Yvonne Ridley
Yvonne Ridley
The Journalist. The Convert. The Unsilenced.
The Capture That Changed Everything
PEOPLE POWER
HER STORY
In September 2001, while working for the Sunday Express, Ridley crossed into Afghanistan disguised in a burqa.
She was captured by the Taliban and held for 11 days. Rather than returning to Fleet Street as a hero, she shocked the world by describing her captors' "courtesy and respect." She promised to study the Qur'an if released. Two years later, she converted to Islam.
A Voice for the Voicless
Since then, Ridley has become one of the most recognisable women in the Islamic world. But her politics are rooted in the radical fire of Scottish working-class heroes like Jimmy Reid, John MacLean, and Mary Barbour. She was a member of the Labour Party but resigned over the invasion of Iraq, aligning herself with left-wing, anti-imperialist causes . She has led the Viva Palestina convoy to Gaza, spoken at universities across the globe, and continued to expose the injustices of Western foreign policy.
Known For
- Her 2001 capture and subsequent conversion to Islam
- Her books: In the Hands of the Taliban and Ticket to Paradise
- Her leadership of humanitarian convoys to Gaza
- Her unwavering advocacy for Palestinian rights
- Her commitment to working-class, anti-imperialist politics
“Empowering the next generation with the truth is our strongest weapon. These school workshops are about lighting a fire of critical thought in young minds, ensuring they understand the historical context of the struggle for freedom. We are not teaching children to hate; we are teaching them to question. When they ask ‘Why is my government at the ICJ?,’ they must understand the legal, historical, and moral weight of that question. The youth are our immune system against propaganda.”