Episode 2 Muslims Like Us


Episode 2

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This programme contains some strong language

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York.

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This walled city is home to Roman ruins,

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an ancient cathedral,

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and, for this week, these ten Muslims.

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A community constantly in the spotlight.

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We go to school, we go to university, we work,

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how else do you want me to integrate?

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They've come together from across Britain...

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THEY LAUGH

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..to live under one roof.

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HE PRAYS

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For the last five days they have explored their faith.

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I don't pray traditionally like that.

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HE PRAYS

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I've got my own ways.

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-You are harming Islam.

-Are you mad?

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But they've got very different ideas about what makes a good Muslim.

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I'm coming back into my faith because I've realised

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that being gay and being Muslim are not mutually exclusive things.

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You don't think I'm a good representative of Muslim women?

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A Muslim woman should cover her hair.

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THEY SING

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Now they'll shift their focus to identity...

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I was told that I was a Paki terrorist...

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that should go back home.

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..race...

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You, as a white person, don't have the right to tell me...

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I have nothing about whiteness.

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Listen. Listen...

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..and what it means to be a Muslim in the UK.

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I want Britain to become an Islamic state.

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I feel like I need to call the anti-terrorism police.

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BACK OFF! BACK OFF!

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Back off!

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Back off!

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This is a battle for the soul of Islam.

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If you don't integrate, you're always going to be outsider,

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and that's not only dangerous

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but it's stupid.

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It's going to be a good feeling, bro.

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HE LAUGHS

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It's five days since the group arrived in York

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and so far they've struggled to define what makes a good Muslim.

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# What I got to do to make you happy...? #

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Fear Allah, as he should be feared.

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HE LAUGHS

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I am fearing you at the moment.

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No, don't fear me.

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Only Allah..

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-Give me that kettle...

-Only Allah is...

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LAUGHTER

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Today they will turn their attention to what Britain thinks of them.

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They are given the results of a survey exploring public opinion

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about the Muslim community.

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OK, guys. A sample of 1,708 members of the British public,

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who were asked whether they agree or disagree

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with the following statements.

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"Muslim values are compatible with British values."

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Agree: 20%

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Disagree: 44%

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Just the idea that people can

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separate British values and Muslim values...

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I've got an idea.

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Why don't we find out what we love about Britain

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and how our faith helps us to be the best that we can?

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What does that have to do with values?

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How about we come from the opposite way,

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and we define generally what Muslim values are?

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Which is not to have boyfriend and girlfriend...

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Oh, it's always the same stuff.

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..which is marriage. Muslim values is not to drink alcohol.

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-That's your interpretation of it.

-Yeah, your interpretation.

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God has clearly forbidden alcohol in the Qur'an.

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How many Muslims do you know who don't drink?

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How many Muslims do you know who smoke ganja?

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But it's not Islam, is it?

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From the get-go, the values of a Muslim are not compatible with British values.

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Next point,

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"I would feel comfortable if a Muslim moved in next door to my home."

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Agree: 38%

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Disagree: 25%

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I've made so many new non-Muslim friends

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by just feeding them.

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Why their hell should I bring you curry

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or bring you anything, for you to think it's OK

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for me to live next door. That makes no sense.

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What are we going to do? Bomb up the house next door?

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Stupid!

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They've got an image of Muslims, that's why they've got this...

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-It's not good enough.

-She's right,

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but on top of that there's a thing called neighbourliness

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that has almost disappeared.

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We need to bring it back,

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because my people from here

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have forgotten how to be good neighbours themselves

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because they are locked into these little battery houses

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where they never talk to the neighbours any more.

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Mm, I'm going to start making scones a lot now.

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76-year-old Saba

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lives in Nottingham with her husband.

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But Saba hasn't always been a Muslim.

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She was once Hilary.

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I was somebody else.

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I was born in Calcutta, India,

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I used to ride ponies,

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and it was a very English, middle-class lifestyle.

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During the '60s I was a hippie, I suppose,

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but I wasn't a great heavy dope smoker.

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I did take one or two trips

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because I needed to do it for my psychological health.

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SHE CHUCKLES

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I came to Islam from a very different place.

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But I know that, in a sense... That Allah has always been caring for me.

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Abdul Haq, please stop.

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I was still speaking.

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We haven't got time for some people to go on and on and on.

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If I may interject.

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Next question,

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"Muslims in Britain

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"have failed to integrate into British society."

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Agree: 49%.

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Disagree: 20%.

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I think, in my opinion, as an outsider,

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Muslims in Britain have massively failed to integrate.

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They are kind of in a closed bubble

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where they only talk about certain things and they socialise alone

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-without integrating with the society.

-But there are areas where

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white people don't want to integrate with the rest of Britain.

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Parts of Chelsea and Fulham where they just get together

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and eat whatever it is that white people eat.

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I, as a white Muslim convert,

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am sick of hearing Islam conflated with a racist agenda.

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Islam is not limited to a race...

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at all.

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The problem is cultural Islam...

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No, you should shut up because he wants to talk. Please stop.

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There is a problem and the solution...

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Stop being the dominating male, please, for goodness' sake.

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'I think we are integrated.'

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We go to school, we go to university, we work.

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How else do you fucking want me to integrate?

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I don't understand.

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Hearing those questions

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almost made Muslims seem like aliens,

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and so to actually hear the result,

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I've never heard anything like it.

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That was shocking.

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That really surprised me. I was disappointed

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in the British public.

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I thought they were good questions.

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I think people have terrific enthusiasm

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and everybody wants to contribute.

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But it's very important, the discipline of timing,

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how long you speak, and also how often.

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You've got to get that balance right in the communication area.

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Saba always complains about male privilege.

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For example, Abdul Haq is never allowed to speak.

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When we are discussing race, she, as a white person,

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wants to always throw in a, "Well, I'm a white Muslim

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"so therefore Islam is not seen as a racial thing."

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You're one person.

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And I think today I will actually pull her up on it.

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When people find out that I'm not only black but also Muslim,

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it gets worse.

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I used to have a joke... One of my favourite poets, Boonaa Mohammed,

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says it - "I am black and I am Muslim, which means everywhere I go

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"someone hates me."

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Have I experienced Islamophobia? No.

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Not at all.

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SHE LAUGHS

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Nothing.

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The Muslims have come together from across Britain

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to share their take on faith with each other.

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But for the next few days they'll be joined by four non-Muslim locals.

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'They were happy to live for five or six days...'

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I was saying, "Let's clean, let's clean, let's clean..."

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They find out four non-Muslims may be coming.

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"Oh, my God, we don't want them to think we are dirty. Let's clean.

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"Let's clean. Oh, my God."

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'Somebody put mince with blood dripping in the fridge,'

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they didn't mind. "Oh, it's fantastic, I like it."

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But when non-Muslims are coming, or English people,

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"Oh, my God, Goray are coming."

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They learned how to clean, overnight.

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Something that they couldn't do for how many days?

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That's colonial thinking for you.

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You don't care about yourself, you don't want good for your own

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but you want to look good to Mr Davis.

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These York locals are curious about Islam.

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'I was reared in Catholicism but I don't practise a faith.'

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I want society to be as integrated as possible,

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so I want to understand more about Islam

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and how we can actually help that work.

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They want to find out what being a Muslim in Britain really means.

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'As a Catholic I want to get to know people's views'

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on British values,

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and I'd like to understand why there appears to be

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a support for radicalism.

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'From an early age I decided that I was an atheist.

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'I don't agree with aspects of Islam'

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that homosexuals should be stoned,

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that women don't have an equal place in the world,

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'and it will be interesting to see the views from both sides.'

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They will be visiting the house each day

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and showing the Muslims around York.

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They will try to understand what being part of the Muslim community

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-is really about.

-Hello.

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-Here we go.

-A tall order,

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as the household has so far failed to agree

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on what makes a good Muslim.

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I won't shake your hand but nice to meet you anyway.

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It's nothing personal...

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-My name is Abdul Haq, what's your name?

-Jason.

-Nice to meet you, Jason.

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-Say it again, sorry?

-Abdul Haq.

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-Abdul Haq?

-It means servant of the truth.

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Oh. OK. Now I know.

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'I'm a little nervous.

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'I'm not religious myself.'

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There are lots of names I'm going to have to remember,

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which is always a challenge.

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-Mehreen.

-Mehreen?

-Yes.

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-It's like a submarine.

-Like water?

-Yes.

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-Precisely.

-I can remember that one.

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I don't expect them to cry at Elgar or anything like that

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but I think it would be interesting to see if they feel themselves as British as I do.

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-And you?

-Tom.

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-Tom.

-Nice and easy one!

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My dad was from Portugal via Pakistan.

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When you walked in, I thought Prince William was here.

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Ah, no, well, is that a compliment?

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I suppose it might be.

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Hi, guys. Just to let you know,

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I'm not being antisocial,

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I'm just making lunch

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and I don't want anything to burn.

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-Welcome.

-And you are...?

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I'm Nabil. Nice to meet you.

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And do you like Britain?

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Erm, good question, actually.

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I think Britain is quite a nice place.

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Maybe I had a misconception at one point

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about the open sex culture

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and they don't give their virginity to marriage.

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So it was mainly about virgin issues.

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So why is it that when conflict takes place on the side of the Muslims,

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it's terrorism, but when Britain, America and their allies conduct it,

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it's justified?

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Is it justified?

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If the British government decides to go to war,

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and it's gone through our democracy,

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and whether you like it or not, our democracy functions...

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No, it doesn't.

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Have you always worn the veil?

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The hijab I began wearing when I was in my early teens.

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And the niqab I didn't wear for long.

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I think I wore that for a few months,

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but I found it very practically difficult.

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This is going to sound really sad,

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but I eat quite often

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and I really struggled to eat with the niqab on!

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Years ago, when I was doing my degree,

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there was a Muslim girl on my corridor

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and I invited her a couple of times for drinks

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and of course she never wanted to come.

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So it does create a bit of an artificial barrier.

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So why didn't you just invite her out to a restaurant

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-or one of the numerous other places you go to.

-Expensive!

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Well, that's not any good excuse, is it? Alcohol is hardly cheap.

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You could've gone to a milkshake bar, you can go to Nando's.

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I don't enjoy that.

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-I have once been to a Nando's.

-Once been to a Nando's...

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I didn't rate it, particularly.

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'I found that conversation really irritating.'

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I think right now Jason thinks that Muslims

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don't integrate and we believe that we are superior

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and that's why we don't associate, but I think, actually,

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it's quite ironic because

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as far as I can see right now, he's the one who thinks that he is superior,

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and refuses to even change

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the location of where he's asking a colleague

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to come out to,

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because of his arrogance.

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Guys, shall we go?

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Where are we going?

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Antique dealer Jon is proud of the city and its history.

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Today he's planned a trip to a local landmark.

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A place with personal significance for him.

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My father was an Army officer.

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He served with the British Army, initially,

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and we're going to the local war memorial just to pay respects to the people

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who have died fighting for all of us.

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And I'll ask you to share this experience with me.

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I'm not going to come because I believe that those

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who you speak about at the memorial,

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they actually fought over dividing up the Muslim lands.

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Right, would you

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accept that they also stopped

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what was a massacre of the Jews?

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Whatever good they done, they also done a lot of harm

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in relation to the problems we see in the Middle East today.

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Abdul, I accept your point of view.

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No problem. Bye.

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I'm coming with you.

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Is that something we agree on, Auntie?

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Yeah, absolutely.

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HE LAUGHS

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In these memorials, very little respect is paid to the African soldiers that took part

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or even to the Sikh. Recently there has been...

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The Sikh, the Indians and the Muslim soldiers as well.

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So on that grounds... I respect you as a person,

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but I will not attend this today.

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OK, I accept that, and thank you.

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But I do apologise if it offends you as a person.

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It doesn't offend me as a person.

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It is entirely your decision.

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I really reflect Nabil's views on this,

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so with the greatest respect to your father and to yourself,

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I won't be coming today.

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-That's OK, that's fine, I accept that.

-OK.

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So I'm assuming I shall dismiss myself.

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Have a nice time, guys.

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It's always sad when you see this many names.

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-I know.

-You can't even count them.

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You can't.

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Most of them were kids.

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It says where they're from, as well. Middlesbrough, Leeds.

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I feel happy that some of you decided to come.

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What do you feel about the ones who are not here?

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Had it been the other way around,

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had I been the person,

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I think I would've gone out of respect to them.

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These guys gave their lives for you and me, so we could have our freedoms.

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You know, eventually, that's what it boils down to.

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You look around, you look at all these names,

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and behind every single name, there's a family, there's a death.

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And you'd think we would have learned by now that this is

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not the way to go.

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This is true. On the other hand, these people were conscripted.

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That's something we don't do any more, so I guess Britain's

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moved on a little bit in terms of respecting people's rights...

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Britain's moved on in terms of respecting people's rights?

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There's no conscription, is what I'm getting at.

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And now they're fighting... with their free will.

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-Yes.

-And that's a good thing?

-It's a better thing.

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So the soldiers have chosen that lifestyle, haven't they?

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In both cases, it's still the people who decide to take the army

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to war that have all the control and the power and...

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Yes, but in theory, that's a democratic decision.

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-In theory.

-Yeah.

-And then Iraq happened.

-Yeah.

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Absolutely.

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At the house, Nabil has something he wants to get off his chest.

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He's asked Saba for a word.

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I understand that, obviously, as a man, I have privileges.

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But here's the thing - I've noticed whenever we discuss,

0:16:140:16:17

for example, the racial aspect of Islamophobia in the UK,

0:16:170:16:21

you tend to have a problem with it, and you tend to say,

0:16:210:16:24

"No, don't make it into a racist thing.

0:16:240:16:26

"I'm English and I'm Muslim," which is true, you are,

0:16:260:16:29

but remember that when we speak of our experience as unique to us,

0:16:290:16:32

and you stop us from discussing that,

0:16:320:16:34

you're doing the exact same thing that maybe

0:16:340:16:37

me and Abdul Haq might do if we dominate a discussion,

0:16:370:16:40

and it is very frustrating, because this is our experience.

0:16:400:16:43

-You don't get it, do you? Can I respond to that?

-Sure.

0:16:430:16:47

Because I want you to understand that my intervention

0:16:470:16:50

like that is not on the basis of what is being said.

0:16:500:16:54

It's about time - give us time to talk.

0:16:540:16:56

Fair enough, for today,

0:16:560:16:58

but this isn't the first time that it's happened.

0:16:580:17:00

Look, I've been in race demonstrations, I'm married to...

0:17:000:17:03

-I know that, but...

-Please, please...

0:17:030:17:05

My point is that you keep shutting down racial discussions.

0:17:050:17:08

Please, no, you're... That's paranoia.

0:17:080:17:10

-Please give me space to talk...

-Paranoia?

0:17:100:17:11

I just wanted you to look at the situation

0:17:110:17:13

a different way, that wasn't about anything to do with that.

0:17:130:17:16

-It was to do with the fact...

-So I should forget my experience?

0:17:160:17:18

Are you going to listen?

0:17:180:17:19

It's nothing to do with YOUR experience or MY experience.

0:17:190:17:22

-It's not about us.

-I'm making the point that you, as a white person,

0:17:220:17:24

-don't have the right to tell me...

-It's nothing about whiteness.

0:17:240:17:27

-Listen, listen, listen...

-That's white privilege in itself.

0:17:270:17:32

Yeah, do you know what it was about? It was about the time...

0:17:320:17:34

-You mentioned race.

-No, no...

-Tell me time. Tell me that you need time.

0:17:340:17:37

Please, for God's sake, listen to me.

0:17:370:17:39

-My...

-But you don't listen to me.

-I listened to you for hours.

0:17:390:17:42

You told me not to mention my experiences.

0:17:420:17:45

-The race thing. Please listen to me.

-The race thing?

-No, let me...

0:17:450:17:48

Listen, let it be about something else than race.

0:17:480:17:51

Exactly, what I'm telling you is that you don't have

0:17:510:17:53

a right to tell me to make something not about race...

0:17:530:17:55

So will you listen to me talk about race? Because I'm a woman.

0:17:550:17:57

No, it wasn't about that, it was about the time that we were...

0:17:570:18:00

That's not what you said. You said stop talking about race.

0:18:000:18:02

There was no time left for us to talk.

0:18:020:18:03

-Am I lying?

-No, he's not lying.

0:18:030:18:05

Why do you want to make me the villain?

0:18:050:18:06

-I'm not trying to make you the villain...

-You are.

0:18:060:18:08

You're sitting there, being... "Yes, he's right".

0:18:080:18:10

You are, you're sitting there... I don't know why you're here at all.

0:18:100:18:13

You weren't part of what I was going through. Why are you here?

0:18:130:18:15

What YOU were going through?

0:18:150:18:17

I'm the one who's being accused of this, you're not.

0:18:170:18:19

I didn't realise being accused of racism was worse than

0:18:190:18:21

actually experiencing racism, but all right.

0:18:210:18:24

You know, I do feel for white people that are against

0:18:260:18:29

white privilege, and have to hear these things,

0:18:290:18:31

because it's not nice to hear... The same way as a man,

0:18:310:18:34

I don't like hearing about what men have done and what men do.

0:18:340:18:37

But at the same time,

0:18:370:18:38

I'm aware that I've probably had misogynistic views in my life,

0:18:380:18:40

and probably still have some, and that's life - you learn.

0:18:400:18:43

And you unlearn.

0:18:430:18:44

That's the whole point - if you're in a place of privilege,

0:18:440:18:47

you unlearn. I know I keep on talking about me being

0:18:470:18:49

a woman of colour, but I understand that I also have privileges,

0:18:490:18:51

because I'm not black, and like I said,

0:18:510:18:54

there's a lot of racism in our community.

0:18:540:18:56

On the one hand,

0:18:580:18:59

we all say that Islam is a religion that promotes the rights of

0:18:590:19:01

women and the rights of black people,

0:19:010:19:05

whilst on the other hand being very misogynist and very anti-black.

0:19:050:19:09

And we refuse to acknowledge our own hypocrisy there.

0:19:090:19:13

Has it been problematic, being married to a Pakistani?

0:19:130:19:15

Yeah, being married to an Asian...

0:19:150:19:17

I mean, my wife's family are religious, not cultural,

0:19:170:19:20

so her family has been fantastic.

0:19:200:19:23

But generally, a lot of people who know about this, you know,

0:19:230:19:26

from my stand-up and what not, it just becomes a means to abuse, so

0:19:260:19:30

I've had people messaging me, saying that my wife's a nigger-lover.

0:19:300:19:34

"Why did one of our sisters marry a monkey, gorilla, ape?"

0:19:340:19:38

All these kind of things.

0:19:380:19:40

You know, and it doesn't even bother me, cos I'm like...

0:19:400:19:44

If that's what comes to your mind, then obviously,

0:19:440:19:47

it's an insecurity that you have. You know?

0:19:470:19:50

Do you think we came across as a group OK?

0:20:040:20:06

There was a bit of fighting going on!

0:20:060:20:08

I think we came across as a group as we are,

0:20:080:20:11

which is constantly talking over our heads. I mean, it's a Muslim...

0:20:110:20:14

It's an Asian thing.

0:20:140:20:16

I felt it was quite embarrassing.

0:20:160:20:18

I mean, you already know you're going to enter a house with

0:20:180:20:20

ten Muslims, which makes us sound like aliens anyway.

0:20:200:20:23

Then all ten look so different,

0:20:230:20:25

one's sitting all the way at the back at the fucking table...

0:20:250:20:28

And no-one knows why!

0:20:280:20:29

And everyone else is like, "No, this is Islam." "No, this is Islam."

0:20:290:20:32

The diversity ends up making it

0:20:320:20:33

look like none of us actually know what Islam is.

0:20:330:20:36

Well, yeah, because we have so many different views.

0:20:360:20:39

They probably think that we're extremists, for not going to

0:20:390:20:42

the World War II thing. They also rightfully think that

0:20:420:20:46

Abdul Haq should be arrested for his shoes.

0:20:460:20:48

To be honest with you,

0:20:480:20:50

that Belmarsh thing had nothing to do with your beliefs. It's cos you wear Crocs.

0:20:500:20:53

Jason couldn't pronounce my name, and he needed help,

0:20:550:20:59

so he wanted to just call me Ferdinand.

0:20:590:21:01

He did what English people do - my sister's name is Shamayleh.

0:21:010:21:06

She's been called Sheila ever since she was at school.

0:21:060:21:10

Now, Shamayleh's a beautiful name, and as I always say...

0:21:100:21:15

My friend used to say to me, "If we can do Engelbert Humperdinck,

0:21:150:21:19

-"you can do our names."

-Yeah, exactly.

0:21:190:21:22

-You know, just make a little effort.

-Yeah.

0:21:220:21:25

Get to know how you might pronounce it, so I just say

0:21:250:21:28

"Naila, like Isla, the name, just like this," but I thought there was

0:21:280:21:31

an arrogance in saying, "Can I call you Ferdinand?"

0:21:310:21:35

-Well, only if we can call you Jalaluddin.

-Yeah!

0:21:350:21:39

How about this?

0:21:590:22:01

Oh, yeah. Very elegant. Nice.

0:22:010:22:04

The other day, I think you said something like,

0:22:050:22:08

"There's got to be a Shi'a in the group".

0:22:080:22:10

I come from a Shi'a background, so I grew up in a Shi'a family.

0:22:100:22:13

But what's the main...

0:22:130:22:14

If you could give me a summary of the basic differences,

0:22:140:22:18

that would be helpful.

0:22:180:22:20

Shi'as believe that Imam Ali should have been the Caliph,

0:22:200:22:23

-straight after the Prophet died.

-OK.

-Whereas what actually happened

0:22:230:22:25

was that Abu Bakr became the first leader.

0:22:250:22:28

For over 1,400 years, since the passing of Muhammad,

0:22:290:22:33

the Sunni/Shi'a split has raged.

0:22:330:22:36

This sectarian divide about the rightful heir to the Prophet

0:22:360:22:40

has caused bloodshed across the Muslim world.

0:22:400:22:43

Zohra lives in North London, and even today, as a Shi'a Muslim,

0:22:450:22:49

she faces prejudice from Britain's overwhelmingly Sunni majority.

0:22:490:22:53

I was getting to know somebody once. It was one of these arranged things,

0:22:540:22:57

and somewhere towards the end of the day,

0:22:570:22:59

I guess I must have said something that implied that I'm Shi'a,

0:22:590:23:02

and he suddenly went, "Oh, hang on a minute.

0:23:020:23:05

"You're Shi'a - this is going to be a problem."

0:23:050:23:08

He had been married before,

0:23:080:23:09

and he'd been married to somebody who was not Muslim,

0:23:090:23:11

and that was fine, but marrying a Shi'a, he said,

0:23:110:23:14

"My parents just couldn't deal with that.

0:23:140:23:15

"I just don't want to put them through it."

0:23:150:23:18

So situations like that are difficult.

0:23:180:23:20

Communities hate each other, and they're so petty.

0:23:200:23:23

We should sort of move on from that kind of stuff.

0:23:230:23:26

I mean, I've talked to people about it.

0:23:260:23:28

I've talked to several people about it now.

0:23:280:23:30

-I'm really worried about telling Abdul.

-Really?

-Yeah.

0:23:300:23:33

Hopefully he'll think I'm a nice person, and then he'll think...

0:23:330:23:36

Can you accept that you are a nice person?

0:23:360:23:39

-It's irrelevant what he thinks, and if you want...

-Yeah, I'm all right.

0:23:390:23:43

-Have a conversation.

-Yeah, I'm going to do that, but...

0:23:430:23:47

-Oh, our guests are here.

-Oh, they're here? Oh.

0:23:470:23:50

He's got a green bow tie on, and I've got a towel on my head.

0:23:500:23:52

-Good morning, how are you?

-Nice to see you.

-Did you sleep well?

0:23:520:23:55

-How dapper do you look?

-Yes, well, I thought I'd wear a bit of linen.

0:23:550:23:59

-Cooler, in the...

-It never occurred to me that you can have all these

0:23:590:24:01

different-coloured bow ties, as well.

0:24:010:24:03

Yes, well, I thought, you don't want to be repetitive, do you?

0:24:030:24:07

Morning.

0:24:070:24:09

-You all right?

-Oh, hugs.

-As always.

0:24:090:24:11

The locals arrive for their second day of exploring

0:24:110:24:13

the British Muslim experience.

0:24:130:24:16

-Good morning, how have you been?

-Very well, actually.

0:24:160:24:18

-I brought you some flowers from my garden.

-Oh, thank you very much.

0:24:180:24:20

It's just a lovely smell.

0:24:200:24:23

After breakfast, attention turns to Allah and the afterlife.

0:24:230:24:27

I have issue with someone saying, "Cos you don't believe,

0:24:270:24:30

"you're going to hell."

0:24:300:24:31

I'm not into fire and brimstone preaching, personally.

0:24:310:24:34

But are there versions of the Qur'an that say some people

0:24:340:24:37

will go to hell? Yes.

0:24:370:24:38

I don't really believe in heaven and hell like that.

0:24:380:24:40

I don't care what you believe, I'm just stating that these are

0:24:400:24:43

the two different viewpoints, and I'm in the middle of them.

0:24:430:24:46

The Muslim is obliged to be truthful.

0:24:460:24:48

A Muslim is obliged to be truthful.

0:24:480:24:50

Look to the history of Islam. I'm not talking about in general...

0:24:500:24:54

But you have a...

0:24:540:24:55

Kind of what I would call a narrow view of truth,

0:24:550:24:58

because you may actually be interpreting something,

0:24:580:25:01

and you may see something and write down what it is,

0:25:010:25:04

compared to someone else with another set of beliefs.

0:25:040:25:07

Both will think it is truth.

0:25:070:25:08

I do believe in a heaven and a hell.

0:25:080:25:10

Maybe the picture I have in my mind might not be the same for me -

0:25:100:25:13

hell is being stuck in a U2 concert forever.

0:25:130:25:16

But it's still something I wouldn't want to experience.

0:25:160:25:18

I believe in nur - light - and that's like heaven, and dark,

0:25:180:25:22

which is hell, and I believe it's in your day-to-day. Go on.

0:25:220:25:26

I was going to say that I've never heard

0:25:260:25:29

so much emphasis on heaven and hell. Where is the focus on life?

0:25:290:25:33

-The life you're living.

-Absolutely.

-You don't live...

0:25:330:25:35

If you don't like the conversation we're having,

0:25:350:25:37

don't tell me what I can talk about.

0:25:370:25:39

But don't think you can dominate the conversation.

0:25:390:25:41

Dominate what conversation?

0:25:410:25:43

We came outside, we were talking to each other.

0:25:430:25:45

-You came in and now you're telling me...

-Nobody...

0:25:450:25:47

Can you just listen to Naila?

0:25:470:25:49

-No, no, no.

-Can you just listen to Naila?

0:25:490:25:52

If you don't like what I'm discussing, go sit with

0:25:520:25:54

-someone else and speak with them.

-Listen to Naila.

-Why should I?

0:25:540:25:56

I don't understand you guys... Then go speak to someone else.

0:25:560:25:59

For fuck's sake.

0:25:590:26:01

There's just too much domination about what is the right way.

0:26:020:26:06

It's ridiculous. You've got this life - live it.

0:26:060:26:09

-And you come here...

-You always dominate conversations.

0:26:090:26:12

-Then go and have a conversation with someone else.

-Just listen!

0:26:120:26:14

I don't want to listen to anything you have to say,

0:26:140:26:16

-cos you're full of shit.

-Oh, there you go. Thank you.

0:26:160:26:18

You've got no respect for people's opinions.

0:26:180:26:20

No, I've got no respect for you, cos you've got none for me.

0:26:200:26:23

-Do you know what?

-Clearly you've got problems.

0:26:230:26:25

You have got a bit of an issue with dominating conversations.

0:26:250:26:27

Yeah, well, too bad. Discuss it with someone who doesn't.

0:26:270:26:29

Now you're walking away, goodbye.

0:26:290:26:31

-Nabil...

-Breathe. Breathe!

0:26:310:26:33

That really, really upset me.

0:26:370:26:38

He's dominating in his views, and quite aggressive.

0:26:380:26:42

I hope it wasn't with any kind of malicious intent.

0:26:420:26:45

-Do you know the words of this?

-No, I don't.

0:26:510:26:53

Do you do any Bollywood songs?

0:27:020:27:04

Why actually was there such persecution between the

0:27:070:27:10

Shi'as and the Sunnis?

0:27:100:27:11

So, the Shi'a believe in a prophet after the prophet Muhammad, and that

0:27:110:27:15

negates the fundamentals of Islam, because the first thing that...

0:27:150:27:18

And Shi'as are actually saying that?

0:27:180:27:20

I thought they were simply saying that this actually is the way that

0:27:200:27:24

the kind of order of Islam should go, in terms of the Caliphate.

0:27:240:27:27

But the one who says that there is a Prophet after the Prophet

0:27:270:27:30

Muhammad, peace be upon him, has left the fold of Islam.

0:27:300:27:33

-I say it's a deviation. It's a deviation.

-Er, no, it's not.

0:27:330:27:38

-I come from a Shi'a background.

-Sure.

0:27:380:27:40

Do you see why that might be hurtful to me?

0:27:400:27:43

-Erm...

-As in, can you appreciate why that might be hurtful for me?

0:27:430:27:46

That someone's saying all these things about people who come

0:27:460:27:48

-from my background.

-If someone says "I'm a Shi'a,"

0:27:480:27:53

I'm going to ask them what they believe.

0:27:530:27:56

If they curse sahabas, then from my point of view,

0:27:560:27:58

it takes them outside the fold of Islam.

0:27:580:28:00

And what does that mean? If you're outside the fold of Islam?

0:28:010:28:04

It means they are a kuffar. A five-star, grade-A kuffar.

0:28:040:28:07

And what does that mean?

0:28:070:28:08

-That means that they're going to go to the hellfire.

-Holy Moley!

0:28:080:28:11

My dad's friend was murdered in the mosque. He went to pray.

0:28:110:28:15

The man was praying with his son.

0:28:150:28:16

A bunch of people come in, shoot up the entire mosque.

0:28:160:28:19

All of the men die, including the boys, because somebody believed that

0:28:190:28:24

they're outside the fold of Islam, and therefore they should die.

0:28:240:28:27

-So the ideology, to me, is scary.

-Who told you that the person...

0:28:270:28:31

The reason why your father's friend was killed was...

0:28:310:28:33

Do you think that's wrong?

0:28:330:28:35

-No, let me ask you...

-Do you think that's wrong?

-From the divine

0:28:350:28:37

point of view, I haven't got any evidence to say wrong or right,

0:28:370:28:40

and I'll ask this...

0:28:400:28:41

Well, you think that you don't have the divine text evidence

0:28:410:28:46

to say that that is wrong.

0:28:460:28:48

-No, I don't.

-So you actually agree that it is right?

0:28:480:28:50

I haven't agreed or disagreed.

0:28:500:28:52

I can't believe that you're saying there's

0:28:520:28:54

a situation in which someone has an idea,

0:28:540:28:55

someone else has an idea, someone kills someone for that,

0:28:550:28:58

and, "Hmm, I'm not sure if that's OK or not.

0:28:580:29:02

"Could murder be OK or not?"

0:29:020:29:04

OK, OK, OK, let's look to that...

0:29:040:29:06

I'm shaking, I'm so worried about what you're saying.

0:29:060:29:09

-Yeah, I find that worrying too.

-Let's fall back on the evidence.

0:29:090:29:12

-The Prophet said, "Whoever leaves the fold of Islam, kill him."

-What?!

0:29:120:29:16

"Whoever turns his back on the din of Islam, kill him."

0:29:160:29:18

I feel like I need to call the anti-terrorism police.

0:29:180:29:21

-If you're...

-I can't believe you're not just saying "no" right now.

0:29:210:29:23

If you're...

0:29:230:29:24

What if I went to a mosque and I was praying and somebody shot me?

0:29:240:29:29

Would you think that was wrong?

0:29:290:29:31

-If you are a believer...

-Oh, my God!

0:29:320:29:34

If you're a believer, you're going to paradise,

0:29:340:29:36

and death is something no man can avoid,

0:29:360:29:38

that point of death is already decreed for an individual.

0:29:380:29:41

And the greatest evil... The greatest bad is not someone dying.

0:29:410:29:44

Everybody's going to die, and no-one can escape death.

0:29:440:29:47

I'm standing up because there's a hadith that says

0:29:470:29:49

when you're angry, if you're sitting down, you should stand up,

0:29:490:29:52

because I'm a Muslim.

0:29:520:29:53

Oh, man.

0:29:580:29:59

I'm upset, because...

0:30:070:30:09

the idea that someone thinks that they could kill someone like me...

0:30:090:30:13

..or my friends or...

0:30:140:30:15

I get why he was in Belmarsh.

0:30:240:30:26

His ideas are crazy.

0:30:260:30:28

He thinks that it's OK...

0:30:280:30:30

He was very careful not to say those words,

0:30:300:30:33

but he thinks that it's OK to kill people,

0:30:330:30:36

which is ridiculous, cos it's completely un-Islamic

0:30:360:30:39

and I sort of feel like he needs to be reported to someone

0:30:390:30:42

for crazy views, because that's completely unacceptable.

0:30:420:30:47

His ideas are extremely dangerous. They have consequences.

0:30:470:30:52

I worry for the kids that he speaks to.

0:30:520:30:54

It's so bizarre, though, because last night,

0:30:540:30:56

he was fine sitting at the table with girls.

0:30:560:30:59

It was, like, progress. It was like, "Oh, you know,

0:30:590:31:01

"actually, underneath the kind of scary weirdness,

0:31:010:31:03

"Abdul's all right."

0:31:030:31:05

But he's not. He is not all right.

0:31:050:31:07

And I want to know that the rest of the Muslim community

0:31:070:31:11

also think that he's batshit crazy.

0:31:110:31:13

Jason's keen to show off his hometown,

0:31:280:31:31

so he's organised a walk around the city,

0:31:310:31:33

to take in all its historic glory.

0:31:330:31:36

So, we're coming up to the Minster.

0:31:370:31:40

Of course, a fine old example of Perpendicular Gothic architecture.

0:31:400:31:44

-Perpendicular Gothic architecture?

-Yes. Up, down, perpendicular.

0:31:440:31:48

-Oh, I see.

-Exactly.

0:31:480:31:49

I think it would be quite nice to get an ice cream.

0:31:520:31:54

-Do you want an ice cream?

-Yes.

-Let's have an ice cream.

0:31:540:31:57

You can take in the views of the Minster while we're here.

0:32:000:32:02

-It is beautiful, isn't it?

-Does it have any resonance with you?

0:32:070:32:10

I mean, you regard yourself as British, don't you? So...

0:32:100:32:13

Do you look on it like...?

0:32:150:32:17

-What am I supposed to feel when I look at it?

-I don't know.

0:32:170:32:19

-I don't look at it and think it's part of my heritage.

-OK.

0:32:190:32:21

-The building itself doesn't count as...?

-No, it doesn't.

0:32:210:32:24

We'll get a nice view from the top.

0:32:280:32:31

-Quite nice and leafy as well.

-Yeah, good.

0:32:310:32:33

-INTERVIEWER:

-Are you Muslim first or British first?

0:32:370:32:40

Well, I'm Scottish, remember.

0:32:400:32:41

I kind of don't... I can't even answer that question.

0:32:430:32:46

It's like saying, "Are you female first or Asian first?"

0:32:460:32:48

I would say that I'm Muslim first, in all seriousness.

0:32:520:32:55

Yeah. What's wrong with that?

0:32:550:32:57

I'm British first. That's me, that's my nation, that's my culture.

0:32:580:33:02

And my Islam is simply a way of living as a British person.

0:33:030:33:06

To me, this is quintessentially a British scene,

0:33:110:33:14

and these things, to me,

0:33:140:33:16

are a source of great nostalgia and pride.

0:33:160:33:19

And I was just asking Mehreen what she thought about this,

0:33:190:33:22

and, well, what was your response?

0:33:220:33:24

It's very beautiful, but I'm a London girl,

0:33:240:33:27

so the last thing I associate with being British

0:33:270:33:29

is greenery and nature.

0:33:290:33:31

Fields and things don't make me feel very British.

0:33:310:33:33

That is a very interesting observation,

0:33:330:33:35

-that we have different views of what Britishness is.

-Mm-hm.

0:33:350:33:39

Yours is very more urban,

0:33:390:33:40

mine is a bit more - what? Provincial,

0:33:400:33:43

a bit more sort of, I don't know...

0:33:430:33:45

-Mine's city life.

-Yours is noise and, you know...

0:33:450:33:49

KFC wrappers on the floor and things like that.

0:33:490:33:51

No, I don't think London equates to KFC wrappers.

0:33:510:33:54

I think London also equates to Harrods,

0:33:540:33:56

which is quite the opposite of KFC wrappers on the floor.

0:33:560:33:59

-Good...

-But it's still the city.

-Good consumerist...

0:33:590:34:01

We keep having these conversations about what Britishness is,

0:34:010:34:04

and it's extremely hard from within to say what it is.

0:34:040:34:06

I don't think about being British, I just am.

0:34:060:34:08

-Exactly.

-Exactly.

-Just as you are British...

-Yes.

0:34:080:34:11

I don't identify as British, and I'll tell you why.

0:34:110:34:14

As a child, I was really, really proud to be British,

0:34:140:34:17

but I was told in primary school

0:34:170:34:19

that I was a, "Fucking Paki terrorist that should go back home."

0:34:190:34:23

And...

0:34:230:34:25

If I need... If you want me to identify as British,

0:34:250:34:27

then I need white British people in this country

0:34:270:34:30

to actually accept me as British first,

0:34:300:34:32

and that's never happened.

0:34:320:34:33

What I think when I think about Britishness is intolerance.

0:34:330:34:36

I look at the draconian laws which have been in place for the Muslims right now.

0:34:360:34:39

I know of individuals who haven't committed any crime,

0:34:390:34:42

but the police have gone to their house,

0:34:420:34:44

they're going to take you out of your home, going to put a GPS tag on your foot

0:34:440:34:47

that's going to monitor everywhere you go...

0:34:470:34:49

I don't think you can talk about persecution,

0:34:490:34:51

cos you think persecuting Shi'as is OK,

0:34:510:34:53

so he doesn't really have a leg to stand on.

0:34:530:34:54

You're talking about a completely alien point.

0:34:540:34:56

You shouldn't talk about persecution if you think that persecuting people is OK.

0:34:560:35:00

If you want to jump from one subject to the next, we won't get anywhere,

0:35:000:35:02

so you continue talking about something that's unrelated,

0:35:020:35:05

-that's your business.

-I'm talking about persecution.

0:35:050:35:07

I believe that Britain stands for intolerance.

0:35:070:35:09

Any point that says we've got freedom of choice,

0:35:110:35:14

you're going to get Abdul Haq going,

0:35:140:35:16

and now you've got Zohra going, and I feel like we're in a zoo.

0:35:160:35:20

And day in, day out, it's...

0:35:200:35:22

..I'm overloaded with the same bullshit.

0:35:240:35:27

It's your experience, but I'm happy to be British Muslim,

0:35:270:35:31

and I'm practising the way I want to practise.

0:35:310:35:34

Your point of view is valid. You cannot represent all of us.

0:35:340:35:38

This Ramadan alone, I went to many mosques up and down the country,

0:35:380:35:41

and the amount of Muslims that I spoke to

0:35:410:35:43

who maybe don't even share my views

0:35:430:35:45

have had their funds seized, their passports taken,

0:35:450:35:48

their children taken.

0:35:480:35:50

Imagine you've got children...

0:35:500:35:51

Imagine someone comes to you and wants to take your child away

0:35:510:35:54

because of your religious beliefs,

0:35:540:35:55

and you want to tell me that the UK is tolerant?

0:35:550:35:57

-Because you can practice Islam freely?

-I understand.

0:35:570:36:00

It's not just me, it's the whole of the Muslim community.

0:36:000:36:02

If you say, "I'm Muslim and I practise Islam

0:36:020:36:04

"and I identify with the problems with Muslims around the world,"

0:36:040:36:06

then they will come down on you and call you a fundamentalist.

0:36:060:36:09

Just talking his usual crap.

0:36:090:36:11

-It's just that now, we know what he thinks.

-Yeah.

0:36:110:36:14

This side of him is just obsessive.

0:36:140:36:16

It just goes on and on, and rants on and doesn't...

0:36:160:36:18

Everybody else disappears.

0:36:180:36:20

When you see a mother crying as to why her child's been taken away from her

0:36:200:36:23

and she's done nothing wrong, it's a problem.

0:36:230:36:25

-Unless she's Shi'a, because then it's OK.

-You keep talking...

0:36:250:36:29

OK, I think I'm done now. I'll leave you here.

0:36:290:36:32

Don't leave.

0:36:320:36:33

-JASON:

-I don't know what points we've made, if any,

0:36:330:36:35

but shall we continue with...?

0:36:350:36:37

-The walk! The lovely walk!

-Before it starts raining.

0:36:370:36:39

All I wanted to do was show people a nice old cathedral

0:36:420:36:46

and walk along a wall and see a few gardens,

0:36:460:36:49

but that seems to have been tremendously divisive.

0:36:490:36:53

It wasn't an exercise to go,

0:36:530:36:55

-"Listen, you need to start respecting how Britain is."

-It's not...

0:36:550:36:57

And I feel like that's how some people kind of perceived it,

0:36:570:37:00

and that clearly wasn't what it was.

0:37:000:37:03

-So, this right-hand...

-Down, down, down.

0:37:030:37:06

Wow!

0:37:060:37:08

'They are a divided bunch, so that's a finding,'

0:37:080:37:11

which, I guess in terms of Islamophobia,

0:37:110:37:14

it demonstrates that it's a non-stance

0:37:140:37:16

because you don't quite know what you're phobic against, are you?

0:37:160:37:20

I've experienced loads of Islamophobia on social media.

0:37:210:37:25

The biggest thing was someone saying that they were going to kidnap me

0:37:250:37:31

and gang-rape me

0:37:310:37:33

and they would force me to have their children.

0:37:330:37:36

Um...

0:37:380:37:39

That was, I think, the biggest thing that someone...

0:37:390:37:45

I'm sorry.

0:37:490:37:51

SHE SNIFFS

0:37:550:37:56

OK, OK, OK, OK. Ali, Ali, Ali, Ali, Ali.

0:38:180:38:21

This is Ali.

0:38:210:38:22

OK, OK. Amir Khan, Amir Khan. Do Amir Khan.

0:38:270:38:29

HE LAUGHS

0:38:310:38:32

Seriously, you know, after having a conversation with Abdul,

0:38:350:38:38

I just was looking for some comfort, I opened the Koran,

0:38:380:38:40

and the first verse that I fell on said,

0:38:400:38:43

"Don't heed the warnings of a madman."

0:38:430:38:46

And that just made me laugh. I was like, "Oh, that's really funny."

0:38:460:38:50

-Yeah.

-Exactly.

0:38:510:38:52

I'm not saying he's a madman.

0:38:540:38:56

But he is a bit.

0:38:560:38:57

I'm surprised. Do you think it's weird that I'm surprised?

0:39:050:39:07

Like, are you surprised that he had that view?

0:39:070:39:10

Sometimes I don't think he fully understands

0:39:100:39:13

exactly what he's saying.

0:39:130:39:14

But it is a surprising view, right?

0:39:140:39:16

Like, this isn't...? These aren't your views, right?

0:39:160:39:19

-No, no.

-Do I have a problem with Shi'as that say certain things?

0:39:190:39:23

Yes. I'm not going to pretend just because you're in front of me.

0:39:230:39:26

-Yeah, sure.

-But you know, you can't just decide it's OK to kill people.

0:39:260:39:30

What exactly did you say?

0:39:340:39:35

-Because I do have a problem with you if you said that.

-It's not...

0:39:350:39:39

-You didn't say it's OK for her to be killed...?

-No, I did not say that.

0:39:390:39:42

-Do you believe that?

-I didn't... No, and the record will show that.

0:39:420:39:44

If someone came to me and said,

0:39:440:39:47

"I don't give a shit if you get shot," I'd be sad,

0:39:470:39:50

and you can see that, right? That's common sense.

0:39:500:39:52

-Agreed?

-Yeah, yeah.

-She thinks you haven't got that common sense.

0:39:520:39:55

You know, she was crying,

0:39:550:39:56

and she's not even the most sensitive person in the house.

0:39:560:39:59

-She's not.

-She was crying because she...

0:39:590:40:01

She was so shaken up by what you said,

0:40:010:40:04

she even asked me, "Do you believe this, too?

0:40:040:40:06

"Do you really think it's OK for me to be shot?"

0:40:060:40:08

Cos that makes you seem like a monster.

0:40:080:40:11

There's no way that she could have taken what I said in that manner.

0:40:120:40:15

I said the worst thing in life is dying having not embraced Islam.

0:40:150:40:19

Listen, if she asked you and that was your answer...

0:40:190:40:22

-No, but...

-That was your answer, man. I heard it.

0:40:220:40:25

-I was so clear...

-So, just talk about it.

0:40:250:40:28

She's the type of person which I don't really want to interact with.

0:40:280:40:30

I don't want to interact with her. That's my stance.

0:40:300:40:34

-How about just apologising?

-I don't need to speak to her.

0:40:340:40:37

She doesn't need to speak to me. So let's leave it at that.

0:40:370:40:40

-Have a good sleep?

-Good enough.

0:41:050:41:08

When I got back from my run this morning,

0:41:130:41:15

Abdul unplugged his microphone and asked if I had a microphone on,

0:41:150:41:19

and said... "I just want you to know

0:41:190:41:23

"that you are the most sincere person in this house

0:41:230:41:25

"and I don't think you should die."

0:41:250:41:29

And I said, "Thanks for saying that."

0:41:290:41:33

And then he left.

0:41:330:41:34

He's got this sort of simple and straight way of thinking,

0:41:370:41:41

and I think he thinks that if he apologises,

0:41:410:41:43

that somehow it means that something he said was wrong,

0:41:430:41:46

and he doesn't think that anything he says is wrong.

0:41:460:41:49

He's not very good at communication,

0:41:510:41:52

he doesn't have much emotional intelligence,

0:41:520:41:55

and that's why I wonder whether there's something actually up there.

0:41:550:41:58

I'm really confused about him.

0:42:000:42:02

I'm not really sure who he is.

0:42:030:42:05

What do you like in a woman? What do you like about women?

0:42:150:42:18

I don't think it's appropriate to talk about that.

0:42:180:42:20

-Why? ..English!

-Yeah, it's very English.

-Behave.

0:42:200:42:25

We can't say things are very English or not very English.

0:42:250:42:28

-There's a beautiful woman sitting over there.

-There is.

0:42:280:42:31

-Ohh!

-Exactly.

-A very glamorous, glamorous woman...

0:42:310:42:34

There's a woman sitting there.

0:42:340:42:35

-I'm going to...

-Randomly go up...

-..go over there now...

0:42:350:42:38

And what would you say?

0:42:380:42:39

And I want you to say the first thing that comes to mind.

0:42:390:42:41

-I'll be your wingman.

-I wouldn't say anything.

0:42:410:42:44

-You go there...

-I'll be your wingman. Are we going now?

0:42:440:42:46

-What, are we going to...?

-OK. Come on.

-What are we doing?

-I'm being your wingman.

0:42:460:42:50

When we found out non-Muslims were going to come, I thought,

0:42:510:42:54

"I see non-Muslims every day, so what's the big deal?"

0:42:540:42:58

But actually, their questions and their involvement

0:42:580:43:02

has caused a major reaction.

0:43:020:43:04

You could say something to me. Say, "There's a lovely damsel..."

0:43:040:43:07

Oh, what a beautiful creature sitting in the corner.

0:43:070:43:11

-I've always thought so, you know.

-Absolutely arresting.

-Yes.

0:43:110:43:13

-I particularly love the beard.

-Oh-ho-ho!

0:43:130:43:15

-You like a beard on a girl.

-Absolutely.

0:43:150:43:18

I would have never thought the tour of York

0:43:180:43:21

would incite such strong opinions

0:43:210:43:24

and passionate debates and arguments,

0:43:240:43:27

and that wouldn't have happened

0:43:270:43:29

had Jason not stood and said it makes him feel British.

0:43:290:43:34

-And what's your name?

-Jalaluddin.

0:43:340:43:36

HE LAUGHS

0:43:360:43:39

Jalal... What a nice name.

0:43:390:43:40

-Would you like to sit down?

-I'd love to sit down.

0:43:400:43:43

Yes, absolutely.

0:43:430:43:44

So, what's a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?

0:43:440:43:47

-I'm just waiting for a nice guy like you.

-Oh, really? Gosh, well...

0:43:470:43:51

Get your coat, you've pulled!

0:43:530:43:55

I just want to go home now, man.

0:43:570:43:59

'I think there has been the emergence of a more orthodox group,'

0:44:000:44:05

and then you've got the liberal group.

0:44:050:44:07

The main disparity between the two groups now

0:44:080:44:11

is one, where I'm not entirely sure

0:44:110:44:13

where the halal, haram,

0:44:130:44:14

allowed, not allowed, heaven-hell boundaries lie,

0:44:140:44:17

and one where they're saying it's quite clear-cut,

0:44:170:44:20

this is in the book, don't deny it.

0:44:200:44:21

And then I'm in the middle.

0:44:210:44:23

I guess that means I'm kind of in the middle in my practice.

0:44:230:44:26

The group are preparing dinner.

0:44:330:44:35

INDISTINCT

0:44:350:44:38

But they're yet to agree on the menu.

0:44:380:44:40

I'm going to make a saag and chicken.

0:44:400:44:42

-I love saag and chicken.

-Ooh!

0:44:420:44:44

Can you take...

0:44:440:44:46

Can we do half and half?

0:44:470:44:48

Cos me and Nabil have bought ingredients to make chicken.

0:44:480:44:51

-Oh, right, yeah, that's fine.

-Is that all right?

-Yeah.

0:44:510:44:53

-ZOHRA:

-I think Ferhan's also making something.

0:44:530:44:55

That's all right cos I went and bought stuff to cook.

0:44:550:44:57

-Is that your Sainsbury's bag?

-Yeah.

0:44:570:44:59

-That wasn't even on the budget, either.

-Ooh!

0:44:590:45:01

Dipped into my tiny pocket. So, yeah...

0:45:010:45:05

Those mine you're chopping up?

0:45:060:45:08

-Um, just using any old thing...

-Did you ask?

0:45:080:45:11

-Excuse me...

-I went out and got something with my own pocket.

0:45:110:45:14

No, Nabil, don't get in my face.

0:45:140:45:16

-Don't touch my stuff.

-Go away. Go away.

0:45:160:45:17

Maybe your mother didn't teach you not to touch other people's things.

0:45:170:45:20

-Don't talk about my mother!

-Maybe...

0:45:200:45:23

Don't you dare talk about my mother, OK?!

0:45:230:45:25

-Keep shouting.

-Don't you dare talk about my mother!

0:45:250:45:28

-That was crossing the line.

-I don't care.

0:45:280:45:30

I bought stuff with my pocket...

0:45:300:45:32

In this day, you can ask for the money back.

0:45:320:45:34

Like I said, maybe some people weren't taught that.

0:45:340:45:37

-Don't touch my stuff.

-You don't talk about somebody's mother.

0:45:370:45:39

And you don't touch other people's things.

0:45:390:45:41

And then you tell me go away?

0:45:410:45:42

If I don't go away, what are you going to do?

0:45:420:45:44

What are you going to do?

0:45:440:45:46

-Don't touch my things.

-You're just a baby.

0:45:460:45:47

Did you ask me? You don't have manners.

0:45:470:45:50

Yeah, only you've got manners, hey?

0:45:500:45:52

-Have I taken anyone's things?

-Listen, it's not...

-You're an idiot.

0:45:520:45:56

And you can shout as much...

0:45:560:45:57

-This is bullying.

-Stop abusing people.

0:45:570:45:59

You're an idiot as well. It's not bullying.

0:45:590:46:02

You took my stuff. You're taking my stuff.

0:46:020:46:04

You talk loud and you're abusive and aggressive

0:46:040:46:06

-and you think that's allowed.

-Who's abusive now?

0:46:060:46:08

I bought something and you took it.

0:46:080:46:11

Like I said, you clearly have no manners.

0:46:110:46:14

Do not touch my stuff.

0:46:140:46:16

-Oh, get out.

-Or what? What are you going to do if I don't?

0:46:160:46:19

Yeah, yeah, show your aggression!

0:46:190:46:20

Aggressive to men, aggressive to women, aggressive to the elderly.

0:46:200:46:24

He took my stuff, you idiot. He took my stuff.

0:46:240:46:27

He took my stuff.

0:46:270:46:29

-Back off! Back off!

-Can you mind your own business?

0:46:290:46:32

-What's he going to do?

-Back off!

0:46:320:46:34

-Back off! Back off!

-It's none of your business.

0:46:340:46:38

What, are you hanging about waiting to say goodbye?

0:46:380:46:40

-No, I need my bag.

-I'll get it. Which one is it?

0:46:400:46:43

-Yeah, as if it's gold.

-Piss off.

0:46:430:46:45

As if he's going to die without his stuff cos he paid for it.

0:46:450:46:49

-You're a fucking bully.

-That's right - you are.

0:46:490:46:52

I'm being taken out of the room.

0:46:520:46:53

Someone took my things, and I asked him,

0:46:530:46:55

"Did you take it out of the Sainsbury's bag."

0:46:550:46:57

-"Oh, just go away, go away."

-Such an idiot.

0:46:570:47:00

You know, I'm going back in the kitchen.

0:47:000:47:02

-I want to take my things.

-Let's go.

-Yeah?

0:47:020:47:04

FERHAN SIGHS

0:47:060:47:09

I don't need to be out of the kitchen.

0:47:090:47:10

-Don't touch my stuff. Use your own.

-You know what? Have your onion.

0:47:100:47:14

-It's so stupid.

-Yeah.

-I can't...

0:47:140:47:19

-We'll see you tomorrow.

-Yes.

0:47:190:47:21

-They mean a lot to you, don't they?

-Yeah, yeah.

0:47:210:47:23

My things mean a lot to me, cos, unlike you,

0:47:230:47:26

my mother taught me not to take other people's things. Yeah?

0:47:260:47:29

FERHAN CRIES

0:47:310:47:33

Listen, it's OK.

0:47:330:47:34

As if he can just bully you and you're going to have to take it. No!

0:47:340:47:38

'He's coming up to me like he wants to fight.'

0:47:380:47:40

I just say there's a bias.

0:47:400:47:42

I'm sorry, but I wouldn't be allowed to get away with behaving like that.

0:47:420:47:45

I could not charge up to somebody aggressively that way.

0:47:450:47:47

-HE SOBS

-It's OK, it's OK.

0:47:470:47:51

It's OK.

0:47:510:47:52

(Shh... It's OK.)

0:47:530:47:55

Well, at least he chopped the onions. That's one job done.

0:47:560:47:59

You said it from the heart.

0:48:030:48:05

-It was so painful for you to hear that.

-Yeah, really was.

0:48:050:48:07

And we judge ourselves, thinking,

0:48:070:48:10

oh, we shouldn't have reacted like that, or whatever,

0:48:100:48:12

whether it's me being furious and raging.

0:48:120:48:15

-But he's talking about your mother...

-My mother.

0:48:150:48:17

..and how she's brought you up

0:48:170:48:20

-He has no limit to how nasty he can be about...

-No!

0:48:200:48:23

He gives himself permission to go any place,

0:48:230:48:26

get as personal as you want.

0:48:260:48:29

I mean, it just reveals how ludicrous and immature he is.

0:48:290:48:33

We're going to have this complete divide.

0:48:330:48:36

-There's no pretence.

-No way.

0:48:360:48:38

Thanks so much, Nabil. It's amazing. It's so tasty.

0:48:560:48:59

Yeah, you know me, bullying and cooking.

0:48:590:49:03

There was an explosion,

0:49:070:49:08

but I've seen it building over a few days now.

0:49:080:49:11

It's like a volcano.

0:49:110:49:12

I think it's good, it's sort of like, boom, better out than in, man.

0:49:120:49:16

That happening made our situation that much more real.

0:49:190:49:22

We're not a bunch of holy people sitting around being pious.

0:49:220:49:25

This is about the reality of Muslims

0:49:250:49:28

and the life that goes on around them and what happens between them.

0:49:280:49:34

Allah...

0:49:340:49:36

It's valuable because it shows one more and more

0:49:370:49:40

it's a mistake to carry around a rigid idea of what Islam is.

0:49:400:49:45

Allah...

0:49:450:49:47

Each of us has trouble, each of us has something,

0:49:470:49:49

we have to learn to ride it properly.

0:49:490:49:51

And we say if you feel troubled and disturbed,

0:49:510:49:54

turn to the law of the universe.

0:49:540:49:57

Just don't splurge out on the people.

0:49:570:50:00

It's futile.

0:50:000:50:02

-Do you see my hair?

-Hm?

-What the hell is wrong with...?

0:50:190:50:22

It's a very healthy head of hair you have.

0:50:220:50:25

It's the final morning in York.

0:50:250:50:28

After ten days,

0:50:280:50:29

everyone is ready to leave the place they've made their home.

0:50:290:50:33

I'm feeling quite tired. Very tired, very tired.

0:50:340:50:38

-OBJECT CLATTERS

-Ooh!

0:50:380:50:40

You lot are too scared to accept that you wear Crocs...

0:50:420:50:45

Just put the things away, man.

0:50:450:50:47

Putting them away, but they'll be coming back out when I get home.

0:50:470:50:49

We've already got enough things, us Muslims, to be sorry for.

0:50:490:50:53

OK, 7/7, 9/11, Citizen Khan, and now this? Oh, man.

0:50:530:50:58

To celebrate, they're having a barbecue.

0:51:000:51:03

And they've invited the locals back for one last time.

0:51:030:51:06

Hello! Oh, I love your outfit.

0:51:060:51:09

-Hello, hello.

-It's my favourite.

0:51:090:51:11

Wow! Look...

0:51:110:51:13

I must be synchronised with your colouring.

0:51:130:51:15

Oh, yes, perfect.

0:51:150:51:17

Just because we had some disagreements,

0:51:190:51:21

that doesn't mean that we can't sit and eat together.

0:51:210:51:24

Yesterday, it was all a bit tense, wasn't it?

0:51:260:51:28

It was all a bit tense...

0:51:280:51:29

-It's all sort of calmed down now.

-Seems to be a happier household.

0:51:290:51:33

THEY SING

0:51:330:51:36

# My name is Sheila... #

0:51:360:51:39

THEY LAUGH

0:51:390:51:41

LAUGHTER

0:51:450:51:48

You're so violent, man.

0:51:480:51:50

You're so abusive.

0:51:520:51:53

Are you sure you know what you're doing?

0:51:560:51:57

I ain't seen no-one season no food round here.

0:51:570:51:59

You haven't seen me season food?

0:51:590:52:01

-Let it percolate.

-To perco...?!

0:52:010:52:04

HE LAUGHS HYSTERICALLY

0:52:040:52:06

Percolate food...

0:52:110:52:13

HE LAUGHS

0:52:130:52:15

-MEHREEN:

-I'm so excited.

0:52:170:52:19

And so hungry.

0:52:190:52:22

The end is in sight.

0:52:220:52:24

I just want to literally have a nice time today.

0:52:240:52:27

-Like, I'm not going to sit and harbour negativity.

-No, absolutely.

0:52:270:52:32

Allah is our judge - not people.

0:52:320:52:34

-We look sexy.

-I don't believe that.

0:52:340:52:37

OK. I'm going to do this the best that I can.

0:52:440:52:48

In the kitchen, Mehreen is getting her own halal makeover.

0:52:480:52:51

Here we go.

0:52:520:52:54

I feel like a rich Arab wife.

0:52:540:52:56

It actually looks better than I thought it would look.

0:52:560:52:59

-What do you think, Abdul Haq?

-Much better. Masha'Allah.

0:52:590:53:02

-Much better?

-Obviously, from an Islamic point of view.

0:53:020:53:05

-What about from your point of view?

-I have no point of view.

-Good.

0:53:050:53:09

I feel like a supermodel.

0:53:090:53:10

I don't think feeling like a supermodel

0:53:100:53:12

is the purpose behind the hijab.

0:53:120:53:15

I can't help it if I look nice with my hair covered.

0:53:160:53:18

-Am I still wearing it wrong?

-I don't know the specifics.

0:53:180:53:22

Some say, what you're wearing now,

0:53:220:53:24

it's a lot more better than what you were wearing yesterday.

0:53:240:53:26

I think it's none of his business what I wear.

0:53:260:53:29

It's her family's business, and...

0:53:290:53:30

I think it's none of his business what I wore yesterday,

0:53:300:53:33

and he should have lowered his gaze,

0:53:330:53:34

you wouldn't know what I was wearing yesterday.

0:53:340:53:36

You're just winding him up. Stop it.

0:53:360:53:38

Wear the hijab on your tongue, girl.

0:53:410:53:43

He's been going on about the hijab for so long,

0:53:480:53:50

that I couldn't put it on and not ask him any questions.

0:53:500:53:53

I understand.

0:53:530:53:54

So, if you just take a wee bit, sorry.

0:53:570:53:59

-What is this?

-Kebab.

-Ooh!

0:53:590:54:01

-Kebab?

-Oh, God...

-Chris.

0:54:010:54:04

Can I say something, please?

0:54:040:54:06

Can I thank you all for actually putting up with us.

0:54:060:54:11

And this has been a wonderful integration, in many ways,

0:54:110:54:14

so thank you for allowing me to be part of it

0:54:140:54:16

-and actually allowing me to share...

-She speaks for us all, of course.

0:54:160:54:20

I came in having no Muslim friends,

0:54:210:54:23

and I hope I have, now, ten.

0:54:230:54:25

Maybe we can go shopping at Harrods or something like that,

0:54:250:54:27

that would be quite nice. I hope.

0:54:270:54:29

And of course, you will, I hope, look me up if ever you're in York.

0:54:290:54:33

I came in definitely confused,

0:54:330:54:35

and I'm sure I am leaving more confused.

0:54:350:54:38

But I've also learnt that

0:54:380:54:40

the only way to resolve issues

0:54:400:54:43

is by learning more and more about

0:54:430:54:46

the people that you are talking about.

0:54:460:54:48

There's a lot more that connects us and that we share in common

0:54:480:54:52

than we don't.

0:54:520:54:53

We are all individuals,

0:54:530:54:54

we're all built, sculpted by our experiences in life.

0:54:540:54:58

I think it's really important that non-Muslims see

0:54:590:55:03

that you can't just say, "Muslims think this,"

0:55:030:55:04

or, "Muslims are like that."

0:55:040:55:06

Actually, I don't think you can even define what a Muslim is like.

0:55:060:55:10

I don't know if Muslims can even define what...

0:55:100:55:12

I mean, really, if we tried to define a Muslim between the ten of us,

0:55:120:55:15

can you imagine the craziness that would ensue?

0:55:150:55:18

Even though it felt emotional at times,

0:55:180:55:20

I think it was healthy that we actually showed

0:55:200:55:24

that we're no different to any other society

0:55:240:55:27

and that we all have our different ways.

0:55:270:55:32

You know, we don't all agree with each other,

0:55:320:55:35

but one thing that was inspiring

0:55:350:55:37

was that, inherently, we all want to do good.

0:55:370:55:39

And while we all argue about what wallpaper should be on,

0:55:400:55:44

we are still part of the same house.

0:55:440:55:46

When you're just around each other

0:55:470:55:49

and you get past the bits you find difficult to digest,

0:55:490:55:52

companionship, which is a pillar of Islam,

0:55:520:55:55

works miraculously when you're just living together.

0:55:550:55:59

There is the brother or cousin or auntie

0:55:590:56:01

you find a bit tricky or difficult,

0:56:010:56:03

but you accept them and you accept the difficult parts as well.

0:56:030:56:08

SHE CHUCKLES

0:56:100:56:13

We learnt to live together, which is the key.

0:56:130:56:16

APPLAUSE

0:56:170:56:19

Anything said, it was just in the moment.

0:56:370:56:39

Sure, that's fine.

0:56:390:56:41

-I'm going to...

-No!

0:56:410:56:43

Got it! Done!

0:56:430:56:44

-See you later, man. Take care. All the best, yeah?

-Take care.

0:56:440:56:47

See later, man.

0:56:470:56:49

-Take care, Abdul.

-As-salamu alaykum. I'll see you.

0:56:510:56:54

It was great having you in the room.

0:56:560:56:59

-Are you going to call me?

-Absolutely, yes.

0:56:590:57:01

Every time you need your make-up done?

0:57:010:57:02

Yes, that'll last about, what, ten years from now.

0:57:020:57:05

I don't know why I'm crying so much.

0:57:080:57:10

So, this is it.

0:57:100:57:11

Khuda hafiz.

0:57:160:57:18

'I would like to say to the Muslims in Britain,

0:57:200:57:22

'come out from your houses, your families,'

0:57:220:57:25

and really fully arrive in this country.

0:57:250:57:29

Really engage with the British people

0:57:290:57:31

cos that's your duty, that's what you have to do here.

0:57:310:57:33

You have to teach them what Islam is about, move on from the culture.

0:57:330:57:37

Let's go, let's go.

0:57:370:57:39

Say bye to our house, our ten-bedroom house.

0:57:390:57:42

It's the nicest house I've ever been in.

0:57:420:57:44

-I'm going to miss the garden.

-Oh, my God, the grass.

0:57:440:57:47

'We're not the enemy.'

0:57:470:57:48

We live next to you, we operate on you, we cook for you,

0:57:480:57:51

we drive you, we teach you, and everything in between.

0:57:510:57:54

We even entertain you on stage.

0:57:540:57:56

A bed for every night.

0:58:010:58:02

'We are just people'

0:58:020:58:04

who want normal things from life.

0:58:040:58:06

We're people who fall short, and we're people who try our best,

0:58:060:58:10

just like everyone else.

0:58:100:58:11

The next time you see a Muslim,

0:58:150:58:17

maybe try and say hi.

0:58:170:58:19

See what happens.

0:58:190:58:20

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