27 January 2017

'We must stand up to extremism', activist and author Sara Khan tells Bradford University audience

.... She also said British Muslims were diverse and it was wrong for one person or group to say they represented them.

"There is no one-size-fits all in Muslim history."

Mrs Khan, a mother of two daughters, who studied pharmacy before taking an MA in human rights, co-founded Inspire, in 2008, a non-governmental women's rights and counter-extremism organisation and launched the MakingAStand campaign in 2014, a grassroots movement to reject the so-called Islamic State.

The campaign was endorsed at its launch by Theresa May when she was Home Secretary.

She was in the BBC Woman's Hour Power List of top ten influencers in 2015 and last year was winner of Marie Claire Future Shapers Award, shortlisted for Red Women of the Year Award and winner of Asian Women of Achievement Award.

"I have fought against groups like ISIS and yet I have been called Islamaphobic, in fact all the names under the sun by Imams who don't like my interpretation of Islam," she said.

"It is really quite troubling. I have dealt with numerous cases of extremism, even among very young children, and it is frightening."

[TOP RATED COMMENT] Noble effort by M's Khan. However she ought to stick her neck out and state the obvious: Saudi influenced schools and mosques are not welcome in the U.K. as the Saudi version of the faith has no compassion and encourages segregation by its unbelievably literal interpretation of religious texts.

AlQciada/ISIS/talibans are clearly inspired by such literal leaders and this has to stop. Yes the western proxy game has been played out over the last 500 years and Saudi Arabia along with its British and US sponsored protected rulers need to lose our support...not gonna happen as we supply them the weapons they use in bombing schools and hospitals in the Yemen.

The sooner the moderates increase their influence over the Saudis the better: this needs to stop and we must encourage peace as those who are learned do know that Islam is a peace loving way of life that is being tarnished with the extreme views of Saudi inspired interpretations.

[ANOTHER] Its very simple, muslims were not and are not welcomed by the vast majority of the population.

[ANOTHER] Well intentioned, but how many 'Community Leaders' did she reach? Would she be prepared to go to, say around the Leeds Road area, and deliver this speech. I think she would be advised (and rightly so) that it wouldn't be safe to go into those areas and express such views freely, preaching to the converted unfortunately won't drag Bradford out of the medieval city we have become in some parts. [Telegraph & Argus] Read more