Mosques & Imams National Advisory Board
Encyclopedia
The Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board (MINAB) was launched in 2006 to promote best practice in the British mosques. It is an independent self-regulatory body to build capacity in mosques to help deliver standards. The new body seeks to ensure mosque personnel have a better understanding of British Muslims' needs and address their concerns more effectively. It is an advisory and facilitatory body which is community-led and independent. It works with and represents all Muslim traditions and schools of thought.
It was formally launched on 27th June 2006. Following the launch of the draft constitution and standards in November 2007, there followed a further process of consultation with representatives of mosques, Islamic centres, Imam training institutes, leaders and scholars. The consultation events took place in all the major cities in the UK and this work was undertaken by an interim steering group, composed of representatives from the four founder organisations: Al-Khoei Foundation, British Muslim Forum
, Muslim Association of Britain
and Muslim Council of Britain
.
MINAB now has over six hundred mosques and Islamic institutes as its members. It is a charity registered under the laws of England & Wales with an accountable system of representation.
The MINAB will capacity build mosques through standards. It has five standards:
The process of self certification is that the mosques will self-certify whether they fully meet or partially meet each of the above five standards. The MINAB will then randomly select 50% of the mosques who state that they fully meet the standard to assess how the organisation does so. If the assessment process highlights that the organisation does not meet the standard that it has self certified that it does, the MINAB will then support it through its capacity building programme. The body has been praised by some, like Communities Secretary Hazel Blears
. Other have questioned its apparent links with the government. Inayat Bunglawala
said: "If MINAB is to stand any chance of gaining legitimacy and making actual progress then it will need to prove that it is free from governmental interference."
It was formally launched on 27th June 2006. Following the launch of the draft constitution and standards in November 2007, there followed a further process of consultation with representatives of mosques, Islamic centres, Imam training institutes, leaders and scholars. The consultation events took place in all the major cities in the UK and this work was undertaken by an interim steering group, composed of representatives from the four founder organisations: Al-Khoei Foundation, British Muslim Forum
British Muslim Forum
British Muslim Forum is an organisation of Sunni Muslims which has emerged as the representative body for 500 Mosques across the UK. The BMF was relaunched after the "42-day detention" debate caused a split in the existing BMF leadership and led to two years of reform...
, Muslim Association of Britain
Muslim Association of Britain
The Muslim Association of Britain is an Islamic organisation in the United Kingdom established in 1997.-Anti-war activities:Along with Stop the War Coalition and Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, it has co-sponsored various demonstrations against the 2003 invasion and occupation of Iraq...
and Muslim Council of Britain
Muslim 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...
.
MINAB now has over six hundred mosques and Islamic institutes as its members. It is a charity registered under the laws of England & Wales with an accountable system of representation.
The MINAB will capacity build mosques through standards. It has five standards:
- Members apply principles of good corporate governance
- Members ensure that services are provided by suitably qualified and or experienced personnel
- There are systems and processes in place to ensure that there are no impediments to the participation in the activities, including governance, for young people
- There are systems and processes in place to ensure that there are no impediments to the participation in the activities, including governance, for women
- Members ensure there are programmes that promote civic responsibility of muslims in the wider society
The process of self certification is that the mosques will self-certify whether they fully meet or partially meet each of the above five standards. The MINAB will then randomly select 50% of the mosques who state that they fully meet the standard to assess how the organisation does so. If the assessment process highlights that the organisation does not meet the standard that it has self certified that it does, the MINAB will then support it through its capacity building programme. The body has been praised by some, like Communities Secretary Hazel Blears
Hazel Blears
Hazel Anne Blears is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Salford and Eccles since 2010 and was previously the MP for Salford since 1997...
. Other have questioned its apparent links with the government. Inayat Bunglawala
Inayat Bunglawala
Inayat Bunglawala is media secretary of the Muslim Council of Britain.He has written articles for The Times, Daily Telegraph, The Guardian, Daily Express, The Observer and The Sun focusing on Islam and current affairs. He is an activist for Islamist concerns and joined The Young Muslims UK in 1987...
said: "If MINAB is to stand any chance of gaining legitimacy and making actual progress then it will need to prove that it is free from governmental interference."
External links
- Mosques & Imams National Advisory Board
- "Watchdog for UK mosques launches" BBC News
- MINAB launch MCB
- "Reforms tainted at birth" Faisal Bodi,Commentisfree
- http://www.mcb.org.uk/uploads/MINABStandards.pdf MINAB standards document