A note from Saadia Baber, founder of Sikhana · 12th June 2026

This week, I watched the news from Belfast with a heavy heart.

Riots. Attacks on hotels housing asylum seekers. Windows smashed. People — human beings who have already survived unimaginable things — made to feel that they are not welcome. That they are the problem.

I have been thinking about what to say. And then I realised: this is exactly why Sikhana exists.

The Danger of Collective Blame

When something goes wrong — a crime, an act of violence, an incident that shocks a community — there is a very human instinct to look for a group to blame. Not the individual. The group. The ethnicity. The religion. The culture.

It is an instinct that history has shown us, again and again, leads somewhere very dark.

A criminal is a criminal. They are not a representative of every person who shares their background, their faith, or the country they came from. A Pakistani man who commits a crime does not speak for 230 million Pakistanis. A Muslim who acts with violence does not represent 1.8 billion Muslims. An immigrant who breaks the law does not define the millions who came to this country, worked hard, paid taxes, raised families, and contributed immeasurably to the fabric of British life.

We know this. And yet, in moments of fear and anger, we forget.

What Sikhana Is Really About

I started Sikhana because I wanted people to see Pakistan differently — and so many other countries belonging to the Muslim world that are equally misrepresented. Not through the lens of headlines, but through the lens of culture — their extraordinary landscapes, their ancient traditions, their warmth, their artistry, their humanity.

Every fragrance I make is named after a real place. Every collection tells a real story. The Walled City of Lahore. The cherry blossoms of Hunza. The jasmine of a Pakistani evening. The women of Islamic history who were scholars, merchants and leaders long before the modern world caught up.

These are not abstract concepts. These are people. Real places. Real lives.

When you light a Sikhana candle or spray a room with Chambelli Ka Phool, you are — in a very small, quiet way — choosing to see a culture rather than a caricature. And that matters. It matters more than ever this week.

Because Here Is What I Know

The people fleeing Syria, Somalia, Afghanistan, Palestine — they are not coming here to cause harm. They are coming here because home became somewhere they could no longer survive. They are parents. They are children. They are people who once had a favourite scent, a family recipe, a street they loved to walk down.

They are us. In different circumstances.

Understanding does not mean agreeing with every policy. It does not mean ignoring real concerns about housing, services or community. It means refusing to let fear turn into hatred. It means choosing curiosity over contempt. It means being the kind of country — and the kind of person — that we actually want to be.

The Role of Purposeful Brands

There is something that socially responsible businesses can do that governments and media often cannot: they can humanise. Through the products they make, the stories they tell, and the communities they build, purpose-led brands have a unique platform to show the world differently.

At Sikhana, every purchase contributes to community engagement projects that bring different faiths and cultures together. Every event we attend is an opportunity to start a conversation. Every candle lit in a British home that carries the name of a Pakistani city is a quiet act of bridge-building.

It is not enough. But it is something. And right now, something matters.

Come and Find Us This Saturday

Because the best conversations happen in person — over something beautiful, something sensory, something that opens a door.

This Saturday, 13th June, Sikhana will be at the Asian Lifestyle Pop-Up at Stoke Place, Stoke Poges, Buckinghamshire — alongside an extraordinary collection of local luxury artisan brands.

📍 Stoke Place | Stoke Green, Stoke Poges, Bucks | SL2 4HT
🕐 11am – 5pm
Fashion · Jewellery · Perfumes · Home Fragrances · Skincare · Cosmetics

Come and smell the full Sikhana collection. Come and hear the stories behind the scents. Come and be part of a community that chooses curiosity over fear, and beauty over division.

I hope to see you there.

With love and purpose,
Saadia
Founder, Sikhana
sikhana.uk · @sikhana_luxury_fragrances