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Branded a 'terrorist', Newcastle Muslim teen speaks out against Islamophobia, wins hearts
Thursday December 17, 2015 8:38 PM, IINA

Isra Mohammad
[Isra Mohammed, 15, of Kenton School, Newcastle, who has given speeches about Islamophobia to her fellow pupils. Image from ChronicleLive.]

Newcastle (England):
A brave Muslim schoolgirl from Kenton School, Newcastle who was labelled a terrorist in the wake of the Paris attacks has spoken out against Islamophobia, during a speech to her fellow pupils and teachers in Newcastle, Chronicle Live news reported.

In a rousing school assembly speech Isra Mohammed, 15 year-old, told classmates that ISIS were not Muslims and defended Islam as a religion of peace.

A recording of Isra’s speech has been viewed more than 5,000 times online and the teenager has been asked to give similar talks at several other schools in the North East.

Isra, who is currently studying for her GCSEs at Kenton School in Fawdon, told pupils and teachers how she and her family had often been the target of Islamophobia- in one instance her seven-year-old sister have been told the Paris attacks were her fault.

In the speech, Isra said: “People come to me telling me that because I am a Muslim, I am a terrorist.

“I have a seven-year-old sister who came home from school crying, when I asked why she said people in school were blaming her for the Paris attacks, she said that she didn’t want to go back.

“I have a brother in year seven, he got bullied as people were telling him your religion is killing people.”

She added: “The group behind the negative headlines is ISIS, they bring nothing but harm and terror to the world.

“In Islam we believe whoever kills an innocent person it is as if they have killed all of humanity, that’s why all of Islam stands together against ISIS, terrorism has no religion and is not the face of Islam.”

She said: “I wanted to highlight how Muslims are being treated, all my friends and family have been really positive since I gave the speech.

“It is nice to know that some people are finally understand what Islam is.”

English and Media teacher Jessica Griffiths supported Isra in putting the speech together and praised her as an “incredible person”.

She said: “It is a very rare thing that a pupil takes an assembly, but Isra came to me after I gave one on asylum seekers and she talked about the Islamophobia she had faced.

“Her speech has inspired so many students and members of staff and the reaction online has been phenomenal. We have also had three other schools contact us to ask if Isra can speak there.”

She added: “I know she wants to become a doctor but she could be a future Prime Minister.”



 

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