Speaking on Saturday, September 5, 2026, we have :

1st: Tharik Hussain – Muslim Europe

Award-winning author and journalist Tharik Hussain invites audiences on a revelatory journey through Europe’s hidden Muslim past. Drawing on his groundbreaking book Muslim Europe, Hussain uncovers over 1,400 years of history often left out of mainstream narratives—from early Muslim arrivals in 647 AD to the vibrant, multicultural societies of Al-Andalus, Sicily, and beyond.

Blending travel, storytelling, and scholarship, he explores a Europe where Muslim, Christian, and Jewish communities lived, learned, and thrived together—giving rise to advances in science, philosophy, medicine, and culture that shaped the modern world. Along the way, he challenges deeply rooted assumptions about Europe’s identity, exposing how historical narratives have erased this shared heritage.

This engaging and perspective-shifting talk repositions Islam as an integral part of Europe’s story, not a footnote. Rich in insight and vivid detail, Hussain’s work invites us to rethink what we know about the past—and how it shapes our understanding of the present.

2nd: Sahir Permall – Somaliland: Travelling in The World’s Most Successful Unrecognised State

Each May, Somaliland celebrates its Independence Day with parades, music and national pride – despite remaining unrecognised by the vast majority of the international community. More than three decades after declaring independence from Somalia, it has built a functioning democracy, maintained relative stability and forged a distinct national identity. How did one of Africa’s most peaceful and resilient societies become one of the world’s least understood places?

Traveller and writer Sahir Permall is drawn to the spaces between the obvious destinations – the places that rarely make bucket lists or headlines. Often she explores them by bicycle, travelling slowly enough to notice the details and conversations that others miss. This time, however, she set out across Somaliland through more conventional travel, discovering a country that challenged almost every assumption she had brought with her.

From the lively streets of Hargeisa and the ancient rock art of Laas Geel to camel markets, desert landscapes and unforgettable encounters with local people, she found a place defined not by conflict, but by extraordinary hospitality, gentleness and determination. Blending personal stories with history, culture and geopolitics, Sahir explores the paradox of building a successful state that much of the world still refuses to recognise.

Rich in insight, warmth and unexpected moments, this is an invitation to discover one of the world’s most fascinating – and most overlooked – destinations.

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Date & Time: Saturday 5th September 2026

Doors open at 14:15 in London and on Zoom with the talks starting around 14:45 (London see Event Time Announcer for local times), please arrive before 14:45 and switch your phone to “do not disturb” or silent.

We would ask that anyone with respiratory symptoms participate via Zoom.

Admission costs:

• £7 for members. (Members can access a ticket code below (Log in))
• £10 for non-members. (save £3 if you join at this meeting)
• a recording to watch later will be available to members and non-member ticket holders.

Please sign up for meeting updates to get notifications for future meetings.

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Tickets go on sale just before the meetings.