- guardian.co.uk, Sunday March 30 2003 02.00 BST
I can't even bear to think about what they might do if they catch him but we know for certain he'll be horribly punished. My parents are frightened out of their minds at the possibility.
As well, we have to cope with the aggression we get from all sides of the community when they hear that a Muslim man has gone to fight in Iraq. None of our British-born Muslim friends have a problem with what Imran is doing, they just see it as his job, but there are members of the older community who see it as the end of a world that a Muslim has chosen to fight another Muslim.
The most aggressive reaction, however, has come from the non-Muslim community. Our friends seem to assume we're going to support Iraq and if we mention that my brother is out there fighting, they're shocked and ask which side he's fighting for.
I find that assumption upsetting because Imran didn't think twice about risking his life for Britain, the country where his loyalty instinctively lies.
The biggest worry at home is that the BNP will find out what my brother is doing. We're a small minority community in this area and we're already vulnerable to racist attacks from the BNP, who have a big presence and whose harassment and abuse has forced me to move house once in the past already.
It's tough for my parents to have to deal with this when all they want to do is concentrate on dealing with the fear they're feeling for their youngest son.
None of this stops us feeling proud of Imran, however. My parents have photos of him in his uniform pinned up all over their house but we have to keep in mind that we can't talk about his job openly because we never know who might be listening. We don't want to draw ourselves to the attention of anyone outside who might judge Imran harshly for what he's done.
As far as we're concerned, it's bad enough that people are being killed and whether they're Muslims or not is irrelevant.
I've heard the argument that this is a holy war and that no Muslim should go out there to fight, but Imran doesn't believe that for a moment and nor does his family; there's only one God out there for Catholics, Protestants and Muslims alike, so how can this be a war over religion?
My parents are highly religious and if they thought this was a war over God, there's no way they would have let Imran go.
We were amazed when Imran said he was going to go into the Army and still have no idea why he chose to do it; he was the sort of child who would run in the other direction if there was a fight in the schoolyard.
We watch the news continuously. I've just started a new business but I've had to put everything on hold because I can't concentrate. No matter what I'm doing, it can trigger a memory of him; the other day I was washing dishes by the kitchen window and I burst into tears simply because a car the same colour as Imran's drove past.
Shazia was talking to Amelia Hill.
Families wanting to contact their children in the Gulf can contact Virgin Radio's 'Backing Our Boys' programme, on www.virginradio.co.uk
