Make Bradford British - Sabbiyah

14 February 2012

Mum-of-one Sabbiyah, 22, studied Philosophy and Politics and is an aspiring writer. A British Muslim with Pakistani heritage, says "I was born here.  I've been educated here.  I'm more British than anyone that you can see. "

 

Why did you decide to take part in this series?
Ever since the July bombings, there's been a lot of negative narrative in terms of Muslims in the media. Especially regarding women - women in Islam became a symbol of oppression - and for me, because I studied philosophy, and am very outspoken, and I'm educated, and my parents have given me everything, this depiction went against every core belief that I had in me. So I wanted to stand up and say "Look, the view that you're getting is a misconception. Islam doesn't say that - it's just that the people you're talking to, the extremists or whatever, are not giving the right interpretation. I just wanted to present a different voice. I wanted to show that you can be Muslim and British. I have a number of different identities. I'm British, Muslim, I'm Pakistani, I'm a mother, I'm a wife, I'm a daughter. These are all my identities. Being British enables me to be Muslim, because it gives me the freedom to practice my religion. And being Muslim enables me to be British, in the sense that it encourages me to give loyalty to my country.

 

Why is Bradford segregated?
I've lived there for 19 years, and I've worked with the community a lot, through the youth parliament and a social services agency, and what I've found is that it's the fear of the unknown. If you look at the history of, for example, the Pakistani community, in Bradford, it's very segregated, and the reason is that they feel that if they stick together, the values that they hold won't be threatened. I think because they don't understand the other communities, they fear them. But this is a mutual concern across all communities, for example in Bradford, I have experienced the notion ‘white flight,' when my family moved into a predominantly white area, all the white people put their houses up for sale, to such an extent, that today there are only three white houses on the street compared to the 30 or more 10 years ago. At the root of it is ignorance and a lack of education. We're all parents, everyone has the same concerns for their children, we have similar values. But people just look at what's different. We need to ALL work together and not allow the burden to fall upon one single community.

 

What did people in your community think about you taking part in the programme?
I had a mixed response. The majority of people said to me "Don't do it." In the past, one of my really close friends took part in a show called Wife Swap, a couple of years ago, and that went really wrong for them. They got completely taken out of context, and they were portrayed as these backward people. A lot of people were worried, given the history of how Muslims are portrayed in the media. I had my own worries - I did my dissertation on Muslims in the media, and I've seen what can happen. People thought I was putting myself in the lions' den. But my husband and my dad, and my friend who is an executive director of a massive Islamic organization, Islamic Society of Britain, that I'm part of, all said "If you don't do it, people won't see that there's an alternative voice out there." The people who discouraged me only did it for protective measures.

 

When you took part, was the project what you expected it to be?
No, absolutely not. I think I went in there thinking there were going to be a lot more hardliners, more extremist and intolerant views. And I thought the age range would be a lot younger. I thought it would be a lot more heated and tense. It turned out to be a really positive experience for everyone, I think. It worked out for the best.

 

Do you feel that you were fairly represented in the programme?
Yeah. I'd have liked my views to come out a bit more, we had loads of discussions about culture and religion and stuff, but I understand that because of time constraints, it's not feasible to get everything in.

 

What were the high and the low points of the project for you?
I think the high point was one day, we were all sat in the living area having a discussion about the burka and the veil, and I was explaining that even though I don't necessarily agree with it, I completely uphold the human rights of an individual to choose whether they should wear it or not. And I think a lot of the contributors had come in with the idea that it should be banned. And I remember by the end of the discussion they were saying "Yeah, we don't agree with it, but we understand why it should be offered as a right." Jens said to me afterwards that I'd explained some things to him that had helped him understand. The lowest point was the pub incident. I've been reading a lot about the Stephen Lawrence case, I read an article in The Independent about how the case has jolted the British public, and I was just thinking "But there are so many minor cases that happen all the time." Even words can have a lasting effect. That was definitely the lowest point. It has definitely marked me, because it was the first time in my life that I have ever been subjected to overt racism. Racism hasn't been stamped out. It's become so normal to make Islamaphobic comments now.

 

What do you think you've learned from this process?
I went into the house as an integrationist, and I still am, but I think before, I went in there with a very naïve, academic, intellectual interpretation of integration. I think the pub experience made me realise we have so much work to do. It's a long road ahead.

 

What do you think it means to be British?
For me, it's being able to be myself, being tolerant and fair, being respectful to others, valuing diversity, being able to practice my religion, having my civil rights, being able to walk down the street with a scarf on my head if I choose to wear one and not expect to be called a Paki. That's what being British is, having those values. Being British is just me; it's something that I am. I can't really define it.