Proudly British - and Muslim

Amir Khan*, that is. Not me. As I am writing this, I am waiting for Khan's bout against Cuba's Kindelan... Britain's latest hero. He's 17, he's from Bolton and he's a Muslim.

And I am quietly proud, whether he wins or not.

In Amir, we have a contemporary hero who has grown organically from the rough streets of Bolton. Pakistani boys don't usually box. They play cricket and football, but in their own leagues, because they feel like they won't be accepted as equals in the mainstream. Northern England is the heartland of British Muslim dissatisfaction. Boys such as Amir are better known for the Oldham riots than for Olympic glory.

Read Fareena Alam's Observer article here

More reflections on this after the fight.

*Not to be confused with Hindi actor Aamir Khan