Yvonne Ridley – Countering Discrimination A Tale #6
AI: Summary ©
A former journalist, Yvonne Ridley, talks about how she faced discrimination in her work as a journalist and how she faced new discrimination from within. She describes how she faced discrimination from police officers and how she eventually had to use her elbows to prevent her from standing. She also talks about her journey to Islam and how she eventually had to read a message about her religion.
AI: Summary ©
When I converted to Islam, the BBC started
calling me the former journalist Yvonne Ridley.
When I first set out as a journalist
in the 1970s, it was a very male
-dominated arena and women were frowned upon by
certain sections of the industry.
So I did have to counter that and
I felt as though I had to work
twice as hard as anybody else just to
get the same recognition and it was quite
tough.
When I converted to Islam, the BBC started
calling me the former journalist Yvonne Ridley and
I had many battles with them to say
I am still a journalist and I am
still working as a journalist but there is
this perception of Muslim women and so I
began to face a new discrimination but I
also faced a discrimination from within as well
because there are some Muslim men who are
part of the patriarchal system and I came
across this when I was, I think it
was Kenya and I wanted to interview Kofi
Annan and there were about 30-40 journalists
there and when he walked into the room,
they just surged forward and I was shocked
because I was nearly trampled on by the
predominantly male journalists there and once I sort
of regained my composure, I had to dive
in and use my elbows which shocked them
because I wasn't going to stand at the
back, I wanted to get the story, I
wanted to hear what was going on.
I generally think people who threaten never ever
do and it's the people who don't threaten
who sit there silently simmering that you should
be more worried about but I do remember
a few years ago receiving a phone call
at about three o'clock in the morning
and this man said I know who you
are and I know where you live and
I said great well come on round because
I'm waiting for you and the line went
dead.
I don't have time to look over my
shoulder because somebody is threatening me, I don't
have time.
I remember speaking at a rally in Florida
and I had received specific death threats before
the rally and these police came and advised
us not to go ahead because they feared
for my safety and I said that I
was still going to speak and they said
well will you wear a bulletproof vest and
I said no, I would look ridiculous and
so I wouldn't wear a bulletproof vest and
so they said well we will sit in
the audience and so if anything happens at
least you know that we are in the
audience and I gave my speech and I
spoke about my journey to Islam and at
the end of it one of the police
officers came to me and he said can
I have a copy of the Quran and
I said you wanted to read it and
he said I have to, he said you
know I want to know more about this
amazing religion.
There was somebody who would not have been
in the audience ordinarily who was, the message
resonated with him and he wanted to read
more so you know that was a good
result.
So I always think you know there's a
great saying, I don't know who thought of
it, but if someone throws lemons at you,
make lemonade.