My Name Is Samayya

Available for over a year

As a young Muslim growing up in Bradford, Samayya Afzal has never felt anything but British but she’s no stranger to Islamophobic slurs and attacks. As she says, “It was at a young age that I realised I was different. And people want to punish that difference”. And when 50 people were killed at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand last year, Samayya noticed a sharp rise in Islamophobic incidents in the UK – a spike apparently confirmed by the monitoring group Tell Mama. The Home Office has now pledged an extra £5 million to help make Mosques and other places of worship safe but Samayya feels much more needs to be done. In this programme, Samayya takes a deeply personal look at the issue of Mosque safety and Islamophobia in the UK, as she seeks answers from faith leaders, fellow worshippers and the government. Presenter: Samayya Afzal Producer: Mend Mariwany A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4