POLITICS WARNING! ⚠️ This post is very different to my normal content so I do apologise but this is very important to me 🙌🏽 It has taken me a while to build enough confidence to post about this but during May earlier this year I was invited to celebrate Eid al Fitr at Number 10 Downing Street. At first I was very excited at the prospect, as anyone would be, however with Boris Johnson as Prime minister I soon became puzzled, confused and distraught. Boris Johnson is largely responsible for the abuse and violence my mother received when she used to wear the Burka/Niqab. Boris Johnson has historically, openly made disrespectful and degrading comments about Muslim Women and my religious community. After the comments he made Islamophobic incidents increased by 375% which has been the largest spike in anti Muslim hatred in 2018. I have personally received hateful speech for wearing the hijab and displaying my religious identity and I can not help but speak my mind against Boris. He has never been remorseful or apologised for the damage he has caused. Words can be very powerful and influence change for the bad and for the good so my friend Elly wrote a poem with me, as an Eid gift in a card as it is bad manners to arrive in someone’s home empty handed in my culture. It is not in my nature to turn a blind eye so I tried my best to remind Boris that although it is a step in the right direction to celebrate Eid together, accountability for the trauma and harm he has caused is important to me and so many others. Powerful people shouldn’t get away with being disrespectful. Thank you for taking the time to read x @aphroditesteachings