Summary The initiative deals with issues faced by British Muslims while highlighting accomplished Muslims
By Hammad Ghafoor
“If I didn’t have my faith in God, I would struggle to do a sport like this.”
Ruqsana Begum. A name that made history by becoming the first Muslim British woman to be crowned Muay Thai Atomweight Kickboxing Champion. She now heads England’s Muay Thai team. Ruqsana’s story is just one of the dozens featured on Ummahsonic, an initiative committed to aiding and inspiring Muslims.
Ruqsana Begum with her belt. Photo courtesy: Ruqsana Begum
Over the past decade Islam has grown in the UK with Muslims now making up more than 4% of the population. However, while Muslims in England are numerous they continue to face challenges such as Islamophobia and lower-than-average education levels. To deal with these problems numerous aid groups for Muslims are working in the UK.
One of the most prominent among them is The Federation of Muslim Organizations (FMO). Launched in 1983, it is a registered charity that tries to provide help and support for the Muslim communities in Leicester and Leicestershire. Recently, the FMO launched an initiative called Ummahsonic that deals with the problems faced by British Muslims with a particular emphasis on young people.
On their website as well as Facebook page are blogs and posts dealing with the many issues that young Muslims face in the West, from mundane everyday topics such as how to find halal lipstick and the best way to celebrate Father’s Day during Ramzan, to far more serious issues like how the Muslim community can deal with Islamophobic attacks such as the Finsbury Park attack. With one of their goals being to empower Muslims, the initiative features items about inspirational Muslims in England and the rest of the world on their website.
Ummahsonic features video of Major Mariam al-Mansouri
A recent video on the initiative’s Facebook page tells about Major Mariam al-Mansouri, the first female pilot of the United Arab Emirates. Mariam had risen to international fame when she became the first woman to join the UAEAF (United Arab Emirates Air Force) academy after females were allowed to join and take a leading role in UAE mission airstrikes against ISIS over Syria.
Mostafa Salameh during his journey. Photo courtesy: Google Images
Ummahsonic also has a blog post on its site telling the inspiring story of Mostafa Saameh, an Edinburgh-based mountaineer and adventurer who recently became the first Muslim to complete the grueling 1,600 mile trek across the icy entirety of Greenland. Other than inspirational stories about extraordinary Muslims the site also features practical advice on various everyday problems that Muslims generally face in the West, including issues relating to fasting and mistakes that people unknowingly make during Ramzan.
Ummahsonic features video of Muay Thai kickboxer Khadijah Safari
Another inspiring Muslim lady on Ummahsonic is Khadijah Safari ,a black belt in Muay Thai kickboxing, who says, “People have the perception that Muslim women sit at home, cook, clean, have lots of kids, don ’t leave the house” adding that when they find out what she does professionally, the reaction is often hilarious. “Uh…okay” is how Safari says they respond.
While Ummah Sonic certainly deals with serious issues such as racism and increasing intolerance in England, the initiative’s site is not all doom and gloom. In fact many blogs talk about the lighter side of things such as a recent addition that tells about how minor mistakes in written and spoken Arabic lead to riotous English translations or one that features a hilariously adorable video of a young kid dancing while celebrating Eid.
In a time of increasing political tensions, hatred and terrorism Ummahsonic aims to represent the views and opinions of the Muslim community. “It is important that the Muslim community not only has a voice, but is also heard,” states Ummahsonic.
