Miqdaad Versi

Miqdaad Versi is director for media monitoring at the Muslim Council of Britain.^[1] As well as holding the position as one of the council's active public representatives, Versi is also engaged with the media voicing concerns over the misrepresentation of Muslims.^[2][3] The Guardian described him as "the UK’s one-man Islamophobia media monitor."^[4]

Photo of Miqdaad Versi with Mayor Sadiq Khan in 2016

Versi occasionally writes opinion pieces for the Guardian and the Independent.^[5][6] He is a board member of Rights Watch UK.^[7] Versi also runs a travel agency in north-west London full-time.^[8]

Versi grew up in Harrow, London in an Indian family.^[8] His father moved to the UK from east Africa in the 1970s and worked as an engineer.^[8] His mother worked as a nursery teacher.^[8] He read mathematics at the University of Oxford.^[7]

During his university studies, in pursuit of his interest in Islamic jurisprudence, Versi spent one year in Damascus, Syria learning Arabic and Islamic law.^[8] He later worked for Oliver Wyman and then for the Royal Bank of Scotland.^[8]

Litigation

Versi sued for defamation following Ed Husain accusing Versi of being, "pro-Hamas pro-Iran pro-gender discrimination pro-blasphemy laws pro-secretarian (sic) [and] anti-Western."^[9] Versi won two preliminary trials in which the High Court found that the ordinary meaning of the words was defamatory; and that it was inappropriate to argue a partial defence in a separate pre-trial hearing, ordering Husain to pay costs.