For this Sofia regular feature, new for 2025, we again have a personal contact of the editor.
Kurshida Mirza is a highly respected long-standing resident of Milton Keynes who became active in the community
in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks in New York. She found that, simply because she was a Muslim, she faced
Islamophobia and suspicion in her place of work, but, instead of becoming bitter, she channelled her faith into
building bridges through an organisation which she called ‘Trubys Garden Tea Room’, named after a street in Milton
Keynes (Trubys Garden) on which the Milton Keynes Islamic Centre is located. Kurshida at that time was very
actively involved in the development and fundraising efforts for the Centre which aspired to be a community space
for all members of the community. In 2015 Trubys moved to the Church of Christ the Cornerstone, which they are
proud to call their home.
Kurshida was awarded the British Empire Medal in 2020 and, in an extraordinary recognition of her status
in the community, was selected to be the High Sheriff of Buckingham for the year 2024 – 2025 (the first Muslim
Woman of Asian Heritage to ever hold this honour in Buckinghamshire).
Trubys Garden Tea Room
Trubys is a charity run by British Muslim Women who live in Milton Keynes to create opportunities for positive dialogue
between Muslims and the wider community – faith and no faith. Their activities include, amongst many:
- An occasional Interfaith café held at the Church of Christ the Cornerstone
- The Great Get Together Iftaar, also at the Church of Christ the Cornerstone, which seeks to celebrate the
beauty of Ramadan with the wider community - Trubys Abrahamic Women’s Choir, to bring Muslim, Jewish and Christian women together, but includes
women of all faiths and none united in their bond as women working to create peace throughout the world,
singing in Arabic, Hebrew and English - A hardship fund, which has, over the last 10 years, provided support with cost of living to help people live
with dignity.
Trubys was awarded the Kings Award for Voluntary Services in 2023, the highest accolade for a voluntary led organisations.
Interview with Kurshida Mirza
What is your personal experience of religion?
I grew up in a Muslim household where Islam was a natural part of daily life. It was not imposed, but was gently
lived and introduced by example. A vivid early memory is listening to my mother recite the Qur’an and copying
the beautiful melodic recitation of the Qur’an myself. I remember taking out the wooden Qur’an stand, placing a
book and reciting like my Mum, long before I could read and understanding the words.
As I grew, religion remained a deep and personal journey. More than just rituals, it became a framework
for self-improvement, ethical conduct, and navigating life’s challenges. Practicing Islam has involved real
struggles—especially in staying kind and grounded when facing prejudice—but these struggles are spiritually
meaningful.
My experience of learning about my faith was very positive, my parents never imposed the faith on me, they
were always open to questions and in fact encouraged me to research and come to my own conclusions. A clear
message that my belief was personal and to be accepted because I wanted to not because my parents wanted to.
Does the idea of ‘God’ mean anything to you?
Yes, very much so.
God (Allah) is at the heart of everything for me. In Islam, God has 99 names and each one of the names is
one of His attributes. I say ‘His’ attributes as in Islam we use the masculine pronoun to refer to God, but that is
purely linguistic. For Muslims, God is not gendered or human-like. God is far beyond human attributes.
The names for God that I most deeply connect with are Ar-Rahman (Most Merciful) and Ar-Rahim (Most
Forgiving), reflecting God’s boundless compassion and accessibility. And if God is so merciful and so forgiving,
and if God can forgive us, whatever we have done, then we can forgive each other. This is what drives me. If we
focus on goodness, then we find that only good can come out of goodness. In Surah Ar-Rahman, verse 60 Allah
says ‘Shall the reward of good be anything but good: so if you do good, only good can come out of you’. This has
been my moral compass.
How do you respond to the SOF assertion that religion is a human creation (rather than a revelation
from God)?
I don’t agree with that. I believe that there is only one God, and God is the creator of everything that we have. I
believe that over time God has sent different messengers to give guidance on how we should conduct ourselves.
Shared stories from Prophet Abraham to Moses, Jesus and Muhammad (Peace be Upon Them All). Across
Abrahamic religions are signs, not of human invention, but of a shared source and message from God, guidance
for living our lives in goodly way.
I believe that Islam—and specifically the Qur’an— is not man-made but a direct revelation from God, unchanged
since its revelation. While texts like the Torah and Bible have seen modifications, the Qur’an has been
preserved word-for-word in the original language, and this is why we as Muslims spend years and years learning the old Quranic Arabic and the rules in order to recite it. Allah tells us to beautify our recitation of the Qur’an and many Muslims like myself will spend all their life dedicated to the learning to beautify their recitation.
There isn’t anything in the Qur’an that’s not about living your life in a good way and being kind to each other,
but many non-Muslims who haven’t studied the Qur’an misinterpret the Qur’anic message. For example, the
word jihad is used as though it is about going around killing and converting non-Muslims into Muslims, but the
word means ‘striving’. For example, I spoke earlier about the struggle in my personal life in which I am striving
staying kind and grounded when facing prejudice. This is my journey, my Jihad.
Do you think or believe that life has meaning?
Absolutely. Life is full of meaning—both universal and deeply personal.
Every soul comes from a divine presence and longs to return to that source. The discontent people often feel is
a spiritual homesickness. Life’s struggles and challenges are part of a divine test. God doesn’t expect perfection,
but sincere effort and growth. In Islam, intention is everything. If you start with a good intention, then good
will come out of it.
Each person has a unique purpose, and part of life’s meaning lies in striving to discover and fulfil that purpose.
Islam encourages reflection, humility, forgiveness, and continuous striving (jihad) to be a better person, all
of which give structure and purpose to life. Failure is part of learning which increases our insight and helps to
build to perfect our behaviour and conduct.
What role do you think religion can and/or should play in society?
Religion should play a constructive, unifying role—not a divisive or oppressive one. Ideally, religion should help
people live with compassion, justice, and tolerance. Its purpose should be to elevate humanity, not divide it.
Unfortunately, religion has often been misused, for political power, colonization, division, and violence. For
example, the partition of India created tensions between Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus, we saw it in Ireland between
Protestant and Catholic Christians and it is being played out now in Palestine. This misuse is a human failure, not
a flaw of religion itself. Sadly, our faith is being used for political power when all faiths advocate Peace, Justice
and Love for Humanity.
Islam teaches that differences (race, gender, nationality) are deliberate tests from God—not reasons to hate,
but opportunities to learn peaceful coexistence.
In my year as High Sheriff I appointed 7 chaplains to support me, we visited each others places of worship and
we bonded through the understanding and learning that we have so much in common than that which divides us.
And finally, anything else at all that you would like to say to us!
Faith is a journey, not a fixed state. It’s about effort, sincerity,
and continual growth.
My message is one of hope and inclusion: religion— when lived with sincerity—has the power to heal, connect,
and uplift. The world would be a better place if people could see religion not as a threat, but as a source of
meaning, kindness, and shared humanity.