Home Affairs Correspondent
The 2026 New Year Honours List recognises 37 British Muslims for their exceptional contributions across the UK. Awards include two CBEs, 15 OBEs, 16 MBEs, and four BEMs, reflecting a wide range of service and achievement.
Recipients include entrepreneurs advancing diversity, healthcare professionals from Wales to the Falklands, and educators creating new opportunities. Grassroots champions delivering community relief, interfaith work, and refugee support are also recognised, alongside leaders in arts, culture, and sport.
The honours highlight operational excellence during major national events, voluntary service, and work in pandemic preparedness, fintech innovation, and diplomacy. From surgeons and charity directors to teaching assistants and volunteers, these awards showcase the vital role British Muslims play across every level of national life.
The list shines a light on those building resilience from the ground up. Asma Haq BEM, co-founder of the Marks Gate Relief Project in East London, embodies this spirit. A chemical engineer who pivoted to philanthropy, she has created a model of support in one of the UK’s most deprived areas. Her project bridges secular and spiritual education, offering free GCSE and A-Level Chemistry lessons alongside Qur’anic studies with Tajweed.
Beyond education, she has spearheaded initiatives tackling food poverty and social isolation, creating safe skill-development spaces for women. Her approach extends to fostering community bonds through litter picks, gardening in local allotments, and cricket sessions for vulnerable women and girls. Her interfaith work with Khalij Group, UK, aimed at highlighting shared values across religions, earned her recognition from the Faith and Belief Forum in 2023.
Speaking to The Muslim News, Haq dedicated her award “to the many quiet people whose daily acts of care make communities possible; it reminds me that service is rarely solitary and that small, steady kindnesses shape the world more than grand gestures.”
Also recognised for strengthening communities is Sajda Khatoon Shah MBE, a strategy and transformation leader. Born in Bradford during a period of unrest, she channelled a transient upbringing into a commitment to social justice. Her “unconventional path” saw her build bridges between communities and institutions, working with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists to improve global maternal health, mentoring medical students at Queen Mary University of London in culturally sensitive care, and serving as a Magistrate. She now strengthens governance at the international charity Muslim Aid.
In a statement to The Muslim News, Shah said, “I am deeply honoured to receive the MBE. This recognition reflects not only my own efforts but the collective work of the colleagues, mentors, and communities I have been privileged to serve throughout my career. I hope this award will inspire others, particularly women and individuals from underrepresented communities, to embrace unconventional paths, lead with authenticity, and believe in the transformative power of service and Amanah (trust).”
Monwara Ali MBE, CEO of Waltham Forest Community Hub, has dedicated three decades to public service and civil society, advocating for vulnerable communities. Her early leadership began at 18 as a youth worker, and by 20 she was a trustee and chair of a community organisation. She also undertook a formative internship in South Carolina, USA, supporting prisoners on Death Row, many wrongly imprisoned or disadvantaged, an experience that deepened her commitment to justice.
As CEO of Waltham Forest Community Hub for over 15 years, Monwara has developed the Hub into a cornerstone of community wellbeing, overseeing programmes ranging from youth advisory and employability support to wellbeing sessions, older people’s clubs, housing advice, and community walks. She has also served as Co-Chair of the VCS Health & Care Leadership Group and as Founder and Director of Stow Inspire CIC, empowering women from underserved communities.
Her work extends to leadership development, mentoring women through her Trailblazer Leadership Programme and advancing skills-building and financial independence initiatives internationally. Reflecting on her MBE, Monwara told The Muslim News, “I feel deeply touched and humbled to be awarded an MBE. It’s such an honour to accept recognition from incredible efforts by my nominees. I appreciate this is no small thing. If my father were alive today, he would never stop talking about ‘Daddy’s girl’.”
The honours pay tribute to lifetimes of work safeguarding public health. Dr Bassam Hallis OBE, Deputy Director at the UK Health Security Agency, was recognised for 35 years of work in vaccine development and pandemic preparedness. His expertise in immunogenicity and evaluating therapeutics for diseases like influenza and COVID-19 has been instrumental.
He collaborates across academia and industry, committed to building scientific capability globally, especially in the Global South, supporting the ‘100 Days Mission’ for pandemic response. Dr Hallis said, “I’m delighted to be given the Officer of the Order of the British Empire award. This is in recognition of the work of my team, colleagues and collaborators in support of national and global health security.”
Shah Ruhul Amin OBE, co-founded the identity verification firm Onfido in 2012, growing it from an Oxford startup into a global AI and machine learning company acquired by Entrust for over $650 million in 2024. His work in combating digital fraud and deepfakes is critical to digital trust.
He told The Muslim News, “Receiving an OBE is a huge honour. When we started Onfido, it was a simple belief that identity could be a secure and seamless way for people to access services… I grew up in East London as the son of Bangladeshi immigrant parents who came here for a better life. Their hard work, and their belief in education, community and entrepreneurship, shaped everything that followed.”
Similarly, Mohamed ‘Mo’ Isap OBE, CEO of IN4 Group, has dedicated 30 years to expanding access to technology careers. His skills provider, headquartered at MediaCity in Salford, operates on a place-based model to unlock local talent. To date, IN4 has supported over 6,000 people into tech roles (59% women, 37% from underrepresented groups) and delivered careers education to more than 2,000 schools.
He said, “I’m deeply honoured to receive this award for services to education and skills. It reflects a lifetime of work across education, skills and enterprise, and the belief that talent exists everywhere if people are given the right opportunities. Education is where long-term change happens, and it plays a vital role in creating opportunity for individuals, families and communities.”
Shanaz Gulzar MBE, was honoured for her services to culture in Bradford. The acclaimed artist, producer, and presenter served as Creative Director of Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture. She led a programme that embedded the district’s heritage at its heart, ensuring local people were central to its delivery.
Gulzar said, “This honour isn’t just for me, it also marks the work of all my remarkable colleagues… The people of our city and district have completely owned this year, which has been a privilege and a delight to witness.” Under her direction, the year became a catalyst for long-term transformation, with early estimates indicating over 3 million attendees at more than 5,000 events.
Fatima Benzbir MBE, Regional Manager at National Express, played a key role during the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022. She oversaw the temporary relocation of Victoria Coach Station to Wembley Stadium, ensuring hundreds of coach services and thousands of passengers moved safely amid extensive London road closures.
She told The Muslim News, “I am thrilled and humbled to receive an MBE from The King, and proud that my contributions to the coach transport industry have been recognised in such a prestigious way. More importantly, I want to thank all my brilliant colleagues at National Express. Delivering complex operations is always a team effort, and this award reflects the dedication, professionalism and commitment of colleagues and partners who work tirelessly to provide a brilliant service to passengers every day.”
These Muslim recipients form part of a wider celebration of service across British society. The honours also recognised 27 members of the Jewish community, including two Damehoods, two CBEs, four OBEs, ten MBEs and nine BEMs, alongside 31 Hindu & Sikh recipients, whose awards included two damehoods, a knighthood, a CB, three CBEs, six OBEs, twelve MBEs and six BEMs.
Pictured: Dr Bassam Hallis OBE, Fatima Benzbir MBE and Mohamed Isap OBE. Bottom row: Sajda Khatoon Shah MBE, Shah Ruhul Amin OBE and Monwara Ali MBE. (Courtesy of recipients)
The full list of Muslim recipients of the 2026 New Year’s Honours is available in the online edition of this issue.
