Myriam François

{{Short description|British journalist and filmmaker (born 1982)}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Myriam François

| image = Myriam francois 2020 1.jpg

| caption = François in 2020

| birth_name = {{nowrap|Emilie Siobhan Geoghegan François}}

| birth_date = {{bya|1982|12}}{{cite web|url=https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/officers/W7oDYPiWV1ZpiVjdJ8L6ZQLhJk0/appointments|title=Emilie Siobhan Geoghegan FRANCOIS|website=Companies House|accessdate=26 May 2019}}

| birth_place = Camden, London, England{{cite interview |title=Muslim, 'white' & seeking new forms of solidarity: Myriam François |url=https://www.thedementedgoddess.com/muslim-white-seeking-new-forms-of-solidarity-myriam-francois/ |accessdate=13 November 2020 |publisher=The Demented Goddess |first=Myriam |last=François |interviewer=The Demented Goddess}}

| occupation = Journalist, filmmaker, writer

| known_for =

| awards =

| website = {{url|myriamfrancois.com}}

| education = {{ublist|University of Cambridge (BA)|Georgetown University (MA)|University of Oxford (DPhil)}}

}}

Emilie Siobhan Geoghegan François (born December 1982), known as Myriam François and formerly as Myriam François-Cerrah, is a British journalist, filmmaker and writer. Her work has appeared on the BBC, Channel 4 and Al Jazeera. She is the founder and CEO of production company MPWR Productions, which specialises in documentary films centred on minority voices.{{Cite web |title=MPWR Productions |url=https://www.mpwrproductions.com/ |access-date=12 January 2023 |website=MPWR Productions |language=en-US}}

Early life, early career and education

François was born in Camden, London, to an Irish mother and a French father.{{cite podcast |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p00jy6cc |title=Heart and Soul: Muslim White Female |website=BBC Sounds |publisher=BBC World Service |host=Miriam O'Reilly |date=8 September 2011 |time=03:21 |quote=Myriam François-Cerrah, daughter of a French father and an Irish mother...}} She attended a French school in London and is bilingual. She was born Emilie François, but has used Myriam instead of her given name since she became Muslim in 2003.{{Cite web |last=Ian |date=14 October 2023 |title=Myriam François Bio, Age, Husband, Hijab, Net Worth, Channel 4 |url=https://biographyscoop.com/myriam-francois/ |access-date=11 January 2024 |website=BiographyScoop |language=en-US}}

François was a child actress, whose performance as Margaret Dashwood in the Oscar-winning film Sense and Sensibility (1995) earned her critical acclaim.{{Citation |last=Lee |first=Ang |title=Sense and Sensibility |date=26 January 1996 |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114388/ |type=Drama, Romance |publisher=Columbia Pictures, Mirage Enterprises |access-date=12 January 2023}} She went on to appear in Paws (1997), alongside Billy Connolly and Nathan Cavaleri, and in New Year's Day (2001).{{Citation |last=Zwicky |first=Karl |title=Paws |date=25 September 1997 |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119870/ |type=Adventure, Family, Fantasy |publisher=Australian Film Finance Corporation (AFFC), Latent Image Productions Pty. Ltd., New South Wales Film & Television Office |access-date=12 January 2023}}{{Citation |last=Krishnamma |first=Suri |title=New Year's Day |date=2 November 2001 |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0185542/ |type=Drama |publisher=Flashpoint (I), Alchymie, Liberator Productions |access-date=12 January 2023}}

François holds an MA from Georgetown University (United States) and a BA from the University of Cambridge (UK). She completed her PhD (DPhil) at Oxford University, focusing on Islamic movements in Morocco in 2017.

Career

François was an assistant editor and features writer at Emel magazine (2008–2009) and worked at the Islam Channel in London. She translated Asma Lamrabet's book, Women in the Qur’an: An Emancipatory Reading{{cite web|url=http://www.kubepublishing.com/shop/women-in-the-quran-an-emancipatory-reading/|title=Women in the Qur'an: An Emancipatory Reading|website=Kube Publishing|language=en-GB|access-date=12 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401142047/http://www.kubepublishing.com/shop/women-in-the-quran-an-emancipatory-reading/|archive-date=1 April 2019|url-status=dead}} which won the English Pen Award.{{Cite web |title=Speakers and panellists |url=https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/centre-for-the-study-of-islam-in-the-uk/events/past-events/leadership-authority-and-representation-in-british-muslim-communities-conference/speakers-and-panellists |access-date=11 January 2024 |website=Cardiff University |language=en}}

François began her career in documentary filmmaking as a presenter and producer at the BBC. Her first documentary on BBC One, A Deadly Warning: Srebrenica Revisited (2015), was nominated for the Sandford St Martin Religious Programming Award in 2016.{{Cite web |title=BBC One - A Deadly Warning: Srebrenica Revisited |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b061v968 |access-date=12 January 2023 |website=BBC |language=en-GB}} In 2016, she presented her second documentary, The Muslim Pound (2016), which explores the growing consumer goods market for Muslims in the UK.{{Cite web |title=BBC One - The Muslim Pound |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07k1bhf |access-date=12 January 2023 |website=BBC |language=en-GB}} She was also a programme researcher and presenter at the BBC and a regular guest on its flagship channel's The Big Questions from 2008 to 2011{{cite web|author= |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00qmzqf |title=One Programmes – The Big Questions, Series 3, Episode 5 |publisher=BBC |date=31 January 2010 |accessdate=30 September 2011}} and on Sunday Morning Live also in 2015.{{cite web|author= |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06h8mv4|title=One Programmes – Series 6 Episode 15 |publisher=BBC |date=4 October 2015|accessdate=12 May 2019}}{{cite web|author= |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b061xdc5|title=One Programmes – Series 6 Episode 15 |publisher=BBC |date=5 July 2015|accessdate=12 May 2019}} François then worked as a programme producer on Al Jazeera English's Head to Head.{{cite web|url=http://www.higheryork.org/york-st-john-university6/|title=Ebor Lecture: Myriam Francois-Cerrah|website=higheryork|access-date=15 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190215215914/http://www.higheryork.org/york-st-john-university6/|archive-date=15 February 2019|url-status=dead}}

In 2017, François presented The Truth About Muslim Marriage (Channel 4, 2017), which was nominated for Best Investigative Documentary at the Asian Media Awards in 2018.{{Cite web |title=The Truth About Muslim Marriage |url=https://www.truevisiontv.com/films/the-truth-about-muslim-marriages |access-date=12 January 2023 |website=True Vision TV |language=en-GB}}{{cite web|url=http://www.northbanktalent.com/2018/10/04/myriam-francoiss-channel-4-documentary-asian-media-award/|title=Myriam Francois's Channel 4 documentary nominated for Asian Media Award|date=4 October 2018|website=Northbank Talent Management|access-date=15 February 2019}} François then joined TRT World as Europe correspondent, covering European breaking news. Between 2017 and 2018, she also developed, produced and presented Compass, a monthly arts and culture documentary for the channel.{{Cite web |title=Compass - TRT World |url=https://www.trtworld.com/video/compass |access-date=12 January 2023 |website=Compass - TRT World |language=en}}

In 2019, François left TRT World and began working with BBC World Service, where she produced and presented a series of short documentaries, including Tariq Ramadan: #MeToo in the Muslim World (2018), and Is Brexit-Voting Llanelli Changing Its Mind? (2019) which looks at the impact of Brexit in Llanelli, a Leave-voting town in Wales.{{Cite news |title=The rock star scholar and the rape claims |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-europe-45552139 |access-date=12 January 2023}}{{Cite news |title=Is Brexit-voting Llanelli changing its mind? |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-46843833 |access-date=12 January 2023}} In 2019, her documentary City of Refuge, which examined the plight of Syrian refugees in Lebanon, aired on BBC Radio 4 in April and on BBC World service in May.{{Cite web |title=BBC Radio 4 - City of Refuge |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00040lk |access-date=12 January 2023 |website=BBC |language=en-GB}} In 2022, she presented the BBC World Service audio documentary When Rape Becomes a Crime, which focuses on rape laws in Senegal.{{Cite web |title=BBC World Service - The Documentary Podcast, When rape becomes a crime |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0c921gc |access-date=12 January 2023 |website=BBC |date=26 May 2022 |language=en-GB}} François also began hosting and producing The Big Picture: France in Focus, a four-part series for Al Jazeera English focused on the fault lines within French society.{{Cite web |title=France in Focus |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/program/the-big-picture/2022/6/26/france-in-focus |access-date=12 January 2023 |website=Al Jazeera |language=en}}

= Writing =

François was a correspondent for the Huffington Post (2014–2015), where she broke a headline story on an exclusive 36-page document written by alleged al-Qaeda kingpin Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.{{cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/14/khalid-sheikh-mohammed-manifesto_n_4591298.html|title=Mastermind Of The Sept. 11 Attacks Wants To Convert His Captors |work=The Huffington Post |author=François-Cerrah, Myriam |date=14 January 2014}} She has appeared on Newsnight (2009), 4thought.tv (2011),{{cite web|url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4de8bf7a25543 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222135544/https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4de8bf7a25543 |url-status=dead |archive-date=22 December 2021 |title=Myriam Francois Cerrah (2011) [Should Muslims adapt to Britain or should Britain adapt to Muslims?] |publisher=British Film Institute |quote=Alternative titles... 4thought.tv[17/03/2011] |accessdate=30 September 2011}} BBC News (2010),{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/impact_asia/8816594.stm |title=Impact Asia – A veiled threat or an attack on faith? |publisher=BBC News |date=13 July 2010 |accessdate=30 September 2011}} Crosstalk (2010), BBC Radio (2012), Sky News{{cite news |title=Myriam Francois |url=https://newlinesinstitute.org/people/myriam-francois/ |work=New Lines Institute}} and documentaries including Divine Women, presented by Bettany Hughes.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01g8ck1 Divine Women] on BBC

A former columnist at the New Statesman, François's writing has featured in the British press, including The Guardian, TIME, Foreign Policy, The Telegraph, CNN online and Middle East Eye.{{Cite web |title=Myriam François |url=https://www.theguardian.com/profile/myriam-francois-cerrah |access-date=12 January 2023 |website=The Guardian |language=en}}{{Cite magazine |title=Myriam Francois |url=https://time.com/author/myriam-francois/ |access-date=12 January 2023 |magazine=Time |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=François |first=Myriam |title=Myriam François |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/author/myriam-francois/ |access-date=12 January 2023 |website=Foreign Policy |date=October 2021 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Myriam Francois-Cerrah |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/m/mu-mz/myriam-francois-cerrah/ |access-date=12 January 2023 |website=The Telegraph |date=21 November 2017 |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |last=François |first=Myriam |date=7 September 2016 |title=Forget the burkini ban: France's Muslims have much bigger problems |url=https://www.cnn.com/2016/09/07/opinions/burkini-ban-france-myriam-francois-opinion/index.html |access-date=12 January 2023 |website=CNN |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Myriam François |url=http://www.middleeasteye.net/users/myriam-francois |access-date=12 January 2023 |website=Middle East Eye |language=en}}

François is a former senior fellow at the Center for Global Policy (CGP), a think tank where, between 2019 and 2020, she produced an in-depth report looking at the plight of European children of ISIS fighters in camps in Northern Syria, as well as an accompanying piece for Foreign Policy. She has been an outspoken critic of Islamophobia.{{Cite web |title=Myriam François |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/author/myriam-francois/ |access-date=12 January 2023 |website=Foreign Policy |date=October 2021 |language=en-US}} She is a former research associate at School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London (SOAS), in the Department of the Languages and Cultures of the Near and Middle East, where she researched issues related to British Muslims, integration, and racism.

Her articles also appeared in The Huffington Post,{{cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/myriam-francois/war-with-ran_b_1233694.html|title=Why a War With Iran is the Real Threat |website=The Huffington Post |author=François-Cerrah, Myriam |date=26 January 2012 |accessdate=11 March 2012}} New Statesman,{{cite web|url=http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/the-staggers/2011/12/muslim-women-american-arab|title=When does it not pay to be Muslim? |website=The New Statesman |author=François-Cerrah, Myriam |date=14 December 2011 |accessdate=11 March 2012}} Your Middle East,{{cite web|url=http://www.yourmiddleeast.com/opinion/myriam-francoiscerrah-morsi-must-become-a-leader-for-all-egyptians_11519|title=Morsi must become a leader for all Egyptians |website=Your Middle East |author=François-Cerrah, Myriam |date=29 April 2013}} The London Paper, Jadaliyya,{{cite web |url=http://www.jadaliyya.com/pages/index/21640/olivier-roy-on-laicite-as-ideology-the-myth-of-natn |title=Olivier Roy on Laicite as Ideology, the Myth of 'National Identity' and Racism in the French Republic |website=Jadaliyya |author=François-Cerrah, Myriam |date=16 May 2015}} the Australian Broadcasting Corporation,{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/religion/articles/2015/04/27/4224771.htm|title=Face Veils and Miniskirts: Whose Interests are Served in France's Republic of Men? |publisher=ABC (Australia) |author=François-Cerrah, Myriam |date=27 April 2015}} The Daily Telegraph,{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-politics/10973009/Sharia-courts-ban-would-harm-British-Muslim-women.html|title=Why banning Sharia courts would harm British Muslim women |website=The Telegraph |author=François-Cerrah, Myriam |date=17 July 2014}} Salon,{{cite web |url=http://www.salon.com/2014/10/12/bill_mahers_horrible_excuse_why_his_defense_of_islamophobia_just_doesnt_make_any_sense/ |title=Bill Maher's horrible excuse: Why his defense of Islamophobia just doesn't make any sense |work=Salon |author=François-Cerrah, Myriam |date=13 October 2014}} Index on Censorship,{{cite web |url=http://www.indexoncensorship.org/2011/01/tunisia-france's-faux-pas/ |title=Tunisia: France's faux pas |publisher=Index on Censorship |author=François-Cerrah, Myriam |date=15 January 2011 |accessdate=30 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110122045432/http://www.indexoncensorship.org/2011/01/tunisia-france%E2%80%99s-faux-pas/ |archive-date=22 January 2011 |url-status=dead }} The F-Word,{{cite web|url=http://www.thefword.org.uk/archives/author/myriam_francois-cerrah |title=Articles by Myriam Francois-Cerrah |website=The F-Word |date=20 July 2009 |accessdate=30 September 2011}} and the magazine Emel.{{cite web|url=http://www.emel.com/article?id=86&a_id=2400 |title=Sailing Towards The Divine |work=Emel |date=27 June 2011 |accessdate=30 September 2011}}

=Other work=

File:Myriam francois 2015 1.jpg

François gave guest lectures at Harvard University (2014), the University of Birmingham (2014), and Luther College (2015) in Decorah, Iowa, and presented an annual guest lecture at Kingston University, in England, in 2012–2014. She spoke at the 2015 HowTheLightsGetsIn at the Hay-on-Wye Festival.{{Cite web|url=https://leftfootforward.org/2015/04/progressive-politics-takes-centre-stage-at-howthelightgetsin/|title = Progressive politics takes centre stage at HowTheLightGetsIn|date = 27 April 2015}} She has been a regular presenter at high-profile events, including the Mayor of London's Eid Festival 2019{{cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/go/london/attractions/eid-festival-2019-london-date-time-trafalgar-square-a4158801.html|title=Everything you need to know about Eid Festival in London|date=6 June 2019|website=Evening Standard|language=en|access-date=10 June 2019}} and the London Modest Fashion Festival 2018.{{cite web|url=http://www.modestfashionfestival.com/we-are-pleased-to-announce-that-dr-myriam-francois-will-be-hosting-modest-fashion-festival/|title=We are pleased to announce that Dr Myriam Francois will be hosting Modest Fashion Festival|last=admin|website=Modest Fashion Festival|language=en-GB|access-date=10 June 2019}}

She was a judge for the 2019 Baillie Gifford Prize for non-fiction books.{{cite web|url=https://thebailliegiffordprize.co.uk/people/dr-myriam-francois |title=Dr Myriam Francois |publisher=The Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction |date= |accessdate=13 January 2019}}

Personal life

In 2003, at the age of 21, François became a Muslim after graduating from Cambridge. At the time, she was a sceptical Roman Catholic. She rejects the use of the words "convert" and "revert" as "exclusionary", describing herself as "just Muslim".{{cite web|url=https://muslimvillage.com/2014/08/16/54595/dont-call-convert-revert-matter/ |title=Don't call me "convert" nor "revert" for that matter |author=François-Cerrah, Myriam |date=16 August 2014 |website=Muslimvillage.com}} Originally published on 15 June 2013 as a WordPress entry of hers titled {{underline|Don't call me a "convert"/"revert"}}. Her blog no longer exists.

François chose to stop wearing a hijab in the late 2010s. She said that the subsequent lack of Islamophobia due to her being a white woman in Western attire made her feel enmeshed in white privilege. Nevertheless, she did not decide to return to the hijab.

As of 2015, François was married to a Turkish man.{{cite web|url=https://halalgems.com/ramadhan-routine-myriam-francois-cerrah/|title=Ramadhan Routine: Myriam Francois-Cerrah|work=Hala Gems|date=2015-07-02|access-date=2025-01-19}} By early 2022, they had divorced.{{cite tweet|last=François|first=Myriam|user=MyriamFrancoisC|number=1500810427063808004|title=can someone send me that khutbah on how paying your child support is actually an amanah and the grave sin involved in not providing for your child...? Also worth reminding your homeboys..|access-date=2025-01-19}}