(Computer Science with Industrial Experience BSc, 2015)
I think it's important people are educated on racism; in the Quran Allah tells us: "O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another (49:13)." We should embrace diversity and different faiths - it is what makes us unique today.
Aqeel studied BSc Computer Science with Industrial Experience at Queen Mary and he is now Merchant Integrations & Solutions, UK Lead at eBay.
What does Islamophobia Awareness Month mean to you?
For me, Islamophobia Awareness Month is a chance to highlight the struggles everyday Muslims go through and showcase the positive contributions Muslims make to society as a whole. Raising awareness of Islamophobia hopefully enables us to combat ignorance due to the way the media and certain groups showcase Muslims to further their own agendas.
As someone who has personally suffered from racism, I feel quite strongly about this topic.
Are there any famous Muslims or historical figures you wish more people knew about?
For me personally, I wish I learnt more about the prophet PBUH. Prophet (PBUH) was the greatest man to ever walk this earth. Every action that he undertook represented the highest morals that a person could portray. He was exemplar, in terms of manners and ethics. As one of His companions said, “The Prophet (PBUH) did not swear at anyone, nor was He rude, nor did He curse anyone."
The general stereotype of Islam and Prophet (PBUH) is that they both encourage/d violence in people and were/are not in favour of peace. This is totally baseless because the religion Islam itself is all about peace and Prophet (PBUH) was a lover of peace. He wanted people to live in harmony and always encouraged people to resolve their differences by opting for peace, instead of violence. In one of His hadith, Prophet (PBUH) said, “Let us go to resolve the situation and make peace between them.”
Also, one of my favourite quotes in the Quran is, "The servants of Allah, are those who walk on the earth humbly, and when the ignorant people speak to them, they reply peacefully," (Surah Al Furqan 63). This shows us as Muslims how we should react to people when they are rude to us.
Another person I loved growing up was the boxer Muhammad Ali, who was unapologetically Muslim.
I wish that more could be taught in schools regarding Islamophobia and Muslim history.
There was a tragic attack recently in Liverpool and there was no mention of the bomber faith which was Christian; however, had the bomber been Muslim, this definitely would have been highlighted. No faith teaches people to kill, so it is important we challenge these stereotypes that the media has imposed on us all.
Are you involved in any projects that aim to actively deconstruct and challenge stereotypes about Muslims and Islam?
One of the stereotypes of Islam is that we don't help other faiths or other people. One of the things I love doing is going on charity deployments to different countries; I've been to places such as Malawi, Jordan and Palestine where I have distributed aid to those suffering from poverty and other issues. Regardless of religion, our faith teaches us to help and serve others. As Muhammad Ali said, "Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth."
I am actively involved in religious groups and my cousin and I actively challenge the notion that 'all Muslims are terrorists'; we try to educate our local community by helping out at mosque Open Days where we encourage visitors to actually read the Quran seeing as quite often, a lot of quotes from the Quran are taken out of context to build a narrative that fits a certain story in mainstream media and society. We also often distribute free materials to those wanting to learn more about Islam.
One of the great things about educating people is that you don't know who you are helping; my sister in law had a friend who was interested in debating Islam which fuelled her interest and led her to attend her local mosque after which she ended up becoming Muslim.
I think it is important to combat ignorance with education. I feel the best way to challenge stereotypes of Muslims is with dialogue.
In your opinion, what are some of the most pressing issues faced by Muslim communities and what do you think needs to be done to challenge and raise awareness of such issues?
I think racism is becoming an increasingly more pressing issue today; being Muslim and Brown, I always worry about future generations.
Growing up, I faced a lot of racism in sport. My dad used to take me to football and I always remember that after one match, the opposition kids spat on their hands and then shook my hand. I didn't realise it at the time, but they had only done it to me and another Black player in our team. I was only 7 and this was my first experience of racism. I also remember playing football and my own coach saying that I needed a 'passport' to play in the team, despite the fact that I was born and raised in Essex!
I was also an avid cricketer, and again I faced a lot of racism; my captain once said to me, when he saw a bunch of bearded players in a team, 'they are all terrorists like you'. I also remember my mum wearing a head scarf growing up and people shouting racist abuse at her when me and my sister were young. My father experienced the same at his work place. Eventually this affects you physiologically; I have felt like giving up so many times having seen my parents and loved ones go through struggles simply because they are Muslim.
One thing I've welcomed in cricket is the ECB plan to combat racism; I think it is important our elected officials are careful of the language they use in the media as this ultimately impacts everyday Muslims. There was a tragic attack recently in Liverpool and there was no mention of the bomber faith which was Christian; however, had the bomber been Muslim, this definitely would have been highlighted. No faith teaches people to kill, so it is important we challenge these stereotypes that the media has imposed on us all.