CELEBRATION AS TRIO FEATURE ON LIST OF POWERFUL MUSLIMS

They were recognised for their contributions to the city and county and across the UK.

The list has raised questions over whether the Muslim achievers should be singled out in this way.

However, business leaders have paid tribute to the trio who they say have raised the profile of Leicestershire.

Jaffer Kapasi, director of Leicestershire Asian Business Association, said: "This is fantastic news and it is a remarkable achievement.

"All three have contributed significantly to the fabric of Leicestershire - in particular, Mr Tejani, whose company employs around 1,000 people in Leicestershire with significant factories around the world."

Amin Tejani is executive chairman of paper company Leicester Paper Company (LPC), in Hamilton.

It manufactures toilet and kitchen roll, specialised tissue for nappies and the medical sector.

The Tejanis are the richest Asian family in Leicestershire and consistently feature in the Sunday Times Rich List with a fortune valued at £100 million.

Ashraf Piranie, 44, of Oadby, is managing director of the Islamic Bank of Britain.

He studied at De Montfort University and then went to Loughborough to complete his MBA.

After stints with SPS Technology and British Gas, he joined Alliance and Leicester in 1989 where he became good friends with Richard Pym, its current chief executive.

He soon became director of finance for retail banking and was a key member of the team which took Alliance and Leicester to flotation.

He joined the Islamic Bank of Britain in 2005 and became managing director last year.

He said: "I am very proud and honoured to have made it on the list. It is a great achievement."

Rafique Patel, 36, was heading towards a career in accountancy before switching to law.

He had been weeks away from beginning an accountancy degree at the University of Leicester when he decided on an 11th hour change of direction.

He is now a partner at Leicester law firm Harvey Ingram, in New Walk, Leicester.

Mr Patel, of Stoneygate, said: "I'm extremely proud of being recognised by the Muslim community and being selected for this list."

Their names were unveiled at a ceremony in Hilton Park Lane, London, on Saturday.

The list was created to promote the positive aspects of Islam and to highlight the valuable contribution made by Muslims in Britain.

However, the list has its critics. Manzoor Moghal, chairman of the Muslim Forum of Leicestershire, said the list singled out the Muslim community and would bring more unwanted attention.

He said: "I think it is very damaging when one community is singled out. These lists are meaningless and do nothing to improve relations between different groups."

However, Ibrahim Mogra, an imam in Leicester and a member of the Muslim Council of Britain, disagreed.

He believes the list portrays the Muslim community in a positive light.

He said: "By and large, media reports tend to be negative on the Muslim community. Hopefully, this list will highlight to the wider community the fantastic contribution that Muslims have made to this country.

Leicester Mercury - Monday, February 26, 2007