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Ruzwana Bashir was the first British-born Asian woman to become President of the Oxford Union, and is the girlfriend of actor Toby Kebbell.
Early life[edit]
The daughter of a grocer, Bashir was educated at Skipton Girls High School, a grammar school in North Yorkshire.[1][2] She then went up to New College, Oxford, to read Philosophy, Politics and Economics.[3][4]
Oxford career[edit]
Bashir was twice elected as President of the university's famous Oxford Union debating society. Her first election came in November 2003, when she beat Georgina Costa, daughter of Ken Costa (Chairman of Lazard), by 790 votes to 601. However she was subsequently disqualified for a minor infringement of the electoral process, following a complaint made by Ambrose Faulks, a former President.[1][5][6] She was elected a second time in March 2004, this time beating James Forsyth. She faced a tribunal, accused of irregular canvassing, in the shape of courting votes in her college on polling day.[7][6][3] Friends of Bashir commented that the opposition to her was really "because of the colour of her skin and because she is a Muslim".[8] The tribunal took nearly twenty hours to make a finding and heard counter-accusations of dirty tricks and racism. Forsyth was found guilty of electoral malpractice.[3][6] The Mail on Sunday called the battle "one of the dirtiest political scraps the hallowed quadrangles of Oxford University have ever witnessed" and asked "Will this Asian girl be the next Maggie?"[2] The Guardian commented that "Frivolous complaints have become the raison d'être of the Oxford Union",[7] and subsequently the electoral rules of the Union were changed.
During her tenure as President, Bashir's guest speakers included Senator John McCain, Michael Heseltine, Norman Lamont, Kenneth Clarke, John Redwood, David Trimble, Tom Ford, Hans Blix and José María Aznar.[9]
In 2004, Bashir was nominated for the Woman of the Year Award of the Italian publishing house Minerva.[8]
While she was at Oxford, the Daily Times of Pakistan described Bashir as "a gorgeous northern lass studying at Oxford", revealing that her vice was Diet Coke, that she loved Japanese cuisine, and that she was known to her friends as 'Ruz'.[4]
Harvard[edit]
Bashir is currently at the Harvard Business School, as an MBA Fulbright Scholar.[10]
Personal life[edit]
Bashir is reported to be the girlfriend of BAFTA-nominated actor Toby Kebbell. In an interview with the Evening Standard, Kebbell said he thought she was "stunningly gorgeous" and had been a "fantastic influence" on him. Bashir and Kebbell met at a Christmas party given by the journalist Andrew Neil.[11] They have been pictured together in the Daily Mirror.[12]
References[edit]
- ^ a b Obscure law costs Ruzwana top post, from the Telegraph & Argus, first published 27 January 2004, at thisisbradford.co.uk
- ^ a b James Tapper, Keith Beabey, Will this Asian girl be the next Maggie? in The Mail on Sunday dated March 14, 2004
- ^ a b c Stewart Payne, Asian woman picked to lead Oxford Union, dated 12 March 2004 at telegraph.co.uk/
- ^ a b Ihsan Islam, HISTORY MAN: Abandoning Cambridge for Oxford' in Daily Times of Pakistan, October 15, 2004, online
- ^ Richard Kay, Coup what a scorcher!, article dated 14 January 2004 at dailymail.co.uk
- ^ a b c Toby Moore, Racism? No, just brutal politics, article dated March 12 2004 at timesonline.co.uk
- ^ a b 'What the toffs did next' in The Guardian, 11 March 2004, online
- ^ a b 'LA DONNA DELL'ANNO' at minervaonline.it (in Italian)
- ^ Suzy Menkes, Tom Ford works his charm on students at Oxford Union in The New York Times dated November 16, 2004, online
- ^ More Fulbright Awards for 2009/10 at fulbright.co.uk
- ^ Marianne Macdonald, Toby Kebbell: the new boy dated 09.02.09 at thisislondon.co.uk
- ^ Bafta Dresses at mirror.co.uk 2009/02/08
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Alumni of New College, Oxford
Category:Fulbright Scholars
Category:Harvard Business School alumni
Category:Living people
Category:People from North Yorkshire
Category:Presidents of the Oxford Union
External links[edit]
- Ruzwana Bashir attends the launch of Visa Swap at The Piazza, Covent Garden on July 16, 2008 at wireimage.com
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