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The Muslim Council of Britain is the UK’s largest and most diverse national representative Muslim body, with over 500 member organisations including mosques, charities, schools, and professional networks. We are here to Unite - Empower - Serve. We work for the common good by encouraging active Muslim participation in public life, and by promoting unity, equity and shared prosperity across society. Guided by our Vision 2050, the MCB’s mission is to Unite our communities around shared purpose, Empower individuals and organisations to lead and serve, and Serve both British Muslims and wider society through our projects, advocacy and engagement.  

Following the crises in the Balkans and the first Gulf War in the 1990s, there was a growing sense of apprehension amongst Muslims in Britain that Muslim communities lacked unity and coordination. In April 1994, approximately fifty community bodies and networks convened in Birmingham to form the NICMU – the National Interim Committee for Muslim Unity. This body was mandated to conduct a consultation exercise within the community to establish the need for an umbrella body and seek views on its priorities and structure. NICMU met at regular intervals and in various UK cities, including Markfield, Birmingham and Leicester. A working group was established to carryout a process of countrywide consultations, and a postal questionnaire was prepared and circulated to Muslim organisations, Mosques, Islamic centres and institutions. Translations were also done in community languages such as Urdu and Bengali to ensure a comprehensive reach. The findings of the consultations were presented to NICMU in July, 1995 and indicated that the majority of British Muslims were very concerned with the lack of unity, coordination and representation and supported the establishment of an umbrella body. NICMU then formed a sub-group to prepare a draft Constitution, which reported back its recommendations. The final meeting of NICMU took place on 25th May 1996 in Bradford, at which time the name “The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB)” was chosen for the new organisation. The inauguration of the Muslim Council of Britain was held at Brent Town Hall in London on 23rd November 1997.

The Muslim Council of Britain is an independent body that conducts its affairs with openness and transparency and in accordance with a written constitution. Further information about our Governance Structure can be found here

Muslims in Britain are British citizens with an Islamic heritage and the MCB encourages British Muslims to make full use of their rights and responsibilities to further and advance equality for all communities, tolerance of differences and a staunch defence of our liberal democratic traditions and enviable civil liberties. The MCB does not seek special rights or privileges for British Muslims. Rather, the MCB seeks to mainstream British Muslims by removing barriers to integration, whether these be obstacles encountered within the community or without; such as in policy making or in our public discourse on Islam and Muslims. See here the MCB’s “Our Shared British Future” report published in March 2018 for further information aswell as our submission to the Independent Commission on Community & Cohesion.

The MCB is built on grassroots connection. Our members include mosques, charities, and community organisations across the UK, and our leadership is elected from this diverse base. Through them — and with them — we:

• Unite British Muslims by building common purpose across diverse communities, encouraging inclusive collaboration, and strengthening a shared voice on issues that matter.
• Empower individuals by creating platforms to lead, volunteer, and contribute — and by supporting our affiliates, forging partnerships, and uplifting underrepresented voices.
• Serve by delivering projects, events and training that benefit both British Muslims and wider society, and by using our collective voice and resources to advocate for justice and equity at home and abroad.

Whether you’re part of an organisation or not, you can still get involved — as a volunteer, as a contributor to one of our teams, or by becoming a Friend of MCB.