Background
Yaqoob's parents, Mohammad and Gulzarda Yaqoob, emigrated to the UK from Pakistan in the 1960s, and her father worked in a mill before joining the Royal Mail. They had 7 children - 3 daughters and 4 sons. Yaqoob was born in Bradford in 1971, but the family later moved to Birmingham, where she was raised. She describes herself during her formative years as being a "tomboyish girl" who played football on the streets of "Alum Rock".
Yaqoob had to challenge her father's "cultural fears" in order to be allowed to enrol at university and eventually attended Aston University where she studied biochemistry and psychology and became a qualified psychotherapist. At the age of 24 she met her husband, Aqil Chaudary, a general practitioner, and together they have 3 boys, all of whom live next door to Salma's parents in Birmingham. Yaqoob has revealed her family are supporters of Aston Villa FC.
Yaqoob became politically active after the September 11 attacks. Yaqoob asserts that she was spat at in the streets of Birmingham in the days following the attacks.
Read more about this topic: Salma Yaqoob
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