Idi Amin: Lion of Africa
Manzoor Moghal is a well-known writer and commentator in the UK and international news media and a lecturer on a range of subjects, including Uganda, Asians in Britain, race-relations, issues of global terror, the criminal justice system, Islam and Muslim affairs. He was born in Sialkot, Pakistan and grew up in Uganda where he had his early schooling. He returned to Pakistan to complete his education studying at the Foreman Christian College, Lahore, where he graduated with a degree in Sciences from Punjab University. In Uganda he became renowned as an outstanding civic leader, a politician and a leader of the Asian community and had frequent dealings with the highest officials of the Ugandan administration, including Prime Ministers and Presidents. In his various capacities he contributed substantially to the social, community and political life of the country. He was forced to flee Uganda in September 1972 with his family and came to settle in Leicester. Beginning life again in Leicester, he built a new business for his family whilst choosing initially to stay away from civic and political life, greatly disenchanted with the prevalent racism and attitudes he found in Leicester and other British cities. In the early 1980s he began active involvement in public life. His most significant contribution was in the field of race-relations. As Chairman of the Leicestershire County Council's Race-Relations Committee, he and his colleagues changed the face of race-relations in the city and the county, and the period from 1984 to 1997 ushered in an era of harmonious race and community relations which over the years became the envy of the rest of the country. In 2001 he was awarded an M.B.E. in the Queen's Honours List. He is currently Chairman of the Muslim Forum, a think tank organisation.