Influential Muslim lawyer and activist

Born: March 8, 1946;

Died: April 20, 2018

KHURSHID Drabu, who has died aged 72, was one of the UK’s most influential Muslim activists. As a leading member and one of the co-founders of the Muslim Council of Britain and a lawyer specialising in immigration, he campaigned for equal rights for minorities and Muslim communities. He also sought more understanding and co-operation between faiths and was one of the first Muslims to serve as a judge in Britain.

Born in Srinagar in Kashmir, Drabu came to the UK in 1971 after studying law in India; he later lectured in the subject and was called to the Bar in 1977.

By the 1980s he was well known for his expertise in immigration law and in 1986 he became the deputy director of the UK Immigrants Advisory Service, which seeks to ensure immigrants are fully aware of their rights.

In 1990 he joined the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) as its first deputy legal director where he was responsible for carrying out a review of the Race Relations Act 1976. He also became vice-president of the Immigration Appeal Tribunal and served as senior immigration judge until 2007, a justice of the peace for 13 years and for 12 years was president of the Mental Health Review Tribunal.

His work with the Muslim Council of Britain, an umbrella body which promotes consultation, cooperation and coordination on Muslim affairs in the UK, was particularly influential. One of its founders, Drabu served on the body for 15 years as its advisor on legal and constitutional affairs as well as its election commissioner. As constitutional advisor, he oversaw the democratic processes of the MCB, and guided successive leaderships on a range of issues.

He also cared about promoting good governance in mosques and was involved in 2007 in the establishment of the Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board, which sought to improve the running of mosques through a scheme of self-regulation and promote higher standards for imams.

Drabu was involved in many other organisations, including the Joseph Interfaith Foundation. He was also the Muslim advisor to the Ministry of Defence, having first been appointed in 2002.

Speaking about his work, Drabu once said: “My inspiration in putting in the long hours for the community work is the future of my children and grandchildren and the nation as a whole. I just hope that one day we will live in a society where there is a better understanding of each other. That is all I seek.”

He was awarded CBE in 2010 and is survived by his wife Reefat and their four children.