign in the House of Lords. The Platinum Jubilee reception was sold out within a matter of minutes and attended by The Rt Oliver Dowden CBE MP (the party chairman), Lord Sheikh, Lord Kamall, Baroness Manzoor, Nusrat Ghani MP, Joy Morrissey MP, Steve Baker MP, Malik Karim (party treasurer), the Chairman Hashim Bhatti, Naveed Asghar (Deputy Chairman) and also His Excellency the Ambassador to Morocco Hakim Hajoui.

CMF Chairman, Hashim Bhatti commented that the CMF was the only friends’ group to hold a celebration to honour her in this way. He said, ‘the Queen’s achievements are remarkable having served on the throne for 70 years as a calm, consistent and reliable head of state, who has outlasted 14 Prime Ministers and granted Royal Assent to over 4,000 pieces of legislation she is already Elizabeth the Great’.

Hashim also spoke about the work he is doing to expand and scale the CMF to empower more British Muslims to take a stake in British politics.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Conservative party, The Rt Oliver Dowden MP, thanked the Muslim community for their contributions. The Chairman also outlined the Conservative Party’s commitment to stamp out Islamophobia from society, as well as his plans to welcome more Muslims into public life.

Lord Sheikh also spoke on the evening as the President of CMF and gave awards to Suleman Raza (Spice Village) and to Amrit Maan (Punjab restaurant) for their work in feeding NHS staff throughout the pandemic.

The evening started and closed with Quran recitations from Squadron Leader Imam Ali Omar of the Armed Forces.

If you would like to join the Conservative Muslim Forum please visit our website: Conservative Muslim Forum – Promoting a party for all