Pearls of Peace is a women’s community and development group based in Northampton. It is run by a group of volunteer Muslim women who work to support and promote peace, respect and understanding. We provide support, information services and referral to other organisations.

 

 

Although we aim to address the specific needs of Muslim women, all of our services, events and activities are open to women from any faith, background or culture as we aim to enhance community cohesion, develop peace, respect and understanding for all.

 

 

We aim to provide access to information and support services for women to build their confidence and capacity to improve their quality of life.

 

 

We aim to provide educational programmes, training services and activities for women to develop knowledge, confidence and self-esteem.

 

 

We aim to support women to develop a strong and peaceful voice against ignorance, prejudices and discrimination.

 

We aim to fundraise for local, national and international causes that are at the heart of our communities.

 

We strive to promote communication, integration and cohesion between communities through dialogue and peaceful means.

 

Through our events and activities, we aim to bring different communities together hoping to breakdown existing barriers and promote peace, respect and understanding.

 

 

 

Assalaamu Alaikum – may Allah’s peace be with you.

 

My name is Zahira Case (English/legal name – Joanne) and I am a revert to Islam since 1996 Alhamdulilah (All praise and thanks is due to Allah). I was one of the co-founders of Pearls of Peace back in 2009 and I became the Chair of the group in 2011.

 

I am a mother of five girls and in the past I have had my own small retail business. I have also trained as a Teaching Assistant acquiring a Cache Level 2 Certificate and I have also completed an Islamic counselling course up to Level 3.

 

I have been a committed volunteer with Pearls of Peace and in that time I have seen the difference our group has made to both Muslim and non-Muslim communities. We run services and activities that have helped bring many ladies from Northampton together, one example of this is our coffee mornings which has given women from all backgrounds, faiths and cultures the time and space to be able to speak honestly and openly with each other about what is important to them. The ladies have shared knowledge and learnt new things at our talks and presentations, they have enjoyed different foods from all over the world at our food demos and they have increased their fitness and health awareness by attending our weekly exercise and weight management sessions.

 

I believe these activities have helped the ladies who attend to grow in self confidence and self esteem and improve their quality of life overall.

 

 

I am currently working as a fundraiser for Pearls of Peace, however, we all find ourselves mucking in to achieve our aims, objectives and current projects and hence do a lot more.

 

I am a mother to three children, Alhamdulillah, and I love the support and friendship that Pearls of Peace offered me when I first discovered the group as a new mother and very much still does.

 

I have a mixed English/Syrian background and lived in the UAE for most of my childhood till the age of 14. I love being part of the diverse local community in Northampton and I feel that it’s my responsibility to be involved and to take a role in maintaining what help and support Pearl of Peace offers to this diverse community of women.

 

 

My name is Amina Ahmad and I have 5 children. I was born in Somalia and moved to Holland in 1992 and came to the UK in 2004.

 

I became a committee member of Pearls of Peace in 2009 after I started attending the coffee mornings. I can honestly say, after I started working with the group my life has changed for the better and I hope we can help many more women of Northampton feel the same way.

 

Pearls of Peace has become a big part of my life and I love the group and what we stand for.

 

 

My name is Barakah and I am the Secretary at Pearls of Peace. I am a mother of three. I was born in Nigeria and I grew up there and I feel really privileged to be part of this diverse community.

 

I joined Pearls of Peace in January 2014 and became the Secretary in 2015. I have a background in Planning/Urban Regeneration and I am currently studying Arabic.

 

I am particularly intrigued by the rich mix of different backgrounds that this organisation attracts.

 

 

I joined Pearls of Peace in 2014 and I have performed a variety of roles. I am currently the Administrator and I enjoy working in the backroom providing support for all the amazing work that we do in the community.

 

Pearls of Peace is a truly empowering organisation with lots to offer the women of Northampton and I am proud to be a part of it.

 

Iram Gilani - IT Consultant