Zara Mohammed, 29, addresses the #OurMosquesOurFuture conference hosted by the MCB in 2018. Photo Credit: Muslim Council of Britain / Abdulmukith Ahmed
Society United KingdomUK’s Muslim Council Boss Is a Woman
The first woman elected as the head of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) plans on tackling Islamophobia, inspiring other Muslim women to aspire to leadership roles, and encouraging its members to get vaccinated against coronavirus.
“We’re overcoming stereotypes. I hope to inspire young women – (to say) ‘you are fully capable, you can do it, don’t hold yourself back’,” says Zara Mohammed, 29, a charities consultant and law graduate from Glasgow, Scotland. “I really do hope it can help people think a little bit differently about their preconceived notions.”
Mohammed won against an imam as she received two-thirds of the votes. As the head of the MCB – Britain’s largest Muslim umbrella body – Mohammed wants to build “a truly inclusive and diverse” organization for Britain’s Muslims who account for 5.1% of the population with 3.3 million individuals. Among the MCB’s top priorities are challenging misinformation about the virus and vaccination, and shattering stereotypes that hinder the future of young and educated Muslim women.