More than Scarf Deep
“If I were you, I’d cut ties with all friendships and start over.” A friend advised me when I broke it to her that I was going to take off my headscarf. It was scandalous and shameful in her eyes. And that was the last …
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Reclaiming the middle ground
Anti-Muslim Hatred
How can the British Army engage with UK Muslims?
Photo credit: Hifsa Haroon Iqbal This week, Akeela Ahmed, (Founder of SheSpeaksWeHear and chair of the UK government’s Anti-Muslim Hatred Working Group) arranged for a group of 20 Muslim women to visit Pirbright Army Training Centre. This incredible opportunity proved to be a real eye-opener …
Can Brexit save us from Europe’s far-right?
As the Prime minister intends to press his Brexit bill through Commons in three days it finally seems like we’re getting ‘Brexit done’, imminently or in the next seven years, can the 2019 general election that is being called a landslide victory for the Tories, …
Thank You Mr. Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
Today I want to talk about the Labour MP for Slough, Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi. Because he deserves all the praise he has got, and more. It’s not often a Sikh man stands up on behalf of Muslim women. Hell, it’s not often anyone stands up …
Why I’m rooting for Boris
The hottest topic in politics at the moment is the Conservative party leadership contest. And why shouldn’t it be as this will decide who succeeds Theresa May in the premiership. The future of the United Kingdom is at stake and we are at risk of …
It’s time to stand up to and call out anti-Muslim rhetoric
And treat it in the same manner as any other type of hate speech The events of 15th March 2019, where 50 innocent men, women and children were murdered in cold blood will go down as one of New Zealand’s darkest days. Like all terrorist …
Islamophobia in the Conservative Party: A Politics of Double Standards
The Brexit debate and the Labour anti-Semitism row have fueled polarizing headlines on the back of accusations of racism, xenophobia and fragmented party loyalties. At a time when the UK public is already uncertain about the future, multiple MPs announced their exit from Labour to …
Burning of Grenfell Tower effigy reveals why Islamophobia is everyone’s problem
The video of a group of people burning an effigy of the Grenfell Tower and its occupants on bonfire night went viral in November. It was condemned widely with many rightly expressing outrage. I was furious. I was so angry I couldn’t even begin to …
Remembrance Sunday
On Remembrance Sunday, I stood alongside my friend Julie and at one point looked up into the blue-sky and sighed. I sighed noticing the lack of diversity and the failure to recognize the contributions of our armed forces by my community that included 1.5 million …
Roundtable on Islamophobia and Hate Crime during National Hate Crime Awareness Week
National Hate Crime Awareness Week 2018 took place from 13th – 20th October 2018. Organised by It marks an annual week of action, with the aims to bring people together, to stand with those affected by hate crime, to remember those lost, and support those who need …