As a non-practising British Muslim and the daughter of a fierce Muslim Woman, I want everyone to know about Muslim Women’s Network UK. My choice to jump out of a plane with a parachute represents the bravery and courage of Muslim women in the UK who observe their faith in many different ways, in a climate where those who choose religious dress are associated with terrorists and those who choose not to practice within their faith are ostracised from their own community, and in some cases abused. I have the privilege of choice and family support, this is not alien for most Muslim women but this charity supports the needs of those who are oppressed by either their inner circle or the outside world and need sound advice, support and a voice in political forums. I want you all, my friends, to let me know that you acknowledge the challenges a Muslim woman in the UK faces on a daily basis and that you will support me to raise funds for an organisation who want to safeguard the rights of this highly misunderstood and frequently ignored group. 

MWN UK have recently lobbied the UN Committee for the Convention for Ending Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in relation a number of highly relevant UK laws including the Divorce (Religious Marriages) Act 2002 to make it compulsory for a civil marriage to take place prior to a religious ceremony. This alone would mean that married Muslim women would have the same rights as other married people in a family court if the marriage fell apart. Polygamy wouldnt be possible, threats of destitution and equally refusal to end a marriage by their husband wouldn’t hang over them. 

Currently thousands of women in the UK are destitute and rely on specialist refuges and advocates to help them get food and shelter if they chose to leave an abusive husband or family because their marital rights are not upheld and further aren’t fully recognised in UK Law. Having been a support worker within two NGOs I can tell you from first hand experience how traumatic and debilitating their situation is - think of being heart-broken, homeless, penniless, possibly separated from your children and often bruised all at once and being surrounded by complete strangers, without a single person you know to see you. This scenario is equally true for those who have refused to marry or behave according to their family’s wishes and some British Muslim women have even been killed for this, in the name of “honour”. If these were hard and fast rules in Islam, I and many other Muslim born women certainly wouldn’t be here today! Honour killing and abuse is a violent misuse of Islam and does not represent the truth of the religion at all. MWN support and campaign for the rights of those victims of “honour” abuse, recognising a Muslim woman’s right to live her life freely and unoppressed. Supporting Muslim women is supporting equality and freedom, in the face of misogyny, racism and bigotry. 

MWN UK do have a base of operations and without their national advice line which requires electricity and a network provider to run as well as the dedicated support workers, none of the work they do would be possible, chief amongst which is ensuring their national Network of organisations are contacted wherever a woman is to ensure she gets the understanding, support and advice she needs to make her own decisions in life.

So ladies and gents, please help me get to my target of £2000 this month so I can get the Chair of MWN UK Nazmin Akthar off my case as she’s doing all the hard work in Geneva and I’m just living my best life fighting sexual harassment wherever I go. 

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page and I hope that you believe the UK would be better if we supported Muslim Women. 

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.