Young Londoners ™/ Text / Aanika Mumtaz / Photography / Askwasi Poku , Edward Kagatuzi & Daniel Grandison
13th August 2008

London is one of the most multicultural cities in the world. You only have to look around to see that people are free to wear what they like and believe what they wish. Given this, one would have thought that London could be considered one of the best places to exercise freedom of religion. However, as a young Muslim who has grown up in Britain, my view in recent years has sadly started to change.

The atrocities of 9/11 six years ago and the subsequent attacks on London have had serious consequences, yet many are unaware of the impact they have had on the lives of British Muslim civilians. This has particularly affected young people, with many young Asian men being subjected to police searches at London train stations for superficially fitting the profile of a potential terrorist. I experienced this myself when a family friend was arrested on the grounds of conspiracy to commit a terrorist offence in 2003. He was arrested whilst out shopping with his mum, surrounded by undercover policemen, who were shouting commands while pointing guns in his face. He was just 19. Despite claiming to be innocent and the police investigation uncovering nothing, he was still detained. Authorities tried to convince him to make a deal, saying that if he pleaded guilty to the charge of conspiracy to commit a terrorist offence, his time in prison would be shortened. He refused to agree, saying that he wouldn’t lie and admit to a crime he did not commit, but soon persuaded by his devastated parents, desperate to see their young son set free, to plead guilty.

In the end a trial was held and, as a result, he will be in prison for the next five years for an action he still claims he did not commit. I saw how this destroyed his whole family, permanently changing their lives. Unjust events like this constantly make me wonder what happened to the freedom this country is supposedly based on, as our civil liberties slowly erode away. There is a saying in Islam that if you kill one person it is as if you have killed the whole of humanity, and if you save a person’s life it is as if you have saved the whole of humanity. As a young British Muslim, I want to change the perception of Muslims and Islam in Britain which is distorted by the media, and show the rest of the world what my religion is really about. I talked to a number of other young Muslim Londoners about

Raoul, (19 student/West london)

‘When I go on the train sometimes with my sports bag, it really seems that a lot of people look at me as a terrorist. I think there’s only one reason why they are watching me. I’m carrying a bag and obviously I look like a Muslim with a bit of a beard. So I think, yeah, they’re discriminating against me. ‘I try and forget them but what they need to know is that those who are doing the bombings are not Muslim but claim to be. We can change the current view of us if we Muslims unite and try to show them how we are really and not the way how society is portraying us, as these mad radical guys.’ .

Farzana, (22 student/West London)

‘I haven’t had any major personal issues but the vibes after the terrorist attacks in America were bad. It felt that everyone was anti-Islam, so I did feel awkward, scared to go out in my hijab, stuff like that, during that time. After July 7 bombings, I felt it a bit more. I was working full time in a shop and I felt that some of the customers who were not Muslim or not from an ethnic minority looked at me as if I was doing something wrong by being there.

‘I have an uncle who works at British Airways and after September 11 he went to America and they had to do all these examinations and checks, which were unnecessarily long and which he didn’t need to go through. I think the emphasis on the procedures is unnecessary and not beneficial. In doing this they may be humiliating you or making you feel awkward. I wouldn’t feel comfortable going to America. We the Muslims should try to convince people that we are just like everyone else but that, as Muslims, we follow our own faith and have our own beliefs just like everyone else. We all have own free will but will not compromise. ‘If we can portray the good side of ourselves then we will get somewhere. I think we do tend to isolate ourselves, so by getting involved and trying to get things working by mixing with people from different backgrounds and religions we will show that we get along with other people, regardless of who they are and what they believe.’

Chariff Ali, (21 student/West London)

‘You only get to see one view of Islam and it’s what is being portrayed on TV. When Bin Laden carried out the terrorist attack on America, that was associated with Islam, but it’s not like that. For Muslims it’s trying to get rights back which have been taken from us, such as in Palestine. ‘Now on the trains, you get a lot of dirty looks. You see people with long beards or ladies wearing the hijab which. when I am walking with my mum on Edgware road is normal, but when it’s somewhere else people just give us a dirty look. Normally I just put my head down and keep on walking because there is no point. If I tried to do something about it I would just get arrested and get nowhere.’

Sara, (19 student/Marylebone)

‘My first experiences of Islamophobia were when I put my hijab on for the first time. It was during the time of 9/11 and I had people spit on me, throw cigarettes at me, you know, that kind of thing. I was living in a very multicultural area near Edgware road, so you wouldn’t expect something like that but it just goes to show you, when things like that do happen it does segregate the community a lot. ‘People choose to believe the media as they expect it to be impartial and they don’t really read into Islam’s teachings. What we see on the news is minorities who have gone and blown themselves up and justify this in the name of Allah (god). The assumption is that the majority of Muslims believe this. Misinformation in the media to do with Islam is all too common.

‘The mistreatment of Muslims just fuels the extremists, but it also fuels prejudice towards Islam. Not only are Muslims becoming more anxious, they’re not communicating as well with the police. They see themselves as victims, and we are also portrayed as scapegoats. When non-Muslims see these images, they think if Muslims don’t want to cooperate then the government are justified in their actions. So I think its not helping on both ends of the spectrum.’

Ahmad (25 student/West London)

Can I be a bit controversial? I’ve never been discriminated against, but you do get some uneducated people taking things too seriously. They’re not living in 2008 and they’re not being realistic about things, they still live 1500 years ago. I’m talking about the extremist Muslims here. ‘Allah (god) said for the women to cover up, he didn’t say cover your hands, cover your face, cover your feet, or everything. You have got to be realistic about things. You can’t be extreme about everything. There is racial discrimination but it’s not specifically because I’m Muslim. I don’t think there is much we can do because the public are racist whether we like it or not. I don’t think we should concentrate on the violence in our religion too much and should show positives.’

Aliyah (18 student/northwest London)

‘I haven’t personally experienced violence or major discrimination but I’ve recently started wearing the hijab (headscarf) and that was a big step for me because now I am seen as a Muslim. I can be easily targeted and judged for being a Muslim, because that’s the first thing you notice about me. Despite not experiencing aggression, I have been made to feel inferior at times or I’ve been labeled as someone that’s different and have been excluded. Unfortunately people tend to make assumptions based on your appearance - it’s human nature. They label you and can disregard you if you’re not the same as them.

‘It is difficult at times, but it’s something that I have to face. I just think we need to integrate more, that society needs to get people involved in other cultures, other religions and let people get a wider understanding. By integration, in no way do I mean that people should behave in a manner that is other than them, I simply believe that we should learn more about each other and hopefully we will find a common difference. ‘We should get involved and be a part of something, so people understand us more.

We should open community centers that have people from different backgrounds, not just single communities. I don’t believe anyone should change something about themselves just to fit the mould. I’m an accepting person so I believe people should accept one another’s viewpoints. Non-Muslims shouldn’t be afraid to ask questions, they can come and talk to us, but don’t hold a certain view without getting to know a person first, after all you cannot judge a majority by a minority.’

Issue Two
Aug 2008

Reggie Yates Interview
Road To 2012 : Olympics Special
Road To Carnival Fashion
Freedom At A Price
Red Hot Interview
Nash Money Sneakers
Micachu Interview
Natty Interview
Life In The Marine Corps
Parents Meet The Teenagers
Young Londoners
Meet The Cast Of Adulthood
Cyko Logic Interview
Fred Butler : Prop Stylist Interview
Immortal Technique Review
Made In Queens
Victor Timofeev : Artist Interview
Ricky Powell Interview
Twizzle Interview
Flywear Feature
Top Girl Film Feature
Queen Of Nations
Not Without My Sister
Sky's The Limit
Career's Advice

Issue One
March 2008

Bashy Interview
The Cool Kids
Lady Lykes
Grimes New School
Rowdy Superstar Interview
The Sound Of Reason
Slash Interview
Hoxton Vs Hampstead Fashion
Young Designers
Lucinda Chua Interview
Will Kay Interview
The Brothers Size
Chris Lambert
Duane Henry
Drug Trafficking Feature
Does My Bum Look Big in This
Life After Prison
Whats Upsetting Our Children
MP Julia Goldsworthy
Autechre Live In London

Hardcore Is More Than Music
Media Box
Paddington Development Trust
The Cut On Myspace