15 September, 7-8:30pm, Central London, few minutes walk from Kings Cross station

Join us for our monthly meet-up with Writer and Activist Rahila Gupta on Political Blackness. Meet-ups are run by Ali Malik.

Rahila Gupta is a freelance journalist and writer. Her work has appeared in The Guardian and New Humanist among other papers and magazines. Her books include, “Enslaved: The New British Slavery”; “From Homebreakers to Jailbreakers: Southall Black Sisters”; “Provoked”; and “Don’t Wake Me: The Ballad of Nihal Armstrong” (Playdead Press, 2013). She is co-authoring a book with Beatrix Campbell with the title “Why Doesn’t Patriarchy Die?” She is also patron of Peace in Kurdistan, on the management committee of Southall Black Sisters, chair of the Nihal Armstrong Trust which she set up in 2004 in memory of her dearly loved, disabled son who died in 2001, a judge on the Emma Humphreys Memorial Prize awarded to individual women and groups who have campaigned, raised awareness of and supported women escaping violence, amongst others.

If it is your first time attending the monthly meet-up, please email hello@ex-muslim.org.uk to register.

Talk will be followed by Q&A, drinks and snacks.

20 October, 7-8:30pm, Central London, few minutes walk from Kings Cross station

Join us for our monthly meet-up on Apostasy and Asylum with Ana Gonzalez. Meet-ups are run by Ali Malik.

Ana Gonzalez is a solicitor and partner at Wilson Solicitors. She practises in immigration and asylum work, and has interests in human rights and European Law. Ana is an internationally recognised expert in gender and sexuality-based asylum claims as well as having extensive expertise in representing individuals from vulnerable, marginalised client groups such as victims of human trafficking, apostates and transgender individuals. Ana is frequently instructed by Local Authorities all over the Greater London area to act for children and adults in their care.

Ana is praised in Chambers and Partners for her “constant attention to cases, leading client care and real knowledge of the law.” She “continues to stand out for significant work on human trafficking cases, often raising new country guidance points” (2012). “She is a stand-out practitioner in the field of refugee law, with particular expertise in trafficking cases” (2014). She “is very experienced, passionate and has very good judgement” (2016). Ana has been described “the epitome of a fighter who cares very deeply about her clients,” in the 2019 edition.

She practises in all aspects of immigration and asylum work, and has a specialist interest in European law. Ana has extensive experience of litigating in the higher courts, having had numerous cases over the years in the Administrative Court/Upper Tribunal and Court of Appeal. She has also conducted cases in the Supreme Court and the Court of Justice of the European Union in Luxembourg.

If it is your first time attending the monthly meet-up, please email hello@ex-muslim.org.uk to register.

Talks will be followed by Q&A, drinks and snacks. Ana will also do one on one sessions with asylum cases.