My time in Gaza...
Firstly I want to say anyone trying to justify the killing of innocent Israeli civilians is wrong. Such a huge tragic loss of life.
Similarly, anyone supporting the mass genocide that is taking place today and the killing of innocent Palestinians for a crime they did not commit has lost their moral compass.
I just wanted to quickly share my experience in Gaza.
I visited the worlds largest open-air prison in the world. Where over 2 million people of which 50% are children have been living under an illegal occupation (according the United Nations and many human rights groups). The Israeli government have them under a land, sea and air siege and have in effect taken them hostage for the last 16 years!
I have been on the ground and physically witnessed the destruction caused and heard the stories of the Palestinians having faced brutal oppression and terrorism from their colonisers.
A couple of weeks before I arrived in Gaza, 1200 people had been killed by the Israeli government. The majority of them were civilians including women and children. The destruction I witnessed and the mass graves I saw was honestly horrific.
Despite what the Palestinians have gone through, they still showed me a level of hospitality I will never forget. I learned those who have the least give the most. What's been happening for years in the media is a dehumanisation of them.
What we are witnessing today is a mass genocide by the Israeli Government.
The Israeli government are denying innocent civilians of food, water and electricity. This is a war crime.
Do not be fooled by the propaganda you are seeing daily on your screens. Have some humanity and say no to an illegal occupation, say no to terrorism, genocide and apartheid.
As Nelson Mandela said..
'We know too well our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of palestine'
#endtheoccupation
#endterrorism
#freepalestine
#endapartheid
#gaza
Honoured to have won the New Perspectives award by @naturalengland@campaign4park .
Me from the dark streets of Birmingham, Winson Green! Never thought I'd ever get invited to the House of Commons nevermind win the award! Alhamdhulillah.
I didn't think I'd win so never prepared a speech so I winged it just like I've been winging my way through life! Few snippets from my speech. Hopefully, you can understand me and my Brummie accent 😅.
Thanks to all those who I've worked with in the outdoors and those who I've had the privilege of leading on a hike.
#mountainleader #award #birmingham #greenspaces #nationalparks #hikinguk #diversityoutdoors #summitspecial
I grew up in one of the roughest parts of Birmingham (Winson Green) and did not have the opportunity to explore the outdoors until I started working. Also, being South Asian, the outdoors isn’t something embedded in our culture, and I didn’t really know how and where to explore when I first got started. I'm sure many of you have also faced challenges/barriers in this respect.
I'm grateful to have qualified as a Mountain Leader and co-founding @summit.special . This has allowed me to bring more people, particularly from underrepresented communities, to our beautiful countryside.
The outdoors should be for everyone, but not everyone has equal access to it. @teambmc recent survey highlights disparities in access to outdoor spaces and the urgent need to break down barriers. Women, low-income households, and underrepresented communities face the most challenges.
Would love your thoughts and especially from those who have faced barriers to exploring the great outdoors ⛰️ 🏔. Let me know in the comments what barriers you've faced?
Watch and share this video to help raise awareness and champion an outdoors that’s a more accessible space, to be enjoyed by everyone.
#outdoorsforall #summitspecial
#diversityequityinclusion #mountainleader #southasian #minority #bame #birmingham #winsongreen #smethwick #mountaintraining
A birthday bash for a lump of concrete. This is how we roll! 🔼🥳
Huge thanks to @ordnancesurvey for sponsoring this event and letting me organise this wonderful event! What a day we had 🥹
A group of beautiful like-minded people came together to hike, celebrate and learn a bit of history.
Whernside made sense for the location for me for 3 reasons:
✅️ A primary trig pillar
✅️ The highest point in Yorkshire
✅️ The epic views
Thank you to everyone for making it such a joyful and memorable day!
🥾@sameed.asghar for support leading the group
📸 @explorewithbrendan for capturing the memories
💚 the wonderful participants for the excellent company
🔼 and @ordnancesurvey for sponsoring the event and for making trig pillars!
#PaidPartnership #oschampion #OSmaps #trigbagging #hikingcommunity
Today on the top of Yr Wyddfa. Minus 11 but the views did not disappoint. Another fab group to lead @summit.special@skt_welfare
#mountainleader #getoutside #charityevent #snowdon #snowdonianationalpark
With a Premier League legend Gareth Barry 🙌⚽. Fun fact he holds the record for the most yellow cards in Premier League history, having received 123 bookings in 653 appearances. What a player though!👏
#birmingham
#premierleague
#tocasocial
#brum
#astonvilla
I got attacked by this angry bird in Birmingham!
On another note, we brummies have the best accent and there are some pretty cool things to do too. It's even more fun with a ball ⚽️ and a bull 🐂
#birmingham #tocasocial #bullring #fun #footballers
My mate hates training outside in the winter!
He always says its “too cold”, “too grim”, “not worth it.” ❄️🥶.
So I made him try my workout using the environment and being in nature. We turned a park bench into an ab station, sprinted laps around the park, and even used the play area for pull-ups like a couple of overgrown kids. No fancy equipment. Just fresh air, cold hands and getting it done 💪
By the end of it? Big grin. Buzzing. Talking about how good it felt to train in the open air, take in the views and actually enjoy the session instead of staring at four gym walls. 🌳🏃♂️
We used OS maps and found an gem of a lake nearby to run around which helped clear the mind.
Sometimes all it takes is one session to change your perspective. He has now decided to join me in mixing both training the gym and outdoors in winter too. ❄️🔥💪
AD #GymWithUs #gymwithus #oschampions #osmaps @ordnancesurvey
