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Anjum - Understanding Islam

Asian scoop peoples’ honours

NORTH West Asians were recognised for their service to the public in the New Year's honours list.
At one time the traditional awards were mainly given to jobsworth bureaucrats as a reward for unquestioning obedience to the establishment.
Now they are billed as the peoples' honours since the government claims half those rewarded were nominated by the public.
Among them this time was Anjum Anwar from the Lancashire Council of Mosques (LCM) in Blackburn who received an MBE for her services to the community in the county.
Anjum is in the front line of a school's' initiative by the LCM called 'Understanding Islam' which has attracted interest from Manchester, Blackburn and Blackpool local education authorities.
The project grew out of concern about increasing Islamaphobia in the UK after 9/11.
Anjum said: "It was a very pleasant surprise. It is a privilege to get such an honour but I could not carry out my work without the support of my family and my colleagues at the Lancashire Council of Mosques.
"This is not just a recognition of my work but of the teachers and pupils in the schools I visit."
Speaking of her work Anjum said: "Understanding Islam is a great way in breaking down barriers caused by lack of knowledge. Our scheme succeeds by starting with our youngsters in schools and working to tackle what has come to be known as 'Islamaphobia.
"Islam is an integral part of today's British society and such education is vital if Muslims and non-Muslims are to live alongside each other as equal members of one society without division, fear and mistrust.
"I have been welcomed by parents, teachers and children alike wherever I have been. Even in BNP Burnley."
She admits she has had to deal with walking into schools where children have frozen because they had never seen an Asian before. She has been asked questions like: "Why are you not allowed to work?" and: "Why are Muslim women not allowed to speak in front of their husbands?"
"It's not negativity, it's simply misinformation which is exactly what Understanding Islam is trying to fix," said Anjum.
"We need to learn about other people as human beings. And we can start to see that there are other communities, who have a different faith and a different way of praying. The problems arise when a community feels their way is the only way."
Hyde doctor Raina Patel received an MBE for her work as a GP in Stockport.
Dr Patel, aged 48, came to Manchester from Kenya - where her father was a test cricketer - in 1971, and has been GP at Romiley Health Centre for 14 years.
She said: "I feel very humbled and also a bit embarrassed about it. It's nice to be appreciated but I'm part of a team of staff and I just get on with doing the job.
"The best part of it is that my patients have been delighted for me. My patients make work a pleasure."
Dr Patel took special training to work as a police surgeon at St Mary's Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Manchester, and provides forensic evidence when rape and other sexual assault cases go to court.
This lead to sharing her skills abroad through government's Department for International Development.
She travelled to Sierra Leone in 2001 during the civil war to train people in the skills needed to complete medical examinations and legal reports to bring rapists to justice.
"Of course it affects you to see children who have been raped - both in Africa and in Manchester," she said.
"You wonder how anybody could do such a thing.
"They've got the centre in Sierra Leone up and running now. Staff are making reports and going to court to give evidence."