Our culture is driving women to harm themselves
19th October, 2007We moan about injustices and wars elsewhere but what about women in our own communities, asks Sabina Ahmed? Who is to blame for the high percentage of self-harm and suicide with British Asian women?
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My vision for London as Mayor
16th October, 2007In an exclusive piece for AIM magazine, Libdem candidate for Mayor of London Fiyaz Mughal lays out his vision for what the "greatest city in the world" needs and where Ken Livingstone has gone wrong.
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British Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus need to embrace free speech
3rd October, 2007Religious groups instinctively want to censor ridicule of their religion. But it harms them in the longer term, says editor Sunny Hundal. Ordinary people should accept that free speech helps them.
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Sayeeda Warsi: ditch community leaders
2nd October, 2007The Tory party's new minister for community cohesion has hit out at the Labour party for its "patronising" approach to Asian communities. She also said the government listened too much to "self appointed community leaders".
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Will more faith schools really help integration?
24th September, 2007The government unveiled a new "plan" this week to increase the number of faith schools. They say it will help integration. But Sabina Ahmed disagrees and asks if the government is listening to the wrong people.
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How do you "dilute" someone's culture?
3rd September, 2007There may be a case for controlling immigration into the country, as David Cameron recently made, but how do people get into their heads that this ends up diluting their culture, asks Sabina Ahmed.
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The sexual politics of partition
22nd August, 2007The division of Pakistan from India was a battle not just over land, but more important over women's 'honour', says editor Sunny Hundal. And this conflict is still relevant today in Britain's Asian families.
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Kulveer Ranger appointed Conservative vice-chair
9th August, 2007The Conservative Party has appointed Kulveer Ranger as its vice-chair, signalling that David Cameron's modernising agenda will stay on track. The consultant has been close to party leader and takes over Sayeeda Warsi's old role.
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How could this happen in Scotland?
6th July, 2007Scottish journalist Arifa Farooq describes the mood and emotions running through the minds of Scots after the weekend's terrorist attacks, and the worry for many Muslims living there.
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Still using culture as an excuse
15th June, 2007She may not have been Asian, but Banaz Mahmod's shocking murder by her parents is typical of what takes place across many British Asian families every year. It's time the police took harsher action, says Sabina Ahmed.
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British Asians at a bigger health risk in the UK
5th June, 20070 comment(s) in response
Labour MP that the BNP loves
23rd May, 2007This weekend the Labour MP Margaret Hodge said houses were unfairly being allocated to 'foreigners' rather than 'indigenous' Britons. All she did was confirm the BNP's paranoid fantasies, says editor Sunny Hundal, without evidence.
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Officials deny talks of restricting Pakistani travel to US
8th May, 2007Both British and American officials have denied there are plans to make it more difficult for Britons of Pakistani origin to travel to the United States. It has already become difficult for many to travel and the situation may get worse.
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The government's approach to terrorism is inadequate
17th April, 2007Like most other announcements on anti-terrorism, the latest initiative from minister Ruth Kelly misses the point. says editor Sunny Hundal. If we are to tackle the problem, we need a more broader approach.
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Minimum age for overseas marriages changed from 18 to 21
26th March, 2007The government is planning to change the minimum age at which men or women can enter Britain as part of a marriage from 18 to 21 years. Around 3,000 brides under the age of 21 enter the UK from South Asia every year.
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Lost children, lost honour
26th March, 2007As a barrister Rehna Azim has seen an increasing number of Asians end up in court over issues of izzat (honour). But there is a particular problem in tackling child abuse, she says, that families need to own up to and deal with.
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Religious demands are leading to segregation
25th February, 2007Unreasonable demands by certain Muslim groups are leading to even more segregation and tension, says Sabina Ahmed. Applauding a recent announcement by a group in Oxford, she says we need more such people to stand up.
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Police force: still 'severely institutionally racist and in denial'
29th January, 2007In a hard-hitting letter to AIM magazine, police sergeant Rajendra Joshi writes that simply viewing the police force as being anti-Muslim is missing the point - it is deeply institutionally biased against all minorities, and in denial over it.
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A Muslim's view on Holocaust Memorial Day
27th January, 2007Celebrating Holocaust Memorial Day today, founder of the Blue Sky Club Nic Careem argues why everyone should recognise and remember the horrors during WW2, and why the Muslim Council of Britain is wrong to boycott it.
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Tony Blair is confused
9th December, 2006The problem with prime minister Tony Blair's speech on multiculturalism is not his intentions or what sort of a tolerant society he wants, but his confusion over what the issues are, says editor Sunny Hundal.
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Afraid to speak out?
28th November, 2006People within the Asian communities have become so disconnected from politics that almost anyone can set themselves up to speak on our behalf. Will this state of affairs ever change, asks Sabina Ahmed.
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Call for a new approach to race and faith relations in UK
22nd November, 2006A new agenda calling for a radically different approach to tackling racism and prejudice has been launched this week by a group of writers, academics, journalists and barristers, challenging the government annointed system of "community leaders".
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We need dialogue not scare- mongering
12th November, 2006The intelligence chief's warnings that Muslim terrorists remain prominent and a growing threat was met with a collective yawn. Does Tony Blair use such warnings selectively? Muslims too should do more to engage in peaceful dialogue, says Sabina Ahmed.
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Sick of being integrated?
20th October, 2006Sick of the debate about British Muslims integrating with the rest of society? Shuiab Khan certainly is and, in a column published in reply to Jack Straw, argues that people are in fact getting on with each other better than ever before.
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Trying to justify 'honour killings'
19th October, 2006After years of getting 'honour killings' on the agenda and recognised for what they are: premediated murders, there is now an attempt by some to play them down again. Writer Sabina Ahmed is not happy.
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Religious symbols row extends to media, schools and work
16th October, 2006The row over wearing religious garments or jewellery while at work, in school or the media intensified as a teaching-assistant was suspended and a BA employee sent home. Journalist George Aligiah said he saw no problems over news presenters wearing hijab
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How the chemical explosives story got buried
11th October, 2006Why did the news of BNP men being arrested for possessing chemical explosives not get widespread coverage? As editor Sunny Hundal found out yesterday, there have been peculiar events going on behind the scenes.
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Police arrest BNP members with "record haul" of explosives
10th October, 2006Police arrested two men last week in for possessing a "record haul" of potentially explosive chemical material, rockets launchers and more. But much of the national media has so far ignored the story.
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Having a reasoned debate on the veil
6th October, 2006Why is the debate over wearing a full veil so full of emotion and hypocrisy, asks editor Sunny Hundal. If we are to learn more about each other it stands to reason we need to be able to have reasonable discussions on difficult issues.
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The government aside, integration is still a problem
28th August, 2006The Labour government has launched yet another commission to help us all get along together. Whether it has any impact remains to be seen but there are real problems at community level that need dealing with, says Sabina Ahmed.
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