United Kingdom: first national memorial will honor the memory of Muslim soldiers

The British government has announced the launch of a competition to design and build the first national memorial to Muslim soldiers who served under British colors during the First and Second World Wars. An envelope of up to 1.15 million euros has been planned to support this unique project, which intends to repair a long-standing memory oversight. This future monument will pay tribute to the hundreds of thousands of Muslims from the former British Empire, including the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East and North Africa, who participated in the war effort alongside the United Kingdom and its allies. Many of them fought on the main fronts of the 20th century and tens of thousands lost their lives.

Despite the existence of almost 70,000 memorials in the United Kingdom, there has until now been no major national tribute to these Muslim soldiers. The future memorial aims to fill this gap and give lasting visibility to their contribution to British military history. Among the figures who will be honored is Khudadad Khan, the first Muslim to receive the Victoria Cross, the highest British military distinction. In October 1914, during the fighting at Hollebeke in Belgium, he continued to fire alone with his machine gun after the death of his comrades, despite serious wounds. His action helped slow the German advance at a critical moment in the war.

The memorial will also recall the journey of Shahamad Khan, also decorated with the Victoria Cross for his courage in Mesopotamia in 1916. Left practically alone in the face of enemy positions, he repelled several counter-attacks before bringing back his equipment and a seriously wounded comrade under enemy fire. The more recent history of Mohammed Hussain should also find its place there. Enlisted in the British Indian Army at the age of 16 during the Second World War, he notably participated in the Battle of Monte Cassino in Italy. Settling in the United Kingdom after the war, he then devoted much of his life to supporting veterans and their families. He died in 2025 at the age of 102.

The memorial will not be limited to paying tribute to Muslim fighters. The selected organization will also have to develop educational activities intended to raise awareness of their commitment to the two world conflicts. Awareness programs for schools as well as initiatives promoting dialogue between different religious communities are planned as part of the project. For the British Minister for Faith and Communities, Nesil Caliskan, this initiative aims to bring out of the shadows an essential contribution to the Allied victory. She believes that the story of Muslim soldiers has never occupied the place it deserves in British collective memory.

A long-awaited recognition

The announcement of this memorial is part of a broader movement to reassess the role played by soldiers from former colonies in the great conflicts of the 20th century. Historians and memorial associations have emphasized for several years that the participation of hundreds of thousands of Muslims in the British war effort remains largely unknown to the general public. This recognition also comes in a context where questions of national identity and social cohesion occupy an important place in the British public debate. By highlighting the sacrifice of soldiers from diverse backgrounds but committed under the same flag, the government intends to recall that the history of the United Kingdom was also built thanks to the contribution of populations from Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

For the defenders of the project, this monument could help to enrich the British national story by giving greater visibility to journeys often absent from official commemorations. It would also constitute a strong symbol for new generations of British Muslims, reminding them that their elders also participated in one of the most decisive pages in the country’s contemporary history.

The competition will be officially opened on June 10. Interested organizations will have until July 21 to submit their proposals. The selected project will be responsible for designing a monument destined to become a national place of contemplation, but also of historical transmission for future generations.