About BHMC
History
The ideas that underpin the BMHC had been conceived of and discussed for quite some time before the BMHC was established. About seven years ago group of members of the Muslim community met to draw up some guiding aims and objectives and to look into how to bring about such an organisation.
The synopsis is that the Muslim community in the UK has been rather slow in bringing about major institutions that will harness their heritage and provide a platform for fuller participation in national life. Mosques and small community organisations have proliferated to serve many of the needs of the Muslim community. But many of these are based on and are largely accessible by particular sections of the Muslim community.
Larger and more prominent regional and national organisations are required to bring about cohesion, national presence, sense of identity, and encourage balanced community cohesion and peaceful co-existence with the rest of society at large.
Events that happened since 1998, particularly the event of September 11th, 2001, which coloured the Muslim image, portraying Islam in a bad light and further marginalising the Muslim contingent in the UK, confirms the organisers in their belief that the need for major regional and national organisations is imperative and urgent.
The inaugurating members conceived that the Muslim cultural heritage which reflects the contribution of all Muslim societies provides an excellent vehicle to enhance Muslim identity and encourage the Muslim community to face up to the challenge of balanced community cohesion and peaceful co-existence with all the communities that make up the United Kingdom.
Those involved recognised the importance of what they were embarking upon and realised that a significant site had to be acquired to begin to implement the objectives laid out.
Its aims and objectives have a clear national dimension. Thus the organisation was renamed British Muslim Heritage Centre (BMHC) and the organisers set about the achievement of its first major key objective i.e. the acquisition of a suitable and reputable site to house the organisation and give it a national profile.
