LONDON -- A Muslim schoolgirl has discussed the daily prejudice she and her family face in a powerful speech about Islamophobia given during a school assembly.
Isra Mohammed, a 15-year-old student at Kenton School in Newcastle gave a presentation in which she discussed how her religion is viewed in the wake of the Paris attacks, and the treatment she and her family have received because of their faith.
"I had people coming up to me in school, this week and last week, telling me because I'm Muslim, I am a terrorist," Mohammed says in the video. "And this is something I go through every day of my life, and it's become worse since what happened in France."
"So how would you feel if that was you in my situation?" she continues. "I have a seven-year-old sister. She came home from school last Monday, crying. When I asked why, she said to me, 'People are blaming me in school for the Paris attacks'.
Mohammed says that Islamic State (ISIS) wants countries like the UK to reject Muslims. "People link us to terrorism, but we are not terrorists," she says. "They have hijacked our religion and used it against us."
"So what can we do about it?" she finishes. "We can learn about each others' religions and cultures. We can stop making assumptions. We can be fair to one another. And remember: when you tell someone, 'You're a terrorist because of your religion', it's a hate crime."
"My name's Isra Mohammed. I am Muslim, and I am not a terrorist."