# Yemeni community in South Shields



## Maggot (Nov 6, 2005)

I saw on a TV programme recently that there has been a Yemeni (muslim) community in South Shields since before WWI. I believe it started due to naval connections, and they were attacked in race riots after the war as people accused them of stealing their jobs.

Does anybody have any more information on this? Is the community still there?


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## Maggot (Nov 7, 2005)

No-one?


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## belboid (Nov 8, 2005)

A lot moved to Sheffield (apparently) - there's still a large yemeni community here, built up through the steel works.

Ther's a book about it too - the magnificently named Cool for Qat.  And a play about it too! 75th anniversary of the riots.


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## Maggot (Nov 26, 2005)

Bump, just in case anyone knows any more.


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## Rocket Romano (Nov 27, 2005)

A lot of the info is based on Muhammed Ali's visit to South Shields and the Yemeni place in that

http://www.bbc.co.uk/tyne/content/articles/2005/10/21/roots_ali_feature.shtml


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## E.J. (Dec 15, 2005)

Maggot said:
			
		

> I saw on a TV programme recently that there has been a Yemeni (muslim) community in South Shields since before WWI. I believe it started due to naval connections, and they were attacked in race riots after the war as people accused them of stealing their jobs.
> 
> Does anybody have any more information on this? Is the community still there?



I watched a programme on BBC1 called Coast at around 3:40 am early this morning. It was mainly focusing around the history of the Northumbria, Tyne and Tees Coastline. But what got my attention was when the Historian of this programme was talking about the South Shields riot in 1930. If i'm right it was Britain's first recorded race riots, and the prejudice that the Yemeni sailors received during that era.

It was a bit dispirting for me personally, especially with the jealousies and bitterness of the local communities in the UK accusing immigrants* of taking their jobs and women etc. It's still relevant then as it is now imvho.

*I'm a son of an immigrant as well and i'm proud of that


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