Victor Begg

In the midst of opening the first of his Naked Furniture franchises, Begg began to invest time as a leader in metro-Detroit.^[2] In the early 1980s, he co-founded an umbrella organization that would eventually become the Council of Islamic Organizations of Michigan (CIOM) focused on “civic, interfaith, media and other forums to represent a ‘singular’ community voice.”^[2] The council was formally established in 1988 and incorporated in 1993.^[3] During the incorporation phase, he established the Muslim Unity Center mosque in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan with the intention of creating an inclusive environment for a diversity of ethnic groups and various schools of thought within Islam.^[4] He has been widely regarded as a religious leader for Muslims in metro-Detroit since the 1980s.^[5]

After establishing the CIOM and the Muslim Unity Center in the 1990s, Begg headed the Muslim American Alliance. The group focused on media, networking and advocacy, and Begg effectively became a spokesman for the community where he fielded queries from journalists and offered perspective on issues affecting Islamic communities.^[1]

In 2007, then-CIOM-chairmen Begg organized Sunni and Shi’ite leaders in Michigan to sign a peace pact affirming their commitment to speak out against conflicts between the two sects.^[6][7] Then in 2009, he began a collaboration with Jewish community volunteers in metro-Detroit called “Mitzvah Day,” where non-profit Islamic and Jewish groups collaborated to feed and clothe local residents on and around Christmas.^[8][9] In 2011, Begg, alongside Jewish and Assyrian leaders, organized an Interfaith Health Fair run by the Jewish Community Relations Council of Detroit and the CIOM.^[10]

Throughout 2012, Begg spoke out against Muslim violence in response to the publishing of "Innocence of Muslims," a film critical of Muhammad and the Muslim faith.^[11]

In 2013, Begg criticized McDonald's for rolling back the decision to sell halal food in Dearborn after a $700,000 settlement against the restaurant chain that alleged the menu items were not consistently halal.^[12]

Currently, Begg serves as a guest columnist for several Michigan- and Florida-based newspapers. He has published work in the Treasure Coast Palm,^[13] Detroit Free Press,^[14] USA Today,^[15] Florida Today,^[16] and Lebanon Daily News,^[17] among others. He has also made guest appearances on several national news and regional media outlets, including ABC, CBS, FOX, NPR, and the Los Angeles Times ^[18] His columns often revolve around acknowledging and working to resolve conflicts worldwide involving Muslims and tensions surrounding Muslim-Americans.^[19] Begg is a self-proclaimed supporter of the Republican Party.^[20]

In February 2019, Begg released his first full-length book, Our Muslim Neighbors: Achieving the American Dream, an Immigrant's Memoir.^[21]

Begg married Lata Shanbhag in 1975 after meeting at the University of Detroit. They have 3 children.