Nadia El-Nakla Explained

Nadia El-Nakla
Birth Name:Nadia Maged El-Nakla
Office:Councillor of Dundee City Council
for West End Ward 3
Term Start:5 May 2022
Predecessor:Richard McCready
Birth Place:Dundee, Scotland
Alma Mater:Abertay University
Party:Scottish National Party
Children:2
Parents:Maged and Elizabeth El-Nakla

Nadia Maged El-Nakla (Arabic: نادية النقلة; born) is a Scottish psychotherapist, political activist and politician. She has served as a councillor on Dundee City Council since 2022, representing the West End of Dundee.[1] She is a member of the Scottish National Party (SNP). She is married to Humza Yousaf, the former first minister of Scotland and former leader of the SNP.

Early life and education

El-Nakla was born in Dundee, Scotland, to a Palestinian father and a Scottish mother.[2] [3] [4] She gained an MSc in Counselling from Abertay University.[5]

She is a qualified psychotherapist counsellor and has experience working with addiction, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, eating disorders, bereavement and suicidal ideation. She is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy.[5]

Career

El-Nakla worked as a case worker for Shona Robison, the member of the Scottish Parliament for the Dundee City East constituency.[6]

In the 2022 Scottish local elections, El-Nakla ran as an SNP candidate in the Dundee City Council's west end ward 3.[7] She was successful in her election bid and currently sits as a councillor, serving as the equalities spokesperson.[8] [9]

Personal life

El-Nakla was previously married to Fariad Umar, an IT expert, and they had one daughter together.[10] In November 2015, Umar discovered racist text messages sent to El-Nakla by Craig Melville, an SNP councillor with whom she had previously had an affair. The couple eventually filed for divorce.[11] [12] [13] [14]

In 2019, El-Nakla married Humza Yousaf, the future first minister of Scotland and leader of the SNP.[15] She later gave birth to her second daughter, first of Yousaf's, and the family lived in Broughty Ferry, a suburb a few miles east of the city of Dundee.[16] In March 2024, the couple announced that they were expecting another child.[17]

She has disclosed that she has had four miscarriages.[18]

In 2021, El-Nakla made a complaint of discrimination against a Dundee children's nursery that did not offer a place to her daughter.[19] The complaint was upheld by the Care Inspectorate who found that the nursery "did not promote fairness, equality and respect" in terms of its admission policy.[20] She later terminated the legal action.[21]

In October 2023, her parents, Maged and Elizabeth El-Nakla, became trapped in the Gaza Strip during the Israel–Hamas war; after travelling to the Middle East to visit a sick relative from her father's side, where his Palestinian family relatives still reside.[22] On 3 November, they crossed the border to safety in Egypt.[23] [24]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Ward 3 - West End - Nadia El-Nakla . 2023-03-29 . Dundee City Council . en.
  2. Web site: 'There is nowhere to hide': Palestinian Scot fears for her family trapped in Gaza . 2023-03-29 . The National . 16 May 2021 . en.
  3. Web site: Who is Humza Yousaf's wife Nadia El-Nakla? . 2023-03-29 . HeraldScotland . 27 March 2023 . en.
  4. News: 'Where is humanity?': Humza Yousaf's mother-in-law sends tearful video from Gaza. Kevin. Rawlinson. October 13, 2023. The Guardian.
  5. Web site: Nadia El-Nakla . 2023-03-30 . www.counselling-directory.org.uk . en-GB.
  6. Web site: Malik . Paul . Dundee case worker married to justice secretary shares heartbreak after three miscarriages . 2023-03-30 . The Courier . 14 October 2019 . en-GB.
  7. Web site: Brady . Jon . 2022-03-21 . Humza Yousaf's wife standing as SNP candidate in Dundee council elections . 2023-03-30 . Daily Record . en.
  8. Web site: SNP gain in Dundee as Nadia El-Nakla wins seat . 2023-03-30 . The National . 6 May 2022 . en.
  9. Web site: El-Nakla . Nadia . NADIA El-NAKLA: Why I pity the people hanging White Lives Matter banners in Dundee . 2023-03-30 . The Courier . 11 August 2022 . en-GB.
  10. https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/record-results/21459772326425cec7c1120 Marriage certificate of Nadia Maged El-Nakla and Fariad Mohammad Umar
  11. Web site: Moncur . James . 2018-01-26 . Husband of love-rat politician had no answers over SNP councillor racist texts . 2023-03-30 . Daily Record . en.
  12. Web site: REVEALED: The anti-Muslim texts sent to former lover that 'ended the career' of ex Dundee councillor Craig Melville . 17 March 2018 .
  13. News: Former Dundee SNP councillor sent racist texts . BBC News . 15 March 2018 .
  14. https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/ex-snp-councillor-fined-after-sending-racist-texts-to-muslim-lover-1425848
  15. Web site: Mustafa . Filiz . 2023-03-27 . Humza Yousaf's partner Nadia El-Nakla has been SNP councillor since last year . 2023-03-30 . HITC . en-GB.
  16. Web site: Who is Humza Yousaf's wife Nadia El-Nakla? . 2023-03-29 . The National . 27 March 2023 . en.
  17. Web site: Humza Yousaf and wife expecting baby in July. BBC News. 1 March 2024. 1 March 2024.
  18. Web site: 2020-09-07 . 'Nobody gives you a manual for this kind of stuff': Humza Yousaf and Nadia El-Nakla on their experience of multiple miscarriages . 2023-03-30 . Holyrood Website . en.
  19. News: 2021-11-03 . Humza Yousaf complaint against Dundee nursery upheld . en-GB . BBC News . 2023-03-30.
  20. News: Carrell . Severin . 2021-11-03 . Scottish minister's complaint against nursery upheld by inspectors . en-GB . The Guardian . 2023-03-30 . 0261-3077.
  21. Web site: 2023-02-07 . Nursery boss says Humza Yousaf's wife has 'terminated' legal action . 2023-03-30 . The Independent . en.
  22. Web site: Humza Yousaf says Israel is 'going too far' in Gaza . 13 October 2023 . 13 October 2023 . BBC News . BBC.
  23. News: Humza Yousaf's parents-in-law escape Gaza. The Telegraph. 3 November 2023 . Parker . Fiona . MacAskill . Mark .
  24. News: Humza Yousaf's family cross Gaza border to safety. 3 November 2023 . BBC news.