An Interview with Emran Islam (President 2003-04)

Can you tell me a little more about yourself?

I was at Oxford between 2000-2005, completing my undergraduate degree in Modern History at Pembroke College, followed by an MPhil in Modern Middle Eastern Studies. After leaving Oxford, I have worked at the Bank of England, the European Central Bank in Germany and am now working at the International Monetary Fund (living in Washington DC).

What was your defining memory of ISoc?

I became ISoc President in September 2003 under some difficult circumstances, but by the end of 2004, we’d built a committee of circa 20 people and increased involvement of students in the society. At the end of that year, we won the Best Student Society in the UK at the Muslim News Awards. I think that has to be the defining moment. The award was a nice recognition of the hard work of so many, but more importantly it symbolized the journey we all went through to create a vision and set up the infrastructure for future students that would take the society forward. It was a testament to the incredible work of so many of our committee members such as Nadia Kidwai, Imran Mubeen and Fatima Mamache who really were the heart and soul of the ISoc. I am personally very proud of what we achieved given the difficulties we had to go through collectively.

What inspired you to go for presidency?

In all honestly, I took up the role because nobody else really wanted it at the time. Taking on the role of the presidency allowed me to take responsibility for my own actions and shape the direction ISoc would take in the future. So, in Fresher’s week in 2003, my first job was to convince a handful of people to take on this challenge and to trust me. I was fortunate that Nadia Kidwai and Fatima Mamache stepped up.

What were your aims and philosophy?

In any university, the ISoc is the epicentre for Muslim students; it is the platform to show others the beauty of our faith and above all, it is the ‘home away from home’ for Muslim students who leave their homes for the first time and enter an intimidating environment and a new phase in their lives. I wanted the ISoc to fulfil all of these objectives- provide a safe space for Muslim students who were undertaking their own journey of self-discovery; act as a base for brotherhood/sisterhood; project a strong sense of community; and empower Muslims with a strong sense of identity and confidence.

Personally, I know very little of the Qur’an, have poor Arabic and very limited knowledge. In many ways, I felt like I was the complete antithesis of what a President should be. But I feel that I had a clear vision and a relentless passion to help Muslims at Oxford. I wanted the ISoc to empower students to have an idea and to run with it; to facilitate broad discussions from different perspectives (religious, political or social) and above all, to make it fun. It has to be fun. It can’t just be lectures and talks- it must be a place where students can make friendships and have a legitimate alternative to the many other temptations that they are confronted with at university. That was my personal vision for the ISoc.

How did you go about achieving your aims?

We had weekly discussion circles and we opened up Jumm’ah khutbahs to a wide range of khateebs including students, academics from OCIS and members of the community- khateebs who came from a broad spectrum of backgrounds and views. I must say here that much of this was already started during the presidency of my predecessor, Haroon Shirwani, who for me was one of the best and most innovative Presidents in ISoc history. He inspired me immensely. 

We also developed the Ramadan conference which I’ll speak about later, but it was great! We had Palestine Week which was an entire week of events, discussions and debate. We had speakers like Azam Tamimi, representatives from charities as well as Sophie Hurndall, the sister of Tom Hurndall, a British peace activist who had been killed in Israel.

We also had Discover Islam week for, as far as I know, the first time ever. We had a stall representing each country of the Muslim world, so we showcased our food and culture, which was great as it involved all of our students who proudly set up stalls representing their own countries. We provided daily iftar during Ramadan, with students giving short talks prior to breaking fast. Perhaps my favourite thing was Brother’s ISoc football, which we set up for the first time too, and this was very effective in galvanising brothers around sport and then socialising afterwards. I still have my ISoc football top, with a Nike logo and the motto “Just wudu it”

At the end of the entire process, I felt that ISoc had created its own identity. The committee was half male and half female and we had a diverse composition – sunni, shia, hijabis, non-hijabis, bearded, non-bearded. It was a real representation of Muslims at Oxford. Was it perfect? No. We made mistakes. But we had a basis for others to take it forward and improve it much more.

As president, what was your favourite event?

We held a Ramadan Conference in which we invited lots of fantastic speakers like Ajmal Masroor, AbdurRahman Helbawi and TJ Winters. We had a great turnout of around 150 people. It was a really vibrant atmosphere with everyone breaking the fast together- we also had non-Muslims who shared this experience with us. The culmination at the end was when we reached the target to fundraise for a school in Kashmir. The event was complex to arrange and needed lots of work from everyone – but it was a beautiful celebration for the students and community members from Oxford, breaking bread together, listening to wonderful speakers, collectively taking solace during the most special month of the year and working together with their generosity to establish and build a school in one of most impoverished parts of the World. On a personal level, I felt this event was a moment of real unity – in fact, the conference was called: “Ramadan – the Month of Unity”. 

What notable speakers and events occurred during your presidency?

I’ve mentioned a lot of the speakers who came to the ISoc already. The Palestine event was certainly memorable but was also difficult with a lot of controversy. We also had a big debate with a local MP. It was an enormous debate, and chairing the event was very difficult because it was a very volatile atmosphere with some strong discussions happening! It was very enjoyable though!

Is there anything you would like to have done differently?

I wanted to strengthen the links between us and different ISocs in the UK. At the time, I had initiated a relationship with the Cambridge and LSE ISocs, which was great. But I would have liked to pursue that more, allowing us to mobilise the societies collectively, to have a bigger national impact and influence the national debates taking place at the time. I believe Oxbridge is elite and students are privileged to have such access, and so we have a responsibility to use our privileged position to do good across the UK – whether at university or when we leave.

Has being president/a member of ISoc had any influence on yourself as a person, after you graduated from University?

Yes it has, naturally. Good things and bad things. The whole ISoc environment was amazing but it was a bubble. When I left Oxford, having been so actively involved in the society, it was a big drop. You go from this exciting world where you’re always busy arranging events, firefighting problems as they arise and building relationships with amazing people, to the real world of work – it can be deflating. The positive impact though was that I walked away from the ISoc and learnt something profound about people, Islam and our role. A lot of people (myself included) are headstrong, opinionated and convinced that they are right (and everybody else is wrong).

I think Oxford was a microcosm of the broader ecosystem of Islam in the UK. Lots of people with lots of different ideas, sometimes judgmental towards others. When I left, I was able to detach, take a step back and see the bigger picture. I learned that no one person in that environment is wrong; they are all sincere; but if we can learn to appreciate other perspectives and imperfections, knowing that we are imperfect ourselves, and can truly be open and humble, I believe that we will create a Muslim community which is more tolerant, open and united. This has been my growth – the self-realization that I know so little, appreciate so many and agree with people more than I disagree with them.

What are your thoughts on ISoc today?

From the little that I’ve seen and heard since I’ve left, I feel that the ISoc has become a lot more professional and is a well-run machine! Social media is used really well and the events seem really broad, inclusive and dynamic. I know you guys now have a Prayer room which is a huge, huge success- the ISoc that led and built that must have been amazing. Congratulations! I feel proud seeing you all take things forward. 

In one sentence, can you summarise why ISoc was important to you?

It was important because ISoc was a home away from home. The brotherhood and sisterhood allowed an atmosphere for every individual to find themselves, at a point in life when everyone is trying to understand who they really are, in what is quite an intimidating environment. The ISoc provides a sense of belonging. It’s an incubator for each and every one of us to strengthen our own relationship with each other, with our society and with our God.