How can you live in a “manipulated” society that suspects and blames a whole community? Meanwhile, hassling in the Street and persecution by the Government towards the most vulnerable: women. (The Prisma memoirs)
Virginia Moreno Molina
“English people are charming and smile a lot, and now these smiles are disappearing when we wear the hijab”. That is the experience of Ameena Blake, of British birth, a teacher and assistant secretary-general of the Muslim Council of Britain.
She converted to Islam when she was 18, and says that “I never thought that Great Britain would begin to become a society that was intolerant towards a minority group”. A social crisis, which according to her is due to “manipulation of the media and the government”.
Both of them are disseminating the idea that “Islam is evil, Muslims hate you and want to kill you”, says Blake.
The situation for women is worse. “When I put on the hijab and go to another country, I feel like an alien”, she explains, adding that she is “afraid to go into the Underground, or use the trains in London at night”.
Ameena Blake spoke to The Prisma about the vulnerability of Muslim women, the way British society treats them, and the involvement of the media and the government in fomenting Islamophobia.
How do you experience islamophobia, being a white British woman?
British people are wonderful. And this is the damage done by extremists, like ISIS, people who are not following Islam.
British media and other media are demonizing Islam and Muslims. This is making non-Muslims frightened because they have been told Islam is evil, Muslims hate you and want to kill you. That is incorrect, but the media just wants to get a good story and entertainment.
When I wear the hijab and I go to another country, I feel like an alien. I am scared to go on the underground or on the train in London at night time. Because a lot of girls have been attacked.
Some of this is due to ignorance, and some of it is due to right wing groups such as the English Defence League, or Britain First who only want to have an excuse to attack anyone who they feel is not English enough and doesn’t agree with their opinion.
Is the Government doing anything to prevent these attacks?
The Government are making things worse because they keep saying all these things about Muslims. Recently, the Prime Minister said that Muslim women should learn English and they need to integrate more in the society. This makes people think that we are not a community who want to be British. And the biggest impact is on Muslim women, because when we put the hijab on, it is very clear that we are Muslims. They are getting all the harassment and the bullying in the streets.
We are all immigrants, this is how England is. But there is always someone who has to be the enemy.
Has there been an increase in recent years in the persecution of Muslim women?
A huge increase. All we have to do is take a look at the website Tell Mama, where people are able to report islamophobic attacks. The majority of the posts are from women.
There are so many different stories from across the UK, mostly in London, but now it is starting to spread. People are even looking at you in a suspicious way.
English people are charming and smile a lot, and now that smile disappears when you wear the hijab. I don’t think is how the people really think, they have been manipulated by the media.
Why the prohibitions on dressing, especially the veil?
If a woman wants to dress in a certain way should be her right to do this. On the other hand, the Muslim women need to be a little bit circumspect, and understand the context of Britain.
I would prefer not cover my face because non-Muslims find it intimidating. And as Muslims, we have to think about our position in the society, and the way that other people look at us, especially in the current political situation. So Muslim women need to think, “Is it safe to me to cover my face? Is it wise? Or am I going to bring negative attention to myself?
But that is cutting the freedom of Muslim women…
I agree. There is a very tiny percentage of Muslim women who cover their faces, but the ones that I know, many of them had been attacked in the streets. Because people aren’t ready to accept the veil.
They say “this is something hidden, it could be a Jihadi, it could be somebody who wants to hurt me”.
It is a psychologically brutal way of thinking that has been built up slowly by the media. Now, we are getting to the point where people are starting to defend themselves without understanding what are they defending against.
The Muslim community, what actions are they taking to avoid these situations?
We are giving advice to women that they have to be careful, to try to not go out on their own. It makes me feel ashamed to give this advice.
Also, across the UK a lot of mosques have self-defence classes, they give talks to empower women and the confidence to know how to get themselves out of a difficult situation. As an English person, I never thought that I would see the day when Britain started to become an intolerant society for a minority group.
How much of a problem is language for the Muslim community?
It is not a problem only for Muslim community, but for anyone who is coming to the UK. These women find ways to learn the language, even if they are not able to attend the classes, because the Government is not giving funding anymore.
It is a misconception that women don’t want to learn the language. Nevertheless, men have more access because they can mix more with English speakers. Also, there are a lot of immigrant women who are coming from a cultural background without education. Many of them cannot read in their own language.
Is islamophobia affecting children?
They don’t see colour, religion or race, they just see another kid. We have to be careful that we are giving them the correct messages about mixing and having friends from different backgrounds.
Do people really think that their Muslim neighbours, who have lived next door for years, have suddenly become terrorists?
People just need to wake up and understand that we are being manipulated.
Are the terrorist attacks now being used to discriminate against the Muslim community?
The media needs to take responsibility for the words that they use and the impact on communities and individuals. When there is an attack in the West, its importance is not balanced in comparison to the attacks that happen in Iraq or Syria. Look at Iraq and Afghanistan, although Western governments have admitted that the war was a mistake, how many thousands of lives have been lost in this war?
Even so, the Government now is promoting this islamophobia…
This helps them to justify, and almost dehumanize people and communities. We are not shocked when we hear about Iraq or Syria, but we are shocked about Paris and Brussels.
But all we can do is try our best with our communities and become a voice against this.
What is your opinion about the rise of ISIS?
Radical groups are not a new problem, they have been around for years. But the problem has escalated a lot.
There are many people, especially the young, who feel very alienated from being British. Also, they feel angry about all the lies that are told in the name of the war on terrorism, where many innocent lives have been lost, and the way that the Government is trying to cover it up.
So they get online, but without a proper knowledge of Islam. And the people who are recruiting for these organizations who are potential criminals, they say “come on and be part of this, we will make you into an amazing Muslim and you will go to heaven”.
But most of the people who travel to these places, they come back because they realize that they were manipulated. And when they come back, they say that people were tortured, killed, abused. (The Prisma memoirs)
(Translated by Graham Douglas – Email: catalysistranslations@outlook.com) – Photos: Pixabay
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