I am originally from Palestine, but I was born in Jordan and then I moved to Northern Ireland, ah...in 1995. I think Northern Ireland is one of the best, ah, places to live for ethnic minorities, ah, although there are some, um, racial incidents.
Have you ever been attacked by racists yourself?
Well actually I have suffered with my family, ah, racist attacks and we were forced to move home, ah鈥hree months ago. And there are some other Muslim families who have suffered the same. But I would say this again, it's a very small minority of people who cause these kinds of problems unfortunately, but still fortunately, still the majority of the people, they are very friendly and kind. There has been a clear increase in racial attacks, ah鈥acism is on increase in Northern Ireland unfortunately. Ah鈥o I think this problem has to be tackled and ah, treated very quickly. Ah, when I came here about over seven years ago鈥 remember the people used to look at us in, probably, I would say not a strange way but in an, ah鈥hey were interested to know what's, you know, who is this and where he comes from and what's this, you know, culture... he has. But unfortunately as I said now, ah, there has been an increase in the racial, ah, attacks or abuse. So sometimes, you know, some people they might get verbal abuse on a daily basis, you know, and this never happened before. Probably the, ah, the increase of the number from ethnic minorities during the last five years or seven years. Specially after the peace process and the cease-fire that increased the number of the people and this as a reaction, ah, an increase in racism happened in mainstream society.
Do you find there's a lot of ignorance here about what it means to be a Muslim?
Yes, I would say majority of people don't know about Muslims and Islam, unfortunately. The only information they know is from the media, and the media鈥ut the media has not been neutral or鈥he media has been biased actually regarding presenting Islamic culture and Islamic faith. They have taken a small minority of Muslims or certain ah鈥nderstanding of Islam and they have presented it as it is the majority... the understanding of the majority of Muslims in the world. And they have concentrated on very negative points here and there in the Muslim world. You know, the Muslim world is a very huge place, very huge population, so you will find anywhere some kind of negative points. But unfortunately the media they have taken these points and concentrated on them instead of giving a real picture and a real image.