The Memon Association UK has grown since its formation in the early seventies from a body with modest activities such as the observance of a few religious functions, to an association that now cultivates and promotes an ever-widening involvement in Muslim and community issues on a much wider scale.
The Memon community sees itself as having such a primary identity with shared interests, relations and values over a wide spectrum. Like the universal Muslim community of which it is a part, the Memon community is a community based on faith. Indeed, the word 'Memon' comes from the Arabic 'Mu'min', meaning 'believer' and which was given to our forbears who first converted to Islam.
It is a matter of privilege and honour that the Memon community has been in the forefront whenever there is a call for help whether from relief organisations or from individuals suffering hardship. It is part of its history that they are closely linked with providers of humanitarian assistance. Compassion, generosity, self-help and integrity are on the list of priorities for the Memon Association.
The Memon Centre, will continue to be of tremendous benefit to the local community, particularly the youth and women, as well as to the larger community in the UK. It is a focal point for visitors from overseas who are in need of information and advice on health, business, social contracts and other matters. It remains the Association's aim to promote contacts and work closely with organisations and institutions having similar aims and objectives both in the UK and overseas.
The origin of the Memons as a community dates back to 1454 AD corresponding to 824 AH, when some 700 Hindu families, representing some 6178 people belonging to the old and famous Lohanas community of Sindh, now part of Pakistan accepted Islam.
There are a few versions that explain the birth of the Memon community and culture. It has not been possible to verify and establish that one version is more correct than the other. Each version has a slant based on the investigator and the narrator’s bend and mind set. However, one fact is common that the community originates from parts of Sindh, Pakistan and Gujrat, India. The community has also spread to new locations due to political and economic conditions of the times. The language is close to Sindhi and has influence from Kutch and Gujrat. As there is no script for the Memoni language or Kutchi language, it has been written in Gujrati script and at times using Sindhi script.