Aina J. Khan @ainajkhan Twitter profile | Pikagi

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Aina J. Khan

@ainajkhan

33,430

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Video journalist @ajplus . Freelance Foreign Correspondent. 🎥 ✍🏼 🥭🧕🏼. RT do not = endorsement.

https://t.co/stbpmKw53R

Joined March 2011

Don't wanna be here? Send us removal request.

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@ainajkhan

Aina J. Khan

3 months

I travelled to north-west Pakistan to profile the legendary Pashtun folk singer, Zarsanga, for @guardian . I often hear Pashto in the news from the mouths of the Taliban. For once, here's a beautiful, complicated representation of Pashtun culture.

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‘People weep and shower me with rupees’: the overwhelming artistry of Pashtun singer Zarsanga

Her first audience was the sheep and horses she herded in rural Pakistan, but she became a national hero. So why is this folk music icon reduced to living in a makeshift house?

www.theguardian.com

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@ainajkhan

Aina J. Khan

9 days

I’m in Tokyo where students at the University of Tokyo have begun an encampment for Gaza. Their demands include an academic boycott, disclosing and divesting from companies associated with Israel, and that the university takes in Palestinian students and researchers from Gaza.

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Aina J. Khan

2 years

It was a tense day of reporting from Leicester for me today. I interviewed a Hindu man wearing a motorbike helmet, holding an Indian flag on Belgrave road, the site of some of the unrest yesterday between a group of Muslim and Hindu men. Here’s what happened. 👇🏼

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@ainajkhan

Aina J. Khan

3 years

Five years ago, I commuted between London and Bradford (a 4-5 hour coach ride) just for unpaid journalism work experience. The financial strain was soul-destroying. Today is my first day as the @nytimes International Fellow. It's humbling and beautiful knowing how far I've come.

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Aina J. Khan

2 years

Since Sunday, I’ve had a torrent of sexist, racist, and Islamophobic messages telling me to blow myself up, calling me a whore, and accusing me of condoning extremist Muslims. I’ve had a video and opinion hit piece critiquing my journalism. The saddest thing? I expected this.

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Aina J. Khan

4 years

It's actually heart breaking looking through Areema's tweets. She was clearly a selfless woman who loved her profession as a nurse. Putting others before her is how she lived, and it's how she died too. At only 36-years-old, she leaves behind her husband and three children.

@AreemaNasreen

Areema Nasreen

5 years

Never thought I could see this amazing day. Thank u to Walsall Manor Hospital for believing in me. Countles's people one who was me struggle to believe that they have the right to dream. But please follow through, and yes with commitment compassion support dreams do come true.

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Aina J. Khan

2 years

Nothing justifies this message. Nothing. Do not tell me that this comes with my job. If it makes you feel uncomfortable, quite frankly I don’t care. I’ve had several messages like this. I refuse to become desensitised to such brazen rage singling me out because of who I am.

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Aina J. Khan

2 years

@OpIndia_com , your targeting of me in recent articles is deeply Islamophobic. This edited image of Muskan Khan (who was heckled by a far-right Hindu mob in India for wearing a hijab) and I, with demon eyes is disgusting. Our crime in your eyes it seems, is wearing a hijab.

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Aina J. Khan

2 years

What a surreal and strange day to wake up to hateful messages and @‘s from far-right Hindu supporters, and from a minuscule few journalists and male acquaintances sidling up to me because of going ‘viral.’ What a hateful, performative, inauthentic space the internet feels like.

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Aina J. Khan

3 years

"I'm a mother of four children, I've left my children. It is not easy... but we are going to continue [reporting] because this is the only way to expose what is going on to the international community." Youmna Al Sayed for Al Jazeera on the danger journalists are facing in Gaza.

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Aina J. Khan

2 years

Some footage of my interview with helmet man, that snowballed into a shouting match with an RSS member. Compared to the palpable aggression and fear that hung around Leicester yesterday, this paled in comparison, although it is a concerning hazard of being a journalist.

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Aina J. Khan

3 years

After countless job rejections, immense financial and emotional pandemic struggles, I am over the moon to share I will be joining the @nytimes as their first International Fellow in June. I was up against 450 applicants. But 7 interviews later, here I am.

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Aina J. Khan

2 years

If I were a white journalist, and not visibly Muslim, suffice to say I would not have faced this level of scrutiny. But it is what it is. It’s hard not to let your emotions get the better of you, when you’re attacked in this way, fortunately only verbally.

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Aina J. Khan

2 years

This man said he supported Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) - a group whose founders took inspiration from Mussolini’s fascists. (See this @guardian long read below for more about RSS and its influence in India today👇🏼.)

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Aina J. Khan

2 years

A witness on green lane road where they marched, shared how these men swore at women peeping out of their windows and doors. There were some violent scuffles too. She has locked her shop door for fear of retaliation, after seeing this unfold on her doorstep.

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Aina J. Khan

2 years

This man exuberantly professed how great and altruistic RSS was, a stone’s throw away from a statue of Gandhi that stands adjacent to a Hindu temple. The irony here being that Gandhi was assassinated by an RSS member (who the RSS claim had left by then).

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Aina J. Khan

2 years

There is no doubt these men were not representative of the Hindu community. “We condemn the insensitive and utterly disgraceful acts on the streets of Belgrave and North Evington,” said a collective statement by leaders of Hindu and Jain temples, and community organisations.

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Aina J. Khan

2 years

Here are the bare bones of some of my reporting today. Hopefully much more in-depth reporting to follow, later this week.

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Police call for calm after ‘serious disorder’ breaks out in Leicester

Two arrested during latest disturbance in east of city after cricket match last month between India and Pakistan

www.theguardian.com

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@ainajkhan

Aina J. Khan

2 years

In short, I was accused of being a member of the Taliban, an extremist, playing the victim card. I was accused of not scrutinising Pakistan’s treatment of its minorities and fixating on India’s treatment of its minorities, of ignoring how Muslims are raping everyone.

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Aina J. Khan

2 years

Multiple witnesses and videos confirm a group of Hindu men were chanting, “Jai Shri Ram,” Hindi for “hail Lord Ram" or "victory to Lord Ram,” as they marched through a Muslim majority area in Leicester. This chant has become synonymous with anti-Muslim violence in India.

@Majstar7

Majid Freeman

2 years

Hindu mobs on Belgrave Road throwing glass bottles at the Muslims but narrowly missing police officers heads on numerous occasions. There is NOT a small minority of these Hindutva thugs. Theres hundreds of them. Will the Hindu community leaders continue defending them? #Leicester

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Aina J. Khan

2 years

He said India’s independence did not truly begin until Narendra Modi took office as PM, eight years ago, and that Modi’s leadership was the panacea for “jihadist Muslims” in India. Muslims were a problem in the U.K., helmet man said, pointing to grooming gangs in Rotherham.

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Aina J. Khan

2 years

The interview got heated when another man, an RSS member, accused me of bias when I shared concerns about yesterday’s impromptu marchers chanting “Jai Shri Ram,” a Hindu chant appropriated by extremists in India, that has now become synonymous with anti-Muslim hatred.

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Aina J. Khan

2 years

Back to the interview. Another man joined the discussion, and very quickly, all three began shouting at me. It was an extremely uncomfortable position to be in.

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Aina J. Khan

2 years

The website that ran a shoddy hit piece on me interviewed T*mmy Robinson? Talk about scratching the surface of unholy alliances between right-wing Hindus in India, and white extremists like Robinson.

@UnSubtleDesi

Nupur J Sharma

2 years

I will be interviewing Tommy Robinson tomorrow. The link of the interaction should be up soon. It’s time to call out the blatant Islamic violence in Leicester against Hindus and understand how this malaise came to be in the UK. #Leicester #LeicesterHindusAttacked

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Aina J. Khan

2 years

There were some lovely things I observed. I accompanied local activist from the Muslim community, @Majstar7 , who escorted a woman with a sindooram on her forehead, to her home near Belgrave road.

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Aina J. Khan

2 years

We eventually all went our separate ways. I tried to listen. To question. But the accusations of bias, and the constant shutting down, it was hard to get a word in edge ways. I heard one of the men was later detained by the police.

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Aina J. Khan

2 years

I was also filmed, and I was refuted, very emphatically by one young British Hindu man in particular who also joined the discussion, and said that the fascist inspiration that underpinned the inception of RSS? It was not true.

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Aina J. Khan

2 years

In March, I went to the occupied West Bank for @nytimes to write about Palestinian matriarchs or Tetas, and recipes they pass down the generations. It's a story about precious traditions, resilience, and Palestinian joy in spite of Israel's occupation.

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Preserving a Palestinian Identity in the Kitchen (Gift Article)

With many Palestinians fearful that their cuisine is being lost, kitchen practices handed down by family matriarchs for generations are still being passed along.

www.nytimes.com

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Aina J. Khan

2 years

I can’t help people’s visceral reactions and incendiary opinions about me because I’m a journalist of colour, and a visibly Muslim woman. I have a huge migraine from the insanity of all this, but if anything, all this has emboldened me to keep reporting. So ta very much trolls!

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Aina J. Khan

2 years

A group of Muslim men had gathered in protest a stone’s throw away, there was around 50 police officers with high-vis jackets, helmets and batons, tensions were still running high. Her son gratefully shook Freeman’s hands with both of his own when Freeman left her at her doorstep

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Aina J. Khan

2 years

There was a peaceful gathering of mostly young Muslims in Belgrave road today, but the anger was palpable, and anxiety hung on the mouths of local residents, who looked out their front doors with concern after a night of chaos they hope will not return.

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Aina J. Khan

2 years

Nearby, I watched an English woman hold back tears, as she scrubbed blood from her window sill with some anti-bacterial wipes. Remnants of yesterday’s violence when there was a stand off between a group of Muslim and Hindu men. Close by, a red car had had its rear window smashed.

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Aina J. Khan

2 years

I’ve watched far too many fellow journalists who are women of colour, get bashed under the anvil of social media trolls for simply doing their job. I knew it was a matter of time before I would be crushed under that anvil. Here I am.

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Aina J. Khan

11 months

Uzbekistan is known for its nons, flatbreads cooked in blazing hot tandoors that have a distinct signature stamp in the middle. I travelled to four cities and sampled four different types: 1. Margilan 2. Samarkand 3. Bukhara 4. Tashkent My favourite was Margilan’s non!

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Aina J. Khan

9 years

Muslim schoolgirls from Hyderabad practicing Chinese wushu martial arts in their shalwar kameez, hijab and all. http://t.co/nC4HsKzTeJ

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Aina J. Khan

2 years

Dear @Twitter . Can you please explain how it is possible that a tweet from a right-wing Islamophobic woman calling me an "Islamist," is not a violation of your rules?

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@ainajkhan

Aina J. Khan

2 years

Hi folks. Please report this to @Twitter if you have the brain energy. I already have. Collateral damage of being a visible Muslim working in journalism, is that you get accused of being an Islamist.

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Aina J. Khan

9 days

Unlike @Columbia , the University of Tokyo has agreed with the students that it will not remove the tents or forcibly remove them with police.

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Aina J. Khan

2 years

It’s sadly my last week at @nytimes as an International Fellow. But I’m pleased to share I’ll be joining The @Guardian as a Community Affairs correspondent covering the north of the U.K. I got my first byline there 6 years ago. It’s only right I “go back to where I came from.” 🎊

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Aina J. Khan

2 years

@OpIndia_com Genuine question. What does my hijab have to do with my reporting? Why single it out? Do all journalists have to report stark naked, in order to be fair and objective? Would you have gone after me if my name were Elizabeth Bennet?

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Aina J. Khan

4 years

In Arabic, ‘Firdaws’ means paradise. 12-year-old Firdaws Hashim was exactly that to those who knew her. Every time I hear her sing @emelisande ’s ‘Read all about it’, it sends shivers down my spine. She died with her two brothers and her parents 3 years ago in Grenfell Tower.

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Aina J. Khan

2 years

In 2019, I passed the @nytimes building and thought, “I’d love to work there, but it’ll never happen.” The pandemic struck months later, and I almost gave up journalism to train as a teacher. But in 2021, I became the first @nytimes international fellow. Today was my last day. ✌🏼

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Aina J. Khan

2 years

Thank you to everyone who has sent messages of support recently. I will not be engaging further with personal attacks on me or my journalism. As the late Toni Morrison said, “The very serious function of racism [or Islamophobia in my case] is distraction." So, back to work I go!

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Aina J. Khan

2 years

@OpIndia_com You criticised my journalism, accused me of bias... and yet none of your journalists sent me one email for a right to respond even though you wrote several pieces about/referring to me. It's very telling of how much you value journalistic integrity. Shabaash!

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Aina J. Khan

2 years

All of the above has been eclipsed by messages of solidarity from sincere hearts and strangers. Thank you.

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Aina J. Khan

2 years

I was not “happy” @SarahLGates1 . I was shocked the interview nose-dived so quickly, and smiled to mask my anxiety. My leg was shaking with adrenaline. No violent retaliation is justified. But this man deserved to be robustly questioned for the views he was so brazenly supporting.

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Aina J. Khan

1 year

It's my last day at The @Guardian today, covering the brilliant @aamnamohdin while she was on sabbatical. I'll be joining @NBCNews as a reporter for a bit in the New Year. It has been the most intense year of my career so far. So here's a thread of some work I'm proud of:

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Aina J. Khan

2 years

I’m in awe of journalists who are trolled daily. The trolling I’ve been subjected to is the tip of the iceberg, but it’s been a surreal few weeks nonetheless. I’m really fortunate to be supported by my employers at @guardian . Trolls be damned, the journalism must go on.

@GuardianComms

Guardian Comms

2 years

Dear Ms. Mehta - in the interests of transparency for your followers, here is the email you mention. We simply ask you (again) politely to refrain from making personal attacks on our reporter on your site and on social media

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Aina J. Khan

1 year

I'm researching qawwali and inevitably tumbling down a Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan rabbit hole. The guy with a crisp suit and red tie in this video whirling around is the best example of the hypnotic effect Khan had on his audience. Us 90s kids really missed out.

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Mera Piya Ghar Aaya Kalam Hazrat Baba Bulleh Shah r a Nusrat Fateh...

MERA PIYA GHAR AAYA ..performed by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Sahab in 1993.. Enjoy

www.youtube.com

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Aina J. Khan

1 year

If you read my @nytimes article on Palestinian matriarchs, recipes they pass through the generations and appropriation of Palestinian cuisine as Israeli, watch this video I 🎥 and edited with @capcutapp using 🎙produced by @Parinlalala . Link to article: 👉🏼

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Aina J. Khan

2 years

Admittedly snorted with laughter at this. 👞 👠 👟

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Aina J. Khan

1 year

The hijab and the burkini have been avenged. 🇦🇷

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Aina J. Khan

10 months

@RanaAyyub delivered a powerful lecture at @BradfordLitFest on speaking truth to power in India by exposing its treatment of minorities, protecting India’s democratic character, & the exhaustion of being “strong.” With love & solidarity Rana. You epitomise the best of journalism.

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Aina J. Khan

4 years

76-year-old Dr Fayez Ayache, a retired GP who worked for the NHS for 40+ years, died of coronavirus on Wednesday. From Syria to Bangladesh, the first 10 British doctors to die from Covid-19, ALL migrated to the UK, sacrificing their lives to save others. Bloody immigrants eh?

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Aina J. Khan

2 years

What happens when you get an editor and journalists of South Asian heritage writing a story on the 75th anniversary of India’s bloody Partition in 1947? It makes the front cover of @guardian G2. You can read mine and @thaslima_b story on Partition survivors in today’s paper.

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Aina J. Khan

1 year

I’m officially that journalist with a serious professional headshot. I unintentionally went for a mustard turmeric theme. 📸: David Levene

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Aina J. Khan

2 years

It's my first day at The @guardian as community affairs correspondent covering stories in the north of the U.K. Hurray! Any tips or stories, my DM's are open.

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Aina J. Khan

4 years

I NEVER CAPITALISE TWEETS BUT I FINISHED MY MASTERS AFTER 3 GRUELLING YEARS AND I FEEL JUSTIFIED IN MY USE OF EXTROVERTED TYPING. That is all.

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Aina J. Khan

2 years

Being a journalist of colour is so lonely sometimes. On the one hand, you have to essentially set yourself alight to be noticed by white editors. On the other, you get bashed by your own people who tell you you're a token hire because you're a Pakistani, Muslim hijabi.

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Aina J. Khan

1 year

Watch Muslim Twitter go wild over this. I can see it already. “Messi embraces Islam.”

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Aina J. Khan

2 years

Hi folks. Please report this to @Twitter if you have the brain energy. I already have. Collateral damage of being a visible Muslim working in journalism, is that you get accused of being an Islamist.

@UnSubtleDesi

Nupur J Sharma

2 years

Ah! It’s the image of article from September! Lol. Well, I stand by it @ainajkhan . Also, it’s interesting that she sort of exonerates our position. She is an Islamist. She can be an Islamist because Hindus will use their words unlike her co-religionists

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Aina J. Khan

4 years

Jamaican coconut appreciation thread👇🏽: In Jamaica, rum is everywhere. It’s in the food, puddings, in glass rum bottles. However, being a practicing Muslim, I couldn’t sample any kind of alcohol for religious reasons. So... I became intoxicated on fresh coconut water instead. 🥥

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Aina J. Khan

4 years

My piece for @AJEnglish on the heroic doctors who contracted corona virus whilst working on the frontlines in the UK and tragically died. Remember their names. 1. Dr Habib Zaidi. 2. Dr Adil El Tatar. 3. Dr Amged El Hawrani. 4. Dr Alfa Sa'adu.

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Aina J. Khan

9 days

🚨 Work news: I’m joining the brilliant @ajplus video news team. This is a bitter-sweet announcement. After the moth-eaten coverage from mainstream news of Gaza after October 7, and a stream of job rejections (even after an NYT fellowship), I was ready to quit journalism.

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Aina J. Khan

2 years

I'll be taking a social media break for a bit, but I'll be back as Arnie once said. Your messages of solidarity and concern are not going unnoticed. Thank you, immeasurably.

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Aina J. Khan

5 years

My piece for @guardian on how a new report from @IPPR shows Pakistani & Bangladeshi Muslim women still struggle to get a job because of the failure of mainstream orgs, discrimination, & how little has changed two years since the Casey Review was published.

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We’ve got the degrees, so why do Muslim women struggle to get jobs? | Aina Khan

Racism and Islamophobia are still holding us back, says journalist Aina Khan

www.theguardian.com

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Aina J. Khan

1 year

I think I've watched this 10 times. I can't stop laughing.

@mertesakib

Sakib

1 year

This is killing me

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Aina J. Khan

4 years

He was a selfless philanthropist who provided free medical care in Bangladesh, and gave motivational speeches to young British Bangladeshi men about to embark on higher education. Yesterday, we lost yet another British doctor to Covid-19, 53-year-old Dr Abdul Mabud Chowdhury.

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Aina J. Khan

2 years

Fellow mango lovers: I’ve sampled mangoes in Jamaica, Kenya, Pakistan, and others imported to the U.K. In Zanzibar, I continued my investigation to determine if mangoes there compare to Pakistan’s golden mangoes, undoubtedly the world’s most glorious. My conclusion? 🇵🇰🥭👑

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Aina J. Khan

2 years

A follow-up report on the unrest in Leicester. On Saturday evening, a flag was removed outside one Hindu temple, another burned. Also, an exclusive from my colleague Rajeev Syal: Nearly half of those arrested over the weekend were from outside the county.

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Half of those arrested over clashes in Leicester from outside county

Exclusive: Concerns outsiders have stirred up trouble between Hindu and Muslim groups heightened after discovery people travelled into the city

www.theguardian.com

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Aina J. Khan

2 years

Of the incident where a flag was removed by a youth who was Muslim, Lakhani said: “I’m really proud to say on that day, when the flag was removed, there was an Imam outside. He said I’m standing outside the mandir [temple], making sure nothing happens.”

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Aina J. Khan

2 years

@UnSubtleDesi Your ‘journalism’ is disgusting. It’s a personal attack stoking hatred. I have a right to call @OpIndia_com out for what it is: Islamophobic. Your unjustified aggression says everything. I won’t shut up or sit down. You’ve given me every incentive to keep writing.

@UnSubtleDesi

Nupur J Sharma

2 years

Finally - stop playing victim. Stop whining. Nobody would have known you if it wasn’t for OpIndia writing about your “work”. Please thank us. Because of us, you got crumbs of attention from Islamists online and the global Ummah. Now shut up and sit down. @ainajkhan

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Aina J. Khan

1 year

I’ve watched Sabah break her back working around the clock as a producer in a community channel. Look at her now, presenting @SkyNews with @SaimaMohsin , who we watched on TV as young adults. Two British Pakistani women presenting on the same slot is something to celebrate 🎊

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Sabah Choudhry

1 year

A moment. Might not mean anything to you, but to me it was quite something having not one, but TWO British Pakistani Muslims presenting mainstream news, at the top slot, on an international channel. To hear my name pronounced by @SaimaMohsin just the way my mum says it! 🥰

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Aina J. Khan

2 years

The online trolling debacle that erupted from Leicester has reinforced the reality that some journalists (almost always white men,) will forever be seen as objective, whereas journalists like me, a woman of colour wearing a hijab, will be viewed as biased.

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Aina J. Khan

2 years

Someone please start a petition for the mandatory instalment of bidets/lotas in all UK office bathrooms. I simply cannot smuggle empty plastic bottles into the bathroom any longer.

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Aina J. Khan

1 year

Today was a hard day for personal reasons. But then I came on here to find a beautiful DM from a stranger teaching Palestinian students, saying she used my NYT article on Palestinian cuisine and appropriation in class, and that she thought I was a ray of sunshine. I needed that.

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Aina J. Khan

4 years

Thread on anti-Black racism in the Pakistani community 👇🏼: Growing up as a British, Pakistani, Pashtun woman, I was somewhat oblivious to colourism because of my privilege as a fair-skinned girl. That’s until my younger sister was born. 1/?

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Aina J. Khan

3 years

Morning new followers 👋🏼 My name is Aina (pronounced Ay-na). I’m a journalist from London. I lived in Bradford for 10 years so I’m an honorary Bradfordian too! I’m the first @nytimes international fellow. I often tweet about news, social issues, film, music, food and Pokémon. ✌🏼

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Aina J. Khan

2 years

Signing off Twitter now. Thanks for all your messages!

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Aina J. Khan

3 years

I'm going to appear on BBC Big Questions tomorrow morning at 11am to discuss whether Shamima Begum is Britain's responsibility, and as was expected, it was a tough interview (we filmed earlier today) (thread 1/?)

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Aina J. Khan

2 years

My latest for @nytimes on gentrification in East London’s Brick Lane, and concerns about what the building of a new shopping center around an old brewery there, means for the many Bangladeshi-run and independent businesses Brick Lane is renowned for.

Towers Rise Over London’s Brick Lane, Clouding Its Future (Published 2022)

Luxury developments and rising rents have ignited concerns about gentrification and displacement in a district that has long been a sanctuary for minority communities.

www.nytimes.com

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Aina J. Khan

2 years

Devastating news to wake up to. Shireen Abu Akleh, 51, was wearing a protective vest that clearly identified her as a member of the media, when she was fatally shot in the head by Israeli forces during a raid, according to Al Jazeera.

Al Jazeera Journalist Is Killed in West Bank (Published 2022)

The network and Palestinian authorities blamed Israeli troops for the killing. Israel said the blame could lie with Palestinian gunmen.

www.nytimes.com

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Aina J. Khan

5 years

So I've been selected as one of 10 writers for the BBC's Writers Room Northern Writers programme, where they'll be training us up to write for radio, television and beyond. Expect some wacky content from yours sincerely, hopefully in the near future 🙏🏽

@bbcwritersroom

BBC Writers

@bbcwritersroom

5 years

Meet the Northern Voices Writers >>> Northern Voices is our development scheme for diverse writing talent based in the North of England.

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Aina J. Khan

4 years

It’s the small things in life. I laughed so hard at this.

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Aina J. Khan

2 years

If you enjoyed reading my @nytimes article on gentrification in East London’s Brick Lane, head over to our Instagram story to watch this video I shot. Wherever you are, walk with me through this iconic street seeping with history, that has faced rapid gentrification for years.

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Aina J. Khan

2 years

@RanaAyyub Rana, I’ve watched from afar how you have been subjected to so much hate because of your own work. Still, you keep writing. Thank you for all that you do. Extending solidarity from afar. I know my experience is a tear drop of what you face constantly

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Aina J. Khan

4 years

Your gal made it onto @VogueArabia ! I interviewed emcees @ms_undastoodnyc @AliaSharrief @BoshiaRaejean @aint_afraid on the 'miseducation' of @MsLaurynHill , how they use hip-hop and Islam to salute their identity, and speak out on #BlackLivesMatter

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Aina J. Khan

3 years

I started my masters at @SOAS in 2017, in the hopes I would be better equipped — academically — to write about some of the issues shaping our world. After 4 years, a pandemic, health scares and administrative errors combined, my final results are in: First class distinction 🤲🏼

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Aina J. Khan

8 years

In true London spirit, women of every creed/colour outside French embassy protesting #burkiniban #WearWhatYouWant

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Aina J. Khan

3 years

We live in a country where we can justify banishing black and brown citizens, but Ghislaine Maxwell, whose father was Czechoslovakian and whose mother was French, can renounce her citizenship for bail. A snippet from me on the BBC's Big Questions today discussing Shamima Begum.

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Aina J. Khan

2 years

Lakhani also spoke to me of Leicester's long history of Muslims and Hindus living side-by-side for decades, and how recent years have seen tensions come to the fore for a variety of reasons.

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Aina J. Khan

3 years

My first front page story on Monday’s ⁦ @nytimes ⁩ international paper with ⁦ @CharlieBCuff ⁩, on Black customers underserved by some British hair salons. I received my copy yesterday evening. And yes, that is indeed a box of cake rusk which I used as a paper weight.

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Aina J. Khan

1 year

I'm watching the very first episode of The Wire for the first time. Twenty-one years late, but... here we go!

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Aina J. Khan

2 years

I accidentally called my editor 'shorty' (instead of typing 'filing article *shortly*'). How's your day going?

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Aina J. Khan

4 years

I’m actually sitting here crying because I realised all the things I dreamed of doing (professionally) aged 18, I’ve done. I dreamed of going to university (I was the first in my family), working with Al Jazeera, travelling, and I’ve done it. If 18-year-old Aina could see me now.

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Aina J. Khan

1 year

I started a new job at @NBCNews this week, with a brilliant team. One of the stories I covered was about an Australian cane toad named after Godzilla. It compelled me to Google: “Are toads and frogs the same?” I love my job. 🐸

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Aina J. Khan

4 years

Diriliş: Ertuğrul fans, my latest for @guardian on how the series took the world, Muslim diaspora (& my mother who inspired this piece) by storm. Broadcast in 72 countries with 2 billion views, the series offers a rare positive representation of Muslims.

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Ertuğrul: how an epic TV series became the 'Muslim Game of Thrones'

It has all the hallmarks of a blockbuster, but what has turned this Turkish saga into a global phenomenon is its nuanced portrayal of the Islamic world

www.theguardian.com

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Aina J. Khan

6 years

‘Arabic Words Illustrated to Match Their Literal Meaning by Mahmoud Tammam.’

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Arabic Words Illustrated to Match Their Literal Meaning by Mahmoud Tammam — Colossal

Egypt-based graphic designer Mahmoud Tammam creates simple modifications of Arabic words, transforming the language into visual representations of their meaning. The words Tammam chooses to design...

www.thisiscolossal.com

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Aina J. Khan

1 year

I’ve been in South Africa for a few weeks. Being away from the U.K. this long, I realised how much of my energy is wasted feeling like I have a duty to defend and react against racism (subtle and brazen) class biases, and Islamophobia, a gnawing white noise that erodes the spirit

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Aina J. Khan

2 years

The 1947 Partition of colonial India saw at least a million killed and the migration of some 15 million. It’s impact is felt 75 years later in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and the diaspora. This is the story of three survivors written by @thaslima_b and I.

‘A Sikh soldier pulled me out of the rubble’: survivors recall India’s violent partition – and...

Seventy-five years ago, India was carved up in a matter of months and the new states of East and West Pakistan were formed by lines drawn on a map by a man who had never visited the country. Here,...

www.theguardian.com

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Aina J. Khan

3 years

Good morning!🌞 It is my second 'official' day on the @nytimes International desk. I'm especially looking for stories from unheard communities, and stories outside of London. Any tips, stories, non-caustic digital content, drop me a message at: aina.j.khan @nytimes .com

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