The British government has launched a £1 million competition to create a permanent national memorial in England for Muslim soldiers who served in the First and Second World Wars. Announced in the 2024 Budget by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, the contest invites charities, companies and local authorities to submit designs and proposed sites, with the winning concept expected to break ground after a planning‑permission process.

£1 Million Prize Targets 400,000 Muslim WWI Veterans

According to the competition brief , the memorial will recognise an estimated 400,000 Muslim personnel who fought in the First World War, plus a comparable,though less precisely counted, number from the Second World War. The brief stresses that entries must demonstrate credible construction timelines and meaningful engagement with both Muslim communities and armed‑forces groups. This financial commitment signals the first state‑funded effort to embed these stories into Britain’s commemorative landscape.

Khudadad Khan’s Victoria Cross Story Anchors Design Narrative

The competition’s promotional material highlights the heroism of Khudadad Khan, the first Muslim recipient of the Victoria Cross, as a touchstone for designers. Khan’s defence of a machine‑gun post during the First Battle of Ypres in 1914 is cited to illustrate the “extraordinary” acts that have been “largely sidelined in mainstream national remembrance.” As the source notes, the memorial must move beyond a static stone to foster “leearning and reflection” through associated engagement activities.

Cross‑Party Support and the National Memorial Arboretum Pitch

While the initiative was unveiled by the Conservative government, former Chancellor Sir Sajid Javid has publicly backed a site at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. The source reports that Chancellor Hunt framed the project as a response to contemporary divisions, linking the remembrance of Muslim soldiers to broader calls for unity amid the Israel‑Gaza conflict. This rare bipartisan backing underscores the political momentum behind correcting the historical oversight.

Location Still Undecided, but Existing Monuments Set a Benchmark

The competition requires applicants to propose a location, but no site has been confirmed. The brief references existing commemorations such as the Memorial Gates near Buckingham Palace, the Monument to the Women of World War II in Whitehall, and the African and Caribbean War Memorial in Brixton, suggesting that the new monument should achieve a simiar national profile. Planners will need to secure planning permission, a step the source says is integral to the evaluation criteria.

Unanswered Questions: Who Will Manage Ongoing Educational Programs?

One specific gap in the source material is the identity of the body that will oversee the memorial’s long‑term educational and community‑engagement activities. While the brief calls for “meaningful engagement with Muslim and armed forces communities,” it does not name a lead organisation, leaving the governance model unclear.

Overall, the competition opens on 10 June, offering a formal mechanism for campaigners who have lobbied since the World Wars Muslim Memorial Trust was registered in 2016 to finally see a national monument realised.