The forgotten hero's of WW1

Last month a two minute silence held in Centenary Square honoured the lost lives of servicemen and women killed while fighting for our country and freedom.

But how many people thought about the Hindu, Sikh and 40,000 Muslim soldiers from the Indian subcontinent who fought for the freedom of the west during WW1.

According to research by think-tank British Future, only 1 in 5 people are aware of this significant Muslim contribution and only 2% are aware of its scale.

It is growing concern that this has caused public misconceptions of a lack of Muslim involvement in the First World War.

A Birmingham descendant of a Muslim soldier who fought for the British Army in 1915, has said: “It is frustrating to live in a society were my ancestors efforts go unnoticed and unappreciated.”

“When the British called on brave soldiers to fight for the Crown and Empire. My great great grand-father was one of the many Muslim soldiers to step forward and fight for a country he had no moral compulsion to fight for.”

The Perry Barr resident went on to say: “He fought with integrity and courage and after the War he returned home having seen atrocities and having lost friends. He kept souvenirs and coins from countries he had fought in that are still part of our family history.”

It is no secret that Islamophobia has swept through the western world in recent times, but it is a tragedy that the participation of Muslim soldiers fighting to defend the freedom of the west has long been forgotten.

The Heritage Lottery Fund, has announced they will be supporting a major national project called “An Unknown and Untold Story – The Muslim Contribution to The First World War.”

This aims to address the public appetite for information about the contribution of soldiers from the Commonwealth during WW1.

Dilwar Hussain, Chair of New Horizons in British Islam, says: “The story of Muslim contribution to the British Army of the First World War is little-known among the public. Many British Muslims themselves don’t realise the relevance of the WW1 centenary to their own history.”

A moment of reflection is important to the memory of the soldiers who past, but the real tribute is to live in a world rid of judgement and racial hatred.

To truly honour their lives we must lives ours well.