NAM.2017-06-22-1

Oral history interview with Azi Ahmed by Kirsty Parsons on 22 Jun 2017. Azi Ahmed is an entrepreneur and former Conservative parliamentary candidate who wrote a book entitled ‘Worlds Apart: a Muslim Girl with the SAS’. Explains how she was involved in a pilot for ‘female selection’ and then took part in the standard Special Air Service (SAS) selection. Azi Ahmed was born in Oldham, Manchester. She left at 19 to study at Central St Martins, London. When living at home she helped her parents in their kebab shop in the evenings. Talks about growing up in the Muslim religion ad when she was about 14, the discussions about her future started - centred around marriage. Talks about Oldham having just two communities and how she had never met the types of people she encountered at college before. Talks about parents views about her living alone in London. Covers how art college made her more vocal and how she still has creativity in her life through writing. Talks about being a freelance graphic designer, but eventually didn’t feel challenged enough and a friend suggested she join the Territorial Army. Covers applying for the territorial Army and ending up applying for the SAS - offered interview for SAS in an admin role; interview with Sergeant didn’t go well but a Colonel turned up and asked her some questions, after a couple of weeks she got a call for her to come back in. Confusion whilst filling in paperwork for admin role - whilst filling in her paperwork at the barracks another woman entered and asked if she’d come to try out for ‘Female Selection’ and Azi pretended that she had. First experience was a 15-20 minute briefing, but little was given away. Azi did not know much about the SAS already. Only information given was that it would be field based rather than classroom based. Not told why programme had been set up. 12 women on ‘female selection’ - 3 through to pre-selection and 2, including Azi, got through to the Brecon Beacons phase. Explains how pilot ended - Colonel periodically asked them how they were finding selection, but the end of the programme coincided with a new Colonel taking over. ‘Female selection’ began six weeks before standard SAS selection, then joined standard SAS selection. Talks about her experience - Azi always last; getting shouted at; felt they wanted to see resilience. Talks about reasons other women dropped out - injuries and choice. Felt it took over her life. Spent a lot of time training in Hyde Park - had to work on her strength. Programme ended - Azi called out of a weapons class and asked to hand in kit, not given a reason. Feels ‘female selection’ was not fully in organisational thinking. Women in the Army - before her experience of SAS selection would have fully supported women on the front line, but now feels men are stronger and naturally aggressive which gives them the advantage. Standards should not be lowered to allow women to pass. SAS selection - women carried lighter weight but travelled same distances - Azi always in last so accommodated when tabbing by being allowed to take shortcuts, but would receive 100 push ups as a punishment. Brecon Beacons - Azi on her own most of the time, talks about men’s reaction to her being there, no positive reinforcement which she struggled with in terms of mental resilience. Being a Reservist was more like a full-time job - difficult to concentrate at work; lack of camaraderie; parents didn’t know she was doing selection - parents were trying to find a husband for her during this period. After selection - shocked when programme ended, anticlimax; mentor within Army encouraged her to write about her experiences, focused on being a Muslim woman in the British Army rather than her SAS experience. When programme ended didn’t want to go into another regiment. Women in Special Forces - hopes to see introduction of women into SAS without standards being lowered to accommodate them; wrote her book to demonstrate the British Army is a forward thinking organisation; talks about barriers to diversity in the Army; hopes women being allowed on front line will enable them to enter any unit within the next five years. Political career - focus on issues around defence; Project Manager at Central Office of Information; increasing interest in foreign policy; Parliamentary candidate for Rochdale in 2015. Azi’s book - Lord Howe, Secretary of State for Defence, received letter from MOD verifying she was in the Army when she claimed and clearing the book for publication. Decided not to reveal anything about SAS experience, others did and were refused publication. Family and public reaction. Future of British Army - need to increase diversity, even in the SAS to better understand those they’re fighting. Barriers to recruitment. Top qualities of a soldier - open minded, good with people, resilience, mentally strong, respect authority. Top qualities of SF soldier - “looking for miracles”, mental and physical strength equally important, “have to be a certain kind of creature”. Talks about her own qualities that helped her. Future role of SF - hope SF will be increased.