MsYiY - Yasmin Choudhury

This is my story of British domestic honour based violence now gone international.  I am Yasmin Choudhury.   I am a social entrepreneur.  I live in London and am British.  I am  the founder of Lovedesh ( social business/enterprise) and  Amcariza Foundation ,  a British charity. The former is launching the #LTTTW campaign    which will showcase my heritage nation of Bangladesh and other nations in August 2015 at a top prestigious venue in London.  Both are designed to make the rest of the world fall in love with 'Third World' nations and to buy from the artisans out there - so that more pennies can be put into the pockets of local people. 

WHY I HAVE LAUNCHED THE AMC PETITION. Please, please to sign The AMC Petition CLICK HERE. “When I am not working on Lovedesh the social enterprise, or Amcariza Foundation which I set up to help folks in developing world, I am also passionate about supporting abused and underprivileged Muslim women.   "I am a British woman. Of Bangladeshi heritage.  Help me stop abuse, financial control? Instead let us all work to get Muslim women financially independent.    "The closed community I grew up in within UK and later visited in Bangladesh, kept me ignorant of all the good stuff Holy Qu'ran and Islam does for women. Like the way a woman can earn, create and then have her private wealth protected.  I had no idea.  THE AMC Petition - showing income/allowances/alms for women in the Qu'ran

Today is World Hijab Day (WHD).  Sigh.   And I whole-heartedly and unreservedly disagree with the idea, the concept, its message and strategy.   Like the WJD founder I am Muslim.  I too am of Bangladeshi heritage.  That is where the difference ends.   But I am British. Was born in London.  And I have never worn hijab unless the occasion merits it.  Many of the women in my British community and especially women in the Sylhet region of Bangladesh do. Yet growing up I recall how hardly anyone covered their hair.  I find it interesting.  Because I am not sure the reason is in always about empowerment.  Today, in 2015 nearly all the Muslim women in my community both in UK and Bangladesh wear the hijab with a black overcoat or the niqab.  And it is starting to really worry me. Sigh. Not the wearing of course - which I utterly support.   It is the why, the how, the when and the who. And how by wearing it - perhaps other ...

I love Islam.  Sadly its community  - 'Ummah'  - is a double edged coin for many Muslim women like me.  I find some British Muslim men utterly clueless.  Or are guilty of acting careless when they try to speak for all us UK Muslims. It is dangerous. And a repeated gesture that soon becomes a consensus.  Non-Muslims start to think they represent all of us.  When in fact - Muslims have no formal,  elected  representative. Yes - that includes the Muslim Council of Britain - male led for Muslim men - by Muslim men - all about Muslim men. 

Originally published in Linked In - I forgot to add it here.  Duh. A post I wrote about my British Muslim Xmas in December 2014. Read it here  on Pulse - for LinkedIn. Or if you prefer.  See below. Season's greetings. I wanted to share one of my secrets. Today I am proud to be a Muslim (something I always struggled with having spent so much time as a lapsed member). But come this time of year, I am immediately giddy with excitement. I love Xmas. So there.