Jamila Abdi is facing an unjust trial that once again highlights the deep-rooted overcriminalisation of Black and Muslim communities in this country. This is not just an attack on Jamila; it is an attack on all of us who resist state harassment and over-policing. As a community, we have a long history of standing up against racist prosecutions and this case is no different.
We must come together, as we did in the Coconut Trial with Marieha Hussain, to ensure Jamila is not yet another victim of a system that criminalises our very existence. Jamila’s case has escalated to the point where the state is determined to prosecute her for what was originally a tweet made in conversation with a mutual friend. The tweet referred to a football player using a term she frequently uses as part of her everyday language as a Black woman. Yet, despite this context, the state has chosen to frame it as malicious communication, twisting the narrative to claim she intended to cause harm, distress, or anxiety.
This level of criminalisation for such minor actions exposes the selective nature of justice in the UK. Racists walk freely on our streets, causing harm and spreading hate, but it’s Jamila – a young Black Muslim woman – who is dragged through the courts for expressing herself online. The very fact that this prosecution is happening shows the priorities of the state: policing Black languages, surveilling marginalised communities, and ensuring the silencing of those who refuse to conform to oppressive standards.
We cannot stand idly by while Jamila’s future is put at risk. A conviction would not only ruin her prospects but also send a chilling message to other Black and Brown people in this country—that any expression of our identity can be weaponised against us.
We must be clear: this prosecution is not in the public interest. It’s an attempt to isolate Jamila and others like her from their community, a tactic to silence resistance. That’s why it’s crucial that we show up. We need more people on the ground, more bodies in the courtroom, more voices speaking out against this injustice. The state thrives on our silence and our absence; we must not give them either.
We know the power we have when we come together. Let’s make sure we’re standing strong for Jamila, just as we’ve done for others who have faced this kind of harassment. This fight is bigger than Jamila—it’s about dismantling the systems of surveillance, racism, and repression that target our communities every day.
Let’s show the state that we will not be intimidated, that our voices will not be silenced, and that we will always defend our own.
Join us in court. Stand with Jamila.
BLAM UK CIC 