"Maz was courageous, principled and utterly relentless."
Anti-racism campaigner Maz Saleem has passed away, prompting tributes from campaigners, community leaders and organisations across the UK.
Saleem became a prominent voice against racism and Islamophobia after her father, Haji Mohammed Saleem, was murdered in a racially motivated attack outside Green Lane Mosque in Birmingham in 2013.
Her death was announced just months after she marked the 13th anniversary of her father’s killing with a powerful opinion piece.
In it, she warned that Islamophobia had worsened and called for stronger action against hate.
Despite being critically ill, Saleem was determined to publish the article.
She reflected on her father’s legacy while expressing concern about the growing influence of extremist views and divisive political rhetoric.
She wrote that voices promoting hatred had become increasingly mainstream and urged society to confront Islamophobia before more lives were affected.
Her funeral will take place on July 21, with Janazah prayers at Green Lane Masjid followed by burial at Handsworth Cemetery.
Tributes quickly poured in following news of her death.
Stand Up To Racism praised Saleem for her lifelong commitment to challenging racism and supporting marginalised communities.
The Stop the War Coalition described her as a fearless campaigner whose activism was shaped by the devastating loss of her father.
The organisation said: “She became a fearless campaigner against racism and fascism as a result, speaking at meetings up and down the country and organising against Islamophobia.”
It also highlighted her work supporting anti-war campaigns and campaigning for Palestinian rights.
According to the group, Saleem played an important role in organising protests during Donald Trump’s first presidential term.
It also remembered her kindness through volunteering to help homeless people during Christmas.
Her father, Haji Mohammed Saleem, was 82 when he was stabbed to death while walking home from Green Lane Mosque in Small Heath.
His killer, Pavlo Lapshyn, was a Ukrainian white supremacist who had arrived in Britain only days before the attack.
Lapshyn later admitted murdering Mohammed Saleem and carrying out a series of bomb attacks targeting mosques across the West Midlands.
Mohammed Shafiq, now a councillor in Rochdale, said he first met Saleem during the investigation into her father’s murder.
He said: “Maz was courageous, principled and utterly relentless in her fight for justice.
“She never shied away from speaking her mind and always stood up for what she believed was right.”
He added that she transformed personal grief into a lifelong campaign against racism, inspiring others to challenge hatred and ensuring her father’s story would never be forgotten.
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