Big hopes I had, big hopes my whole life. England this, Britain that, I'm sick of it. All of it. There is no way I can go back, I have nothing and no one there, well I suppose I have nothing and no one here either but, surely it's better 'cos it's Britain, no? No. I tried so hard, so hard, to prove to not only those around me, but to myself that I could be the one, the one to change the perspectives of these people so naive, so ignorant to me and my faith and who I am. But they don't listen, they don't care. I have dark eyes, hair and skin; my mother tongue isn't theirs, I don't pray to God the way they do, but I am a human, yes? Yes. So why is it, why is it that I am the one who gets the first and last surprise check at the airport before boarding the plane, the one to beep at on the road because he can't drive properly. Well, it's simple. Simple to me, simple to them. I'm a Muslim, and do you know what that means I am? Not so simply a man of Faith with a strong love and belief in God, nor just a man who tries and tries to do the best he can to work hard, to earn money and to do the exact same as any white non Muslim. No, oh no, me? I am a terrorist, who takes a bomb in his hand luggage onto a plane, blasting it to pieces in the sky, securing what they want; my death, my end, their safety. Because they don't care about, understand, or like people who are different, and hold different values, right or wrong. Nor do they understand that just like them, there are good and bad people of every community.    

They can say they accept us all they want, but they don't, they sneer and scoff and moan behind my back, making me feel worthless, laughing at my attire. I came here because I hoped of a better life, one of culture and expression, fulfilment and learning  So what is it about this -oh so accepting- multi faith society that I just don't see? I mean, it's not as if the dirty looks, searching police and street spitting youth's tell me that I am being treated any other way than acceptable, is it?  There is nothing superior about my faith, my God nor my race and to every person I have met, they understand this and I am grateful because they have had to see first. But why can't everyone else think the same from the start and not have this inherited prejudice because I wear a turban? Because they never had this hope, my experience, the feeling of starting fresh, they just don't know. 

AB