Hyphen
LightNews LightNews
banner
hyphenonline.com
Hyphen
@hyphenonline.com
600 followers 970 following 630 posts
hyphenonline.com | The leading media platform on Muslim life in the UK and Europe
Posts Replies Media Videos
hyphenonline.com
Zines offer a space for creativity, community and critique — and British Muslims are making some of the most exciting ones.

Shahla Omar explores how DIY magazines build culture, identity and connection.
https://hyphenonline.com/2026/02/10/zines-diy-magazines-british-uk-muslims-khidr-collective/
Zines are giving British Muslims the power of boundless expression - Hyphen
In recent years Muslims and marginalised communities have been forging their space in UK DIY magazine culture as a form of creative freedom
hyphenonline.com
February 10, 2026 at 4:03 PM
hyphenonline.com
2,500 people are set to attend one of the UK’s biggest ever iftars at MK Dons FC's Stadium MK this Ramadan — including Great British Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain.

Yumna Iq has more👇🏽
https://hyphenonline.com/2026/02/10/milton-keynes-grand-iftar-2026-mubarak-moments-nadiya-hussain/
Nadiya Hussain to join one of UK’s ‘biggest iftars’ in Milton Keynes - Hyphen
Great British Bake Off winner will meet and greet some of the estimated 2,500 attendees at the Grand Iftar, to be held at Stadium MK
hyphenonline.com
February 10, 2026 at 2:36 PM
hyphenonline.com
Awan Sheraz has been named Community Champion by fellow Newcastle residents for the sixth year in a row for his work fighting food insecurity from his corner shop.

Read the story⬇️
https://hyphenonline.com/2026/02/09/sheraz-awan-food-donations-westerhope-convenience-store-corner-shop/
The Newcastle shopkeeper giving away bread to customers in need - Hyphen
Sheraz Awan donates thousands of free items each year from his cornershop knowing that many of his Westerhope community are food impoverished
hyphenonline.com
February 9, 2026 at 2:59 PM
hyphenonline.com
Campaigners have vowed to keep fighting for a permanent specialist unit after the Sickle Cell Day Unit closed at the Royal London Hospital.

@bellribeiroaddy.bsky.social said the unit’s closure was ‘typical of wider trends in sickle cell care’.

hyphenonline.com/2026/02/09/s...
Sickle Cell Day Unit campaigners’ plea for new centre - Hyphen
Emergency treatment centre attached to Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel closed in January despite a 42,000-strong petition to save it
hyphenonline.com
February 9, 2026 at 11:22 AM
hyphenonline.com
Cherien Dabis’s new film All That’s Left of You traces three generations of a Palestinian family — showing how political violence shapes their life.

Out today in cinemas. Read Leila Latif’s full review⬇️

hyphenonline.com/2026/02/06/a...
All That’s Left of You: moving drama about a Palestinian family - Hyphen
Cherien Dabis’s ambitious film set in the West Bank doesn’t aim to explain history so much as to show how its scars accumulate
hyphenonline.com
February 6, 2026 at 4:51 PM
hyphenonline.com
Indoor climbing is on the rise in the UK, but not everyone feels welcome.

Meet ClimbMuz, a group working to increase representation for women of colour in the sport.

✍🏿 Anita Mureithi
https://hyphenonline.com/2026/02/05/climbmuz-muslim-women-indoor-climbing-club/
ClimbMuz: the group giving a leg-up to Muslim women in climbing - Hyphen
With indoor climbing growing in popularity, the club has grown to provide space and community for women of colour interested in the sport
hyphenonline.com
February 5, 2026 at 1:50 PM
hyphenonline.com
Peter Mandelson’s links to Jeffrey Epstein were far from secret — yet he was still appointed US ambassador.

Shehab Khan argues that denouncing Mandelson won’t be enough to undo the damage for Keir Starmer.

hyphenonline.com/2026/02/04/k...
Keir Starmer won’t escape Peter Mandelson scandal that easily - Hyphen
The PM and his advisers chose a US ambassador whose links to Jeffrey Epstein were far from secret. Denouncing Mandelson can’t undo that
hyphenonline.com
February 4, 2026 at 4:14 PM
hyphenonline.com
As #France heads to the polls in March, the #Paris suburb of Champigny-sur-Marne could make history by electing its first Black Muslim woman — and its first woman from a working-class neighbourhood — as mayor.

hyphenonline.com/2026/02/04/f...
Is Champigny-sur-Marne about to get its first Black Muslim mayor? - Hyphen
Fily Keita-Gassama is running in France's municipal elections, a local candidate fighting disaffection and the right in the Paris suburbs
hyphenonline.com
February 4, 2026 at 2:23 PM
hyphenonline.com
Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth has pledged to take ‘every possible step’ to protect Welsh Muslims from the far right’s rise.

He told @sajeraj.bsky.social he wanted Muslim communities' at the heart’ of the Wales his party would build if elected in May.
hyphenonline.com/2026/02/03/p...
Plaid Cymru leader vows to protect Wales from Reform UK - Hyphen
In a Hyphen interview, Rhun ap Iorwerth appeals for Welsh Muslims to join ‘coalition’ against ‘negative politics’ of Nigel Farage’s party
hyphenonline.com
February 3, 2026 at 1:54 PM
hyphenonline.com
Ramadan in the UK is more than fasting. It’s city-wide iftars, charity appeals, a time for reflection and public celebrations.

Here are all your common questions about #Ramadan 2026 answered.
https://hyphenonline.com/2026/02/02/when-is-ramadan-2026/
When is Ramadan 2026? - Hyphen
The holiest month in Islam brings fasting, prayer, charity and vibrant UK cultural celebrations — here's our guide to what's on this year
hyphenonline.com
February 3, 2026 at 10:47 AM
hyphenonline.com
Looking to volunteer in 2026?

Here are 10 organisations where you can help give back to your community ⬇️
https://hyphenonline.com/2026/02/02/volunteering-muslim-charities-community-organisations-2026/
10 community organisations to volunteer for in 2026 - Hyphen
From fighting food poverty to community gardens and mental health support, here are some ways to give back this year
hyphenonline.com
February 2, 2026 at 3:40 PM
hyphenonline.com
Young Muslims and religious educators warn the proposed social media ban for under-16s could hinder faith development, as the @mcb.org.uk backs the move to protect children’s wellbeing.

Nylah Salam reports

hyphenonline.com/2026/02/02/s...
Don’t ban social media for under-16s, young Muslims urge - Hyphen
The Muslim Council of Britain has backed a bid to bar kids from social media. But for some, it was a source of help on their Islamic journey
hyphenonline.com
February 2, 2026 at 12:44 PM
hyphenonline.com
When the hijab shifts from a personal act of faith to an aesthetic, something is lost.

Nylah Salam reflects on how social media has turned a religious practice into a curated performance — and what that means for Muslim women online.

#WorldHijabDay

hyphenonline.com/2026/01/30/h...
The hijab was never meant to be a brand, but a symbol of faith - Hyphen
Social media is full of images of hijab-wearing women conforming to certain beauty standards. For World Hijab Day, we should remember its true meaning
hyphenonline.com
January 30, 2026 at 4:38 PM
hyphenonline.com
'For you I have but one word: write.’

In his latest column, Taj Ali traces his journey from disruptive year 7 pupil to completing his first book, and details the lasting impact of a teacher who offered encouragement when it mattered most.

hyphenonline.com/2026/01/29/t...
The teacher who gave me the confidence to be a writer - Hyphen
Our education system is judged by exam results and inspections, but its greatest achievement is inspiring children and transforming lives
hyphenonline.com
January 30, 2026 at 12:15 PM
hyphenonline.com
Building new Muslim cemeteries has proved almost impossible in recent years, even for investors with deep pockets. But a new burial ground in Bedford where 800 people have already bought plots proves it can be done.

Weronika Strzyżyńska reports.
hyphenonline.com/2026/01/29/m...
Building new Muslim cemeteries seemed impossible — until now - Hyphen
Muslims are at the sharp end of the UK’s burial crisis. But opposition to new grave sites has stopped even billionaires from building them
hyphenonline.com
January 29, 2026 at 2:38 PM
hyphenonline.com
Three former Tory ministers have defected to Reform UK in two weeks — a situation that could have spelled the end for Kemi Badenoch. But the Conservative leader has doubled down, saying the party is better off without them.

✍🏽Shehab Khan

hyphenonline.com/2026/01/29/k...
Kemi Badenoch reckons she can beat Reform UK. Is she right? - Hyphen
The Conservative leader seemed unbothered by three big defections — Nadhim Zahawi, Robert Jenrick and Suella Braverman — to Reform UK
hyphenonline.com
January 29, 2026 at 1:51 PM
hyphenonline.com
Paan has a history stretching back centuries in South Asia, traditionally chewed by older generations as an after-dinner treat.

Now it's being reinvented with new flavours and modern twists for a younger audience.

hyphenonline.com/2026/01/28/p...
Something to chew on: the new generation of UK paan makers - Hyphen
With elaborate recipes and healthier takes, this traditional South Asian treat is finding a 21st-century audience
hyphenonline.com
January 28, 2026 at 2:55 PM
hyphenonline.com
Rediscovered treasures of Iranian new wave cinema from the 60s and 70s are screening at the Barbican Centre 4–26 Feb.

Niloufar Haidari previews the programme⬇️
https://hyphenonline.com/2026/01/27/iranian-new-wave-cinema-ye-motafavet-barbican-film-season/
The Barbican celebrates the wonders of Iranian new wave cinema - Hyphen
Iran's cinema-ye-motafavet offers a shared poetic and revolutionary language and is now reaching a wider audience after decades of censorship
hyphenonline.com
January 28, 2026 at 2:36 PM
hyphenonline.com
From beef mishkaki to coconut-rich curries, the food of the Swahili coast is a vibrant fusion of African, Indian and Arabic influences.

🍛Zaynab Asaadi’s latest food guide ↓
hyphenonline.com/2026/01/27/s...
Finding the best Swahili coast food — in Dar es Salaam or London - Hyphen
East African Indian food is fusion at its absolute best, combining the captivating flavours of both continents
hyphenonline.com
January 27, 2026 at 4:20 PM
hyphenonline.com
Suleymaan Khan was just 12 years old when he made his first humanoid butler robot from a programmable Lego set, held together with cardboard and dental floss.

Now 17, he hopes to inspire others to build on a budget.

✍🏽Zahra Onsori | 📷 Safa B Malik

hyphenonline.com/2026/01/27/s...
Meet the teenager building award-winning robots at home - Hyphen
Self-taught inventor Suleymaan Khan, 17, is inspiring students around the world via social media with his DIY creations
hyphenonline.com
January 27, 2026 at 4:03 PM
hyphenonline.com
Health secretary Wes Streeting says his reforms will ‘clean up a Tory mess’ by prioritising UK-trained doctors for speciality training posts — but NHS doctor Ammad Butt warns that the policy risks deepening workforce problems.

hyphenonline.com/2026/01/27/w...
Prioritising UK-trained doctors for training posts won’t fix NHS - Hyphen
The government has announced plans to put British-trained doctors at the front of the queue for crucial speciality training posts
hyphenonline.com
January 27, 2026 at 12:50 PM
hyphenonline.com
A surge in harassment and fear has been reported by Black and brown LGBTQI+ people following the UK supreme court’s 2025 ruling on biological sex.

Charities say people are facing increased scrutiny and abuse in public spaces.

✍🏼Jaheim Karim
hyphenonline.com/2026/01/26/t...
How the supreme court's gender ruling affected people of colour - Hyphen
Trans and non-binary people — particularly those whose gender, racial and religious identities intersect — are facing increased harassment
hyphenonline.com
January 26, 2026 at 5:50 PM
hyphenonline.com
‘I see young people wanting to join associations, take responsibility — maybe even enter politics.’

Ahead of the 2026 municipal elections in Nice, Alexander Seale speaks to Muslim communities hoping for change.
hyphenonline.com/2026/01/26/n...
Nice elections 2026: why young French Muslims are key voting bloc - Hyphen
French municipal elections take place in March. After decades under a rightwing mayor, migrant communities in Nice are demanding change
hyphenonline.com
January 26, 2026 at 3:10 PM
hyphenonline.com
In an era of superhero fatigue, Wonder Man dares to take the genre seriously.

The Disney+ series led by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Ben Kingsley is a stunning return to form, writes Leila Latif.

https://hyphenonline.com/2026/01/23/wonder-man-review-marvel-disney-yahya-abdul-mateen-ben-kingsley/
Wonder Man review: the bravest move Marvel has made in years - Hyphen
Ben Kingsley and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II star in the new Disney+ series as two struggling actors in a deeply flawed film industry
hyphenonline.com
January 23, 2026 at 3:01 PM
hyphenonline.com
Muslim, Jewish and Christian faith leaders will tour the UK to gather information about how global conflicts affect relations between communities.

The project is backed by the Woolf Institute and was launched at the House of Lords on Tuesday night.

hyphenonline.com/2026/01/23/c...
Commission on Interfaith Relations launches at House of Lords - Hyphen
Faith leaders will join academics and charity experts on a tour of the UK to learn how global conflicts affect community relations
hyphenonline.com
January 23, 2026 at 10:46 AM