First Conservative Muslim peer Lord Sheikh mourned
BRITAIN’S first Conservative Muslim peer, Lord Mohamed Sheikh, passed away last Thursday (22) aged 81.
A successful businessman and a writer, Lord Sheikh founded the Conservative Muslim Forum and chaired it for several years.
The peer was also a visiting lecturer at universities and took on advisory roles. He promoted educational and cultural ties between the UK and other countries. Originally from Punjab, Lord Sheikh was born in Kenya and brought up in Uganda.
His family arrived in the UK in 1972 after being expelled from Uganda by Idi Amin. Lord Sheikh’s father was a wealthy businessman, trading in coffee and cotton. He was also the owner of several properties in Uganda.
“We arrived here penniless. General Idi Amin took everything from us, except what we had in our minds. Because we were doing very well in Uganda, we came here and we were prepared to work hard,” Lord Sheikh said about early days in UK.
“What we did in this country was perhaps what we had learned in Uganda and that is to use our brains, to use our initiative, work hard, and we have done very well.”
Lord Sheikh started working for an insurance broking organisation called Camberford Law. He later acquired it and transformed it into a public company, providing risk facilities for 1,800 brokers. It won 12 awards over the course of three years.
Lord Sheikh was elevated to the House of Lords in 2006. He was also a patron of several faith organisations and founded and co-chaired the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Islamic
and Ethical Finance in British Parliament.
His first book on the Maharaja Ranjit Singh was well received, and his second, An Indian in the House, was about the first four Indians who were British MPs. He had nearly completed his third, a historical novel.
He founded the charity the Sheikh Abdullah Foundation, after his father, and was patron of the charity, Orphans in Need.
His funeral took place last Friday (23) at Croydon Mosque and Islamic Centre, with a burial at Greenlawn Memorial Park.