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The Guardian
3 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
As a Muslim girl in Bradford, I saw my story in Jane Austen's novels. Now I've directed a TV series about her
I grew up as the daughter of an imam in a conservative British-Pakistani community in Bradford. Our early years were spent in a large Victorian terrace owned by the local mosque council. When my father was replaced, we downsized overnight to a much smaller house on the other side of town. The loss of a beloved home, close friends and community was a deeply disorienting experience. Decades later, directing the new BBC series Jane Austen: Rise of a Genius, I found myself thinking back to that time. On the surface, my life and Jane Austen's couldn't be more different – an English novelist born in the 18th century and a working-class British-Pakistani girl. Austen's novels had always resonated with me when I read them as a girl. But learning more about her life as part of my director's prep, I realised just how many shared realities we had. I saw how similar Austen's family dynamics were to my own a couple of centuries down the line. When Austen's father stepped away from his post as a clergyman, it forced the family to leave their genteel rectory home for a series of ever more insecure living quarters. Though separated by culture, time and geography, like Austen I understood early the brutality of economics and just how vulnerable a family can become when its financial foundation is shaken. Devouring Austen's work as a teenager, I appreciated not just the storytelling but the survival tactics – strategies women used to maintain their dignity in a world that offered them very little agency. Growing up as a young woman from a Muslim background, I sometimes lived in the shadows, within the quiet restrictions and expectations of duty. I wanted to scream my rage into the abyss as I gingerly walked a tightrope between obedience and self-determination. Reading those novels, it wasn't the ballrooms and the bonnets that spoke to me, but the stakes. They captured the emotional cost of a world in which women had limited options and where marriage was more often an economic contract than a love story. This was something I had seen first-hand in many of the arranged marriages of the women around me. Though my father, like Austen's, passionately advocated for women's education, in our wider community education for girls was not widely encouraged. Teachers in my inner-city school were predominantly white, middle class and from posher postcodes. They assumed that as young Pakistani girls we would disappear into early marriages, and some didn't bother to hide their low expectations. That condescension stung. It made me hungry to prove them wrong, and to challenge whenever I could. Austen taught me that the domestic sphere could be radical. Her characters weren't obvious revolutionaries, but women who, through wit, tenacity and endurance, reshaped their own lives. My grandmother, widowed early, chose not to remarry, thereby ensuring her autonomy. It was a rare and courageous decision in her 1960s rural Kashmiri village. The memory of my grandmother's bold and brilliant choice lies in the very fabric of my DNA. Austen's cousin Eliza was also a woman who instinctively understood the power her widowhood afforded her to live by her own rules. It was an important lesson in how an intelligent woman with her wits about her could cleverly navigate and confound societal expectations. A lesson not lost on a young Jane Austen. Like Austen, I too have a large brood of siblings, and our home was noisy and full of stories. We couldn't afford expensive outings, but my father's bookcases groaned under the weight of his book collection: dusty encyclopedias, Islamic jurisprudence and Urdu translations of Rumi. I knew books were the portal to other worlds, other possibilities, and I read everything. Storytelling became an early refuge. I made my siblings act in hastily put together skits, all filmed on a clunky VHS recorder my parents could hardly afford, but which, like Austen's writing desk, was a crucial gift. Even then I was crafting scenes, directing chaos into meaning. Coming back to Austen's work as a film-maker, I saw what I hadn't as a teenager: the sharpness of her observations, her critiques of social climbing and conformity, the feminist undertones, the devastating awareness of how class, gender and power intertwine. As I dug deeper into Austen's life, I began to understand more why her work had struck such a chord with me as a teenager. While she wrote about women with seemingly limited options, it was always with a great deal of wry wit and a sense of hopefulness. I found inspiration in Austen's humour, and to this day my sisters and I still refer to our mum as Mrs Bennet in a nod to her impassioned pleas for us not to dismiss potential suitors. Most importantly, Austen left behind stories of female protagonists struggling with daily compromises to survive that still resonate with women today. The idea that it is possible to live truthfully. In Persuasion, Anne Elliot finds the strength to choose for herself after years of silence. That journey hit close to home. I didn't follow the expected path. I delayed marriage. I pursued education and entered a competitive, creative field where people like me were rarely seen. Telling Austen's story has felt deeply personal. It is a reclamation of the girl who once sat in her bedroom window reading Emma while the sound of Friday prayers echoed in the background. A tribute to her voice and my own hard-fought one. Austen's power, quiet but enduring, transcends time and cultural identity. Marking her 250th birthday isn't just about remembering a literary icon, but about recognising that across the centuries, some battles remain the same. And if that's not something a girl from Bradford can relate to, I don't know what is. Ali Naushahi is a TV director and writer
Metro
7 days ago
- General
- Metro
Dad whose family was killed in fire keeps bedside vigil for surviving daughter
A man whose wife and three children died in a fire at the family home in north London is 'devastated' and keeping vigil at the bedside of his surviving daughter who was also injured, a family friend said. The dad, 43, suffered burns after trying to save his wife Nusrat Usman, 43, and their children Maryam Mikaiel, 15, Musa Usman, 8, and Raees Usman, 4, after the blaze broke out at their home in Tillett Close, Stonebridge in the early hours of Saturday morning. Local councillor Tariq Dar MBE and Islamic scholar Mufti Abdul Wahab have named Usman Ghani as the man whose children and wife have been killed. Usman, a former bus driver, 'lived for his family', according to a family friend who spoke to Metro. The couple's surviving daughter, 13, is in hospital fighting for her life. A woman in her 70s was also taken to hospital but has since been released The family friend said: 'He is a loving soul who lives for his family. He is struggling to eat or speak at the moment he is devastated and in total shock. 'He went back into the house to try to save his family and has burns. His daughter is seriously injured. He is at her bedside in hospital, praying she will pull through. It's all he has left to cling onto. 'He called her his little angel and that's what she is. She is his light, his hope. They are a British Pakistani family. My family had known theirs for 30 years. They are lovely people, so respected in the community. 'That's why so many people tried to help when there broke out. They are well loved neighbours.' The friend said the family dog also escaped with its life from the inferno. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video He added: 'The family dog survived. The dad loves the dog and it's another small thing for him as a crumb of comfort at this time. He is heartbroken. I have been trying to console him but what do you say to someone who has suffered this? 'His kids who died were wonderful. One of my children is in the same class as his and we are all struggling to cope with the loss. After he had to leave bus driving over health issues, he devoted himself to his family. Everything was for the kids.' Mr Wahab wrote on Facebook: 'It is with profound sadness that we share the heartbreaking news of the passing of the wife and three beloved children—a daughter and two young sons—of Brother Usman Ghani in a tragic house fire in Wembley last night. More Trending 'Please remember the entire family in your heartfelt duas during this incredibly difficult time.' A 41-year-old man was arrested at the scene in connection with the incident. He has since been bailed and was subsequently detained under the Mental Health Act. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Crypto boss 'chained up and electrocuted tourist before taunting him with chainsaw' MORE: Benefit's iconic lip stain just dropped two juicy new shades (and we're obsessed) MORE: Huge fire engulfs £4,500,000 Grade II mansion on Millionaires' Row
India Today
17-05-2025
- Politics
- India Today
UK Foreign Secretary welcomes India-Pakistan ceasefire during Islamabad visit
In a diplomatic balancing act, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy managed to praise both India and Pakistan in the same breath during his visit to Islamabad on Friday, calling the recent ceasefire agreement between the two nuclear neighbors a "positive step" toward lasting regional Foreign Secretary applauded New Delhi and Islamabad for agreeing to cease hostilities, describing the images of recent cross-border clashes as "deeply distressing," especially for "the millions of Brits with Indian and Pakistani heritage," according to images of conflict between India and Pakistan were distressing for all of us in Britain," Lammy said. "But in particular the millions of Brits with Indian and Pakistani heritage, and the many British nationals living in both of these countries."Meeting Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and senior officials during his visit, Lammy reaffirmed the UK's 'strong ties with both India and Pakistan' and highlighted the emotional toll the conflict took on diaspora communities in the UK.'The British Pakistani and British Indian diasporas would particularly welcome news of the ceasefire and increased stability,' he also condemned the 'horrendous terrorist attack in Pahalgam' and said the UK had been doing all it could 'to play a supportive role to reduce tensions, get to a ceasefire and condemn terrorism.'advertisementAccording to the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Lammy praised 'the steps taken by both Pakistan and India to secure an agreement to cease hostilities' and emphasized the importance of sustained regional stability.'Because of the deep and historic links between our populations and our governments,' he said, 'we are determined to play our part to counterterrorism and ensure this fragile ceasefire becomes a durable peace.'The UK diplomat also met British consular staff stationed in Islamabad and commended them for providing real-time support and accurate information to British nationals during the confirmed ongoing dialogue with Indian officials and said he planned to visit New Delhi soon as part of efforts to reinforce UK-India ties — an essential part of Britain's broader Indo-Pacific tensions had peaked with India suspending the Indus Waters Treaty and launching Operation Sindoor, the breakthrough came on May 10, when both countries reached an understanding following backchannel talks supported by international allies, including the UK.
India.com
17-05-2025
- Politics
- India.com
UK Praises India, Pakistan For Steps To Cease Hostilities During Visit To Islamabad
United Kingdom Foreign Secretary David Lammy praised both India and Pakistan during his visit to Pakistan on Friday for taking steps to "secure an agreement to cease hostilities." During talks with senior leaders in Pakistan, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Lammy acknowledged how difficult the recent tensions have been, especially for people in both countries and the British Indian and British Pakistani communities. He also reaffirmed the UK's strong ties with India and noted that he has been in regular contact with Indian officials, with plans to visit New Delhi soon to strengthen UK-India relations further. The UK's Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office said in a statement on Friday, "The UK Government welcomed the sustained ceasefire between Pakistan and India, both important partners to the UK, with the Foreign Secretary asserting the importance of continued stability for the region during a visit to Pakistan today (May 16)." The statement added, "The Foreign Secretary praised the steps taken by both Pakistan and India to secure an agreement to cease hostilities. In meetings with senior counterparts, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the Foreign Secretary highlighted the immeasurable contribution people of Pakistani descent have made to British life, and he acknowledged how distressing the past few weeks have been for people in both countries, and for those with Pakistani and Indian heritage in the UK. The Foreign Secretary reflected that the British Pakistani and British Indian diasporas would particularly welcome news of the ceasefire and increased stability for Pakistan and India." The statement further said that the Foreign Secretary has been in frequent contact with the Government of India and will look to travel to New Delhi soon. "While in Islamabad, the Foreign Secretary also met with consular staff working at the UK's High Commission who helped British nationals in Pakistan during the tensions, to ensure they had access to accurate, up-to-date information and advice," the statement added. Lammy, during his visit, had said that the recent images of conflict were deeply distressing, especially for the millions of British citizens with Indian and Pakistani heritage, as well as for British nationals living in the region. He stressed that the UK has been actively working to reduce tensions and condemn terrorism following the deadly attack in Pahalgam. "The images of conflict between India and Pakistan were distressing for all of us in Britain: but in particular the millions of Brits with Indian and Pakistani heritage, and the many British nationals living in both of these countries. Ever since the horrendous terrorist attack in Pahalgam, the UK has done all it can to play a supportive role to reduce tensions, get to a ceasefire and condemn terrorism. It's positive that India and Pakistan - both great friends to the UK - have agreed to a pause in hostilities and that the ceasefire is holding," Lammy said. He added, "Because of the deep and historic links between our populations and our governments, we are determined to play our part to counter terrorism and ensure this fragile ceasefire becomes a durable peace." Tensions between India and Pakistan heightened after a deadly attack in Kashmir's Pahalgam, which killed 26 people. India accused Pakistan of supporting the attack, leading to a series of diplomatic and military actions, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty and Operation Sindoor. After the intense cross-border hostilities between India and Pakistan, a cessation of hostilities was brokered on May 10.
India Gazette
17-05-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
UK Foreign Secretary Lammy praises India, Pakistan for steps to cease hostilities during visit to Islamabad
London [UK], May 17 (ANI): United Kingdom Foreign Secretary David Lammy praised both India and Pakistan during his visit to Pakistan on Friday for taking steps to 'secure an agreement to cease hostilities.' During talks with senior leaders in Pakistan, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Lammy acknowledged how difficult the recent tensions have been, especially for people in both countries and the British Indian and British Pakistani communities. He also reaffirmed the UK's strong ties with India and noted that he has been in regular contact with Indian officials, with plans to visit New Delhi soon to strengthen UK-India relations further. The UK's Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office said in a statement on Friday, 'The UK Government welcomed the sustained ceasefire between Pakistan and India, both important partners to the UK, with the Foreign Secretary asserting the importance of continued stability for the region during a visit to Pakistan today (May 16).' The statement added, 'The Foreign Secretary praised the steps taken by both Pakistan and India to secure an agreement to cease hostilities. In meetings with senior counterparts, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the Foreign Secretary highlighted the immeasurable contribution people of Pakistani descent have made to British life, and he acknowledged how distressing the past few weeks have been for people in both countries, and for those with Pakistani and Indian heritage in the UK. The Foreign Secretary reflected that the British Pakistani and British Indian diasporas would particularly welcome news of the ceasefire and increased stability for Pakistan and India.' The statement further said that the Foreign Secretary has been in frequent contact with the Government of India and will look to travel to New Delhi soon. 'While in Islamabad, the Foreign Secretary also met with consular staff working at the UK's High Commission who helped British nationals in Pakistan during the tensions, to ensure they had access to accurate, up-to-date information and advice,' the statement added. Lammy, during his visit, had said that the recent images of conflict were deeply distressing, especially for the millions of British citizens with Indian and Pakistani heritage, as well as for British nationals living in the region. He stressed that the UK has been actively working to reduce tensions and condemn terrorism following the deadly attack in Pahalgam. 'The images of conflict between India and Pakistan were distressing for all of us in Britain: but in particular the millions of Brits with Indian and Pakistani heritage, and the many British nationals living in both of these countries. Ever since the horrendous terrorist attack in Pahalgam, the UK has done all it can to play a supportive role to reduce tensions, get to a ceasefire and condemn terrorism. It's positive that India and Pakistan - both great friends to the UK - have agreed to a pause in hostilities and that the ceasefire is holding,' Lammy said. He added, 'Because of the deep and historic links between our populations and our governments, we are determined to play our part to counter terrorism and ensure this fragile ceasefire becomes a durable peace.' Tensions between India and Pakistan heightened after a deadly attack in Kashmir's Pahalgam, which killed 26 people. India accused Pakistan of supporting the attack, leading to a series of diplomatic and military actions, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty and Operation Sindoor. After the intense cross-border hostilities between India and Pakistan, a cessation of hostilities was brokered on May 10. (ANI)
