Race, Faith and Community in Contemporary Britain Essays on Black, African, and African Caribbean Muslims in the UK PROUDLY MUSLIM & BLACK REPORT 2022
Black British Muslims play an important role in British society but are poorly represented in public discourse, policy, and indeed across a range of sectors. To overcome structural disadvantages and racism in society and in Muslim communities, we aim to create a platform for interventions in discourse and representation as well as in power relations. Our effort is collaborative and aimed at exploring the diversity, contributions, heritage, as well as the history of Black British Muslims. Our objective in this report is to create a platform to review and consider the current state of race and power relations, while creating networks and partnerships. In short, bringing Black British Muslim voices to the forefront is to work towards inclusion and belonging in British society and importantly, in British Muslim communities.
Black British Muslims play an important role in British society but are poorly represented in public discourse, policy, and indeed across a range of sectors. To overcome structural disadvantages and racism in society and in Muslim communities, we aim to create a platform for interventions in discourse and representation as well as in power relations. Our effort is collaborative and aimed at exploring the diversity, contributions, heritage, as well as the history of Black British Muslims. Our objective in this report is to create a platform to review and consider the current state of race and power relations, while creating networks and partnerships.
In short, bringing Black British Muslim voices to the forefront is to work towards inclusion and belonging in British society and importantly, in British Muslim communities.
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I hope this pandemic can leave a legacy of change in us, to want to treat others better
and to stamp out inequality. Race does affect us, it does affect behaviour and you
cannot change what you don’t acknowledge. We need to address the elephant in the
room that has for so long tried to be swept under a rug. Let’s be better and do better.
Conclusion
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted Black communities and other minority ethnic
communities disproportionately. This is not because the disease targets certain communities
or people, this is because of the enduring health inequalities that exist in Britain. In addition
to this, Black individuals have experienced overexposure to the disease due to being largely
concentrated in frontline roles, a lack of PPE particularly at the start of the pandemic, higher
levels of socioeconomic disadvantage and other household factors.
There is a clear need for further evidence around the experiences of Black Muslims in particular,
and a need to engage with this community to ensure they are voicing their concerns, and
sharing their stories. Greater evidence and engagement will help to lead to robust policy
recommendations that are tailored to this community.
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted Black communities
and other minority ethnic communities disproportionately.
This is not because the disease targets certain communities
or people, this is because of the enduring health inequalities
that exist in Britain.
AMINA HERSI
GP based in Berkshire.
ZAINAB GARBA SANNI
Zainab is one of the co-chairs for the NHS Muslim Network: a staff
network hosted by NHS England and NHS Improvement which has
the following aims: (1) to provide representation for Muslim staff, (2)
to provide networking and progression for Muslim staff and (3) to
help reduce health inequalities experienced by Muslim communities.
Additionally, day-to-day Zainab works in the Innovation, Research
and Life Sciences Group leading on an equality, diversity and
inclusion programme of work and looking after the NHS Clinical
Entrepreneur Programme and the Small Business Research Initiative
for Healthcare. Zainab is also Partnerships Lead for TEDxNHS
and does patient advocacy and advisory work in her free time.
RANYA ALAKRAA
Ranya is an Economic Analyst at NHS England and
Improvement, working on various projects focusing on
evidence-based policymaking in the NHS. She is the Head
of Member Development at the NHS Muslim Network
aiming to support Muslim staff in the NHS in their career
development. Ranya is also the equality, diversity and
inclusion champion for her team and is the chair of her
directorate’s wellbeing group.
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