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Our Organisation

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Background

The origins of SICM can be traced to the arrival in the UK of a number of students from East Africa in the mid sixties. Soon, These students got aquainted with other Shi’a students from Pakistan, India, Iran, Iraq and Gulf countries. There was already a resident Pakistani community and the students participated enthusiastically in organisations like the Muhammadi Trust. In the universities and colleges the Shi’i students formed an organisation called the Muslim Youth Association (MYA). These activities resulted in the formation of close bonds between Shi’a students and communities from all over the world. The small community of Khoja Shi’as from East Africa had an organisation called the East African Union, but for religious functions participated with the Muslim Youth Association or the Idara-e-Ja’aferiyya.

With the events in East Africa forcing many families to leave their countries and settle in the UK, the early seventies saw a large influx of people into the UK. Many of the East African Muslim students also stayed on in the UK on a more or less permanent basis. As the needs for holding religious and other community functions became more regular and the community became larger, the requirement for “permanent” places became urgent. SICM was one of the many organisations which was established to meet this growing need.

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Founding of SICM

With a sizeable settled community in Middlesex, there emerged the practice of having regular Iftar in Ramadhan, initially in individual houses and later in hired halls in the vicinity of Harrow. There were already over 100 Shi’i Muslim families living within 2/3 miles of the centre of Harrow and the gatherings were well attended.

Gradually, the activities evolved and an organisation called the Shia Ithna’ashari Community of Middlesex (SICM) was formed to provide an institutional framework for arranging the meetings and gatnerings. In addition to Ramadhan, gatherings began to be held on every Friday evening and on the occasion of the birth or death anniversry of the a’aimmas. Local community/assembly halls were hired for this purpose. For the last twenty years on every Friday evening SICM has had a meeting in which a wide variety of issues relating to Islam and the Muslim World have been discussed. Learned and competent people from all walks of life have contributed to the discussions on many occassions.

SICM, after a long process of lobbying of the local authority was able to secure the rental of the West Harrow school premises on a 12 monthly basis. With the rental of premises, the activities increased manifold. In addition to regular Friday functions, SICM started daily Qur’an classes for young children, daily evening congregational prayer (salaat), morning salaat on weekends, regular sports sessions and many other specialised meetings and seminars. There was a major seminar on the Nahj al Balagah and one on the Concept of Vilayat-e-Faqih. Muharram majalis were also held for the first time.

As the rental of the West Harrow school came up for renewal SICM was fortunate enough to persuade the Harrow borough to let the North Harrow Assembly Hall (NHAH) to the organisation. The NHAH was by then under the threat of closure because of cuts in local authority budgets. As expected within a year the Hall came up for sale. SICM, with the help of its Councillors, well wishers, and supporting bankers was able to acquire the Hall as its permanent worship, meeting and gathering place.

With the purchase of the premises, the activities of SICM have become much more consistent. Presently the following are regularly held:

D’ua programme on Thursday evenings
Friday lectures
Daily Qur’an reading, Children’s programme and Iftar, during the month of Ramadan
Majalis in English on birth and death anniversaries of Ma’sumin and during Muharram
Occasional seminars and other programmes
Weekly Tafsir classes
Sunday morning children’s school under an independent organisation, Husayni Madrasah
Weekly sports club at a local leisure centre
Sports session for children on weekends
‘Id Prayers
GCSE and A/S level tuition classes
Daily Salaat
Ghusl, Kafan and Burial facilities
Regular Youth trips and functions

In addition, SICM through the Battlers Well Foundation (BWF) has secured a vital facility. A dedicated graveyard with over five hundred burial spaces has been reserved at the Woodcock Hill Cemetery in Harefield. The cemetery already houses over two hundred graves.

Trustees

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Future Plans

The SICM centre is now well established. We are now in the process of building a new purpose-built structure called The Salaam Centre at the existing site which will incorporate:

• Dedicated prayer hall
• Library and information centre for Muslims and those seeking sources on Islam
• Lecture theatre for talks and plays
• Multi purpose seminar rooms and Madrasah classrooms
• Cafe and Restaurant
• Sports centre fit for 4 badminton courts / 5 a side football
• Media room

Throughout its 35 years of activity SICM has remained true to its objectives of bringing a diverse group of Shi’as together and also develop mutually re-inforcing and respectful relations with the Muslim community at large. This will continue to be its mission as it develops its activities further and becomes a focal point for Muslims in the North West of London.

More details about The Salaam Centre can be found on the dedicated website: http://www.thesalaamcentre.com.

Become a member

Join us!

Our activities are mostly open to all – you don’t have to be a member to take part. However, if you would like to help with the decision making process; become a committee member or just take part in the yearly discussions about the running of the centre, please do consider joining as an Associate / Councillor.

Details about these can be found on the SICM Constitution which can be downloaded by clicking here.

As a brief summary, Councillors have the right to vote during Annual General Meetings and can be nominated to be Executive Committee members. To become a Councillor, you first need to apply to become an Associate member. After a year of being accepted as an Associate, you can apply to become a Councillor.

To apply to become an Associate, please fill in this form and email us.

If you are already an Associate and want to apply to become a Councillor, please fill in this form and email us.

Businesses can become Affiliate members – please fill in this form if you would like to apply.