A socialist, a revolutionary, and a civil rights activist… A hero... these are just a few words to describe what el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz aka Malcolm X meant to people. Today, it's been 45 years since Malcolm X was shot to death in New York.

Malcolm X was born and raised in Nebraska at a time when there were deep division between whites and blacks (and in fact this is putting it mildly), black people at this time were violently persecuted for one reason alone ... namely the colour of their skin. Not only were black people at this time persecuted physically they were also ‘mentally’ persecuted; black children such as Malcolm X himself were made to think and believe that no aspirations or goals they had in life were realistic and that they would never ‘make it’ in terms of education and careers.

Continue reading "Malcolm X- The legacy lives after 45 years..."...

It was extremely shocking and saddening to see the victims of racial abuse namely the Romanian population in Belfast flee from their homes. The weekend saw a total of 110 Romanians forced to leave their homes after they were targeted and attacked by a race hate gang which claimed to be a neo- Nazi organisation.

The racial tensions had been simmering for some time, but finally erupted due to a possible consequence of the recent recession, namely unemployment, and the result frightened families, who huddled under blankets escaping the attacks... Continue reading "Combating racism"...

A thick blanket of snow fell again last night all over UK. It was thicker than it was ermm 2 weeks ago! As I looked out of my bedroom window, I couldn’t help but think how beautiful, clean and pure the untouched snow looked! Well, that daze didn’t last long, because as soon as reality hit me on the head I realised that despite looking pretty, beneath the beautiful white surface, snow causes chaos for the daily work commuters, parents and kids going to school and in fact for everyone even those not daring to venture outside their homes!

Continue reading "And it snowed And it snowed ..."...

MIE met up with Lamees Hafeez, a BME (black and ethnic minority) Volunteer Development Officer for an organisation called Platform 2.

Platform2 is a global volunteering scheme for 18 to 25 year olds who wouldn't otherwise be able to visit a developing country and get involved with global issues of justice and poverty. It is funded by UKaid from the Department for International Development and is run by Christian Aid and BUNAC.

With all this in mind, I went to meet Lamees to find out a bit more about the story behind Platform2....

Somia: “So Lamees, could you give me an overview of what Platform2 is?”

Lamees: “Well, if you are aged between 18 and 25, have (or are eligible to have) a UK passport and are resident in the UK today, then you could be volunteering in India, Nepal, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa or Peru. Platform 2 is a global volunteering scheme which gives young people the opportunity to visit a developing country and to make a difference to the lives of those living there.

Somia: “Could you tell me a bit about your role?”... Continue reading "Make a change in the community you live in!"...

Ok, I know that the month of Ramadan has departed from us, but I wanted to keep the Ramadan spirit alive or at least share something that I experienced with you.

Right so it goes like this...

On the last Friday of Ramadan, I decided to do iftar for the family... Kind of late in the day, errm a few hours before iftar to be precise (I was at work that day too you know..!). Anyway, my intention as Allah knows was good in the sense that I wanted to provide food for my fasting family and also because I wanted to give my mother a break from cooking! Anyway, in hindsight I can see that I put quite a challenge on my head, providing iftari for the whole family which included 2 cousins who actually eat for three! And only a couple of hours in which to do it...I began cooking nevertheless. Continue reading "Good intentions"...

Everyone living in England will be well accustomed to the work culture that is dominant here.. "The classic 9 to 5". Most jobs in the majority of fields will involve working hours like these and it is not surprising that sometimes one may feel as though work is taking over your life! Do you feel like this..? I know I do! Continue reading "Have you got the balance right? "...

Continue reading "Ramadan Returns"...

It is argued that too often feminists operate on ethnocentric principles, whereby women from other cultures and in this case hijab wearing Muslim women are viewed and compared against a western middle class ideal. Viewing women in this way is thus problematic as one would then be limited in understanding the agency of women in other cultural settings, thus leading to ambiguity in how women in different religions/cultures are understood. Academics have posited that the hijab is a victim of this ambiguity in western societies.

Continue reading "Hijab part 2"...

Predominantly in the west, the veil is viewed as a tool of oppression, and Muslim women are seen as passive beings in society, seldom is the hijab seen as a tool for liberating or empowering Muslim women. Continue reading "Hijab - Part 1"...

“Burqas are not welcome in France because they are a symbol of the subjugation of women...” (Nicolas Sarkozy)

Here we go again… Yet another attack on Islam and Muslims, the target this time, as has been the case previously is Muslim women and their Hijab. As some readers may be aware, I have written previously on the Hijab and was very reluctant to write another piece but I really felt the need to, particularly in light of recent comments from so called ‘leaders of Western Democracy.’ So what’s the issue this time…? Continue reading "Hijab ban in France...?"...