British Muslim Network Aims for Real Talk With Government, Moving Beyond Old Politics

• by Arlen Fitzpatrick
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A Fresh Start for British Muslim Representation

The British Muslim Network kicked off in February 2025 with ambitions bigger than any before it. Founded by interfaith campaigner Julie Siddiqi, the group seeks to shift the conversation around Muslim communities in the UK out of the old rut and into genuine engagement with government. With heavyweights like Baroness Sayeeda Warsi—Britain’s first Muslim cabinet minister—and acclaimed broadcaster Mishal Husain standing front and center, the BMN isn’t shy about signaling a break from the usual way things have been done.

This new network is coming together at a moment when politics is anything but quiet. Tensions around the UK’s foreign policy—especially concerning Israel and Palestine—have put a spotlight on how Muslim voices are, or aren’t, heard in Westminster. As old relationships with Labour have grown sticky and trust is thin, BMN’s pitch is simple: put more everyday life issues back on the table, and stop seeing the community only through a security lens.

Moving Beyond Security, Toward Real-World Impact

The BMN goes out of its way to show how wide a net it’s casting. The governing board brings together voices from academia, media, faith leadership, sports, and grassroots activism. It counts on the support of figures like Imam Qari Asim from Leeds, equalities campaigner Akeela Ahmed, and former cricketer Azeem Rafiq—each well-known in their corners, each grappling with specific challenges in their fields.

Baroness Warsi hasn’t minced words about the network’s aim. She argues that official engagement with Muslims in Britain has long been stuck—always bowing to counter-terrorism agendas or painted with one broad brush. BMN’s big idea? Take anti-Muslim hate, schools, health, and everyday economic opportunities far more seriously, tackling them as the urgent, complex issues they really are.

Unlike other groups—think the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB)—the BMN says it wants to break the insider-outsider game that’s left many ordinary Muslims cold. Critics have pointed fingers at MCB and similar organizations for being too narrow in their base or slow to respond to internal criticism. BMN answers with an open invitation: multiple co-chairs by design, steps to stop any one view or background from dominating, younger board members, and constant outreach to reflect the very mixed reality of British Muslim life.

The launch event is planned as more than a photo op. Senior politicians from both government and the main opposition will be at the table. Early discussions have already started, signaling that the BMN is serious about sitting down with everyone who matters, not just those who always get an invite.

• Education: Schools and universities dealing with isolation, bias, and lack of opportunity.
• Health: Tackling disparities in mental and physical wellbeing for Muslim communities.
• Anti-Muslim hate: Not just talking about Islamophobia, but building responses backed up by data and experience.
• Economic participation: More British Muslims in mainstream business, public service, and media.

For Mishal Husain and others, the timing couldn’t be more urgent. With media attention on government-minority relations reaching boiling point, BMN wants to spark something more honest than slogans or crisis management. Their real measure of success? When British Muslim concerns stop being squeezed into security headlines, and start being treated like the everyday, nuanced, and diverse realities they actually are.