CounterpointStimulating debate with the British Council

Free Muslims: Autonomy and Creativity

A half-day conference at SOAS, Brunei Gallery, London

Tuesday 16 February, from 10am-2pm

Hosted by British Muslims for Secular Democracy and Counterpoint

BMSD write: We know that in certain Muslim homes, children are strongly discouraged from participating in drama, art and music. This message is reverberating in schools across Europe. Fourteen hundred years of Islamic contributions to art, culture, literature, and history have been pushed aside in favour of a hardline interpretation of religion that denies the legitimacy of any form of artistic expression whatsoever.

So far, the debate on extremist ideologies has focused on politics and theology, this half-day conversation organised by BMSD with support from the British Council, explored the cultural side.

Artists and cultural commentators were invited from the UK and overseas and the event was chaired by BMSD Chair Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, working alongside Catherine Fieschi, Director of Counterpoint.

Speakers included

Yasmin Alibhai-Brown (journalist and political commentator)
Saira Khan (Businesswoman)
Ayesha Tammy Haq (Corporate Lawyer and organiser of Pakistan’s Fashion Week)
Tahmena Bokhari (Professor, social worker and activist who won Mrs Pakistan World title in 2010)
Razia Iqbal (Special correspondent, BBC News, and former BBC senior arts correspondent)
Joan Smith (Novelist and Human rights acitivist)
Anwar Akhtar (Director of online culture and politics magazine ‘The Samosa’)

See the official BMSD and Counterpoint flyer