Description
When Scotland’s First Minister, Humza Yousaf, got a call from Gaza on the morning of 7 October 2023, he feared the worst. His wife’s parents, Elizabeth and Maged, had been visiting the Palestinian territory to see Maged’s sick mother and found themselves trapped as violence escalated on both sides.
In Under Fire: My Family’s Escape from Gaza and The Cost of Leadership, Yousaf recounts the month that followed: coordinating across governments to get his in-laws to safety via the Rafah crossing, while leading Scotland through one of the most fraught periods in its recent history and reassuring a traumatised Jewish community, all under intense public scrutiny.
Join us as Yousaf talks about the book, and about his own journey from the son of immigrants to the first Muslim leader of a Western European country. He’ll reflect on the rise of far-right populism, and on what he believes true leadership demands: holding personal loyalty and public duty together, and keeping hold of empathy when the pressure is greatest.
This event will be followed by a book signing in partnership with Waterstones.
Related Book
Under Fire: My Family’s Escape from Gaza and the Cost of Leadership
Humza Yousaf
Shop on WaterstonesAbout the Author
Humza Yousaf
Humza Yousaf was the First Minister of Scotland from 2023 to 24, the first Muslim leader of a Western European country and the youngest First Minister in Scotland’s history.
He was appointed as Minister for External Affairs and International Development in 2012, and later served as a Minister for Europe, Minister for Transport, as well as Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Health & Social Care. First elected as an MSP for Glasgow in 2011, he was elected in 2016 to serve Glasgow Pollok, becoming the first ethnic minority Member of the Scottish Parliament to be directly elected to a constituency.
After 15 years in politics, including 12 years in government, he has announced his decision to step down from frontline politics in May 2026.
Outside politics, Humza has been involved in community work, from youth organisations to charity fundraising for most of his life. He also volunteered for community radio for 12 years and founded a charitable project providing food packages to homeless people and asylum seekers in Glasgow.
About the Chair
Sabah Choudhry
Sabah Choudhry is an award-winning TV correspondent and presenter, currently reporting for ITV News, the BBC and Channel 5. She covers breaking and daily news across the UK and internationally.
Prior to this, Sabah spent six years at Sky News, where she worked as a correspondent – and previously a producer – across TV, radio, podcasts and digital platforms.
In 2024, Sabah was named GG2 Young Journalist of the Year, featured in the Press Awards 30 Under 30, and recognised among the Aziz Foundation’s 100 Inspiring Muslims.
Sabah is also a visiting lecturer for BA Broadcast Journalism undergraduate students at City St Georges, University of London.
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