Muslim Council of Britain calls for review into 'arbitrary' closing of Muslim accounts
In an open letter to the UK Prime Minister, the Muslim Council of Britain called for a review of what it has identified as the widespread practice of banks arbitrarily closing the accounts of British Muslims and Muslim-led organisations.
The New Arab Staff
London
03 August, 2023
Zara Mohammed is the Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain [Getty]
The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has urged UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to call for a review over the alleged arbitrary closure of bank accounts belonging to Muslim individuals and organisations.
An open letter published Tuesday and authored by the MCB’s Secretary General Zara Mohammed asks Sunak to act over "the many law-abiding Muslim individuals and Muslim-led organisations that have been gravely impacted by the arbitrary withdrawal of banking services."
Mohammed contrasts Sunak’s recent "decisive intervention" in calling for the NatWest Group to reinstate services to former UK Independence Party (UKIP) leader and far-right figurehead Nigel Farage with his silence on the "unhindered" practice of banks doing the same to Muslims and Muslim-oriented organisations.
The MCB letter claims that many high-profile Muslim individuals and charities have been targeted, but, unlike Farage, have not had the platform to protest and speak about their cases to banks, the media or the government, which is why a review is necessary.
Calling for the review, Mohamed wrote: "We urge you to ensure that any review … examines why British Muslims and Muslim-led organisations appear to be systematically singled out, and disproportionately impacted, by this practice."
'Silencing' of activists?
Farage’s case involved Coutts, an exclusive private lender, closing his account due to, as was quoted in the bank’s own internal documentation, a fear of reputational damage over Farage’s alleged "promotion of xenophobic, chauvinistic and racist views".
The bank walked back its decision after a campaign of outrage by the UK's right-wing media and interventions from Sunak and Home Secretary Suella Braverman.
The incident led to questions on whether the targeting of Muslims had anything to do with their political views on Israel and Palestine, or other areas where they might go against the UK political consensus.
Most recently, Anas Altikriti, the CEO and founder of The Cordoba Foundation, which is a Muslim advisory and research group, took to social media to condemn Barclays bank for arbitrarily placing his bank accounts under "review", making him £500,000 overdrawn.
In a series of tweets, Altikriti documented the bizarre occurrences with his account, which he said had left him "locked out of my means to move around and purchase essentials for myself and my family."
Two days before Barclays froze his account, he had written an op-ed criticising banks for targeting him and other Muslim activists and organisations in the past, as well as the media hypocrisy in not covering it in the way they did with Farage.
Responding to speculation by some on Twitter that the freezes may have come down to other reasons, the think tank CEO said he has had six closed accounts over the years and he does not believe this pattern is a coincidence.
One of these closures involved the controversial 2015 case of HSBC closing the accounts of individuals allegedly linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, based on the fact the UAE had deemed the group to be "terrorists", despite no such designation in the UK.
It is not yet known why Barclays has suspended Altikriti’s accounts, or whether or not he is being targeted for his political views.
However, the Iraqi-born activist, who advocates for Palestinian resistance and has supported the 'Islamic democracy' of the Muslim Brotherhood, clearly believes this to be the case, tweeting: "It is clear that I’m being silenced and the banks realise that I don’t have the means available to someone like Nigel Farage nor the media access he does."
When contacted, a spokesperson for Barclays told The New Arab that while they cannot comment on any individual account, "we comply with our legal and regulatory obligations. We would only withdraw banking services from an individual or business in exceptional circumstances".
"We support the government’s initiatives to standardise the approach across banks, including non-exclusion on the basis of political views or beliefs,", they added.
London
03 August, 2023
Zara Mohammed is the Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain [Getty]
The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has urged UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to call for a review over the alleged arbitrary closure of bank accounts belonging to Muslim individuals and organisations.
An open letter published Tuesday and authored by the MCB’s Secretary General Zara Mohammed asks Sunak to act over "the many law-abiding Muslim individuals and Muslim-led organisations that have been gravely impacted by the arbitrary withdrawal of banking services."
Mohammed contrasts Sunak’s recent "decisive intervention" in calling for the NatWest Group to reinstate services to former UK Independence Party (UKIP) leader and far-right figurehead Nigel Farage with his silence on the "unhindered" practice of banks doing the same to Muslims and Muslim-oriented organisations.
The MCB letter claims that many high-profile Muslim individuals and charities have been targeted, but, unlike Farage, have not had the platform to protest and speak about their cases to banks, the media or the government, which is why a review is necessary.
Calling for the review, Mohamed wrote: "We urge you to ensure that any review … examines why British Muslims and Muslim-led organisations appear to be systematically singled out, and disproportionately impacted, by this practice."
Farage’s case involved Coutts, an exclusive private lender, closing his account due to, as was quoted in the bank’s own internal documentation, a fear of reputational damage over Farage’s alleged "promotion of xenophobic, chauvinistic and racist views".
The bank walked back its decision after a campaign of outrage by the UK's right-wing media and interventions from Sunak and Home Secretary Suella Braverman.
The incident led to questions on whether the targeting of Muslims had anything to do with their political views on Israel and Palestine, or other areas where they might go against the UK political consensus.
Most recently, Anas Altikriti, the CEO and founder of The Cordoba Foundation, which is a Muslim advisory and research group, took to social media to condemn Barclays bank for arbitrarily placing his bank accounts under "review", making him £500,000 overdrawn.
In a series of tweets, Altikriti documented the bizarre occurrences with his account, which he said had left him "locked out of my means to move around and purchase essentials for myself and my family."
Two days before Barclays froze his account, he had written an op-ed criticising banks for targeting him and other Muslim activists and organisations in the past, as well as the media hypocrisy in not covering it in the way they did with Farage.
Responding to speculation by some on Twitter that the freezes may have come down to other reasons, the think tank CEO said he has had six closed accounts over the years and he does not believe this pattern is a coincidence.
One of these closures involved the controversial 2015 case of HSBC closing the accounts of individuals allegedly linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, based on the fact the UAE had deemed the group to be "terrorists", despite no such designation in the UK.
It is not yet known why Barclays has suspended Altikriti’s accounts, or whether or not he is being targeted for his political views.
However, the Iraqi-born activist, who advocates for Palestinian resistance and has supported the 'Islamic democracy' of the Muslim Brotherhood, clearly believes this to be the case, tweeting: "It is clear that I’m being silenced and the banks realise that I don’t have the means available to someone like Nigel Farage nor the media access he does."
When contacted, a spokesperson for Barclays told The New Arab that while they cannot comment on any individual account, "we comply with our legal and regulatory obligations. We would only withdraw banking services from an individual or business in exceptional circumstances".
"We support the government’s initiatives to standardise the approach across banks, including non-exclusion on the basis of political views or beliefs,", they added.
Nigel Farage row: As a Muslim who's had accounts closed, can I expect the same response?
If Farage can get an explanation and an apology from his bank, and see resignations and investigations, then I and my family deserve no less. But I won't hold my breath
Anas Altikriti
1 August 2023
An HSBC bank branch in central London on 26 April 2022 (AFP)
Nine years ago, my life was irreversibly affected by several letters which fell onto my doormat.
Out of the blue and without any warning, HSBC, which I had chosen as my personal bank back in August 1985 as a 16-year-old A-level student, was telling me without explanation that it was closing down my bank accounts, personal and business.
Other letters were addressed to my then-wife, and to my sons, who were only 15 and 12 at the time.
The tone of the letters was abrupt and unforgiving. I was not to inquire about the reasons behind the decision, nor was I to seek to open any account with them or any of their associate banks in the future.
Despite a long-running campaign to try to get HSBC to offer some sort of explanation, and sterling efforts from Peter Oborne to expose what had happened and why, we were met with not only complete silence from the bank but also from the mainstream media.
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In fact, I faced a campaign from political adversaries - including those aligned with the numerous authoritarian regimes in the Middle East that I vehemently oppose and relentlessly criticise - who utilised this opportunity to question my reputation and integrity.
One of them commented on a BBC radio phone-in that bank accounts "usually close down accounts of terrorists, drug dealers or money launderers", with the presenter failing to qualify that I was suspected of none of those crimes. In fact, I was and remain suspected of no crime whatsoever.
Since then, I have had numerous accounts closed down by a litany of high street banks, including NatWest, the Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyds and Santander, and countless applications for personal and business accounts rejected.
As we speak, Wise online bank is claiming to continue to "verify" my details despite applying for an account back in May.
Unchecked power
Banking facilities are an essential part of life. Without a bank account, employment, receiving wages, paying bills, paying taxes, travelling, renting or buying a property and many other everyday activities become literally impossible.
As such, having a bank account is as essential as having a water supply or electricity. It's a basic need - and denying it to anyone constitutes an infringement of their human rights.
However, in our capitalist system, it's clear that banks are demigods who command a great amount of unchecked power. One only needs to look at the number of times governments have bailed out banks to the tune of hundreds of billions, while millions face poverty and risk having their children go without food.
Nigel Farage row: When Muslims have their bank accounts closed, nobody cares
Anas Altikriti
1 August 2023
An HSBC bank branch in central London on 26 April 2022 (AFP)
Nine years ago, my life was irreversibly affected by several letters which fell onto my doormat.
Out of the blue and without any warning, HSBC, which I had chosen as my personal bank back in August 1985 as a 16-year-old A-level student, was telling me without explanation that it was closing down my bank accounts, personal and business.
Other letters were addressed to my then-wife, and to my sons, who were only 15 and 12 at the time.
The tone of the letters was abrupt and unforgiving. I was not to inquire about the reasons behind the decision, nor was I to seek to open any account with them or any of their associate banks in the future.
Despite a long-running campaign to try to get HSBC to offer some sort of explanation, and sterling efforts from Peter Oborne to expose what had happened and why, we were met with not only complete silence from the bank but also from the mainstream media.
Stay informed with MEE's newsletters
Sign up to get the latest alerts, insights and analysis, starting with Turkey Unpacked
In fact, I faced a campaign from political adversaries - including those aligned with the numerous authoritarian regimes in the Middle East that I vehemently oppose and relentlessly criticise - who utilised this opportunity to question my reputation and integrity.
One of them commented on a BBC radio phone-in that bank accounts "usually close down accounts of terrorists, drug dealers or money launderers", with the presenter failing to qualify that I was suspected of none of those crimes. In fact, I was and remain suspected of no crime whatsoever.
Since then, I have had numerous accounts closed down by a litany of high street banks, including NatWest, the Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyds and Santander, and countless applications for personal and business accounts rejected.
As we speak, Wise online bank is claiming to continue to "verify" my details despite applying for an account back in May.
Unchecked power
Banking facilities are an essential part of life. Without a bank account, employment, receiving wages, paying bills, paying taxes, travelling, renting or buying a property and many other everyday activities become literally impossible.
As such, having a bank account is as essential as having a water supply or electricity. It's a basic need - and denying it to anyone constitutes an infringement of their human rights.
However, in our capitalist system, it's clear that banks are demigods who command a great amount of unchecked power. One only needs to look at the number of times governments have bailed out banks to the tune of hundreds of billions, while millions face poverty and risk having their children go without food.
Nigel Farage row: When Muslims have their bank accounts closed, nobody cares
Read More »
Despite the billions received in bailouts, it appears that our elected officials are either unable or unwilling to reduce the outsized and undemocratic power of the banking sector.
While concerning, this should not come as a surprise when one starts to understand that many politicians and officials are intrinsically tied to the banks and the financial sector in one way or another.
But my case is not unique. Over the years, hundreds of individuals, businesses and charities have seen their bank accounts closed. This has not only cost tens of millions in lost donations and legal fees, but also cost in terms of reputation, confidence and the ability to continue functioning. Notably, the overwhelming majority of those closures were accounts held by Muslims.
When a few weeks ago, the story of Coutts Bank closing down Nigel Farage's bank account broke, one would've been forgiven in assuming that it was the first time that a British bank had behaved in such a way and that all parties concerned had admirably jumped into action to address a terrible wrong.
My disdain for Farage does not omit my disgust that his bank had chosen to behave in this way and go even further and lie about the reasons behind it.
Seminal moment
I'm glad that the NatWest boss, Alison Rose, has been forced to step down, and it would not aggrieve me if Farage got his way and the entire NatWest Board were dismissed.
However, what enrages me and countless others are the double standards this story exposes. Where was the mainstream media when I and dozens of others, including charities, had their banking services closed down?
Where was the investigation then? Why were questions not asked when people like myself were forced to explain to their children why they were addressed by banks in a manner that would shake adults to the core?
What of the impacts on lives, including mine, where immense pressure was brought on by these decisions, leading to family breakdowns, mental health issues and more?
What of the impacts on lives, including mine, where immense pressure was brought on by these decisions, leading to family breakdowns, mental health issues and more?
Why did no one question why financial institutions were making - and had the power to make - decisions based on reasons that had nothing to do with financial considerations? Would anyone find it acceptable if energy companies withdrew their services from a household based on their political or ideological affiliations?
Fortunately, and in my case after nine long and extremely difficult years, this story has finally gained top billing on every news outlet, albeit not for the right reasons.
I, and many of my colleagues, friends and associates, intend to pursue this to the very end. If Farage can get an explanation, get the prime minister to intervene, and obtain an apology from the bank, followed by a resignation and a call for a public investigation into the behaviour of banks, then I and my family deserve no less.
While years of experience have taught me not to hold my breath when it comes to authorities doing the right thing against financial or material interests, this moment is undoubtedly a seminal one.
To use this opportunity to push back against the domineering authority of banks would be of immense benefit to all concerned and a boost to our democracy and fair distribution of power.
It's an opportunity we must not waste.
The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.
Anas Altikriti is the CEO & Founder of The Cordoba Foundation, UK. He tweets @anasaltikriti
Despite the billions received in bailouts, it appears that our elected officials are either unable or unwilling to reduce the outsized and undemocratic power of the banking sector.
While concerning, this should not come as a surprise when one starts to understand that many politicians and officials are intrinsically tied to the banks and the financial sector in one way or another.
But my case is not unique. Over the years, hundreds of individuals, businesses and charities have seen their bank accounts closed. This has not only cost tens of millions in lost donations and legal fees, but also cost in terms of reputation, confidence and the ability to continue functioning. Notably, the overwhelming majority of those closures were accounts held by Muslims.
When a few weeks ago, the story of Coutts Bank closing down Nigel Farage's bank account broke, one would've been forgiven in assuming that it was the first time that a British bank had behaved in such a way and that all parties concerned had admirably jumped into action to address a terrible wrong.
My disdain for Farage does not omit my disgust that his bank had chosen to behave in this way and go even further and lie about the reasons behind it.
Seminal moment
I'm glad that the NatWest boss, Alison Rose, has been forced to step down, and it would not aggrieve me if Farage got his way and the entire NatWest Board were dismissed.
However, what enrages me and countless others are the double standards this story exposes. Where was the mainstream media when I and dozens of others, including charities, had their banking services closed down?
Where was the investigation then? Why were questions not asked when people like myself were forced to explain to their children why they were addressed by banks in a manner that would shake adults to the core?
What of the impacts on lives, including mine, where immense pressure was brought on by these decisions, leading to family breakdowns, mental health issues and more?
What of the impacts on lives, including mine, where immense pressure was brought on by these decisions, leading to family breakdowns, mental health issues and more?
Why did no one question why financial institutions were making - and had the power to make - decisions based on reasons that had nothing to do with financial considerations? Would anyone find it acceptable if energy companies withdrew their services from a household based on their political or ideological affiliations?
Fortunately, and in my case after nine long and extremely difficult years, this story has finally gained top billing on every news outlet, albeit not for the right reasons.
I, and many of my colleagues, friends and associates, intend to pursue this to the very end. If Farage can get an explanation, get the prime minister to intervene, and obtain an apology from the bank, followed by a resignation and a call for a public investigation into the behaviour of banks, then I and my family deserve no less.
While years of experience have taught me not to hold my breath when it comes to authorities doing the right thing against financial or material interests, this moment is undoubtedly a seminal one.
To use this opportunity to push back against the domineering authority of banks would be of immense benefit to all concerned and a boost to our democracy and fair distribution of power.
It's an opportunity we must not waste.
The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.
Anas Altikriti is the CEO & Founder of The Cordoba Foundation, UK. He tweets @anasaltikriti
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