As a group of Muslim and Christian leaders, we came together to set up Faiths Against Child Sexual Exploitation (FACES) in 2016. We are committed to facing abuse where it happens in our own faith communities, facing victims instead of turning away, and facing down harmful narratives that equate any faith or ethnicity with sexual …
Statement on ‘grooming gang’ comments made by the Home Secretary Read More »
We have a narration in Islam that translates as the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, saying, “Islam began as something strange and will return as something strange as it began, so give glad tidings to the strangers.” The essence of this statement gives context to some conversations I have with …
A Muslim Parent’s View: Talking Relationships, Sex and Safeguarding with Young People Read More »
This morning greeted me with the tremendous privilege of a phone call inviting me to become a referee for some Syrian refugees who are becoming British citizens. It brought back many memories from a few years ago when they first arrived in our area. I had the chance to meet them on many occasions. These …
Lessons from Ukraine: Refugees, Racism and Reality Read More »
Our next Safeguarding and Prejudice training is on 18th January 2020 – book now Prejudice exists across society. Stereotypes and social norms affect how we perceive and treat other people, including children and young people. It prevents us from creating environments that are safe for disclosure, and from recognising harm and implementing appropriate responses. It …
Confronting prejudice to safeguard children better – January CPD training Read More »
The way we work and relate to each other as members of the FACES team has become very natural! Addressing the horrors of sexual exploitation and challenging preconceptions based on racial and religious stereotypes and deeply established patterns of behaviour and thinking, while seeking to honour each other as deeply faithful Muslims and Christians is …
“The things you talked about make such sense but I had never thought about them in this way. Excited about sharing with colleagues.” “It was uncomfortable at times but in a good way. It has given me much food for thought. Thank you FACES!” Our 2019 conference brought together people from local mosques, churches, charities, …
Through research, inquiries and guidance from leading charities and authorities we repeatedly learn that when it comes to safeguarding, ethnicity, gender and faith are not things that can be overlooked.
I recently wrote in response to the Quilliam Foundation’s report on child sexual exploitation (CSE). I asserted then, as I continue to do so, that to racialise both victims and perpetrators of CSE is damaging and exposes all our children and young people to harm. I mentioned an encounter I had with a young, Pakistani …
“Invitation to Brave Space” – Let’s talk about racism Read More »
This week, the Times published an article which documented the story of Shamima Begum, one of the three 15-year-old girls from Britain who travelled together to Syria around 4 years ago. The journalist, Anthony Loyd, had traced Shamima to a refugee camp in Syria. Heavily pregnant at the time of the interview, the now 19-year-old …
A recent advert by Gillette highlighted a range of issues that have been receiving increasingly widespread attention. The ad has been met with both praise and criticism by men and women from across different social and religious representations. It includes video footage of media coverage of the #MeToo movement that saw women and men speak …
The Best Men Can Be. Can We Have a Conversation? Read More »
