Adam Yosef (born September, 1981) is a British multimedia journalist and community activist.[1]
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Between 2003 and 2004, Yosef was employed by the Birmingham Mosque Trust as a Press & Public Relations representative.[2] He regularly appeared as spokesperson for the trust alongside its chairman, Dr Mohammad Naseem.[3][4][5][6][7]
He is co-founder of the interfaith Saltley Gate Peace Group, Community & Interfaith Liaison Officer for the Birmingham Stop the War Coalition[8] and was Press Officer for Salma Yaqoob, a Respect - The Unity Coalition candidate in the 2005 general election. He was also Press & New Media Officer for Yaqoob, now leader of the party, during the 2010 general election.[9][10]
He has been actively involved in community work related to the Lozells riots, the Alum Rock terror raids[11][12] and campaigning against radical groups in the Midlands.[13][14][15]
In his early twenties, Yosef slept rough on the streets of London before being assisted by The Salvation Army.[16]
Between 2005 and 2006, Yosef was senior journalist with The Asian Today and Desi Xpress, owned by Urban Media.
In 2007, Yosef was appointed sub editor of entertainment magazine Ikonz. In 2008, he became a columnist for Fusian magazine.
In 2009, Yosef and fellow multimedia journalist Kyle Kowalski launched the I Am Birmingham video project, of which he is Creative Director.[17][18][19][20]
In 2011, he was attacked by rioters while covering the 2011 England riots.[21]
Yosef regularly writes for BBC Online and works closely with BBC Birmingham, with work highlighting issues of socio-politics, diversity, culture, racism and religion.[22][23][24][25] He has also written for the Birmingham Mail.[26]
In the December 2005 issue of the British Asian newspaper Desi Xpress (Issue 42), he made allegedly homophobic remarks about the UK's new civil partnership law for same-sex couples, including remarks such as "Hmm... gay weddings... Gay people and commitment? I don't think so... They'll be shagging the neighbours before they even cut the cake. Bad idea I'm afraid. Great way of evading tax though...." He later apologised in the same newspaper, claiming his opinions were misinterpreted.[27][28]
In January 2006, he subsequently wrote another article for the same newspaper on bigotry, in which he named Peter Tatchell, leader of OutRage!, Nick Griffin, the leader of the British National Party, and Omar Bakri Mohammed, leader of Al-Muhajiroun, as the three top "hate filled bigots" in the United Kingdom. He also said that Tatchell "needs a good slap in the face" and that he and his "queer campaign army" should "pack their bent bags and head back to Australia." After complaints that he was homophobic and inciting violence, Yosef apologised,[29] saying that the reference to Australia was intended as a reference to the Cronulla riots in Sydney.[27]
Tribune magazine, allied to the left of the Labour Party, criticised Yosef and suggested his NUJ card should be withdrawn.[30] He was further described as "bigoted" by Progress magazine, which is allied to the modernising section of the Labour Party and criticised by the Green Party,[27] of which Tatchell is a member. Respect defended Yosef, citing his BBC articles supporting Gay Pride.[31][32] The party stated it opposed "homophobia and anti-gay violence".[33]
In October 2009, Yosef pledged his formal support to Tatchell's General Election parliamentary candidacy, calling for the left to "embrace a mutual personal and political commitment towards equality and human rights".[34] [35] [36]
In October 2007, Yosef was included in Ikonz magazine's special Halloween photo shoot, in which he was transformed into a The Crow. He was featured alongside actors from television soap Hollyoaks and presenters from the BBC Asian Network.[37]
In March 2008, he was included in the top 50 most eligible bachelors list for Asian Woman magazine.[38]