As soon as Denise and Abdul Ahad started going out with each other they faced isolation and criticism from both sides of the community.

But for over two decades the couple's relationship has remained solid. Nothing has changed. They say youngsters in the same position today are facing just the kind of prejudice they experienced in the 1970s.

They have suffered racism and prejudice from both sides of the community since they started seeing each other. They know the only way forward for people is to accept change with understanding and compassion.

They believe youngsters who are now in the same position as they were should be allowed to break free of cultural boundaries imposed by their parents. The couple say the way forward is to accept the fact that Britain has become a multi-cultural society, and to adapt to the changes brought about by living in a melting pot of different cultures and religions.

The couple first met as 14-year-olds in 1970, when they were pupils at Eastwood Secondary School in Keighley (now Swire Smith Middle School). As their relationship developed, they became alienated from their families who would not accept the idea of their children having a mixed-race relationship.

To escape the pressure imposed on them by their families, the couple moved to Liverpool in 1972 and were married at a register office in the city in 1975.

A year later they returned to Keighley, where they have lived ever since with their four children, Nicholas, 20, Jason, 18, Soraya, 13, and ten-year-old Shakara. Abdul runs a restaurant in Leeds while Denise works for a finance company.

The couple, who are both 42, recently wrote to the Keighley News after reading comments by the town's racial equality officer, Zafar Ali. He suggested introducing a card system for the victims of racial abuse. Denise and Abdul believe such a system should be available to all members of the community, regardless of ethnic background. Here they explain their own personal experiences and views.

Opinion, page 10

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