Persons of Interest personsofinterest

The discussion around hijab in sport seems relatively new for most. But Muslim sports women who choose to wear it, have had to deal with discriminatory treatment whereby they have been prohibited from wearing it. Where it has been banned, it has forced some athletes to choose between honoring their faith and not playing their respective sport, or removing it in order to compete. However, the tide is turning with Muslim sportwomen coming forward to challenge these bans.
 
Asma Elbadawi, is one such sportswoman to have successfully challenged such a ban. Asma who was born in Sudan and raised in the UK, is a basketball player and coach. Throughout her career she battled stereotypes and in 2016, she helped campaign to overturn a ban on hijabs in professional basketball. In addition to being a first class athlete, Asma is also a successful spoken word poet. 

The Shukri Abdi case attracted global attention as part of the Black Lives Matter movement after the 12-year-old schoolgirl’s body was found in the River Irwell in Greater Manchester on 27 June 2019. Her mother claimed that her daughter had been subjected to extensive bullying at school. A group of children were with her at the river when she died. The Police were quick to conclude that her death was an accident. However, the investigation was criticised for being inadequate and another example of institutional racism in Britain.


On 4th December 2020, the coroner's court in Shukri Abdi’s inquest concluded that the death by drowning was an accident and that she had not been unlawfully killed. 
So what was the evidence heard at the inquest? What did the inquest reveal about the involvement of the children who were with Shukri when she died? What was the evidence in relation to racism and bullying? Why did Shukri’s family deem the police investigation inadequate and was this a case of institutional racism? And, what are the next steps that will taken in obtaining justice for Shukri. I speak to Attiq Malik, solicitor at Liberty Law, who represented the family at the inquest.

How can racism within law enforcement and the criminal justice system be addressed effectively? What does defunding the police and reimagining law and order look like? Can the inclusion of more black and ethnic minority lawyers in the criminal justice system act as an effective mechanism for countering institutional racism. Momodou and I discuss these topics and why he turned to activism.