"My name is Abdul Ghafoor Ratyal, and I’m from Mirpur, Azad Kashmir. I came to this country on the 19th of April 1970. My journey here was long and quite an adventure. I travelled from Islamabad to Karachi, then to Tehran, Istanbul, Frankfurt, and Geneva, before finally arriving in London. I came with my mother, and we initially settled in Peterborough for a couple of months. After that, I moved to Newcastle to continue my education, where I got admitted to university. I later got married in Newcastle, then moved to Leeds in 1972. I’ve been living in Leeds ever since.
Leeds has changed a lot since I first arrived. When I got here, the roads were narrow and small, and I’ve watched the city transform with high-rise flats and new developments. It’s all built up in front of my eyes. I remember the Tetley Brewery, which used to be a landmark in the city. Harehills is a place that has seen a lot of development. It’s now a thriving area full of business, shops, and community spaces, and it’s wonderful to see how much it has grown and flourished over time.
Over the years, I’ve become deeply connected with the local community, working with various organisations such as the Islamic Centre, Bilal Mosque, Quba Mosque, and Ghousia Masjid. I campaigned for the Labour party extensively over the years. I served as a governor at Harehills Primary School and used to run supplementary multicultural after-school classes. Currently, I am the chairman at the Hamwattan Centre, a charity based in Harehills, where we support the elderly. We provide care for vulnerable members of the community, and I’m proud of the work we do to help them regain their independence.
What inspires me most is working with the community and being able to connect with people. My goal is to help people as much as I can, and I even go miles out of my way to do so. My dream is for our community to be valued and recognised, to continue creating more spaces for connection and support, and to develop stronger relationships with people from all backgrounds. I hope to see our community uphold strong moral values and make a positive impact on society."
