Published on Nov 22 2010 by Nadimur Rahman

PRESS RELEASE
MONDAY 22 NOVEMBER 2010 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AHMADIYYA MUSLIMS CONGRATULATE APPOINTMENT OF NEW MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS

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The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in the UK has extended its congratulations to a member of the community who has been appointed as a life peer to the House of Lords.

Mr Tariq Ahmad, a vice-chairman of the Conservative Party, is the first member of the community to be conferred a peerage by the Queen as one of 54 new peers, including two other Muslim peers, announced by the Government on Friday. Lord Ahmad, as he will be known, will also become only the third Muslim peer to join the Conservative benches in Parliament.

President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in the UK, Mr Rafiq Hayat, said:

"We congratulate Tariq on his distinguished achievement and the opportunity provides him to serve the country.

"As Muslims, we believe that service to the nation and being committed to building a better society for the benefit of all mankind is a part of faith and to engage in public service is a privilege. Tariq has been exemplary in demonstrating this in practice, and his elevation to the House of Lords will provide him with an opportunity to extend and continue this work.

"Tariq is a man of extraordinary dedication and faith, and his humility and spirit of sacrifice for the greater good are qualities that will enrich his work in Parliament.

"We wish him every success in his new role which provides a model for others to achieve at the highest level."

[ENDS]

Contact
Basharat Nazir, Press Secretary
Phone: +44 7703 483 384
Email: media@ahmadiyya.org.uk
Web: www.loveforallhatredfornone.org
Web: www.ahmadiyya.org.uk

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Brief Biography
Tariq was born and educated in London and is currently serving as Director of Marketing & Corporate Strategy at a leading trading and commodities firm. He brings to the House Lords wide ranging experience, which includes a varied 19 year business career in the City and financial services. He is dedicated charity worker who enjoys raising funds and participating directly in runs and events in support for national and international causes. He has also led humanitarian aid missions to war stricken areas of the world, and coordinated relief campaigns to areas impacted by natural disasters. He is currently involved in programmes in support of both Save the Children Fund and Humanity First.

Vice Chairman Conservative Party (Cities) 2008-2010
Tariq was appointed to this role by David Cameron in 2008. He has spent a great deal of time working with different faith communities and promoted a broader and deeper understanding across the diverse communities of the UK.

London Borough of Merton (LBM) 2002- Current
As a local councillor in Wimbledon, his experience has been wide ranging and he remains a strong advocate for localised decision making and direct democracy.

Cabinet Member Community Safety and Engagement, LBM (2008-2009)
Responsible for policing and new initiatives in partnership with the local force in combating crime. This included the highly successful launch of the Action in Merton (AIM) project.

Cabinet Member Environment & Transport: LBM (2006 2008)
Responsible for Merton’s first ever climate change strategy and became a regular contributor to the debate on the issue at various events and conferences.

Deputy Chairman London Councils Transport & Environment Committee (2006-2008)
Represented London Councils at meetings with government and other organisations such as Transport for London. This involved coordinating a London wide response to issues across various environmental and transport related projects.

National Vice President – (AMYA-UK) –(2003- 2009)
Served as Senior Vice President for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association, delivering and co-coordinating a variety of educational, charitable and sporting programmes for over 5000 members. Prior to 2003, he served the association in various national roles, including tenures as the Secretary responsible for Education and Training, Health and Sport, as well as Community and Charities. During this time he organised regular events and activities, including an annual charity walk, which has raised over £2.5 million for UK based children’s charities and hospitals over the last 7 years.

Parliamentary Candidate General Election 2005 - Conservative Party – Croydon North

Deputy Chairman Wimbledon Conservative Association (1997-2002)

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