The Muslim Association of Britain (MAB) has announced that UK MP Jeremy Corbyn, currently a candidate for the leadership of the Labour Party, attended a Community Iftar (breaking of the Ramadan fast) sponsored by the MAB, a part of the UK Muslim Brotherhood. According to the announcement:
MAB organised a successful Community Iftar on 6th July 2015. The President of MAB, Dr Omer El-Hamdoon, and Vice-President, Mohammed Kozbar, were delighted to welcome it’s honoured guests who hold different positions in society – from teachers, imams, police officers to activists – and enjoying a good time with them all, including MP Jeremy Corbyn. In these good times, talks where given and reminders circulating, including on the importance of maintaining a nice community feeling by inviting our friends and learning about our religions and cultures. Our friends shared with us not just meals but a community feeling and continuous hopes of strong unity – a message that is ever more needed in a time where unfortunately Muslims are becoming increasingly marginalised and often viewed upon with suspicion and fear in Britain. MAB’s Community Iftar was a nice gathering that sent the message of hope; that we will not allow the media, politicians or anyone else to break our humanity and we will come to celebrate each other’s unique ways of expressing several British identities. We thoroughly enjoyed our big event and hope to see this year’s honoured guests and new friends next year, God willing! Warmest greetings of ‘salaam’, peace, to everyone. MAB Office
In February, the GMBDW reported on connections between the UK Labour Party and the Palestinian Return Centre (PRC), close to the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas in the UK. Also in February we reported that Jeremy Corbyn, a longtime ally of the Muslim Brotherhood In the UK, was scheduled to participated in a conference titled “Islam And Democracy sponsored by the Cordoba Foundation, headed by UK Muslim Brotherhood leader Anas Altikriti.
The Muslim Association of Britain (MAB) had for many years been the most active organization in the U.K Muslim Brotherhood. Many of the leaders of the MAB left in 2007 to form the British Muslim Initiative (BMI). According to an Israeli think-tank report, the breakup appeared to be the result of a conflict between traditionalists in the MAB who were unhappy with the high level of involvement in U.K left-wing politics while those who who formed the BMI wished such activity to continue. Anas Al-Tikriti, the leader of the BMI, and former MAB official, is the son of Osama Al-Tikriti, one of the leaders of the Iraqi Islamic Party representing the Muslim Brotherhood in that country.
