Leader of the MCB has claimed that since being elected, the PM has ignored attempts to discuss dangers posed to Muslims by the summer riots

Zara Mohammed said she hoped the Government would review its ‘baffling’ approach to the Muslim umbrella organisation

The head of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has called for Labour to end a “shocking” ban on government talks with the lobby group.

Zara Mohammed, elected three years ago as the MCB’s first female secretary general, criticised the lack of contact with the Government at a time when Muslims and mosques were being targeted in the summer riots.

She said Labour’s shadow cabinet had worked closely with the MCB when the party was in opposition, including at a meeting in 2021 during which Ms Mohammed and Sir Keir Starmer discussed the “importance of engaging with Muslim communities”.

But since being elected, she claimed, Sir Keir Starmer has ignored attempts to discuss the dangers being posed to Muslims by the riots.

Ms Mohammed, 33, whose tenure as MCB leader will end in January, said she hoped the Government would review its “baffling” approach to the Muslim umbrella organisation – which has over 500 affiliated members.

Policy of non-engagement

The Conservative government had a policy of non-engagement with the MCB which has been continued by Labour. On Aug 1, Alex Norris, the Communities Minister, said there had been “no change” to government policy.

While the new Government has not given its own reasoning behind the approach, Rishi Sunak’s administration said that “previous MCB leaders have taken positions that contradict our fundamental values and these have not been explicitly retracted”.

The statement was a reference to a controversy in 2009 when the MCB’s then deputy secretary general, Daud Abdullah, signed a document – known as the Istanbul declaration – advocating attacks on the Royal Navy if it tried to stop arms for Hamas being smuggled into Gaza.

The Labour government refused to engage with the group unless Mr Abdullah stepped down. After he resigned, Gordon Brown’s government reengaged with the MCB in its last year.

Ms Mohammed told the Guardian: “I’m hopeful […] that the Government will review the former position and will look at offering a position of clarity as to why [they are not engaging], and having a conversation with us.”

She added: “Just as other faith communities have representative bodies, we have one, and of course we want to vocalise on the policy issues, on national representation.”

A spokesman for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: “The Government engages regularly with faith communities. During the recent disorder, the Minister for Faith spoke to representatives of Muslim communities through numerous roundtables and visits to places of worship.”