Akeela Ahmed MBE

🔉What dangers does X pose to our democracy? And should the government stop using it?

Good to hear yesterday from @sundersays.bsky.social and @petergeoghegan.bsky.social on the immense risk of X as it ignores legal obligations and its owner tries to influence UK politics.

@commonswec.parliament.uk

Flags and Christian nationalist slogans feature in soaring attacks on UK mosques Between July and October, 25 buildings were targeted in 27 attacks, according to British Muslim Trust

The findings from the British Muslim Trust briefing is covered in todays @theguardian.com

➡️ 27 verified attacks at 23 UK locations; 25 mosques hit
➡️ More than 40% used British/English flags or Christian symbols/slogans;

www.theguardian.com/news/2025/no...

Today @BMuslimTrust released findings from our briefing examining attacks on Mosques in the UK since July. If you experience or witness anti-Muslim hate get in touch with us for support, advocacy and to ensure anti-Muslim is recorded.
0808 172 3524
britishmuslimtrust.co.uk
#islamophobia

Government appoints British Muslim Trust to monitor anti-Muslim hate   - Religion Media Centre British Muslim Trust funded by government to monitor anti-Muslim hate and help 'shape a more inclusive Britain'

Government takes action on Islamophobia, after record rise in reported cases, appointing the British Muslim Trust to monitor anti-Muslim hate crime, engage with commmunities and publish regular reports. @mairabutt.bsky.social reports:

I’m grateful to BMT founding partners — the The Aziz Foundation and the Randeree Charitable Trust — and the many organisations and individuals who have supported this journey so far.

🔗 Announcement: lnkd.in/erCeYaG7
🔗 BMT statement: lnkd.in/e_52zr-z

anti-Muslim hate has been under-recognised & under-reported. BMT exists to change that — by listening to communities, amplifying their voices, & working with partners to ensure that no one is left to face hate alone. We are here to stand with victims and help shape a more inclusive, united Britain.

I’m proud to share that British Muslim Trust (BMT) has been appointed by the UK Government as the new partner to monitor and tackle anti-Muslim hatred across the UK.
I am honoured to lead this vital initiative, which will deliver a robust service to monitor anti-Muslim hatred and support victims.

At the Religion Media Festival on 9 June, Poonam Taneja will chair a panel discussion 'Muslims in Britain', discussing their diversity, organisations and issues of common concern, with Dr @abdulazim.bsky.social, @akeelaahmed.bsky.social, Burhan Wazir & Rizwana Hamid. Find out more: ow.ly/vN4J50VXCgX

Conclave. Watch it. So relevant right now for reasons you might not think of.

Growing up with a Dad from India and a Mum from Cork, as a British Asian Irish Catholic, I very much recognise the era Akeela recalled. The p-word was used indiscriminately by racists in the '80s who didn't know or care about who was Muslim or Hindu, Sikh or Christian, or none of those.

I am at the British Muslim Network launch. Several hundred people from around the country are here as Asim Hafiz, Julie Siddiqi, Akeela Ahmed and Qari Asim introduce the event

I had the exclusive in @thetimes.com last month on the creation of a new British Muslim Network

Tonight I am at the body's launch in London

Here, the co-chairs @akeelaahmed.bsky.social and Qari Asim are speaking

Had an amazing evening at the launch of the much-needed British Muslim Network co-chaired by the selfless @akeelaahmed.bsky.social founder of She Speaks We Hear.
So many inspiring voices - Baroness Warsi, Nusrat Ghani and many more.

I haven’t paid much attention to trolls for ages but today looking at some of the tweets there are comments about my teeth, weight and appearance. Trolls really are such twits.

Is profoundness a word?

2073

2073.film
Details of the theatrical release of 2073 in the UK and US:

YouTube video by Film4 2073 (2024) Directed by Asif Kapadia | Official Trailer | Film 4

Join us for a screening of the harrowing '2073' on the 19th of February, followed by a Q&A with director @asifkapadia.bsky.social, Byline's @peterjukes.bsky.social, and the brilliant @carolecadwalla.bsky.social

Tickets 👉 www.eventbrite.com/e/2073-scree...

Trailer 👉 www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXqv...

A new independent Commission on Community and Cohesion will be co-chaired by John Denham and Sajid Javid. I comment on why this is an important moment & the need for a sustained long-term vision & strategy in this Guardian news report about it
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

How do we change outcomes? Better representation.

Minoritised women make up 9% of the population but only 3% of local representatives.

Join us and report author Professor Khurseed Wadia for the launch.

Tuesday 4th February at 7pm 👉https://www.elect-her.org.uk/events-workshops/mwnuklaunch

I think and talk about politics a lot! Anyone else find themselves always talking about politics?

I need to come on here more and share my thoughts

I forget to post on here

I’m on here to avoid traitors spoilers

a woman in a yellow jacket sits at a desk and says i gotta get out of here ! ALT: a woman in a yellow jacket sits at a desk and says i gotta get out of here !

Anyone else feeling quite bogged down by the divisive rhetoric that has dominated the start of 2025?

This manifests differently in different cultures/societies/countries with women and girls having varying rights depending where they are born but it is a common denominator. This bias against women and girls is a driving factor in why they are not believed when they report rape/
sexual violence.

There is the wider issue of the interplay of how women and girls are viewed in society as a whole across cultures. Usually and overwhelmingly across all societies women and girls are treated/viewed as less than men. The rights of women and girls are regularly diminished and secondary to male rights

Reading the report you get a sense that perpetrators were allowed to continue sexually exploiting young girls and children due to a variety of factors and an overwhelming lack of interest by statutory agencies that should have been tackling the CSE. In some ways this form of CSE was normalised.

However this was not the only or central factor as to why child sexual exploitation was allowed to continue and victims (and their friends/families reports) were ignored. Perpetrators were allowed to continue sexually exploiting young girls and children and were not pursued for years.

The Alexis Jay report examining child sexual exploitation in Rotherham, highlighted how statutory agency workers stated that the ethnicity of perpetrators and fear of being accused of racism, played a role in their reluctance to pursue the reports made by young girls being abused.

This difficulty is compounded when victims are children or young girls, seen to be lower class or lesser eg they are in care or experience social and mental health challenges which mean their reports are easily dismissed. These negative perceptions & barriers extend to their families too.