Lives Less Ordinary
Lives Less Ordinary
BBC World Service
Bradford 12: The Asian youth who took on the racists, part 2
40 minutes Posted Jul 30, 2023 at 11:30 pm.
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By 1981, Pakistani-born immigrant Tariq Mehmood had endured years of violent racism in Britain. When he heard that gangs of white skinheads – with a history of attacking Asians – were coming to his home in Bradford, Tariq and his neighbours took desperate measures to defend their community. Underpinning their actions was the principle, “self-defence is no offence.” Tariq would end up being arrested, charged with conspiracy to make explosives, and facing life imprisonment. What followed was the landmark legal case of the Bradford 12.

Hand on the Sun, the novel that Tariq wrote in prison over 40 years ago, has been re-released with a new update.

Presenter: Mobeen Azhar

Producers: Maryam Maruf and Lina Chang
Editor: Munazza Khan