Eid is more than a religious observance, it is a living reflection of what a fair, cohesive, and socially responsible Wales can look like. As a third-generation British Bangladeshi, but first-generation into Education, raised between Newport and Cardiff, my experience of Eid is inseparable from the working-class communities, public institutions, and multi-faith networks that shaped who I am. At the heart of my faith sit the Five Pillars of Islam; Faith, Prayer, Charity, Fasting, and Pilgrimage, values that have built my character just as surely as my community has built my sense of belonging.
Shared Values, Lived Daily
Growing up in the 1970s, I learned early that compassion, dignity, and neighbourliness are not the property of any single faith. The biblical teachings in school assemblies echoed the Qur’anic principles taught at home: care for the vulnerable, respect for teachers, responsibility to your community. These were not abstract ideals but lived daily in the terraced streets of Newport and Cardiff, where neighbours looked after one another regardless of background, and where generosity routinely outweighed material wealth.
White working-class Wales played a defining role in my upbringing. Despite facing their own economic hardships, these communities showed extraordinary solidarity in protecting us when hostility surfaced; celebrating Eid alongside us, and embracing our traditions as part of the wider social fabric. Their actions embodied equality, mutual respect, and collective resilience: the same principles that continue to guide my politics today.
From 0.07% to the Senedd: A Journey of Representation
When I was a child, British Bangladeshis represented just 0.07% of the UK population, so few that our presence felt both fragile and highly visible. Today, we still account for only 1% (ONS 2022; Alexander & Lidher 2024). The numbers have barely shifted, but the landscape of representation has. My candidacy for the Senedd is not simply a personal milestone; it is evidence of what a multi-faith, multicultural Britain can enable when communities are supported, valued, and empowered through progressive policies and genuine community engagement.
This progress is rooted in the sacrifices of earlier generations: grandparents who arrived with limited resources but immense determination, parents who built community infrastructure where none existed, and in the working-class neighbours who stood beside us. As a Welsh, Muslim, Bangladeshi woman, I now hope to walk into rooms to represent the very communities that protected and shaped me: rooms our ancestors could never have imagined entering.
A Year of Community: Eid Across Wales
This year, Eid lived across communities. I returned to my old high school for its first-ever Eid celebration. I joined a multi-faith iftar in Newport where a church priest thanked me for sharing my journey. I attended a Sylheti gathering in Cardiff where hospitality was abundant. I stood in women’s spaces, from Indian IWD events, to Welsh ethnic minority gatherings, to Newport’s Independent Women’s Day. Solidarity has always transcended my background. I shared Ramadan with friends, and joined those observing Lent, celebrating Mardi Gras, and welcoming the Lunar New Year.
These moments reflect the strength of our shared civic life. Wales thrives when diversity is recognised as an asset, not a barrier. These are the spaces that demonstrate what Open Party stands for: a society where every community is empowered to contribute to public life, where you can embed without being an outsider.
My Privilege Is the Fusion
The greatest privilege I carry is not material wealth. It is the ability to draw upon multiple cultural and faith traditions, British, Welsh, Bangladeshi, and Islamic to inform my public service. My privilege is the fusion of British cultural strength and Islam rooted within me.
If you believe Wales is strongest when all its communities have a seat at the table, I’d love your support in the local elections. Together, we can build the inclusive, progressive Wales our communities deserve.
