Having been brought up and educated as a Catholic I renounced my faith 10 years ago and since I have been a strong advocate for secularism and open debate within religious groups about the belief systems entrenched in those communities.

I believe that in the UK we have allowed fear of intolerance and fear of offending people to override our duty to protect and offer equal rights to all citizens, no matter the religion or ideology of their home community. Not just in the British Muslim community, but in fact in all religious communities in the UK, entrenched belief systems are not challenged thoroughly enough and as a result people suffer injustices and in many cases abuse that otherwise would not be tolerated outside of a religious setting.

I strongly support the idea of giving a stronger voice moderate British Muslims and having a more open dialogue about religious ideology and why it can be harmful to a cohesive and secular society.