Father of Riot Victim Amongst the Pride Of Britain
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October 3, 2011 TheFreshOutlook  |
The father of a man killed in the summer riots is being honoured at this year’s Pride of Britain awards.
Tariq Jahan, the father of one of those killed in the summer riots, is to be honoured for the calm and dignity he displayed following his son’s death. The awards, now in their 13th year, are taking place this evening at Grosvenor House in London.
Mr Jahan’s 21-year-old son, Haroon, was killed in Birmingham after the riots had spread from London. Haroon was knocked down by a car after he and two others had tried to protect their community from the disturbances.
In the hours after his son’s death, Mr Jahan stood outside his house and pleaded with rioters to bring an end to the carnage.
“Blacks, Asians, whites - we all live in the same community. Why are we doing this? Step forward if you want to lose your sons. Otherwise calm down and go home please.”
Mr Jahan’s appeal for calm was championed as a voice of reason in the midst of the chaos that engulfed English cities in early August. Organisers of the Pride of Britain crystallised this sentiment by saying: “Grieving father Tariq Jahan came to personify the indomitable spirit of the vast majority of the British people when he made a remarkable plea for calm after his son was killed in the violence.”
Amongst others being honoured is Gina Moffatt, a former convict whose rehabilitation has led to a career as a successful businesswoman.
Ms Moffatt was sentenced to six years in prison in 2004 after being caught with £125,000 worth of cocaine at Heathrow Airport. She had gotten involved in the world of drugs after falling for a dealer.
“I thought he was my knight in shining armour,” she said, “But he was grooming me for what he wanted.”
Ms Moffatt’s imprisonment led to her separation from her young twin daughters, Lucille and Michelle.
However, her time in prison led to a realisation of the crime she had committed. Surrounded by addicts, she began to appreciate the gravity of her crime.
“I’d only ever been around people who dealt drugs. No one ever took them themselves - so seeing recovering addicts was a real shock.”
Whilst in prison, Ms Moffatt developed an idea to provide flowers for inmates, visitors and staff. The idea came after she had studied a course in prison on floral arrangement. With permission from the governor, she set up her own florist in the prison - Blooming Scent. Her success meant that she then enlisted fellow prisoners to help her out.
She soon came to the attention of the Prince’s Trust, who visited her just before a parole hearing. She was freed in 2008 after serving four years. Upon release, and with the Trust’s help, she acquired a unit for her business in Tottenham. Ms Moffatt now employs ex-convicts and was involved in the cleanup following the riots.
By Dermot Tobin
[Image courtesy Of helenogbourn]
