'My older sister wears a headscarf, it was a Friday night and we decided to go to Bolton on the train, we were just going out to eat somewhere. On the way back home, there was some people of a different religion, who targeted my sister. Verbal abuse, mostly, nothing physical.'
Every November, the UK shines a light on the Islamic community, celebrating the positive contributions of people that follow the faith, as well as the darker side of the Muslim experience.
Sundas Bakhat works for One Voice as the Sports and Marketing Lead. Sundas was impressed by the work that One Voice were doing and the affect their work had on young people and in particular, young Muslims. Despite the abuse not targeted specifically at Sundas herself, as a result, she now "hates taking the train" whereas before she'd visit nearby cities such as Manchester and go wherever she chooses. Sundas said: "This was before University and I think at University I traveled on a train three or four times, because I don't feel comfortable on a train, I know largely people are not like that, but because of that experience, I prefer not to travel on trains now.
Reflecting on her own experiences with Islamophobia, Aleeza stated that due to where she lives, her school, the communities she's a part of and the people she is friends with, she has never "been in the area or the type of person that would have the balls to go against the vast majority of Muslims". Despite this, Aleeza says she does wear a scarf when visiting the Mosque with friends or going somewhere where it's not appropriate to as she puts it, dress in her jeans.
"I think it's just anything you present as, if you walk through as a Hindu, I'm sure they'd attack you for being a Hindu. I wouldn't label it as an area that's Islamophobic, probably just phobic everything." It has given her the confidence and skills in her school and personal life, as well as the opportunities to do something she'd never usually do, as away from the awards, Aleeza has also visited New York with the charity. "I'm from an Asian family but I don't think my mum would have fathomed when I went into high school that I would be going on a trip to New York with a group of people as I had never been abroad without my parents.
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