Traces of Empire exhibition Recognises Scotland’s Shared History and Celebrating Community Voices

That the Parliament congratulates the North Lanarkshire Muslim Women and Family Alliance (NLMWA) on what it sees as its outstanding work to build the confidence and capacity of its members through education, the promotion of religious and racial harmony and partnership working; recognises its contribution to fostering understanding, inclusion and stronger communities across North Lanarkshire and Scotland; welcomes the opening of Traces of Empire: Voices, Memories & Our Shared History, an exhibition at Summerlee Museum of Scottish Industrial Life in Coatbridge, which is taking place from 3 October to 1 November 2026; commends NLMWA for its role in bringing this important exhibition to the public; acknowledges Historic Environment Scotland (HES) for commissioning the exhibition as part of its response to its 2024 report, Surveying and Analysing Connections Between Properties in Care and the British Empire, c.1600–1997, which found that 126 of the 336 properties in its care have connections to the British Empire; recognises the importance of examining these historical connections and their continuing legacies through the experiences, perspectives and voices of the communities affected by colonial histories; notes that the exhibition has been developed through collaboration between HES and 34 co-curators from four grassroots communities across Scotland, led by people from or with connections to countries shaped by colonialism; celebrates the mutual learning, shared decision-making and meaningful dialogue that have informed this process; welcomes the exhibition’s use of artworks, oral histories, storytelling and poetry to explore the impact of empire across generations and its continuing influence on people’s lives, including through reflections on cotton, education, self-sufficiency and partition; recognises the courage and significance of bringing previously unheard experiences into the public conversation, allowing communities to reclaim their voices, preserve family memories and contribute to a fuller understanding of Scotland’s shared history; highlights the words of Bushra Iqbal MBE, chair of NLMWA, in drawing inspiration from the poet and philosopher Allama Muhammad Iqbal’s message that the destiny of nations rests in the hands of individuals, and that every person has a part to play in shaping the future of their community; recognises HES’s commitment to truthful communication, mutual understanding and collective healing in addressing the difficult and often painful legacies of empires; believes that Scotland’s heritage must be understood through a broad and inclusive historical lens, recognising that while the nation’s traditional stories of clans, territorial conflicts and folklore remain an important part of its identity, they represent only one dimension of its rich and complex past; considers that a fuller understanding must also recognise the experiences and contributions of South Asian and other migrant communities, whose histories, struggles, resilience and achievements have helped shape modern Scotland; believes that engaging honestly, critically and empathetically with the history of empire is essential to understanding present-day inequalities, challenging racism and prejudice and strengthening mutual respect across religious, racial and cultural differences; further believes that acknowledging difficult histories should not divide communities but provide opportunities for learning, reconciliation, dignity and a stronger shared sense of belonging, and commends NLMWA, HES, the co-curators and all participating community groups for demonstrating how education, art, storytelling and partnership can create spaces for reflection, peace and healing, inspire future generations to build a fairer and more inclusive society, and help foster the understanding and solidarity that Scotland needs now more than ever.