Shmailish (Mai) Anwar is a PhD candidate at the Institute of Security and Global Affairs. Mai’s academic journey includes a Bachelor of Arts in the Study of Religions from SOAS and a Master of Arts in Religion in Global Politics, also obtained at SOAS. Building upon this foundation, she pursued a Master of Science in Human Rights and Politics at LSE, solidifying her expertise in the intersection of religion, politics, and human rights. Mai’s current research delves into Islamophobia in politics and the securitisation of Muslim communities. Her work revolves around an examination of how Muslim communities in both Britain and Germany strategically employ identity politics to combat the pervasive issue of Islamophobia in the political realm. Mai adopts the theory of human security as a framework to challenge and address Islamophobia.