EAST MIDLANDS IAM LAUNCH 2020

In the midst of the pandemic IAM East Midlands was launched online! It was an informative, thought provoking and inspiring event where the MEND Leicester team brought together vital stakeholders from diverse backgrounds to discuss and challenge islamophobia.

Leicester Police’s Head of Hate Crime, Isla Dixon, talked about the high number of hate crimes in one of the most diverse Cities in the country. She explored how the police are dealing with this issue and what we can all do to report on the problem.

Thereafter we had a fascinating insight in to the world of media. Farah Jassat, a former BBC Journalist, who worked on the Flagship news show Newsnight spoke about her personal journey as a hijab wearing Muslim woman making her way through the upper echelons of the BBC.

She emphasised the importance of engagement with and as importantly within the media. She described how the community has to set the agenda and the narrative in order to get a fairer representation. She also gave practical tips on how to make your way in the media.

We were, furthermore, honoured to have Sheikh Mohamed Sindhi on the show giving us an Islamic perspective on the evils of racism and social responsibility. A dedicated imam with over 30 years of experience serving the community the sheikh’s passion shone through as he described how hate had no place in a civil society.

Our final guest was Councillor Kirk Master who serves as the deputy Mayor and assistant Police and Crime commissioner. He reaffirmed Leicester City council’s commitment in tackling Islamophobia and all hate crimes. He acknowledged the importance of engagement with all groups including community-based organisations.

A fantastic event was rounded off by MEND’s Regional Manager Robina (Ruby) acknowledging 3 community champions.

Three fantastic human beings were recognised for the fantastic work they had done in their field.

1. Ahmed Kasu for his tireless community work ranging from helping refugees to setting up burial facilities during the Covid crises.
2. Rajnaara Akhter an academic, human rights activist and an inspiration to many.
3. Catherine Wray for her dedication, passion and sincere efforts to provide food for those less fortunate, and taking extra measures to provide halal food for the Muslim Community that used her service.

The event was an insightful, emotional and inspirational event, if you missed it you can still watch it here:  https://fb.watch/1BfHhzMsUe/