By Ninder Kaur
Muslim Women’s Council held a Question Time event titled “Identity, Belonging and Extremism” in partnership with Dixons City Academy. The event took place on Wednesday 7th October and was attended by 180 sixth form students from Dixons City Academy.
The event was held to help young people discuss difficult issues that are affecting them such as Identity and Belonging, Radicalisation and Extremism and British Values. Concerns also centred around the new duty on schools and other public institutions on reporting possible signs of extremism and radicalisation. By holding this type of event, young people were able to
discuss difficult issues in a safe space.
Panel members included Alyas Karmani, Imam, Local Councillor and Community Activist,
Superintendent Vincent Firth from West Yorkshire Police, Lead for Strategic Partnerships and Safeguarding, Alina Khan from Bradford Council, Interim Head of Diversity and Cohesion and Shirley Watson, Principal of Dixons City Academy. The event was chaired by Bana Gora, CEO of Muslim Women’s Council.
Alyas Karmani said: “It is so important that we engage young people in open meaningful discussions where they are able to express themselves openly without suppression and the fear they will be labelled as extremist, terrorist or stigmatised in any other way.
I hope schools across the district and region follow this example by creating safe spaces for debate and discussion to counteract the pull of negative propaganda from all manner of extremist groups in the online space”.
Superintendent Vince Firth says “I would like to congratulate the Muslims Women’s Council and Dixons City Academy for arranging a safe place for sixth form students to ask a panel of guests about things which concern them. The topics discussed were diverse and included the governments Prevent agenda, Islamophobia, extremism and the grooming process.
The students had clearly taken time to consider the complexities of the issues they raised and asked the panel some extremely challenging questions. I thoroughly enjoyed being a panel member and meeting the young people involved. I view this event as being extremely good practice and would encourage other educational establishments to consider replicating it”.
Shirley Watson said: “It was a pleasure to collaborate with the Muslim Women’s Council to deliver a truly valuable Question Time for students on a highly emotive, yet utterly vital subject. We need young people in Britain to feel that they are valued and have a positive identity; that they belong to a country where diversity is embraced and celebrated whilst recognising
the commonality of humanitarian values which bind us all together.
Alina Khan said: “The event at Dixons City Academy highlighted the need to provide young people with the forum to discuss issues that are contentious in a safe environment. What became clear is that often young people feel their voices are not heard, and it’s important that we provide opportunities to hear their concerns and provide challenge and balance when required.
This was a first for Bradford, and a pioneering and dynamic move by Dixons! Well done to Muslim Women’s Council for being brave enough to initiate a
Question Time”.
