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Naaz-CokerThe Muslim Council of Britain today notes with sadness the passing of Naaz Coker, an outstanding public service who used her considerable experience and knowledge to benefit British Muslim communities. Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi rajioon. Naaz Coker will be particularly remembered by British Muslims for leading the Muslim Council of Britain’s Leadership Development Programme, which, since 2003, has inspired men and women to excel and give service to the public good.

Leading the tributes, Dr Shuja Shafi, Secretary of the Muslim Council of Britain said: “Naaz Coker was a pioneer in our community. She jumped to the MCB’s call to build capacity in our community: training and nurturing Muslim community leaders, men and women, enabling them to make a better contribution to not just the British Muslim community, but to society around them. She has made a huge contribution to the common good, and she will not be forgotten.”

Dr Akber Mohamedali, a co-founder of MCB’s Leadership Development Programme with Naaz Coker said: “Before Naaz’s work in the Muslim community, there had been little effort put in leadership development for the Muslim community in the United Kingdom. Recognising the challenges post 9-11, a few Muslim leaders, mostly men, got together with Naaz to invite her to take a lead in creating a Muslim Council of Britain initiative of Leadership Development. Naaz welcomed, indeed perhaps, relished this challenge.”

Yasin Rahim, a lead facilitator at the MCB Leadership Development Programme said: ‘Over 1500 Muslims across the Western world have been influenced by the creation of the leadership development programme that Naaz gave birth to. Through this programme that Naaz gave birth to, she planted many trees and for this she receives her sawwab-e-jaariyah. May her soul receive the station of those who recognised their purpose in life and seized the opportunity to make it happen.”

Naaz Coker’s career in the public and voluntary sectors spanned forty five years. From 2003 to 2011, she was the Chair of St George’s Healthcare NHS Trust. She was a Non Executive Director on the National Audit Office Board as well as a trustee of The Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, C3 Collaborating for Health and the Clore Social Leadership Programme. During her two decades in the NHS she held many leadership roles ranging from Pharmaceutical and Clinical Director to General Manager of an acute hospital in London.

She had written widely on leadership and management, racism and ethnic health inequalities in the NHS. She has held numerous voluntary appointments including Chair of the British Refugee Council, Chair of Shelter, a trustee and deputy Chair of the RSA. Naaz grew up in Tanzania and completed her University studies in the UK. She has a Master’s degree from the University of London and MBA from the Open University. She was awarded honorary doctorate degrees by Leeds Metropolitan University in 2005 and Birmingham City University in 2007. In November 2009, she was awarded the lifetime achievement award in the Lloyds TSB Jewel Awards for her contribution to public life.

If you were a participant of the MCB Leadership Development Programme and would like to leave tributes, please do so by emailing [email protected]

October 3, 2015 in MCB Updates
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