Category: Uncategorized
-
Recent work
I wrote a piece for Deutsche Welle about the new counter-extremism guidance in schools that was introduced following the “Trojan Horse” scandal. You can read the full piece here. The…
-
The “Trojan Horse” scandal
Allegations of an Islamist plot to take over schools in Birmingham, which surfaced earlier this year, caused a national outcry. The debate was intensely polarised, with the government sending in…
-
People smuggling and border policy
On Saturday 16th August, the Norstream, a P&O Ferries commercial ship, arrived at Tilbury Docks in the British county of Essex. The ship, which had come from the Belgian village…
-
Somalia’s women politicians
One of the things I did while I was in Kenya was to interview female politicians from Somalia. These women are at the vanguard of women’s representation in the country – fighting…
-
Kenya’s coastal terror threats
I recently travelled to Kenya, the east African hub which is swift losing its status as a safe haven in the region thanks to a heightened terror threat from neighbouring…
-
The Papers
I appeared on the BBC news channel’s Paper review on Wednesday 11th June, along with deputy editor of the Daily Express, Michael Booker, and host Clive Myrie. We discussed the…
-
Karachi airport under attack
On 8 June, Taliban gunmen stormed Karachi airport, killing scores of people before they were eventually fought off by security forces. I’ve lived in Karachi and have many friends and…
-
Jailed journalists
Late last year, three journalists working for Al Jazeera in Cairo were arrested and charged with terrorism and smearing Egypt’s reputation. The three men – Peter Greste, Mohamed Fahmy, and…
-
The UK and Syria’s refugees
The Syrian refugee crisis has been described as the worst since the Rwandan genocide in 1994, with 6.5 million internally displaced and more than 2 million seeking refuge abroad. The UK…
-
Karachi’s endangered architecture
I wrote a piece for the Financial Times about architecture in Karachi, a city I’ve lived in. It’s full of beautiful colonial-era architecture, but the prevailing attitude has been to…
-
The Muslim Brotherhood in London
Last week, Downing Street announced that it would hold an investigation into the operations of the Muslim Brotherhood in London. The inquiry aims to establish whether the Brotherhood is a threat…
-
Acid violence: increasing?
I wrote a piece for this week’s New Statesman about the horrific crime of acid violence. The piece looks at recent incidents in the UK, and explains some background about…
-
European fighters in Syria
My feature for the National (UAE) was published recently. It goes behind the headlines about young men from the west signing up to fight in Syria, asking how big the numbers…
-
The Ahmadiyya: global persecution
The Ahmadiyya are one of Pakistan’s most persecuted communities. Legally classed as non-Muslims, this sect is subject to a whole range of persecutions. As such, many have left Pakistan in…
-
Recent work
Thought I’d share links to some of my recent work. Last week I wrote a piece for the New Statesman about the “I, too, and Oxford” and “I , too,…
-
Book reviews
I am a regular reviewer for the Oldie Review of Books. Here are a couple of my recent reviews. A selection of my previous reviews and interviews with authors, for the New…
-
Southbank Centre’s WOW festival
On 10 March, I took part in a panel discussion about women’s rights in the Arab region at the Southbank Centre’s Women of the World festival. The festival takes place…
-
War in the Central African Republic
The war in the Central African Republic is a complicated conflict that has dragged on for months; it’s also just the latest outbreak of violence in this troubled country. I’ve…
-
Recent work
On 14 January, I appeared on the BBC News Channel’s paper review, with Oliver Wright from the Independent. A short write up is here. I’ve also written various shorter pieces…
-
MHP 30 to Watch
I’m delighted to have been named one of MHP’s “30 to Watch”. The awards (which started in 2012) recognise the UK’s most talented journalists under 30. The full list of…
-
Karachi’s “Dirty Harry”
On 9 January, one of Karachi’s top policemen was killed by the Taliban. Chaudhry Aslam, who headed the city’s counter-terrorism operations, was a controversial figure who had faced at least…
-
Highlights of 2013
Since the year has drawn to a close (and I’m avoiding getting started on 2014), I thought I’d post links to some of the articles I most enjoyed working on…
-
Talking and writing
On Monday 16th December, I appeared on the BBC News Channel’s paper review, discussing the next day’s front pages with the broadcaster David Davies. I’ll be appearing regularly on the…
-
The MQM’s London base
I wrote a feature for Vice Magazine about Altaf Hussain, the leader of Pakistan’s MQM party, who runs his party by “remote control” from Edgware in north London. He is…
-
Arab women’s double revolution
Mona Eltahawy, the Egyptian-American writer and activist, emerged as one of the most prominent voices of the Arab Spring. In 2011 she was attacked by riot police in Cairo. They…
-
Recent work
I thought I’d share some links to some of my recent work. I’m still blogging regularly for the New Humanist. My recent posts include this one on breastfeeding and whether…
-
Islam and feminism
Is it possible to be a Muslim and a feminist? That was the central question posed for a panel discussion I took part in at the Royal Court on 31…
-
“My journey into a nightmare war”
How did a young British man with no combat experience join the Free Syrian Army? In a piece for the Guardian, I interviewed a London student of Syrian origin who…
-
“My journey into a nightmare war”
How did a young British man with no combat experience join the Free Syrian Army? In a piece for the Guardian, I interviewed a London student of Syrian origin who…