Omer El-Hamdoon

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Omer El-Hamdoon is a Muslim British scholar and Imam. He has been one of the active leaders of the Muslim Community for more than 25 years. He was the Deputy General Secretary of the Muslim Council of Britain from 2016-2018, and he served as the President of the Muslim Association of Britain from 2011 - 2018.

He has held trustee positions in several charities, and continues to do so. Notably, he was trustee and Vice Chair of the Mosque and Imams National Advisory Board (MINAB).

In 2017, he founded the Kingston Oak Tree Institute, which provides education and guidance in the Islamic sphere.

Birth

Omer El-Hamdoon was born is Mosul, Iraq. He moved to the UK with his family when he was only 4 years old. He lived most of his life in the UK; in London, Sheffield, Bradford and Canterbury. His father - a medical doctor - came to the UK to complete his further studies in medicine; and due to the complication of matters in Iraq, ended up staying in the UK.

Qualifications

In 1998, Omer completed a Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) from the University of Sheffield. Nine years later - in 2007 – (and from the same University) he completed a Masters in Medical Sciences (MMedSci) in Restorative Dentistry. In 2008, he also passed the MFDS examination from the Royal College of Surgeons (England). After completing his dental degree, he commenced his Islamic Studies education, achieving a licence in Islamic Studies from the European Institute of Human Sciences in 2002. He went on to further his Islamic Studies and completed a MA in Islamic Studies from the Markfield Institute of Higher Education.

Islamic Education

Omer El-Hamdoon managed to study from famous scholars in the most important Islamic Schools in Europe.

·        In 2003, he attained a licence in Islamic Sciences from the European Institute of Human Sciences

·        He studied Shāfiʿī Fiqh with the Syrian Sheikh Abu Tamim Rahma, a student of the famous Sheikh al-Habbal of Syria.

·        He also studied Shāfiʿī Fiqh with the Egyptian Sheikh Muhammad al-Saʿdanī, a student of the famous Sheikh Abdul Aziz al-Shahāwīal the reference for the Shāfiʿī School in Egypt..

·        In 2009, he completed the memorisation of the Holy Quran; and he continues to partake in leading prayers in the Ramadan Prayers of Taraweeh.

·        In 2012 he was given a general ijaazah to narrate from the books of hadith by the great Mauritanian scholar of modern times: Sheikh Mohammad Al-Hassan Al-Shinqeeti.

·        In 2017, he finished a Masters in Islamic Sciences from the Markfield Institute of Higher Education (MIHE). As a topic for his final dissertation, he addressed how the scope for reform in the practice of divorce, based on Islamic Law principles.

Community Roles

Since his time at University, Omer El-Hamdoon has occupied positions of leadership.

·        1993 – 1997: He was elected as President of the University of Sheffield Islamic Circle Society (USIC).

·        1998 – 2002: Director of the Muslim Welfare House, Sheffield (South Yorkshire).

·        2010 – 2011: Head of the Introducing Islam Department at the Muslim Association of Britain (MAB).

·        2011 – 2018: President of the Muslim Association of Britain (MAB)

·        2012 – 2014: Assistant Secretary General of the MCB (Muslim Council of Britain).

·        2012 – 2018: Vice Chair of the Mosque and Imams National Advisory Board (MINAB).

·        2016 – 2018: Deputy Secretary General of the MCB (Muslim Council of Britain)..

·        2018 – Current: Council Member of the British Board of Scholars and Imams (BBSI).

Today, Omer El-Hamdoon acts as a mobile imam delivering sermons in different mosques in the UK and Europe, as well as courses, talks, lectures, seminars and training.  He is regularly asked to comment on national and international matters to represent Muslims views and defend their interests; as well as participating to resolute local conflicts. Omer El Hamdoon has made many media appearances during his time as the MAB President as well as his time as an Office Bearer in the Muslim Council of Britain . He is regularly invited to spell out the views of the Muslim community in the UK and in Europe.

He is a speaker on the international Muslim audio platform: Muslim Central and many of his lectures and lessons can be found on YouTube and Soundcloud.

Engaging with Society

His view of Muslims in the Western Society is that as they are an essential part of it. Muslims must develop the sense of belonging to the Society they live in as unity can happen if we leave aside our differences focusing on what we have in common: our humanity. For that, he encourages Muslims to engage at all levels of the Society: neighbourhood, with community of different faiths, civic and political to allow a good level of communication and knowing each other. As it is by sitting together and talking that barriers can be broken.

Omer El-Hamdoon participated to the campaign “Visit my Mosque”, an initiative of the Muslim Council of Britain.

During his presidency in MAB, he pushed the following campaigns:

·        Organised the MAB National Conference (2011) and the National Conventions in 2016 and 2017 to highlight the Best of British Muslims and to promote Hope. The conventions aimed to tackle the negative narrative about Islam spread by some media and politicians and strengthen the confidence of British Muslims encouraging them to feel and act as an essential part of the Society.

·        Encouraged Muslims to take part in Society by participating in politics

·        “Believe and Do Good”, a joint campaign with FOSIS.

·        Launched and run the REVIVE Programme, a comprehensive educational programme designed to equip Muslims with the necessary skills and knowledge.

Recognition within Society

Omer El-Hamdoon has received several recognitions:

In 2017, He was recognised by the Muslim Association of Britain for his positive contribution to British Society and for the longest serving President of MAB (six and a half years).

In 2020, At the British Muslim Awards, he was awarded the Highly Commended Recognition in the category of the Religious Advocate of the Year 2019.

In 2019, the Mayor Hounslow awarded him a certificate for his contribution to the Community of Hounslow.

In 2016, The BISCA Award for Outstanding Contribution to Media Engagement.

Controversy

In Deeyah Khan’s documentary, Islam’s Non Believers (2016), Omer El-Hamdoon was the only Muslim leader who agreed to be interviewed with regards alleged discrimination and ostracization of parents against their children who have left Islam. He is on record for saying "The Muslim community is a community that is based on religion. So if a person chooses to stop being a Muslim they can’t really expect that the Muslim community is still gonna say to them you are part of our community." When asked why, he said, "Because you left Islam, you’ve left the religion. Families do need to try to resolve their issues by sitting together, talking together about matters, but I do understand that, if a family holds religion very deep to their heart, that when they see one of their family members has left religion, they feel a sense of betrayal. And obviously a lot of people will just say, look I can’t deal with this, so I just shun that member out, because he’s betrayed me."

During his presidency, the Muslim Association of Britain was declared a terrorist organisation by the UAE Government, which also prompted a UK government to initiate an enquiry into the Muslim Brotherhood. The enquiry concluded that the Muslim Brotherhood was not a terrorist organisation. Whether these actions were anything to do with him, or merely as a consequence of the Arab Spring is in itself controversial.

Publications

In 2020, Omer El-Hamdoon co-authored a book with Ms Sondoss Zaouali aimed at providing spiritual guidance to the get the best out of Ramadan. The book is titled: 30 Steps Towards a Refreshing Ramadan.

References

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