Obituary for Dr Mohammad Akbar Ali L.LD, MBE
Tributes have been pouring in for Dr Mohammad Akbar Ali, a shining beacon of human generosity
who took his last breath peacefully yesterday. Dr Akbar Ali, community leader, institution builder
and interfaith pioneer passed away in his sleep at the age of 90. He was an enormously well
respected figure both in Merseyside and a well known figure nationally in Muslim circles.
Dr Ali was born in Bombay and completed his Electrical Engineering postgraduate from UMIST
(Manchester) in 1949. Following a successful career at Vickers and English Electric in the UK, his
career took an international turn as an Engineering consultant. Despite a distinguished professional
career it was his parallel voluntary and community centred career for which he will be best
remembered.
Perhaps the most fitting tribute to Dr Ali is to compare him to his predecessor Sheikh Abdullah
Quilliam because Dr Ali was arguably the most significant Muslim of Liverpool after Abdullah
Quilliam and certainly in the second half of the 20th Century. Dr Ali was Abdullah Quilliam’s heir in
many respects. He was closely associated with the growth and development of Muslim communities
and institutions in England over the last 67 years. His credentials are impeccable and his track record
is outstanding.
Much like Abdullah Quilliam, Dr Ali was an institution builder. He believed good work required
institutions to perpetuate benefit beyond the lifespan of individual people. To his enduring credit,
He was the principal Fundraiser and a Founding member of the first Mosque in Manchester in 1948
and the secretary of Jamiat ul Muslimin for a number of years until he moved to Liverpool in 1958.
Dr Ali was the Secretary and late President of Liverpool Muslim Society and founding member of the
first purpose built mosque in Liverpool in 1974 known as Liverpool Al Rahma Mosque. He is a
Founding Member of two major national Muslim organisations in Britain – The Union of Muslim
Organisation (UMO) in 1970 and The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) in 1994, and served on the
Central Working Committee of the latter for a number of years. Dr Ali was founder of Liverpool
Islamic Institute in 1998 (Penny Lane Mosque); founder and Chairman of Muslim Enterprise
Development Service (2001) and the Abdullah Quilliam Society (1998) all of which are thriving
organisations to this day.
When Dr Akbar Ali arrived in Liverpool, the Muslims prayed in a house in L8. He became active
within the community and in response to the spiritual needs of the Muslim community it was
decided that the growing Muslim community needed dedicated space. With the then imam Shaikh
Ali Azam, Akbar Ali Looked at Great George Street Congregational Chapel (popularly known as 'The
Black Church’) however with the support of the Moores family, the Gt Georges Project were able to
outbid the Muslim community for the building. Undeterred, Akbar Ali turned his attentions to creating a
purpose built mosque in the heart of Liverpool 8. With donations of land and money from local people,
building began on Al Rahma Mosque in 1968 and was completed in 2011
The wide range of organisations to which he was affiliated demonstrates his deep concern and the
expansive breadth of interest he held for all areas of life: faith, political, economic and arts &
heritage. Chief Executive of Muslim Enterprise Development Service (MEDS), Mumin Khan, paid the
following tribute to Dr Ali “I worked with Dr Ali for 12 years day in day out. I saw him as a statesman,
diplomat, mentor and friend. He was an honest man with strong principles and beliefs. I would
compare him with the likes of Ghandi and Mandela in terms of the vision that he shared for working
towards the common good. When I described him at his final farewell ceremony in 2006, I said- Dr
Ali is the size of a Mini but with an engine of a Rolls Royce and I wasn’t wrong. ”
Dr Ali enjoyed a sparkling career in civic and community service spanning 60 years. He stood for
Parliamentary election in 1987 and 1992 and in the early 1990s was Chairman of the Liberal
Democrats in Mossley Hill. In addition, Dr Ali was a Non-Executive Director of the Local Health
Authority, Trustee of Local Solutions and numerous other prominent voluntary organisations in
Liverpool. His services to the community were officially recognised when he was awarded the
membership of the most Excellent Order of the British Empire (M.B.E) by her Majesty the Queen in
1992 for services to politics and the community. He also received an Honorary Doctorate from the
University of Liverpool in 2007 and remains the only member of the Liverpool Muslim community to
be conferred with such an honour.
Dr Ali selflessly and unrelentingly took up the Muslim cause. He famously campaigned and appeared
alongside Bishop James Jones for the release and to denounce the tragic killing of Ken Bigley in order
to prevent any backlash against the Muslim community. He was a man of letters who would write to
the press if ever he saw an article which unfairly represented the Muslim community. He regularly
engaged with the media and in local and national politics to ensure the Muslim community had a
voice within the mainstream.
On a personal level, Dr Ali believed in unity above all else. He set an excellent example of building
bridges within both the Muslim community and across faith groups. He was a people’s person who
made everyone feel special regardless of their background, race or creed. He was a Founding
Member of Liverpool Interfaith Group (1985) and of the Merseyside Council of Faiths (2000) and
firmly believed faith groups could live harmoniously together. Everyone who met him, even if briefly,
was captivated by his charm, smile and humility. Although a serious man, he was always good
humoured and courteous and will be fondly remembered as a consummate gentleman. Dr Shannon
Ledbetter, Cannon of Blackburn Cathedral said “So sorry to hear about Akbar's death he was a good
friend and will be greatly missed. Our patron for HPBC [Habitat for Humanity] was an inspiration for
living in a peaceful society.”
His final wish was to see the opening of the historic Abdullah Quilliam mosque at 8-10 Brougham
Terrace which he lived to see on 27th June 2014 after which he was reported as saying “Now I can
return home” with tears in his eyes. Trustee and Head of Restoration for the Abdullah Quilliam
Society, Dr Abdul Hamid, said “It was an honour for me to complete the restoration works to the
mosque whilst Dr Ali was alive because that was his final wish. It brought tears of joy to his eyes. I
am glad all the Trustees worked extremely hard to achieve this and were able to realise his dream. I
pray his soul finds peace in knowing his legacy will live on.”
Chairman of Abdullah Quilliam Society, Mr Galib Khan said “Akbar Ali was a visionary. He established
the foundation for the infrastructure which has enabled the community to flourish and interact
meaningfully with other communities. He was a dynamic and cohesive force in bringing Muslims
from 40 nationalities together. He worked all his life to help others and we were fortunate to have
such a figure representing our community on a local and national level.”
Trustee of Abdullah Quilliam Society, Farhad Ahmed said “I owe my career to Dr Ali who believed in
nurturing individuals whom he felt could carry on his legacy. He was a Titan of community work both
in the areas of race relations and interfaith and had enormous influence amongst the leaders of civic
society in Merseyside. He held this position for decades and was the undisputed leader of the
Liverpool Muslim community throughout his life. He emerged from the arena of community
relations with distinction and his reputation untarnished which is a very rare achievement.”
Dr Mohammad Akbar Ali is survived by 3 children: 2 sons and a daughter (all Scousers!) and 5
grandchildren. His wife, Mrs Thousif Jehan, passed away in 2007. The family wish to thank Dr Ali’s
sister in Law, Mrs Shakir Ansari, who helped Dr Ali tirelessly in his final years.
The funeral prayers will be held for Dr Mohammad Akbar Ali on Thursday 10th July 2014 at 1.30pm at
Liverpool Al Rahma Mosque, Mulgrave St, Liverpool 8 followed by burial at Everton Cemetery, Long
Lane, Liverpool 9.
For further information about funeral arrangements or to send condolence cards or messages,
please contact Mumin Khan, co-founder of Abdullah Quilliam Society & official organiser for Dr Ali’s
funeral, MEDS, 350 Upper Parliament St, L8 7QL, 01517096567, 07949921692, email:
[email protected]