Ajmal Masroor
Encyclopedia
Ajmal Masroor is a British
imam
, broadcaster
and politician
. He is well known for being a television presenter on political discussions and on Muslim channels.
and came to Britain at the age of one when his parents immigrated from the country. He moved back to Bangladesh a few years later at the age of nine due to his father's concerns about different cultures and the possibility of losing their Muslim identities. However, they returned when he was at the age of 13. When living in the East End, Masroor experienced racism against the Bangladeshis in the areas, with properties being damaged. He was brought up in Shadwell
, and attended the Bluegate Fields School on Cable Street. He is the oldest of six children. At the age of 19, his father attempted to force him into a marriage in Bangladesh, but was unsuccessful because Masroor challenged his father, saying forced marriage
is not acceptable in Islam
. He then married a Hungarian
, Henrietta Szovati (who had reverted to Islam), and they now have two children.
After his GCSEs and A Levels, Masroor studied Politics and Arabic at SOAS, and was very active in student unions and Islamic Societies. His interests include learning about new culture
s and world food, playing badminton
, and reading based on history
, society
and politics
. Masroor is a local imam, who leads Friday prayers weekly at four different mosques in London
: Goodge Street mosque, Palmers Green mosque, West Ealing mosque and Wightman Road mosque in Haringey
. He currently lives in Haringey, London.
, the Central Working Committee Spokesperson for the Islamic Society of Britain (and a member of its national consultative body) he is the chairman and director of Communities in Action.
He stood in the 2010 General Election, for the Bethnal Green and Bow constituency in east London, representing the Liberal Democrats, and came second place to Rushanara Ali
. He was selected as Lib Dem PPC for West Ham
during 2005, but stood down after being criticised for posting on the Muslim Public Affairs Committee forum.
Masroor is a well known television presenter on various TV channels in the UK. He currently presents his own programmes on Islam Channel
and on Channel S
, where he presents an English programme called Let's Talk. He is also part of the panel in a programme broadcasted by Channel 4
, called Shariah TV
. On Channel 4, he also presented a programme called Make Me a Muslim - he asks six non-Muslims and one lapsed Muslim to follow Islamic teachings for three weeks. In 10 May 2009, Masroor presented a programme called "Celebrity Lives - Sharia
Style" which was broadcast on BBC One
. He has also appeared on major news channels such as the BBC
, CNN
and many other channels as a commentator on social
, political and religious issues.
He has also recently appeared on the BBC show 'The big Question' a debate show on general questions.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
imam
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
, broadcaster
Presenter
A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...
and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. He is well known for being a television presenter on political discussions and on Muslim channels.
Background
Masroor was born in BangladeshBangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
and came to Britain at the age of one when his parents immigrated from the country. He moved back to Bangladesh a few years later at the age of nine due to his father's concerns about different cultures and the possibility of losing their Muslim identities. However, they returned when he was at the age of 13. When living in the East End, Masroor experienced racism against the Bangladeshis in the areas, with properties being damaged. He was brought up in Shadwell
Shadwell
Shadwell is an inner-city district situated within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets located on the north bank of the Thames between Wapping to the south and Ratcliff to the east...
, and attended the Bluegate Fields School on Cable Street. He is the oldest of six children. At the age of 19, his father attempted to force him into a marriage in Bangladesh, but was unsuccessful because Masroor challenged his father, saying forced marriage
Forced marriage
Forced marriage is a term used to describe a marriage in which one or both of the parties is married without his or her consent or against his or her will...
is not acceptable in Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. He then married a Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, Henrietta Szovati (who had reverted to Islam), and they now have two children.
After his GCSEs and A Levels, Masroor studied Politics and Arabic at SOAS, and was very active in student unions and Islamic Societies. His interests include learning about new culture
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
s and world food, playing badminton
Badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
, and reading based on history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, society
Society
A society, or a human society, is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations, or a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual territory, subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations...
and politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
. Masroor is a local imam, who leads Friday prayers weekly at four different mosques in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
: Goodge Street mosque, Palmers Green mosque, West Ealing mosque and Wightman Road mosque in Haringey
London Borough of Haringey
The London Borough of Haringey is a London borough, in North London, classified by some definitions as part of Inner London, and by others as part of Outer London. It was created in 1965 by the amalgamation of three former boroughs. It shares borders with six other London boroughs...
. He currently lives in Haringey, London.
Career and views
Masroor is currently a Member of the Muslim Council of BritainMuslim Council of Britain
The Muslim Council of Britain is a self-appointed umbrella body for national, regional, local and specialist organisations and institutions from different ethnic and sectarian backgrounds within British Islamic society. It was established in 1997 to help Muslims, to increase education about the...
, the Central Working Committee Spokesperson for the Islamic Society of Britain (and a member of its national consultative body) he is the chairman and director of Communities in Action.
He stood in the 2010 General Election, for the Bethnal Green and Bow constituency in east London, representing the Liberal Democrats, and came second place to Rushanara Ali
Rushanara Ali
Rushanara Ali is a British Labour Party politician and Associate Director of the Young Foundation, who has been the Member of Parliament for Bethnal Green and Bow since 2010...
. He was selected as Lib Dem PPC for West Ham
West Ham
West Ham is in the London Borough of Newham in London, England. In the west it is a post-industrial neighbourhood abutting the site of the London Olympic Park and in the east it is mostly residential, consisting of Victorian terraced housing interspersed with higher density post-War social housing...
during 2005, but stood down after being criticised for posting on the Muslim Public Affairs Committee forum.
Masroor is a well known television presenter on various TV channels in the UK. He currently presents his own programmes on Islam Channel
Islam Channel
Islam Channel is a UK-based, free-to-air, English language, Islamic-focused satellite television channel funded by advertising and donations. It was reported in 2008 that UK government research found that 97.3% of Muslims watched the channel...
and on Channel S
Channel S
Channel S is a UK-based, free-to-air television channel targeting the British Bangladeshi community. The channel was established on 16 December 2004, by Mahee Ferdous Jalil - a Bangladeshi businessman in London. On Sky it had a timesharing deal with ATN Global, and then in 2005 it started to...
, where he presents an English programme called Let's Talk. He is also part of the panel in a programme broadcasted by Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
, called Shariah TV
Shariah TV
Shariah TV is a Muslim-themed talk show, presented by Tazeen Ahmad, broadcast on a late-night slot on Channel 4. The audience, made up of British Muslims, asks a panel questions relating to life as a Muslim in Britain...
. On Channel 4, he also presented a programme called Make Me a Muslim - he asks six non-Muslims and one lapsed Muslim to follow Islamic teachings for three weeks. In 10 May 2009, Masroor presented a programme called "Celebrity Lives - Sharia
Sharia
Sharia law, is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia is derived from two primary sources of Islamic law: the precepts set forth in the Quran, and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah. Fiqh jurisprudence interprets and extends the application of sharia to...
Style" which was broadcast on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
. He has also appeared on major news channels such as the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
and many other channels as a commentator on social
Social
The term social refers to a characteristic of living organisms...
, political and religious issues.
He has also recently appeared on the BBC show 'The big Question' a debate show on general questions.
See also
- List of British Bangladeshis
- Channel SChannel SChannel S is a UK-based, free-to-air television channel targeting the British Bangladeshi community. The channel was established on 16 December 2004, by Mahee Ferdous Jalil - a Bangladeshi businessman in London. On Sky it had a timesharing deal with ATN Global, and then in 2005 it started to...
- Islam in EnglandIslam in EnglandIslam in England is the largest non-Christian religion, with most Muslims being immigrants from South Asia or descendants of immigrants from that region...
- Muslim CharityMuslim CharityMuslim Charity is an international relief and development non-governmental organization that aims to alleviate the suffering of the world's poorest people...
- Rizwan HussainRizwan HussainRizwan Hussain is a British Barrister satellite television presenter and an international humanitarian worker...