Khadija Patel support thread

[LabubuTERF]

Khadija recently won the British Citizen award for empowerment. She wears a niqab.

Unfortunately, the response she has got online is disgusting. Even many supposed supporters of women’s rights are attacking her.

This thread is to hopefully support and encourage Khadija.

https://x.com/talktv/status/2082150667045507430?s=46&t=p6GESSn09HWHVXYgTLIbJg

Oh I saw her recently with the other nominees in a bbc news segment. They were all amazing people. How appalling that she's getting abuse for doing excellent work while daring to wear a niqab.

I bet the abusers don't contribute to society in such meaningful way.

Yes, the racism and sexism towards her is mostly by people who do nothing but criticize others.

I cannot see how the niqab sends a positive message to women and girls. Can you explain how this sets a good example @LabubuTERF ?

I don’t think that it does send a positive message. However, that isn’t the point here. These are two separate issues.

This woman has done something positive, yet she is getting huge amounts of hate in return because of her niqab.

Women in niqabs are just as important as any other women and shouldn’t be insulted like Khadija has been. What kind of message does this send to them?

She should not be abused for wearing it.
We live in a country where young women can both walk around virtually naked, or choose to wear a niqab.

You agree the niqab doesn't send a positive message.

This explains the negative reaction.

Yes, I agree that women should not be judged on what they choose to wear.

But, Khadija's choice is based on an ancient patriarchal religion which often enforces 'modest' clothing, and imprisons and silences women. And only women, not men.

Khadija may well see her niqab as an expression of her choice and freedom, but her freedom may be the result of the privilege of living in the UK instead of in, say, Afghanistan. Many women do not have her freedom.

She can do as she likes, of course, because in this country she is free to live as she wishes, but the negative reaction cannot come as a surprise in a country in which the vast majority do not adhere to the idea of women shrouding their entire body except for a slot for their eyes. To us, it looks freakish.

What privilege to voluntarily wear what hundreds of thousands of women are forced to and call it freedom of choice

That’s not the point here though, is it? She’s being abused because of what she chooses to wear in this country. The cultural/religious traditions of other countries are irrelevant here. Shouldn’t she be supported because of the very things that she has achieved, despite the barriers she will have faced due to how she is dressed? Doesn’t she have the right to not be abused because of how she is dressed? Isn’t that true feminism?

I know many women who wear the niqab in the UK and around the world, and every one of them has chosen to wear it. You do Muslim women around the world a disservice by assuming that they don’t have ownership over their own bodies and cannot voice their own opinion. Shock, horror, many of them are highly educated too! As with any religion, there are groups who will deviate from its message and oppress/silence, despite it not being the true essence of the religion (e.g. Hindutva nationalism, Zionism, Christian supremacy.) I know that truly Muslim culture embraces women’s contributions as much as men, but also provides spaces for women to feel secure and comfortable. A Muslim woman doesn’t even have to share any of her salary with her husband, but he must pay for her maintenance.

Perhaps using the word “freakish” to describe a person’s dress is perpetuating negative stereotypes and Islamophobia?

I'm not on X so cant read all the comments. I'd like to know why she got the award and all I can find is that it is for working with young people.

“Khadija, who was born and raised in Bolton, was honoured for her volunteering at KRIMMZ Youth Club, which she founded.
The group organises sports and emotional wellbeing activities for children in Bolton, working with local stakeholders such as the Lancashire Football Association to run the events.
KRIMMZ is focused on girls from ethnically diverse and underrepresented backgrounds and the majority of their sessions are girls-only, although they also run sessions for boys and children with additional needs.
On Thursday, Khadija was at the Palace of Westminster in central London to receive a British Citizen Award for her work, which celebrates ‘individuals who made extraordinary contributions to their communities’”

https://metro.co.uk/2026/07/28/muslim-woman-abused-wearing-niqab-prize-ceremony-vows-continue-work-29240613/amp/

So which countries would you say are "truly Muslim", where women enjoy equal rights in law to men? Obviously, none in the Middle East, but where?

As for the word "freakish", I think it is an accurate term to describe an extreme form of costume covering the entire body and face. The same could be said of Kim Kardashian's 2021 Met Gala costume - intentionally extreme, to get media attention. www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/article/kim-kardashian-met-gala-2021

The niqab and burqa are also prohibited in public or public buildings in many countries, because of the security risk. Including in some Muslim countries.

And "Islamophobia" is a tired old trope on a par with "transphobia". Nobody has a phobia about Islam (or trans people). Nobody gets a panic attack at the sight of a niqab or burqa.

I'm really upset at the reaction. Personally I would ban face coverings. However targeting and abusing someone for doing something perfectly legal. Deliberately destroying what should be a moment of pride for a young woman is just misogyny. It's nasty and cruel. The only purpose it serves is landing us with more hate speech legislation.

100%

Sorry but I cant support anyone promoting the niqab no matter what good they may have done imho the niqab undoes it all and the wearing of one should be illegal in the UK.
She shouldn't receive hate but she shouldn't receive praise either.

I did a trawl through X and Facebook to look for all this claimed abuse. It's not that easy to find, mostly it is people in post comments objecting to the niqab being incompatible with the purported 'empowerment' of women. I don't think this counts as 'nasty' or 'cruel' or 'hate'.

Her clothing undoes the good she's done in her community? Really?

I'm no fan of it but I hardly think it means she shouldn't be praised for what she's doing.

She has been praised. She won a British Citizen Award. Equally, people are allowed to say they don't like niqabs, which isn't a controversial opinion outside of Saudi Arabia etc.

And other countries.

But that's not the point. There was no need for people to pile onto her re her clothing when they just could have said nothing. She's clearly not oppressed in the sense of being shut in her house, she's out there doing stuff. Was it really necessary to turn an article about a woman winning an award into a rabid attack on her clothes? And that also applies to the oscars, any red carpet etc...

It's demeaning and irrelevant.

She's free to wear what she wants. We're free to criticise it.

She is a British citizen who freely chooses to hide her face and embrace a costume that many associate with the violent erasure of women in Iran, Afghanistan and other countries. She is making a very controversial statement through her clothing. It's not 'abuse' to point out the misogynist and oppressive nature of what she wears. It's free discussion.

I'm actually tired of the doublethink around this conversation. On one hand, we are supposed to accept that she is an empowered Muslim woman freely choosing to deport herself in a polyester prison while at the same time we must 'protect' her from criticism or the consequence of her decisions, like she's a child.

Please can you link to a few of these 'rabid attacks'.

But she didn't put herself out there saying 'look at me in my niqab' she was just doing her thing, and was given credit for it. There was no need for people to talk about what she's wearing. Would the same have happened to man in Muslim dress, I suspect not.

You could try clicking on the link in the first post.

You didn't see this then?
The part she fails to get we don't give a shit, she's not British, British is Scottish English or Welsh who can trace their ancestors back hundreds or thousands of years, we are a collective. Not this fake islamic slut from shitsville

It's just another iteration of people thinking they can shame women into toeing their preferred line.
As I said I would ban face coverings but I wouldn't target a individual on line.

That's a vile, racist comment but it's not about her clothes.
I bet its author has posted equally racist comments about men and women who weren't wearing a niqab

You do know Muslim women are attacked or abused in the street for wearing hijab let alone full veil.

that is even worse - this sick b is willingly wearing a garment she KNOWS is forced on other women, who will be punished if they dare not wear it. A traitor to women

What is the point of having this person on, when she just lies to your face. How do you even know your speaking to the right person? Dumb 3rd world cult.

They should give the award of the most stupid woman
Is becoming ridiculous In guarantee you she does have any study degree cause studying is haram in islam
UK stop fooling yourselves with this non sense