By Ninder Kaur
Jon Snow, journalist and broadcaster, visited Bradford on Friday 9th October 2015 and
addressed a packed audience at the National Media Museum. Jon had been invited by the Muslim Women’s Council through its Bradford Circle programme, an initiative aimed at
raising the level of dialogue, discourse and debate by attracting high profile speakers to Bradford.
The event took place at the National Media Museum and opened with clips of Jon’s reporting of the news throughout his career. Jon discussed the different parts of the world he has reported from and covered topics from global events to domestic issues.
Jon shared to the audience how he had interviewed Margaret Thatcher twenty times and considered them
to be his worst interviews to date. He also added that the one person he would yet like to interview is Barack Obama.
Bana Gora, CEO of Muslim Women’s Council and Professor Lord Kamlesh Patel of Bradford OBE also joined Jon Snow on stage. Jon was questioned on everything from his Cannabis Experiment to his charity work with homeless young people.
The audience then had the opportunity to ask a range of questions to the TV presenter covering representation of Muslims in the media to careers advice for budding journalists.
Dinner was provided at the event by My Lahore and the National Media Museum supported the event by providing the prestigious Pictureville theatre. The Muslim Women’s Council decided to host the event at the National Media Museum in order to support one of Bradford’s most iconic buildings.
Jon Snow said: “I shall never forget my amazing evening with the Muslim Women’s Council at the National Media Museum. I have come here as a journalist and I want to know what people think. The audience was one of the most stimulating, engaged, energised, inspiring groups I have ever addressed. It was wonderful that there were so many students and young people present. Who knew that Bradford was the centre of such intellect, such compassion, such commitment.
I pay tribute to Bana Gora and her team for organising an event that drew not only Muslim women, but also a good few men and people from other communities. My only regret is that I live and work so far from Bradford. But be warned, I shall be back!”
With the Israeli and Palestinian conflict-taking place, Jon added that if he was in charge he would: “honour the UN resolutions, sit them down and lock the door and keep a minimum amount of food and drink going in to all sides and say you are in here until you sort a deal. If a deal was worked out sensibly you would be able to sell it to the populations in both camps.”
Professor Lord Patel of Bradford OBE said: “I was honoured to be part of an informative, entertaining and engaging evening at Bradford’s landmark National Media Museum.
It is a credit to the MWC that they not only attracted such a high calibre individual, in the form of Jon Snow to Bradford for the evening; but they also attracted a diverse and eclectic audience, who were, from the start, engaged, lively and energetic.”
Bana Gora, CEO of Muslim Women’s Council said: “It was an honour to host Jon Snow in Bradford, one of the few journalists left, who is unafraid to speak his mind and ask the difficult questions.
The event will be the first of many, aimed at raising the profile of Bradford by attracting high profile speakers. The events are part of the Muslim Women’s Council’s offer to Bradfordians to engage with influential personalities in order to ensure speakers leave with the best possible impression.”
