Robina Qureshi
Encyclopedia
Robina Qureshi is a Scottish human rights
campaigner. She is a notable critic of the UK's asylum
policies and has campaigned to close detention centres for asylum seekers.
of Positive Action in Housing, a Scottish charity
that is involved in countering racism and discrimination, particularly in housing.
Between 1998 and 2000, Robina Qureshi, together with the prominent human rights lawyer, Aamer Anwar
, helped to campaign on behalf of the family of murdered Indian waiter Surjit Singh Chhokhar.She also served on the Lawrence
Steering Group and has led campaigns to stop extreme far right groups organising or gaining a platform in Scotland.
In September 2005, Robina Qureshi travelled to Albania
on a fact-finding mission after taking up the case of the Vucaj children. The children were expelled to Kosovo
in two dawn separate raids after living in Glasgow for five years as asylum seekers.
Subsequently, she was at the forefront of challenging dawn raids against Scotland's asylum seekers. She called on Scotland's First Minister Jack McConnell to instruct Strathclyde Police not to co-operate with immigration officials who carry out dawn raids. The police, she said, "surely must despise doing the dirty work of the Home Office and the far right". Malcolm Chisholm
MSP, Minister for Communities in the Scottish Executive
, joined Qureshi in citicising the "heavy-handed" immigration policies,. Chisolm described Robina Qureshi as "a very formidable campaigner and completely dedicated to the rights of minorities."
In November 2007, Robina Qureshi took up the case of 13-year-old Meltem Avcil, a 13 year old Kurdish girl from Doncaster, who began self-harming after being detained with her mother at Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre
and about to be deported. Enlisting the support of the actress Juliet Stevenson
, Sir Al Aynsley, Children's Commissioner, and journalists at The Independent newspaper, including Natasha Walter
, Robina Qureshi ran a campaign across UK and Europe to secure Meltem and her mother's release.
Robina Qureshi has been a critic of UK policies on civil liberties
, comparing the UK Government's attitude towards the threat of homegrown terrorism and the subsequent impact on the Muslim
community to the experience of the Irish in 1970s and 1980s Britain. She stated that, "it has been made very clear that the Muslim community should expect to be singled out as potential terrorists. People feel they are being targeted, just like the Irish were by the British in the 1970s and innocent people went to jail. The difference is this time round the names will be Muslim, rather than Irish."
Festival of Irish & British Film..
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
campaigner. She is a notable critic of the UK's asylum
Right of asylum
Right of asylum is an ancient juridical notion, under which a person persecuted for political opinions or religious beliefs in his or her own country may be protected by another sovereign authority, a foreign country, or church sanctuaries...
policies and has campaigned to close detention centres for asylum seekers.
Background
Robina Qureshi's parents came to Glasgow as immigrants in the 1960s, where they raised Robina Qureshi and her six sisters. Her first job was as a trainee employment advice worker, soon after which she realised she wanted to work with minorities.Human rights work
Robina Qureshi is the Executive directorExecutive director
Executive director is a term sometimes applied to the chief executive officer or managing director of an organization, company, or corporation. It is widely used in North American non-profit organizations, though in recent decades many U.S. nonprofits have adopted the title "President/CEO"...
of Positive Action in Housing, a Scottish charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
that is involved in countering racism and discrimination, particularly in housing.
Between 1998 and 2000, Robina Qureshi, together with the prominent human rights lawyer, Aamer Anwar
Aamer Anwar
Aamer Anwar is a Scottish lawyer of Pakistani background. He is noted for his left-wing political views and his support for Stop the War Coalition and the campaigns against the 31st G8 summit and Dungavel Detention Centre for failed Asylum seekers....
, helped to campaign on behalf of the family of murdered Indian waiter Surjit Singh Chhokhar.She also served on the Lawrence
Stephen Lawrence
Stephen Lawrence was a black British teenager from Eltham, southeast London, who was stabbed to death while waiting for a bus on the evening of 22 April 1993....
Steering Group and has led campaigns to stop extreme far right groups organising or gaining a platform in Scotland.
In September 2005, Robina Qureshi travelled to Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
on a fact-finding mission after taking up the case of the Vucaj children. The children were expelled to Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
in two dawn separate raids after living in Glasgow for five years as asylum seekers.
Subsequently, she was at the forefront of challenging dawn raids against Scotland's asylum seekers. She called on Scotland's First Minister Jack McConnell to instruct Strathclyde Police not to co-operate with immigration officials who carry out dawn raids. The police, she said, "surely must despise doing the dirty work of the Home Office and the far right". Malcolm Chisholm
Malcolm Chisholm
Malcolm Chisholm is a Scottish Labour Party politician, and a former Scottish Executive minister.-Background:Chisholm was educated at George Watson's College and the University of Edinburgh and became an English teacher. He is married with three children...
MSP, Minister for Communities in the Scottish Executive
Scottish Executive
The Scottish Government is the executive arm of the devolved government of Scotland. It was established in 1999 as the Scottish Executive, from the extant Scottish Office, and the term Scottish Executive remains its legal name under the Scotland Act 1998...
, joined Qureshi in citicising the "heavy-handed" immigration policies,. Chisolm described Robina Qureshi as "a very formidable campaigner and completely dedicated to the rights of minorities."
In November 2007, Robina Qureshi took up the case of 13-year-old Meltem Avcil, a 13 year old Kurdish girl from Doncaster, who began self-harming after being detained with her mother at Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre
Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre
Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre is an immigration detention centre at Milton Ernest in the Borough of Bedford in Bedfordshire. It opened on 19 November 2001 and was built to hold up to 900 people making it the largest immigration detention centre in Europe at the time. Since opening in 2001...
and about to be deported. Enlisting the support of the actress Juliet Stevenson
Juliet Stevenson
Juliet Anne Virginia Stevenson, CBE is an English actor of stage and screen.- Early life :Stevenson was born in Kelvedon, Essex, England, the daughter of Virginia Ruth , a teacher, and Michael Guy Stevenson, an army officer. Stevenson's father was in the army and was posted to a new place every...
, Sir Al Aynsley, Children's Commissioner, and journalists at The Independent newspaper, including Natasha Walter
Natasha Walter
Natasha Walter is a British feminist writer and human rights activist. She is the author of Living Dolls: The Return of Sexism and The New Feminism , and is the director of Women for Refugee Women ....
, Robina Qureshi ran a campaign across UK and Europe to secure Meltem and her mother's release.
Robina Qureshi has been a critic of UK policies on civil liberties
Civil liberties
Civil liberties are rights and freedoms that provide an individual specific rights such as the freedom from slavery and forced labour, freedom from torture and death, the right to liberty and security, right to a fair trial, the right to defend one's self, the right to own and bear arms, the right...
, comparing the UK Government's attitude towards the threat of homegrown terrorism and the subsequent impact on the Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
community to the experience of the Irish in 1970s and 1980s Britain. She stated that, "it has been made very clear that the Muslim community should expect to be singled out as potential terrorists. People feel they are being targeted, just like the Irish were by the British in the 1970s and innocent people went to jail. The difference is this time round the names will be Muslim, rather than Irish."
Film work
Qureshi appeared in several films and television dramas, including American Cousins, Buried, The Key, Proof, and the controversial Gas Attack, for which she won a best actress award at the 2001 Cherbourg-OctevilleCherbourg-Octeville
-Main sights:* La Glacerie has a race track.* The Cité de la Mer is a large museum devoted to scientific and historical aspects of maritime subjects.* Cherbourg Basilica* Jardin botanique de la Roche Fauconnière, a private botanical garden.* Le Trident theatre...
Festival of Irish & British Film..