Before I returned to England with my children two years ago we lived in the UAE and then Qatar - both Middle Eastern countries. It’s a remarkably safe part of the world (yet, also remarkably, there are many people who believe the opposite) and, despite some local political disagreements in recent years, we never felt unwelcome or at risk. In part because of where they grew up, my children have been taught to dress modestly and be respectful of other nationalities, cultures and beliefs so coming to the UK was a reverse culture shock. All my children have noticed a greater freedom of expression here, spanning everything from gender identity to politics, even in their schools, but they’ve also been surprised by some instances of ignorance or intolerance. When we moved here my youngest daughter went to a small village school where, for the first time in her life, she wasn’t the only blonde-haired fair-skinned child in her class. As a church school it has clear spiritual, moral, social and cultural values which apparently underpin all teaching, yet shortly after starting there she said some of her peers had told her during a class discussion that they thought Muslims were terrorists. They were 8 and 9 years old. I explained it away as childish silliness although, given that we have lots of Muslim friends, she made sure she corrected them. My eldest daughter, whose school also has excellent credentials, has heard some quite divisive political comments made by students and teachers both in and out of class and it seems to me that, at home and abroad, there is an increasing sense of discord and dissatisfaction.

One of the great privileges of living as an expat is that our friends, colleagues and neighbours are often a mix of nationalities with different backgrounds and beliefs; because the community becomes our extended family, we learn to accept and appreciate each other for rather than because of our differences. On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, my family stops to remember those who fought or gave their lives for our freedom - freedom to choose where we live, who our friends are, how we express ourselves, but above all, the freedom of life without fear. My hope is that this moment of remembrance will also encourage others to step back and find renewed compassion and tolerance.

We will never forget.