MCB leader: I was the first woman in the top job but I won’t be the last
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The outgoing secretary-general of a major British Muslim organisation said she is confident she will not be its last female leader, ahead of an all-male election to replace her. Zara Mohammed made history when she was chosen to head up the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) in 2021, becoming the first woman and youngest person to take on the role at the age of just 29.
Her four-year term comes to an end on Saturday, when a vote takes place between Dr Muhammad Adrees and Dr Mohammed Akhter. In an interview with the PA news agency, Ms Mohammed described herself as having been something of a “disrupter” and “probably a bit of a rebel” in her time, having focused on more engagement with young people and gaining community interest, using social media and meetings with groups across the country.
Following her election she recalled how she “became a public figure in about an hour”, adding: “The world wanted to know, who on earth is this 29-year-old Glaswegian who’s now become one of the single-most prominent faith representatives for British Muslims in the country?”.
While she remembered communities being excited at a fresh face in the leadership role, she also noted having been dismissed by some outside commentators as “a puppet and a token”. Asked if it felt like a step back to have an all-male candidacy for both the positions of secretary-general and deputy, she told PA: “I would say, look, every election brings a different leader, and every leader is suited to the time, the challenges that are for that time.
