Haroon’s story
Like many Muslims, Haroon Mota discovered the outdoors through charity hikes. But for him, the experience didn’t end back in the car park. He loved every minute of exploring the outdoors, both as a walker and as a runner. It even inspired his choice of career: until recently he worked for a Muslim humanitarian charity, heading up their challenge events portfolio.
It had long been clear to Haroon that Muslims were not generally seen accessing the outdoors for their own benefit. He recalls being stunned to see a group of women in hijabs on Snowdon some 15 years ago. According to recent figures, only 1% of national park visitors come from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds, while a 2021 report by the countryside charity CPRE showed that ethnic minorities have, on average, 11 times less access to green space than their white counterparts.
But it was the 2020 lockdowns that spurred Haroon into direct action. He set up the Muslim Hikers Instagram page “to connect, inspire, encourage and spread positivity within the community at a time when we all needed that more than ever”. And as the lockdowns eased, what was conceived as a support network became an actual walking group, with organised group-walks taking place across the country. Hikes cost around £25 per head, covering guiding, professional photography and post-walk goodies, and have so far have included Snowdon, Cadair Idris, Whernside, Scafell Pike – plus of course their Peak District adventures. The group is now, says Haroon proudly, “the largest community in the world for Muslim outdoor enthusiasts”, with local groups springing from the parent pages on social media to help spread the word.
Haroon has now left his job to run Muslim Hikers full-time. “It was a difficult decision but this is so important to me,” he says. “I think this is where we can have the biggest impact on people’s wellbeing and create change.”