Bashir Maan Lecture
Wednesday 27th May
Bashir Maan CBE, who made history by becoming the UK’s first Muslim councillor and magistrate, delivered University of the West of Scotland’s prestigious Brough Lecture on 27 May 2009.
The 2009 Brough Lecture saw Bashir Maan, who has played a significant role in developing the infrastructure of the Muslim community in Glasgow, discuss the content of his book ‘The Thistle and the Crescent’, which traces Scotland’s links with the Islamic world.
Bashir Maan, who is a graduate of Punjab University Lahore, was involved in the struggle for independence of the Indian sub-continent and the creation of Pakistan from 1943 to 1947.
In 1953 Maan arrived in Glasgow from Pakistan at the age of 27 and as well as developing a rewarding career in business, he has contributed over thirty years of public service. In 1964 he entered local politics and has advised various bodies and police groups on race relations. In 1970, he was elected to serve as a Labour councillor for Glasgow's Kingston ward and became the first Muslim to be elected to a public office in the UK.
Other high profile posts that Maan has held include President of the National Association of British Pakistanis, Scottish Representative on the Executive of the Muslim Council of Great Britain, Chairman of the Glasgow Central Mosque Committee, Chairman of the Strathclyde Joint Police Board and Deputy Chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality.
Professor Seamus McDaid, Principal and Vice Chancellor of University of the West of Scotland, said: “Bashir Maan has played, and continues to play, an extremely important role in the Asian-Scottish community and it was a real honour to have someone of his standing deliver our annual Brough Lecture.”
University of West of Scotland’s Brough Lecture is an annual event and is named after Peter Brough – the Paisley businessman whose 19th century bequest to the town provided funds for his trustees to establish the original Paisley Technical School on which the former University of the West of Scotland was based. University of the West of Scotland was created following the merger of University of the West of Scotland and Bell College in 2007. The University is extremely grateful to the Peter Brough Bequest Trustees, whose support allows the annual Brough Lecture to flourish.
