Adeela Shafi

Adeela Shafi (born 1972) is a Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Bristol East constituency of the United Kingdom parliament. She is the only female Muslim Conservative Parliamentary Candidate in the country. She is also a lecturer in Psychology and an active charity worker.

Biography

Shafi was born in Bristol in 1972 to parents of Pakistani origin. She has lived and worked in Bristol all her life. Having attended the local schools and college Shafi went to Bristol University obtaining a degree in Psychology. She went back to lecture at Soundwell College at the age of 22 where she had obtained her A Levels four years earlier. As of 2008, Shafi lectures at the University of the West of England in the Department of Education. She lives in Bristol with her husband and four children.

Charity and education

Since the age of 16 Shafi has involved herself in voluntary work starting off as a youth worker for a charity organisation in St Pauls Bristol for disadvantaged young girls.

Shafi has also sat on the management committee of this organisation including chairperson. The organisation has grown from catering just for young women and their children to include activities and provisions for the whole family helping them to become fully functioning and integrated members of the community.

Shafi has continued her work in the community with voluntary supplementary schools working with them to train and deliver quality educational experiences for the children in their care. Teachers here were entirely voluntary with little or no training.

Following the earthquake in Pakistan in 2005 Shafi was instrumental in raising £117,000 in 12 days for relief goods to go directly to the victims. Subsequently, she organised fine art auctions in Pakistan to raise funds for another £160,000 to rebuild a specific school destroyed in the earthquake. Work on the school is due to be completed at the end of 2008.

Political life

Shafi is the only female Muslim Parliamentary Candidate for the Conservatives in the country and has said that she hopes to be an inspiration for more young people from all backgrounds and walks of life to join politics.

Shafi is expected to attract many new voters to the party both within her constituency and nationwide because of her unique position as the only Muslim woman currently representing the Conservative Party at the next General Election.

She has also said that she is committed to breaking the negative stereotypes of Muslims and she has worked with independent schools and their children to focus on the realities of life in a Muslim family – to the surprise of the schools it was not very different from theirs.

Shafi is determined that she represents not just Muslims but all people such as working parents who juggle a family and working life, students and young people who strive to do better and all those ordinary people who just want the best for them and their families. [ [http://www.obv.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=962&Itemid=122 Operation Black Vote - OBV Profile: Adeela Shafi ] ]

Achievements and awards

In November 2007 Shafi received an award from Leeds Metropolitan University for Excellence in Education presented to her at the Asian Power100 Awards. She was also listed as 'one to watch' for Future Leaders of Asian origin.

For her work in Pakistan, she was awarded a Recognition Award by the Government of Pakistan presented by Her Excellency Dr. Maleeha Lodhi in March 2007 on the occasion of 60 years since independence.

References