En Garde! Muslim girls fence against Islamophobia

• By Iram Sarwar

A school in Birmingham is leading the way in tackling Islamophobia by getting young girls to learn fencing.

The ‘Muslim Girls Fence’ project at Stockland Green school is run by charity Maslaha and British Fencing and is aimed at tackling negative stereotypes against muslim girls and boosting self-confidence.

The project gets girls to paint an alternative picture of themselves and has been praised for engaging girls at a time when anti-muslim hate crime is on the rise.

• Watch: Muslim girls tackle Islamophobia

The classes are open for all to attend and also aim to break down misconceptions that fencing is an elite sport that is not accessible.

The classes have been inspired by American fencer Ibtihaj Muhmmad, who made history at the Rio Olympics as the first woman to represent the US while wearing a hijab.

The classes are set to be rolled out across the UK over the next few years.For now these girls are on their way to redefining what it means to be a Muslim woman.