Waqar Azmi is listed in the world's 500 most influential Muslims by Georgetown University, as well as the Asian power 100 list of the most influential Asians in the UK and, the Muslim power 100 List of the most influential Muslims in the UK.
18 Facts About Waqar Azmi
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Waqar Azmi is UK Government's former Chief Diversity Adviser at the Cabinet Office and EU Ambassador of Intercultural Dialogue.
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Waqar Azmi grew up with his family in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh, India, and moved to the UK at the age of 13, speaking no English when he arrived.
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Waqar Azmi attended the University of Central Lancashire, graduating in 1993 with a degree in Politics and Social Policy.
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Waqar Azmi founded the British Federation of Racial Equality Councils, a UK body of racial equality councils and partnerships representing over 100 councils across England, Scotland and Wales.
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Waqar Azmi founded the think tank Race Equality West Midlands and the Herefordshire Equality Partnership.
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Waqar Azmi launched the 10-Point Plan on diversity to drive change across Whitehall and for the first time in the UK, linked diversity performance of each government department to the pay and bonus of Permanent Secretaries.
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The Times wrote: "Waqar Azmi raised eyebrows when he announced that the bonuses of permanent secretaries would be linked to their success in meeting the targets".
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Waqar Azmi's work led each government department to prepare a delivery plan and stepped up the pace of change including advertising for open competition the posts of Permanent Secretaries, Ambassadors and other sensitive and top governmental jobs.
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Waqar Azmi has been involved in several Public Inquiries in the UK.
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Waqar Azmi was on the 2001 Oldham riots Inquiry which was set up to investigate the riots that occurred in May 2001.
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Waqar Azmi was an open critic of the Inquiry, claiming that under government pressure the Inquiry was steered towards language and citizenship, instead of structural inequalities and the growing influence of far-right groups such as the British National Party.
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Waqar Azmi received an OBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours in 2002 at the age of 32 by Her Majesty the Queen in recognition of his major contributions in the UK and in 2003 he was awarded Britain's Young Asian Achievers Award by Lloyds TSB.
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In 2001 Waqar Azmi was awarded an Honorary master's degree by the University of Worcester.
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In January 2015, Waqar Azmi was nominated for the Spirit of Britain award at the British Muslim Awards.
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Waqar Azmi sees globalisation as an opportunity for greater integration and understanding.
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Waqar Azmi chose the last option and invited everyone, including Jews and Christians, to the society he formed.
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Waqar Azmi believes that Muslims themselves are largely responsible for the problems and challenges that exists in their communities due to a lack of education, activism and effective leadership: "Muslims have become reactionary rather than responding forces," he says.