Baroness Sayeeda Warsi – the most powerful Muslim woman in Britain
Posted on 30 March 2009 by Halima Khatun
She’s sharp tongued, feisty and commands the presence of David Dimbleby and any other unwitting panellist on Question Time. Of course, I’m talking about battleaxe Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, who was crowned the Most Powerful Muslim woman in Britain in a lavish ceremony held at the Lowry hotel in Manchester.
Other prominent Muslim women named in the top five of the Power List include Farmida Bi, a banking Partner for Norton Rose LLP; Professor Farida Fortune CBE, Dean of Dentistry and Oral Health at Queen Mary’s School of Medicine; Wasfi Kani, Chief Executive, Grange Park Opera; and Mishal Hussain, a leading journalist and news presenter. Apart from the latter, do you spot a trend? A politician, a banker, a dean in dentistry (double whammy there), and a Chief Exec for good measure.
Before the list was announced, I bemoaned how Muslim women in conventional roles received favour over others. So doctors, dentists and lawyers were always more highly regarded than, say, a TV producer. And I hate to say it, but it seems that I was right.
The full list of nominees boasted more Chief Executives of corporations than you could shake a stick at. But of course, don’t get me wrong, the achievements of these women are not to be sniffed at. For example, it was great to see the number of women who were in such high-profile roles in a so-called man’s world. And it did help the notion that Muslim women can have it all - flying in the face of the old adage that a Muslim woman has a short career, the cut-off point being marriage and children. It’s just a shame that there wasn’t enough of a mix of professions in the Power List. Shelina Janmohamed, author of “Love in a Headscarf”, and BBC News correspondent Razia Iqbal were the only notable nominees from the creative and media world. So, in terms of inspiring future generations of young Muslim women, the plus side is that the Muslim Power List does inspire the notion that religion and culture shouldn’t be a boundary to achieve your desired goals. However, there’ll be more inspiration for budding doctors, lawyers and accountants, which is precisely what most of our parents wanted us to do in the first place.
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March 30th, 2009 at 10:10 pm
we arent really all that familiar with eachother to be able to even start to go about identifying the cool ones. let alone all the folks jostling for attention.
i reckon its best to constantly find new inspirational people you can touch in the world around you.
no disrespect to the begums raised here, but im wary of social engineering attempts like this dressed up as muslim pr.
April 4th, 2009 at 5:20 pm
no disrespect to your article but you ruined it in your first paragraph. why refer to baroness sayeeda warsi as a ‘battleaxe’? if this feature had been about a man we would be applauding his abilities to hold is own against the likes of david dimbleby. it’s hard enough for women without others of their own sex unwittingly carrying on certain stereotypes
April 7th, 2009 at 12:58 pm
Aliya, do you even know whats ment by the term ‘battleaxe’
The writer was applauding Sayeda’s abilities with that term, though i dont think Sayeeda deserves that it.
April 7th, 2009 at 1:01 pm
I also feel these ‘muslim personality’ things are very superficial.
why the need to state that this person whos achived alot is muslim? how do you even know whos a ‘real’ muslim and who’s just muslim by name? if level of faith doesnt matter then why use the term muslim?
July 3rd, 2009 at 11:21 am
Perhaps we ought to applaud success and leave personal profiles in the ‘personal’ draw. Should we not all be able to avail ourselves of achievement - according to “the laws of inclusion” in these islands that refer to themselves as the UNITED Kingdom of Great Britain?
Do we require local and national representatives to work on our behalf - or do we only require those representaatives to subscribe to our own personal preferences, before we decide whether we wish them to work on our behalf?
I look forward to the next generation of political representatives - maybe they will be an improvement of whatever we have experienced thus far - and perhaps they will not - but I still anticipate them eagerly.
October 23rd, 2009 at 4:38 am
I HAVE ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT IN GENERAL WOMEN HAVE MORE BRAINS THAN MEN, ( DOESN’T MATTER WHAT RELIGEON THEY COME FROM )
BUT AS BEING ASIAN MY SELF, IT’S ALWAYS A PROUD MOMENT TO SEE A ASIAN WOMEN ACHIEVE WHAT SAEEDA WARSI HAS ACHIEVED.
THIS WILL GIVE POSITIVE WIBES TO OUR GENERATION OF ASIANS THAT ANY THING IS ACHIEVABLE AS LONG AS THERE IS COMMITMENT.
ASIAN CUNCILORS - YES
ASIAN POLICE OFFICERS - YES
ASIAN MPS - YES
ASIAN MEP - YES
ASIAN LORD - YES
NOT TO LONG BEFORE WE HAVE A ASIAN PRIME MINISTER .( ANOTHER 20 YEARS)
October 23rd, 2009 at 11:05 am
The use of “Battleaxe”, as a term of derision,had merit. She may have some good qualities. I’m waiting; all I see is a gobby, self-opinionated airhead. It may be good to have minorities represented in parliament and to have more female members; the views expressed in parliament should be representative of all people. Having Sayeeda Warsi isn’t the solution to a problem, it is a problem itself.
June 7th, 2010 at 12:41 pm
Imran said:
I HAVE ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT IN GENERAL WOMEN HAVE MORE BRAINS THAN MEN, ( DOESN’T MATTER WHAT RELIGEON {sic} THEY COME FROM )
BUT AS BEING ASIAN MY SELF {sic), IT’S ALWAYS A PROUD MOMENT TO SEE A {sic} ASIAN WOMEN ACHIEVE WHAT SAEEDA WARSI HAS ACHIEVED.
THIS WILL GIVE POSITIVE WIBES {sic} TO OUR GENERATION OF ASIANS THAT ANY THING IS ACHIEVABLE AS LONG AS THERE IS COMMITMENT….
NOT TO {sic} LONG BEFORE WE HAVE A {sic} ASIAN PRIME MINISTER .( ANOTHER 20 YEARS)
Not you I hope! I don’t think Asians can be PM of the UK. They
have to be British. I hope they always think British, regardless of ethnic background (which might be Asian).
Is Bob Cox an idiot?