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City Muslims to network in Halal way

Muslims working in the City barely know each other. CityMuslims, a new networking organisation, plans to bring these Muslims together and represent their concerns. Hassan Saleemi, founding member and secretary and external relation manager of CityMuslims, speaks to SAFAA NHAIRY about the organisations’ vision and the launch event coming up soon.

A networking circle for Muslims in the City? Is there such need?
We firmly believe there is an acute need for Muslims to have their concerns represented effectively and in a meaningful manner. CityMuslims aims to fill the current void by working to provide practical solution#s to issues Muslim professionals encounter on a regular basis.
In addition to this, we seek to cater for the wide range of interests to be found in the diverse and growing Muslim community that exists in the heart of London. Based on our experiences and interaction, there is a palpable feeling on the part of many brothers and sisters working in the City, that the opportunities for them to network with each other are restricted and limited. So the idea that Muslim professionals should be able to come together in an Islamic environment and network with each other effectively, is actually a response to a genuine desire that exists among the professional Muslim community in the City. CityMuslims is simply an avenue that turns this desire into a reality.

What do you hope to achieve through CityMuslims?
Regardless of whether Muslim professionals find themselves seeking networking opportunities to help propel their career, wandering about the nearest place to offer prayers, trying to find like minded individuals to socialise with or attempting to understand their rights under the law, our vision is for CityMuslims to be their first port of call. We really do aspire to be a 'one stop shop' serving Muslim professionals in the City. If we can go some way towards achieving this - and we are confident that over time, inshallah, this will happen - then CityMuslims will have accomplished something that we feel will be of tremendous benefit and value.

Who are the Muslims working in the City?
It's very difficult to quantify the backgrounds of Muslim professionals in the City. Essentially, the data required to be able to answer such a question accurately is not easily available. From a cursory perspective, there are many brothers and sisters working in a host of different industry sectors such as the medical profession, investment banking, consultancy, and so on. Muslims are represented across the full range of what may be described as the 'traditional' City disciplines.

Each year there are new Muslim graduates entering the City to take up work - but by no means does this mean that the vast majority are young. In fact there is a healthy balance, with a significant number of more mature and experienced Muslims. Naturally, CityMuslims is not aimed at a particular segment of this community, but rather the ethos is to be accommodating of all backgrounds.

How is the Muslim community integrated in the City system? For example, most City professionals do a lot of networking and go to bars and pubs after hours. How do Muslims fit into that?
I would say that it’s precisely because Muslim professionals find it so difficult to network and socialise in the same manner as their non-Muslim colleagues, that there is such a demand with regards to an alternative. In some respects, it is true to say that spending time in bars and clubs after hours is seen as part of the City culture.

Many professionals consider such activity as more than simply unwinding and relaxing - rather it is seen in the context of building relationships that, from one angle, are fundamental to progressing personal careers or developing business. Of course, as we all know, Muslims cannot frequent places where there is alcohol without compromising their values and principles.

CityMuslims recognises the need for there to be a way for Muslim professionals to interact in a wholly Islamic atmosphere. We understand that given the above scenario, and with the many competing demands and pressures that brothers and sisters face, it is difficult for them to find the time and commit the necessary resource towards networking effectively. This is where our objective is to be able to facilitate things, and make it as easy and efficient as possible, on their behalf.