Living in the UK, I have come across a scarce amount of experiences where I, as a Muslim have felt intimidated because I’m an obvious looking Muslim and I wear the Hijab (headscarf). But I most certainly know that around the UK the majority of Muslim women and men have felt intimidated because they believe in Islam. A prominent anti-Islam activist group named the English Defence League (EDL) are known by the majority of citizens living in the UK, especially those who are raised up and born as Muslims in Britain.

My thoughts for non-Muslims have never been about abomination and disapproval yet they are the complete opposite. I see no difference between the two because it’s not about what faith you carry, it’s about how, as a person you are. In society, there are many problems that have been developed to appear within media and groups of people that Islam is wrong, that believing in something is wrong. The EDL pride themselves on the fact that Islam has been wrong from the start, that learning and preaching about Islam is wrong. Just because Islam is seemingly different to other faiths, does that give these people an excuse to bully our faith? We have gone past the times where discrimination was shown because coloured people looked different from white people, isn’t this happening again? And they use examples of; ‘’Muslims grooming young girls’’ ‘’Muslims attacking and killing innocent people’’ These statements have a direct impact on me because I am a Muslim. I see these statements as an offensive way to construct an image of hatred towards Islam and if my faith is being criticized doesn’t that involve racism?

You know sometimes it’s not about being called something mean because I’m a Muslim; it’s about the way I am represented in these statements published by the media to make something stereotypical. If I was to read a heading ‘’ 10 Muslims guilty of killing a 10 year old’’ as saddening as it sounds and commiserations, why have they picked out the fact that these people are all Muslim and decided to exaggerate it, is it to increase corruption in our societies or just to make more money by attracting more people to read it? This is very unfair because I belong to that faith; it’s as if they are talking about me. The media are taking advantage of the fact that Britain is a democratic country with no censorship, so let’s publish an article which could potentially cause a cohesive community to turn the other way around.

Next, I would like to talk about is the fact that the EDL and other anti-Islamic groups believe it’s okay to protest violently about another segment of Islam, the Sharia Law. The leader himself has articulated that the EDL does not protest violently yet on You-tube and well sourced articles we see many clips which show a manifest belief that they do. In the Qur’an (Islamic book) it has been written: “Oh you who believe! Fulfil (your) obligations.” [Sûrah al-Mâ’idah: 1] this means that when you enter a country you must accept any laws that have been set in that country without breaking any Sharia laws (Islamic law). All laws are set out for the protection and well-being of the public. I believe that if I do not commit crimes, I won’t be breaking any law therefore I will win on both sides.

The EDL need to read the Law and the Human Rights as it says on the European Convection of Human Rights: ‘’The right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief, in worship, teaching, practice and observance.’’ Before preaching that sharia law is wrong they must observe what they’re doing. We often here that places like ‘’Birmingham. Bradford, Luton’’ are Islamic extremists hotspots. If they were, then there would be shootouts, murder, bombings happening daily but their isn’t. I believe that these so called extremists vent their anger at the fact that these anti-Islam groups are destroying their lives and communities and only so, these rare occasions happen.

Incidents like 9/11 and 7/7 are saddening and miserable events that should never, ever have happened. But the key fact is that the people who were responsible were psychotically influenced by the wrong teachings of Islam. These people probably read and read and read about Islam when they come to a source of information that is incorrect. That source of information would deliver them the wrong meaning of ‘’Jihad’’ which really means ‘’to struggle.’’ And then they would ruin their lives and ruin many others by committing these stupid and horrific acts. 99.99% of Muslims believe this is wrong. It’s like having a class of 60 children, out of them 60 children, 3 of them are naughty, what do they do? They spoil it for everyone. For me, Islam is a peaceful faith and it always will be and trust me as a Muslim, I have been taught the right teachings about Islam and would never dream of hurting anyone.