WIREDGOV

• Organisations can now apply for up to £970,000 to help design and build a first-of-its-kind national Muslim War Memorial
• The memorial will stand as a lasting tribute to the sacrifice of the hundreds of thousands of Muslims who served to help deliver peace across the world
• The successful applicant will also be tasked with driving interfaith dialogue and education about the remarkable story of Muslim soldiers

A search for an organisation to design and deliver a national memorial to mark the significant contribution of Muslims to the First and Second World War has been launched today (27th May).

The memorial will stand as a permanent tribute to the bravery and sacrifice of the hundreds of thousands of Muslim soldiers who served alongside Britain and its allies – travelling from across the Middle East, North Africa, and the Indian subcontinent – to help secure victory and promote lasting peace.

Despite there being an estimated 70,000 war memorials across the UK, including several prominent memorials to the sacrifice and contribution of other faith groups to the war effort throughout the 20th Century, this memorial will be the first prominent national tribute to the Muslim soldiers who selflessly fought and died for Britain.

The memorial will pay tribute to many of these remarkable stories. Among them is Khudadad Khan, the first Muslim to be awarded the Victoria Cross. At Hollebeke, Belgium in 1914, Khan continued firing his machine gun alone after all his fellow soldiers had been killed, despite being severely wounded. Left for dead on the battlefield, he crawled back to his regiment under cover of darkness and carried on fighting. He was later presented with the Victoria Cross by King George V at Buckingham Palace.

Another such story is that of Shahamad Khan, who earned the Victoria Cross for extraordinary bravery in Mesopotamia in April 1916. Manning a machine gun alone just yards from enemy trenches, he beat off three counterattacks after all but two of his men had become casualties. When his gun was knocked out, he held his ground with rifles until ordered to withdraw, and then personally carried back his gun, ammunition, and a severely wounded comrade who could not walk.

In the Second World War, Mohammed Hussain ran away from his home in Rawalpindi and volunteered for the British Indian Army at just 16. He went on to serve as a machine gunner at Monte Cassino - one of the war’s fiercest battles - before moving to the UK in 1960, where he dedicated himself to community service, supporting ex-servicemen and the families of former comrades until his death in 2025 at the age of 102.

Minister for Faith and Communities, Nesil Caliskan said: 

Our country is made up of a strong, diverse tapestry of different faith communities – and we owe that freedom to the bravery and sacrifice made by those who fought alongside us for a better future all those years ago. 

Muslim soldiers were a fundamental part of securing victory, but their story has been in the shadows for too long. This memorial will make sure their contribution stays in our memory now, and for generations to come.

The new memorial will also help to shine a light on the continued impact that Muslims make to British society - from politicians to athletes, and doctors to teachers, our Muslim communities continue to play a vital role in all aspects of our national life.

Beyond serving as a focal point for remembrance, the successful organisation will be expected to use the construction of the memorial as an educational resource to increase public awareness of this chapter of British military history, and encourage people of all backgrounds to reflect on the shared sacrifice that helped bring peace to the world.

The Muslim War Memorial complements the government’s wider Protecting What Matters strategy, which aims to build confident, strong communities and bring people of different faith backgrounds together.

Notes to editors:

• The competition will be open to a single organisation, or group of organisations, that are willing to come together to deliver the project.
• Opening on the 10th of June, applicants will have until the 21st of July to submit their proposals.
• Full details are available here: Muslim War Memorial: prospectus - GOV.UK