Kafia, 33, PhD student:

"I’m a Shia Muslim, so in effect I’m part of a minority within a minority. It can be quite hard being a convert as Islam absorbs cultures. The pressure to erase your own culture comes from born Muslims. There’s a lot of snobbery and racism towards converts. You’re expected to conform to their particular Islam, and you either work hard to define yourself as a Muslim with a European background, or become confused when your own culture is erased. In Muslim circles converts are made to fell uncomfortable if they express themselves through their European identity."