Elizabeth Arif-Fear

Elizabeth Arif-Fear, is a Zionist activist who claims to have converted to Islam. She has been co-chair of one of the local groups of Nisa-Nashim. Arif-Fear reportedly posted ‘an image of the Israeli flag on her Twitter feed with a hashtag which expresses support for Israel, #AmYisraelChai’, and has said she struggles ‘to understand Jews who are anti-Zionist’. She has also been involved with a number of notoriously pro-Israel groups such as being a trustee of Muslims Against Anti-Semitism, set up by Ghanem Nuseibeh, a Palestinian supporter of Zionism and pro-UAE lobbyist in the UK.

According to a biographical note on the Voice of Salaam website:

Elizabeth is a young British Muslim and award-winning activist, passionate about protecting human rights, promoting peace and strengthening intercultural/interfaith cohesion.

Her main interests include: women’s rights, refugee and migrant rights and issues surrounding multiculturalism, anti-extremism and community cohesion – in particular, Jewish-Muslim relations.

Committed to human rights activism from a young age, Elizabeth studied languages/translation and human rights at postgraduate level, including some study within Islamic Studies (Feminism in the Muslim World). She converted to Islam whilst in her final year at university.

A dedicated writer and campaigner, Elizabeth works with a range of organisations and bodies dedicated to protecting human rights, promoting peace, reconciliation and inclusion, strengthening interfaith cohesion and eradicating prejudice, including:

• Nisa-Nashim Jewish-Muslim women’s network
• UK Friends of the Bereaved Families Forum (FBFF)
• Holocaust Memorial Day Trust (HMDT)

Elizabeth has worked with a range of human rights and development organisations including: Amnesty International UK, Child to Child, Muslims Against Antisemitism (MAAS), Grandmother Project (GMP) and Croydon Community Against Trafficking (CCAT) in communications, community organising/campaigning and translation/editing, focussing on a range of issues such as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), child marriage, freedom of expression, labour rights, forced veiling and child participation and combatting antisemitism.

She has written for a range of organisations/publications including: Globe Post, Haaretz, She Speaks We Hear, Sister-hood magazine and Jewish News. Passionate about languages, Elizabeth has also worked as a volunteer translator/proofreader for non-profit organisations and outlets including Global Voices and Cafe Babel.

As a Muslim activist, Elizabeth remains committed to fighting antisemitism and providing a platform for more nuanced views of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Elizabeth is a member of Nisa-Nashim (including their Israel-Palestine working group), a trustee for Muslims Against Antisemitism, a member of the steering committee of the UK Friends of the Bereaved Families Forum (FBFF) and member of the outreach committee at Holocaust Memorial Day Trust (HMDT). She attended London-based synagogues for several years’, with experience volunteering on interfaith and social action projects at a central London synagogue.

In 2019, Elizabeth won the St. Ethelburga’s award for Sacred Activist of the Year and also became a published poet. Her debut poetry collection “What If It Were You?” (2019) focuses on a range of critical human rights issues, including FGM, child marriage, modern slavery and the rights of refugees and was submitted for the 2019 People’s Book Prize (fiction).

Elizabeth was most recently a fellow on the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) 2020 fellowship programme focussed on peace in the age of new media and a graduate Fellow on the KAICIID 2022 Fellowship Programme focussed on intercultural and interreligious dialogue.

In 2023, she is now participating in the European Network for Countering Antisemitism through Education (ENCATE) certificate training programme on “Current Forms of Antisemitism”.

Affiliations

• Islamic Relief

Contact

• Twitter/X: @voice_of_salam