AWAZ FM’s Talking Point: Islamophobia Awareness Month

Talking points host Amjid Basher brought us an evening of riveting and engaging discussion on Islamophobia. He was joined on the show by Asif Mohammad Glasgow activist, Tehmina Muhammad community activist and professional..

The conversation started with an over view of Islamophobia, looking at the meaning, needs for a strong definition accepted by all and engagement by all. We then looked at the work of mend and the importance of campaigns such as IAM.

Following this Asif Mohammad spoke of his lived experience of Islamophobia. He told us of an incident that happened some years ago following a terror attack in Europe. When he was working in his garden with his then three-year-old son playing at his feet, a man he had not seen previously in the area approached him to say that he would bomb his house. A horrendous threat made because the man perceived him to be Muslim and thought that he as a Muslim man thousands of miles from the terrible attack that had taken place the day before, should pay for.

He then told us of the incident that had happened just a few weeks previously at Glasgow Airport, when he was racially profiled by boarder force and taken for questioning. In this he was asked about his connection to terrorist organisations, organisations that he had fled some 20 years previously when he came to Scotland seeking asylum from his home country of Afghanistan.

And cases like these and the many more that occur on our streets, schools, business and all other areas of life is why mend and other organisations tackling Islamophobia and hate are so essential. Why as Tehmina highlighted on the show, our governments need to look at policies such as prevent that so adversely effect the Muslim community.

Listen to the show in full at https://www.facebook.com/awazfmglasgow