On Monday 15th July 2024 the Muslim Institute held its ninth annual Ibn Rushd lecture in Bloomsbury, central London.
The topic of this year's lecture was The History of Muslim Women in Britain, with the keynote delivered by Sariya Cheruvallil-Contractor, professor in the Sociology of Islam at the Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations at Coventry University.
Professsor Cheruvallil-Contractor spoke to a full house of Institute fellows and friends, in the setting of the main hall of the Artworkers' Guild. The meeting was chaired by writer and Muslim Institute trustee Shenaz Bunglawala.
The Ibn Rushd lecture was followed by the announcement of this year's recipient of the Community Empowerment Fund, launched in 2023 by the Muslim Institute in partnership with our colleagues at the Halal Food Authority. Each year the Fund seeks to grant up to £10,000 to support grassroot organisations and individuals doing important work in our communities that is often neglected or overlooked.
This year's award will go to west London community activist Tahseen Mehar, supported by the highly-regarded An-Nisa Society that has been strengthening communities in West London for decades. Tahseen has 20 years experience of working within the Education, Local Government and Charity sectors in London. Most recently, Tahseen served as Director of the Brent Multi-Faith Forum, where she spearheaded several initiatives around mental health, homelessness and interfaith work. Tahseen will use the award to run an intensive programme for young Muslim girls to support their personal growth and wellbeing within a safe and inclusive space.
In 2023 the Community Empowerment Fund provided £10,000 to a new organisation called Be based in Oldham, near Manchester. The group focusses primarily on young men and boys. The fund met the cost of workshops and outreach projects to build aspiration and support in pursuing education and entrepreneurship, culminating in a residential.
Here is a short video documenting Be's three day residential in Birmingham with the young men they have been working with over the past year.
The meeting also launched the landmark 50th edition of Critical Muslim
The event was followed by a hot buffet and a book-signing of Professor Cheruvallil-Contractor's new book Muslim Women in Britain, 1850–1950: 100 Years of Hidden History of which she is the co-editor.
Photos: Rehan Jamil
Video: Robert Hoang