Getting out of the Comfort Zone

UK Muslim Youth View

Wahida Shaffi has lectured on human rights, justice and minorities in Europe

Wahida Shaffi is an activist in the British Muslim community. She represents the concerns of young European Muslims. Both her experience and background give her the opportunity to answer our questions from both the practical and theoretical perspectives.

Wahida Shaffi is the director of training and development for Communityspeak, an organization that uses media, personal development, motivational, and conflict resolution approaches to work with individuals and communities.

Shaffi has also lectured on human rights, justice, and minorities in Europe as well as overseas (Palestine, Turkey, Romania, Italy, Pakistan). She works as a consultant in conflict resolution and training at the Centre for Conflict Resolution at the University of Bradford. She is also a consultant and researcher in West Yorkshire, and a tutor for confidence-building in women.

Shafii is currently working on a United Kingdom-Pakistan media program which deals with the post-July 7 terrorist attacks and facilitates workshops for women and young people in London and Leeds.

In this interview, Wahida Shaffi answers our questions regarding the most challenging issues of the day.

IOL: Some people may become confused asking whether the coming young European Muslim generations would be more capable of integration, as they are fluent in European languages and have the required social skills. Will they find themselves in a more problematic position than the older generation? What do you think?

Shaffi: I don't think there is anything to be confused about. The number of Muslims living in Europe has grown considerably over the years and this trend is set to continue. This brings with it all sorts of questions linked with broad theoretical perspectives such as "integration" and "identity," more so in the current climate that we are living in.

You pose your question with specific reference to young Muslims in Europe. As we see the emergence of upcoming generations it is inevitable that we will see changes — but these changes should not necessarily be perceived to be negative or confusing. I hesitate to use the term "integration" because it carries with it so many connotations, but I believe that, like myself, the upcoming generations will be forging their own sense of identity.

Their identity will be influenced by many different factors, from parental heritage, to mass media and communications, cultural influences from all over the world — in short globalization and civil society are helping to shape identities all over the world.

The fact that I see many young people, including myself, wanting to learn more and more about the religion that they were born into means that many are yearning for a more spiritual connection amidst a world "gone mad,”" and it is from this that they are learning about core values.

The fact that many more [Muslims] will have English as their strongest language does not necessarily mean that they will be equipped with all the skills or characteristics to be active citizens who contribute, as opposed to drain, society as a whole; and this is the case for all people in all societies. There are issues around injustice and equality in terms of access to jobs, housing, institutional racism to name just some, and this can cause people to despair and question their position in society.

Sometimes when people do not feel heard or feel desperate, they resort to more extreme measures — the riots in France being an example of that. It is also inevitable that sections of society resent the presence of Muslims and see them as a threat or as "taking over." In the case of Britain, the British National Party has launched endless campaigns dismissing Muslims, but more worryingly they also have an increasing membership. These are all areas of concern.

IOL: After the London bombings and the realization that the bombers were young men, it's widely known that the British government began to approach the young Muslim generation through different channels other than the traditional representative organizations. Do you expect that such an approach will succeed or make any difference?

Shaffi: Muslims are not a homogenous group — although sharing core beliefs, they do indeed differ on issues of current concern. Therefore it is important that attempts are made to have a broad representation, which means including the larger organizations as well as other groups and individual voices. But one must also remember that problematizing the Muslim community is wrong, this is a societal concern and not just a Muslim one.

Whether or not these steps will work is not something that I can predict but, certainly, constructive steps need to be, and in some instances have, been taken, at least on paper. But knee-jerk reactions such as the Anti–terror legislation and the shoot-to-kill policies have to be questioned vociferously both today and in the future.

IOL: The British Muslim community has been asked not only to condemn the London bombings but also to do some kind of crucial self-criticism and to put their house in order. To what extent do you agree?

Shaffi: What we saw in the aftermath of the bombings were key individuals pointing out that Islam did not justify terrorism at all. We also witnessed key organizations providing much-needed written leaflets stating similar points. All of this was much needed because people had a thirst to learn more about Islam and its various rulings. In fact, I heard of many bookshops that had sold out of the various English translations of the Qur'an because people needed to quench this thirst.

But what we should never do is start apologizing for being Muslim, and we should not start doubting the intrinsic peaceful nature of our faith. True, self-criticism is needed. I need to be critical about my own roles and responsibilities to myself, my family, and my community. What have I done, what am I doing? How are my actions creating an imprint on the world and indeed the future?

These questions have to be continuously put. In that sense, "my house" has to be checked daily to ensure that I bear the brunt of my own responsibility and not continuously blame others. Discussions have to take place within and between communities and indeed at all levels because responsibility belongs to all.

IOL: It is mentioned that Islamophobia is an established phenomenon that is deeply rooted and has wide-reaching impact in Europe. You are working in conflict resolution with both communities and individuals; do you think that the current situation can be changed? If yes, then how?

Shaffi: It always makes me smile [when I hear these kinds of questions] because somehow people think that if you work in the field of conflict resolution, then you must have the solutions to all problems. It is clearly not the case. But I do think that the current situation can be changed — and that takes individual and collective effort.

The word "conflict" tends to have negative connotations — but in actual fact, it is sometimes the best possible thing. Sometimes we simply need to see things break up, open up, reach up, heal, and then rebuild. If we try to control, cover up, and pressurize, problems have a tendency to explode anyways. That is certainly my experience of working with both individuals and communities.

The current situation can be changed simply by people believing that change and, indeed, peace is possible. This may seem like a flower-power, 1960's stance" but, in actual fact, most of the religious traditions talk about dark times and indeed the coming of a brighter and more peaceful world. It is also so very easy to be critical — we live in a time when more creative ideas are needed. People need to find inspiration amid all the darkness.

IOL: Your post-graduate research focused on identity and otherness, how do you define the identity of European Muslims and who do you consider to be the "other"?

Shaffi: It is difficult for me to define the identity of an entire group of people in Europe. But if you were asking me to define my own identity, then I would broadly say that I am a British Muslim, and ultimately I am "me" and everything that that encompasses, whether that be good or bad.

In terms of people that I have spoken with — some find it difficult to fully understand the theoretical concept of "otherness," Whilst others define others to be non-Muslims, male and female, Eastern and Western — basically opposites of the definition they give themselves. But when we become too attached to these labels, things become problematic.

We only have to look at the Former Yugoslavia or Rwanda to see just how problematic this can be. We seem to live in a time where there are huge expectations placed to label, define, pin point, box-in anything and everything. This is largely based on fear, a fear of the unknown and the I-don't-want-to-know attitude. Sometimes we have to get out of our comfort zones and deal with the most challenging issues that we try to avoid.

IOL: You are working on a United Kingdom-Pakistan media project dealing with the aftereffects of the July 7 terrorist attacks. What are the specific problems that the Muslim Asian youth are facing, and how can the media approach such problems?

Shaffi: The media has been blamed repeatedly and, yes, they have to take responsibility for some of the outrageous materials that they publish. There is a well-known saying that bad news sells very well, and it certainly does, none more so than when it comes to news concerning young men, particularly young "Muslim" men.

The first part of your question asks about the specific issues affecting young Muslims. I won't generalize, but what I will do is base the answer on conversations and common issues pointed out to me by young people themselves. These issues include generational and communication gaps between parents and children, the lack of English-speaking imams, the lack of facilities for women-only activities, the restrictions on women to use space in mosques, and the lack of open discussion around issues concerning international and political events.

Furthermore the issues of forced marriages, the disrespect of young men towards women, domestic violence within the home, the lack of employment opportunities, racism in work and in the police force, the lack of role models the lack of parental encouragement, and the lack of places for people to intermingle with people of other backgrounds. These are just some of the things young people that I have encountered talk to me about.

But how can the media engage with these issues? They need to reach out to these communities and build trust to encourage people to come forward with stories — more positive ones; the media have to play a more balanced card when it comes to reporting stories, otherwise they stand to lose out. More and more of the community are disheartened by the mainstream British media and are turning to alternative sources of information, such as Al-Jazeera, the Internet, and satellite channels from Asia in a bid to get more balanced viewpoints and not just those that focus upon a Western or American political stance.

IOL: As a young Muslim woman, how do you find your daily life and what are the problems that women face domestically and in society considering that you are facilitating workshops for women and young people in London and other parts of UK to deal with the aftereffects of the July 7 attacks?

Shaffi: Since the attacks in London, I certainly know of cases where women have been taunted and young men were called "Bin Laden." Immediately after the attacks, some women felt safe [only when they were] being accompanied by brothers or fathers, whilst others only went out if it was necessary.

It is a statistical fact that racist incidents went up considerably, although it is wellknown that many people do not even report attacks. As I mentioned in my answer to the previous question, the issues affecting women are manifold. But I feel we live in a time where we have to remember the incognito leaders within the community — those women who have always done much but simply have not been recognized.

We have to also acknowledge those women who are doing a great deal in the many different fields of work and family life. I have heard many people in both the field of social science and peace research as well as spiritual and theological standpoints who say that women are the key to creating a sustainable peace — to overlook this mighty half of the equation would be a terrible mistake. But as women, we have to take responsibility — it is no longer a choice, but a necessity.