Race, Faith and Community in Contemporary Britain Essays on Black, African, and African Caribbean Muslims in the UK PROUDLY MUSLIM & BLACK REPORT 2022

to get on those channels. Another influence is music, drill is talking about murder and killing.
Lots of rappers talk about people they kill in the songs. So there’s a relationship between gang
membership, violence, and music, police have caught on to it. But have we as a community?
iv. The Out-of-school Intervention
The way Save our Boys addresses these challenges is by bringing people together and
providing information and guidance. We bring together an array of professionals, practitioners,
and organisations with community members including parents to help educate community
members through events and workshops. Our objectives are to raise awareness of the issues
young people face, and improve parents’ understanding of the situation that young people
find themselves in. We also use the opportunity to introduce families and parents to resources
such as organisations and practitioners.
Save our Boys run workshops on important topics around knife crime as a response to the
significant rise in knife attacks involving young men. Other topics include: gangs, grooming,
raising self esteem, extremism, understanding the role of the police, county lines and peer
group pressure. In a recent event online, the focus was on Drill, Gangs, and County Lines, an
event that lasted well over 2 hours.
Most importantly, we conduct mentoring and counselling with parents and youth. With parents,
our objective is to equip them with knowledge and skills to keep youth safe. We also refer
families to the appropriate organisations depending on the specific need.
In an era when knife crime has increased dramatically, families and youth need advice - to
maneuver inside the system, for example, housing, and education. For example, when there
are problems at school, the way to get things done is for parents to communicate by email
rather than aggressively turn up at their child’s school. The effectiveness of putting one’s
message on record and strategically including recipients.
iv. Mentoring and its importance
Mentoring is an important tool which I find can assist to change negative behaviour. Mentors
use their skills to support and guide the young person. Mentorship is most effective when there
is cultural understanding and sensitivity. Mentors’ familiarity and knowledge of the culture of
the child makes them effective. Also, a non-judgemental approach to mentoring helps the
young person to relax and bring down barriers.
Mentors are positive adult role models who can have conversation and can guide the flow and
topics of conversations. These are conversations that young people cannot have on the streets
with people their own age. Conversations with mentors allow young people to communicate
with an adult who has been successful in society.
Mentoring at Save our Boys has sought to change the perspective of young people, to help
them reflect on their actions, and recognise the consequences of their actions. Mentoring has
also been to equip young men with skills to cope. For example, guiding conversations about
clothing and fashion (which are potent symbols) and navigating relationships provides young
men with specific advice to help them protect themselves.
Mentoring is an important tool which I find can assist
to change negative behaviour. Mentors use their skills
to support and guide the young person. Mentorship is
most effective when there is cultural understanding and
sensitivity.
vi. Conclusion
In the context of youth and the influences that shape their lives, an important question emerges
about identity, race, and religion in Britain. Do Black Muslims face the same issues as the
non-Muslim Black boys? The answer is yes. The same stereotyping and low expectations are
prevalent in the schools as these issues are systemic.
We have found that addressing Black boys who are Muslim can be tailored to include faith.
Save Our Boys helps to mentor young Black boys and guide them back on the straight and
narrow. If they are Muslim, the faith is an extra resource which can be utilised to assist the
young men to be turned on to education and reach their full academic potential. Knowledge
and practices are resources that can transform aspirations and outlooks of young men. Rather
than focusing on material rewards, mentoring and guidance can change the value system and
ethics of young people. Faith can also transform relationships, displacing old peer networks
and hang out spots in favor of new relationships and new places to hang out.
Muslim communities in the UK need to work with grassroots organisations, and think about
creative ways to work with youth because the mosque – as an institution – generally is not
effective in communicating with young people. We need to think about creative spaces and
means to do that. 26
RAKIN FETUGA
Ustadh Rakin Niass Fetuga is a British born Nigerian. He is an educator
who is presently Head of religious education in a secondary school in
North London. He has studied the deen of Islam with many scholars
including Sheikh Babikr, Sheikh Mumisa and presently Imam cheikh
Tijani Cisse to name just a few. He is also a poet, an adviser, life Coach
and a spiritual leader. Rakin is also the director of Save Our Boys an
organisation set up to support and guide youth who are disaffected,
disillusioned and involved in gangs and criminal activity.
26
Rumis Cave is one such unique space that caters to a wide audience and organises many different forms of activities
that attract younger people as well as older
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