THE outgoing leader of Britain’s largest Muslim umbrella organisation issued a warning today about the “normalisation” of far-right figures.

Zara Mohammed, who is stepping down as general secretary of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) after a four-year term, said that young Muslims in the country are experiencing a “deeply challenging time.”

She said that many are worried about the influence of X owner Elon Musk, and are choosing to stay away from the platform and certain other social media sites.

“It’s so hostile. It’s so disgusting I would say, the kind of vitriol we’re seeing,” she said.

“The smearing of, whether it’s Pakistani communities or Muslim communities, you know.

“Using child grooming to, again, politicise and actually make one community look really barbaric — so I think we’re really worried.

“I think we’re worried about the influence of [billionaire] Elon Musk. We’re worried about the normalisation of figures on the far right, particularly the Tommy Robinsons and Nigel Farage.

“[Robinson] has been very vocal about his sentiment and feeling. The anti-immigrant rhetoric, anti-refugee rhetoric, and growing Islamophobia.

“So I think these are going to be the biggest challenges in 2025 and I think with the Trump election, we’ll wait to see how much more that’s emboldened.”

Ms Mohammed underlined the need for “meaningful partnerships” between the government and organisations such as MCB.

The previous Conservative and current Labour governments have refused to engage with the organisation.

She said that she hopes that, particularly after the riots and the rise in Islamophobia and hate crimes, that the government will change its approach.

“I think it’s a disservice to future generations,” Ms  Mohammed said.

“This government shouldn’t let down the future of young British Muslims.”

In August, Labour minister Alex Norris said that the policy not to engage with the organisation remained unchanged. 

The government declined to comment on the reasons why.