We've handed over the creative reins to artist Huss and the team at Refugee Festival Scotland. The queer Arab artist and Scottish Refugee Council programming fellow oversaw the project, putting together a special artwork and poem to send a message to asylum seekers across the country. Huss, who cannot be named fully due to safety concerns, is unable to return from Scotland to his native Egypt.
Having studied in Scotland, the artist planned to continue his work back home. However amid backlash from people in Egypt over him performing in a queer venue, home is now a dangerous place and he fears facing violence or imprisonment due to homophobia. Huss cannot return to Egypt over fears of violence or imprisonment due to homophobia.
He performs in a mask to protect his identity, even while living in Scotland (Image: Tom Gibson) Huss worked with his colleagues to create a piece of art to appear on The National's front page, sending a message out to those with refugee and asylum-seeking backgrounds across Scotland. The power to craft a newspaper front page, seen in shops across Scotland, across the internet and broadcast media, is an incredible privilege that we have as members of the press. It's only right that we share that opportunity with those who the traditional media have long overlooked , and in some cases completely dehumanised.
The current election period has seen scaremongering over asylum seekers from the likes of Nigel Farage with calls to "stop the boats" – rhetoric L.
