City Slickers

Issue 9 Jan / Feb 2005

With more and more Muslims entering the City, a new type of Islamic activity has begun to emerge. Away from their high-pressured City jobs, this new breed of corporates has witnessed the cultivation of Islamic activity in the workplace, supported by their employers.

“I strongly believe that we are on the brink of something ground breaking here,” asserts 26 year old Ihetsham Ashraf, who joined management consultancy Accenture over a year ago. Soon after Ihetsham received an email comprising of advice and events for Muslims in the workplace.

He soon joined a Network that was to develop into something far greater than he expected. “I went along to the fi rst event – a dinner where about 30 Muslims from Accenture turned up and I met people of similar thinking and background. We found that we shared an enthusiasm and a conviction that by coming together we could make a difference.” A humble list of 30 members grew to over 150 Muslims, all working in the company under the name of Accenture Muslim Network. The Network was formed with the committed efforts of those like Adil Malik, who persevered in encouraging others into action.

“Through word of mouth, newsletters and emails we have created a signifi cant group of professional Muslims who seek to facilitate the practising of Islam in the workplace, and reach out to the wider community of Muslims in the UK and the world.

Many brothers and sisters in the Accenture Muslim Network are actively involved in halal pensions investigations, giving interview advice to Muslims, and building up a database of contacts to enable business networking within the fi rm.

”Fulfilling the basic need of a prayer room has often been a cause of complication in many companies. This is something Accenture and the Muslim Network considered essential and sought to prioritise. Now, most Accenture offi ces contain a prayer room and the Network has begun to look to the next stage of development. The problem of alcohol-related work parties being a real dilemma faced by many Muslims in the workplace, the logical step for the Muslim Network was to lay foundations for halal alternatives. Along with Adil and Ihetsham, another member of the Network was willing to make suggestions on behalf of fellow Muslim employees at meetings with the Accenture Inclusion and Diversity team. Aiysha Naru is a keen advocate of catering for Muslim sensibilities. “Some people resign themselves to either the western professional corporate way of life where Islamic values are limited, or a more secluded traditional Islamic way of life where integration is limited. By adopting a more proactive approach we have shown that if circumstances don’t agree with your values, you can adapt them, and be part of a change to introduce integrated working practises. With our firm’s support, we have established interfaith prayer rooms and have participated in corporate social events that took place during offi ce hours and in an alcohol-free environment.” Aiysha is particularly determined to bring more support from the company for Muslim women employees so that they might balance their faith and family life with their careers. She understands their reluctance to attend certain company events and has suggested they could be made more appealing. “Women of all faiths and those with families feel comfortable participating in events that are more supportive of their requirements and we are encouraging our employer to continue to adopt this approach.”

One main obstacle the Accenture Network wants to tackle is the apathetic tendencies of Muslim employees in other less progressive companies. Adil Malik seeks to encourage them to embrace the opportunities available to them. “It is so easy for us compared to most Muslims around the world. If you want to pray in the office, ask for a multi-faith prayer room. If you want to leave early for iftar, offer to come in early after fajr. If you want your team event to be alcohol-free, organise an event yourself.”

Aside from catering for Muslim needs in the offi ce environment, the Network has organised successful charity events, utilising their organisational skills for good causes. After the earthquake in Iran devastated Bam, the urgent desire to help unifi ed the Accenture Muslims, who organised a fund-raiser dinner accompanied by an auction of Islamic artwork and inspirational talks. The event was a great achievement and the template was set for a second event raising money for the crisis in Darfur. Ihetsham echoes the sentiments of his colleagues. “After the earthquake in Bam, many Muslims at Accenture felt that something had to be done. And so began our fi rst big event with all the proceeds going to Islamic Relief and the victims of Bam. Just looking back on it, I am proud on how professional we were in our approach and how successfully it materialised in the end.”

“Our knowledge and skills in the ‘corporate’ arena have been harnessed to help Muslims globally – and this is vital at a time when Muslims are considered to be some of the most disorganised communities in the world. We have thrown the notion of ‘Muslim Mean Time’ out of the door and our events start and fi nish smoothly! This is an affi rmation of our belief in being organised and using the skills that we have learnt to great effect. We are hoping to build on the solid foundations other strong Islamic organisations have created to really inject corporate Muslims with a sense of community, faith and energy.” Humaira Malik takes on the role of managing the Muslim Network in a large city accountancy fi rm, which was set up in 2000 and boasts 30 core members. “Our objectives are to provide a meeting point for our staff who follow Islam or take an interest in it, to act as a cultural network with social events and to celebrate festivals like Eid. We also provide support for the recruitment and development of talented and motivated individuals.” The Muslims in the Network have been successful in establishing Contemplation rooms for staff to pray. Humaira strongly believes the Network has established a deeper sense of community spirit amongst staff. “It gives people a sense of belonging and the opportunity to meet like-minded people. For example, many young entrants to the fi rm are concerned that by avoiding staff socials held in pubs they are alienating themselves from colleagues. In our quarterly forums they have the opportunity to meet senior Muslim partners and staff who advise them this is not the case and provide advice on how to deal with the situation.”

An important development within Humaira’s Muslim Network is the focus on advancing Muslim employees to senior grade levels, whereby senior Muslim role models become more accessible to junior staff within the fi rm. “This opportunity has given me a rare ‘view from the top’ and I have a good understanding of what a partner does and the skills required to develop within the fi rm. I hope my mentor gained a ‘view from the bottom’ as it was a two way relationship that I hope has made him more aware of the challenges and issues for people at my level.”

Mehvish Ayub is a financial analyst who started work with a major investment bank in the Canary Wharf area. She is now the main organiser of an internal group of around 40 Muslims. “My role for these events has been a function of my own desire to get to know other Muslims and ultimately create an organisation that can represent Muslim interests in the working world. I think there is huge potential for this, not only for future social charity events but to create a forum where we can discuss our views.” Mehvish recently organised a charity dinner cruise on the River Thames with Muslim comedian Ahmed Ahmed from the US. “There is a demand for such events and after this I hope to eventually establish a committee that organises events across industries and fi rms to create a professional Muslim community within the work place. Insha-Allah, I hope to collaborate with networks in other companies to do this.”

“Support for Muslims is very much dependent on the fi rm that they work for I consider myself blessed that my firm is so supportive not only in accommodating my needs but the whole culture very much encourages employees who choose not to conform to the typical stereotype of a ‘banker’. My only concern is that Muslims themselves choose not to share their identity with their work colleagues for fear of isolation or criticism. My personal experience is that the more I have shared the more my work colleagues have understood me. It all depends on your own attitude and activeness.” attitude and activeness.”

Positive and evolving steps have been observed by Mehvish’s colleague, Freda Alvi who has been with the company for six years. “I think there was always a Muslim presence in the company but there was no real sense of brotherhood - in the last three years this has dramatically changed. If there is a requirement to do anything then all voices in the fi rm are heard, as respect for all religions and cultures is very important to the company. For example, a Muslim executive director made a request for a prayer room. Thanks to God, we got it; and it’s not just for Muslims - the room is used by other employees who want to practice their religion. I remember some time back I did the mid-afternoon prayer whilst another woman in the room read the Bible! It was very peaceful.” After the availability of halal food during Ramadan, Freda was determined to obtain such provisions long-term. “We started speaking with the catering department on a regular basis exploring the feasibility of obtaining halal meat - so we could basically eat what everyone else did in the canteen. It took about a year with some effort from me and another colleague, Wasim Riaz. It is so nice now to eat halal food that isn’t curry based as many people tend to overlook the fact that Muslims encompass lots of different races and cultures - not just Asians!” Freda emphasises how teamwork is the best way to channel energies towards constructive endeavours. “I think the fact I had support from Wasim when attending meetings regarding halal food made a huge difference – it’s easier to motivate yourself when you’re part of a team. If we didn’t have this strong feeling of togetherness and brotherhood then I do think it would be a different story and we probably wouldn’t have the success we have today and, of course - ultimately, this is all by the Blessings and Grace of God.”

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