(Law with History LLB, 2020)
Islamophobia Awareness Month is a fantastic opportunity for the Muslim community to educate the wider community about the impact of Islamophobic hate crime and discrimination on British Muslims in the UK. I urge everyone reading this post to take time this month to read through some of MEND’s resources on Islamophobia or speak to their Muslim friends and colleagues about Islamophobia.
Why did you study Law with History at Queen Mary? What sparked your interest in this specific degree?
I studied Law with History at Queen Mary because I wanted a holistic understanding of the law which normal LLB programmes did not offer. I was interested in how the broader intellectual, theological, and socioeconomic contexts of a society at a particular moment in time informed legal change. My legal history modules helped contextualise my law modules and my evaluation of legal principles became more critical as a result. I wanted to undertake a vocational course too and, at the time, Queen Mary was the only university in the UK which provided a qualifying LLB for a combined degree of Law with History.
What does Islamophobia Awareness Month mean to you? Are there any famous Muslims or historical figures you wish more people knew about?
With Islamophobia Awareness Month in mind, I would ask people to look into the work of Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad (Timothy Winter). He is Dean of Cambridge Muslim College and Lecturer in Islamic Studies at Cambridge University’s Faculty of Divinity. Shaykh Murad is the founder of Cambridge Central Mosque, which was recently nominated for RIBA’s prestigious Stirling Prize 2021 for Britain's best new building. His most recent book, Travelling Home: Essays on Islam in Europe, provides a unique theological perspective of Islamophobia in Europe. Two helpful introductions to the text and fascinating conversations about Muslim identity in Europe are his book launch event and his interview with Yahya Birt, another prominent academic of British Islam.
Do you have any particularly fond memories of your time at Queen Mary you would like to share?
Some of my fondest memories come from my time volunteering as a student legal adviser at the Queen Mary Legal Advice Centre. I felt a great sense of purpose assisting vulnerable members of my local community in Tower Hamlets, I learnt a lot about myself and about becoming a better lawyer, and I made lifelong friends.
If you would like to get in touch with Hussain or engage them in your work, please contact the Alumni Engagement team at alumni@qmul.ac.uk.