Fouzia Younis remembers her great mother

Newswire

Islamabad: The Head of Communication and Public Diplomacy at the British High Commission, Fouzia Younis remembered her mother’s greatness after she lost her fight with the deadly Covid-19.
“My super mum (62) was fighting Covid in ICU for nearly 3 months. She lost her fight last Friday in Ramadan She is more than a covid statistic,” Fouzia Younis tweeted this week.

She said her mother’s history like many women of colour from her generation needs to be told. “At 18, she arrived to the UK in a cold February (1977), newly married & with hope & worry. Her first slip in snow taught her that she needed to change her stilettos for boots. Her first home was my aunt’s 2 bed house, sharing it with her 4 children, granddad and of course dad,” he recalled.

The popular diplomat said her mother was never sent to school so could not write letters to her family overseas. “Instead she used the best workaround, sending voice notes via cassettes (long before they became cool on WhatsApp). Holidays to see family were rare. Mum devoted herself to family and community. Her samosas were the first to go at school fairs, extra money was raised by stitching clothes, she looked after my granddad who was severely disabled after a stroke. Everything was done with a smile,” Fouzia Younis narrated.

She said her late mother was a staunch advocate of girls’ education. “She took me to libraries, made me listen to news, sent me on overnight school trips when many Asian girls were not permitted by families. She backed me to drive at 17 and wanted me to make my own choices,” she said.

Fouzia Younis added: “Mum called out racism from society, stuck up for women’s rights in the community and wore her headscarf with pride.

She cleaned eggs thrown at our doors and when comments were made post 9/11 about our faith, she responded with dignity.”

The British diplomat said her late mother raised four children: “an award winning lawyer, a businessman, a full time carer & a diplomat. Our biggest ally together with dad, we were encouraged to do our best and what made us happy. Yet she also taught us to look beyond titles & positions. Kindness to others was No. 1.”

“My mum,” she said, “was from a generation of women who put self-interest aside, to raise Britain’s future generations, who are now making a difference in all walks of life. Their stories are often not told, their voice still missing from conversations. We owe you. Thank you.”