HSD1
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Private-equity firms and multimillionaire property dealers are making millions of pounds from dozens of children’s care homes that failed to provide acceptable standards of care for the most vulnerable young people in society.
A major review of the industry launched after the Rochdale child-grooming scandal has revealed that 63 privately owned children’s care homes across the country did not meet the Government’s minimum standards.
Ofsted inspection reports included in the landmark study, commissioned by the Education Secretary, Michael Gove, reveal that one in three homes run by Advanced Childcare Limited, Britain’s largest private provider, failed to be classified as “good” or “outstanding” by the education watchdog. Officials now class any institution that fails to meet this benchmark as “unacceptable”. The Cheshire-based company, which charges councils up to £208,000 a year to care for a single child, is owned by GI Partners, a US private-equity firm which has around £4bn of assets under management.
The second-largest private-sector provider was Keys Childcare Limited, which runs 68 homes and is ultimately controlled by the Pattersons, a Northern Irish family who are also involved in property development and who are worth £70m, according to the latest The Sunday Times Rich List.
Almost a third of the children’s care homes owned by the Co Down-based company also failed to meet the Government’s acceptable standards of care for vulnerable young children, yet made £1m in profits last year. A spokesperson for the family said the Government’s data was out of date.
Enver Solomon, director at the National Children’s Bureau, said: “Profit should never come before providing the best quality care possible for children who have often experienced great trauma in their lives. Some of these private providers have remained above public scrutiny until now. We need much more effective inspection arrangements to ensure they are providing quality of care.”
The report by the Department for Education is the first time an audit of private-sector children’s care homes has been published, and was ordered following widespread failures by the private equity-backed home at the centre of the Rochdale child sex abuse scandal.
Mr Gove said Britain’s most vulnerable young people have effectively been handed over to paedophile gangs because of the “absurd” and “bewildering” secrecy rules around children’s care, a claim denied by the Information Commissioner Christopher Graham.
Advanced Childcare is owned by a US fund set up by Rick Magnuson, a former banker at Nomura and Merrill Lynch. According to its latest accounts, turnover was up 50 per cent year-on-year and post-tax profits soared around 25 per cent to £2.6m due to “continuing reviews of staffing costs, effective rotas in the homes and robust overhead management”.
Chief executive Rizwan Khan is listed as a “residential care worker” at Companies House yet was anointed “Northern entrepreneur of 2013” earlier this year, and holds a bewildering array of 26 separate company directorships.
He is thought to be the highest-paid director of the company, taking home £206,000 last year, according to the latest available figures – £42,000 more than the year before. The firm’s ultimate owner is GI Partners, which manages more than £4bn of assets from offices in London and Menlo Park, California. In 2009, the company reported its first fund had awarded backers three times their original investment.
The 52-page dossier published yesterday found councils in England spend more than a £1bn a year on caring for fewer than 4,900 children. It calculates that councils spend an average of £4,000 a week to place one child in a home, several times what it could cost to educate them at some of Britain’s leading public schools. Three in 10 children’s care homes are also located in the worst crime hotspots in the country, while 42 per cent of all Britain’s homes are clustered in North-west England and the West Midlands, where property prices are low. Last year, The Independent revealed that the parent company of the children’s care home at the centre of the Rochdale grooming trial was sold at a loss by private-equity house 3i just days before the jury returned its guilty verdicts. The company said there was no link between the timing of the sale and trial’s conclusion.
Mr Gove admitted that until the Rochdale case, his department lacked basic information about where children’s homes were located, who was responsible for them and whether they passed even basic standards.
The Education Secretary said that Ofsted was barred from sharing basic information – even with police – because of data-protection rules. He added: “There was one group of people ... who did seem to possess all the information: the gangs intent on exploiting these vulnerable children. They knew where the homes were; they knew how to contact the children: at the fish and chip shop ... in the local park, or just by hanging around outside.”
A Keys Childcare spokesman said: “We welcome the more stringent inspection regime, which is driving up standards across the sector. The data in the report is historic and following recent inspections, Keys currently has no homes ... rated ‘inadequate’.”
Advanced Childcare refused repeated requests to respond, but when The Independent tracked down Mr Khan he said: “Some of the information in that report is inaccurate. But I am not going to respond to a journalist. I am the chief executive of 160 care homes. We will respond to you formally on Monday.”
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Bengaluru: Hilarious as it may be, but he has been corresponding with himself for the last 26 days as an officer wearing different hats.
As the Inspector General of Police, Internal Security Division, Bhaskar Rao has to write to IGP, Training, Bhaskar Rao that his men from the Karnataka State Industrial Security Force need to be sent for training for which the date should be fixed at the earliest.
He then goes back to the office of IGP, Training in Carlton House and replies to the letter that he had sent to himself a day before from his office as IGP, ISD on Richmond Road with the training schedule for the KSISF.
In a letter addressed to IGP, ISD, Bhaskar Rao states that in response to “your letter seeking dates for training of your men we are sending you the following schedule as under. This cannot be changed…” s/d IGP, Training, Bhaskar Rao.
And when the communication from the IGP, ISD is delayed, the pressure on IGP, Training mounts from the subordinate officers, who report to him that there’s been no communication from the other side.
IGP, ISD, Bhaskar Rao, an IPS officer of 1990 batch, has been corresponding and answering to his official mails since August 1 when the government handed him the additional charge of IGP, Training.
“I have to do my work and there has to be consistency in correspondence. There are times when I have to dictate a stern letter to myself because of the delay in response from myself from the other office,” he said.
The government, faced with an acute shortage of IPS officers, has given additional charge to senior officers, including officers of the rank of ADGP. “We have to do our work. Some officer may soon be posted as IGP, Training. Till then this will continue,” added Rao.
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/130828/news-current-affairs/article/bhaskar-calling-bhaskar
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New research is fueling outrage that women who don't have kids aren't just selfish losers, but dumb ones as well.
It seems that women these days are too clever for their own good, at least when it comes to making babies. Research emerging from the London School of Economics examining the links between intelligence and maternal urges in women claims that more of the former means less of the latter. In an ideal world, such findings might be interpreted as smart women making smart choices, but instead it seems that this research is just adding fuel to the argument that women who don't have children, regardless of the reason, are not just selfish losers but dumb ones as well.
Satoshi Kanazawa, the LSE psychologist behind the research, discussed the findings that maternal urges drop by 25% with every extra 15 IQ points in his book The Intelligence Paradox. In the opening paragraph of the chapter titled "Why intelligent people are the ultimate losers in life", he makes his feelings about voluntary childlessness very clear:
That said then, Kanazawa finds it paradoxical that intelligent women apparently don't possess the desire to pursue what should be the ultimate goal of their biological existence, (hence the loser reference). He says that it's not yet known why intelligent women are having less babies but says it's not the reason most people assume, that women with higher IQs are more likely to go to college and have demanding careers. Basically he seems to come to the paradoxical conclusion that intelligent women just aren't all that wise.
I'm not sure why he dismisses the link between higher education and fewer kids as there's census data that shows women with advanced degrees are less likely to have children. (I should probably note that Kanazawa's judgement has been called into question in the past, regarding a study in which he found that black women are less attractive). His ultimate conclusion, however, is that intelligent women's failure to reproduce is bad for them because they are flying in the face of their biological destiny and it's also bad for society because fewer intelligent moms means fewer intelligent kids and that may have drastic implications for the nationwide IQ.
So put another way, smart women are doing society a disservice with their dumb reproductive choices. This plays nicely into the narrative that women who choose not to have children are selfish or sad or both. Time magazine's cover story this week deals with the phenomenon of "childfree" couples. Birthrates are at an all time low and couples choosing to forgo having babies are contributing to that. The article focused mostly on the female half of these couples, who explained their decisions to not have children.
The reasons were varied; some of the women alluded to demanding work schedules that made having a child undesirable, others to the fact that they simply have no desire to have a child. A common thread among all the women's stories was that they felt they were continually having to justify their choice. As the author Lauren Sandler pointed out,
For instance, Fox and Friends invited former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee on their show this past Saturday to discuss the Time cover story and its implications. The most terrifying thing about the article, according to Huckabee was that it might send the (obviously wrong) message that it was actually possible for people who didn't have children to lead a fulfilling life. (Imagine the horror if childless women started to believe that their lives were still worthwhile.) As far as Huckabee is concerned, reproducing is "the highest particular calling that I think we can have as human beings" and anyone who rejects that calling must be in some way lacking. One of the co-hosts, Tucker Carlson, was even more direct in his criticism of the childfree:
Take that ye clever women who choose decadence over duty. The irony is that it's the very people (yes Fox and Friends, I'm talking about you) who go around waxing lyrical about the virtues of motherhood and conception that are also the most likely to be pushing policies that make it next to impossible for many women to even conceive of being a mother. No one ever mentions the selflessness of women who choose not to have a baby, not because they wouldn't love one, but because they don't feel they are in a position to provide that baby with the kind of life it deserves.
Anyone who is genuinely concerned with falling birthrates should be supporting policies such as paid maternity leave, subsidized day care, flexible work schedules, affordable health care and so on that would make it feasible for more women who want babies to have them. As for the women who don't, we should be grateful in the knowledge that they are intelligent enough to make the choice that is best for them and then back off with the judgement.
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/aug/07/smart-women-not-having-kids
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- Actress Karen Lorre claims orgasmic meditation enables her to be more sensitive and appreciate men as well as experiencing multiple orgasms
- The female orgasm is a sensation many people find perplexing and it is thought one in 10 women never experience one
- Founder of OneTaste orgasmic meditation centres, Nicole Daedone, said the concept of the practice is similar to Buddhist Tantric sex
The female orgasm is a sensation that many people find complex and perplexing, but one woman claims to have had 11 orgasms in one day using the orgasmic meditation or 'om' method.
Actress Karen Lorre claims orgasmic meditation, or 'OMing' enables her to be more sensitive - both physically and emotionally - appreciate men and experience multiple orgasms in a day.
OMing is taught in 'orgasmic meditation centres' called OneTaste by long-time practitioner and founder Nicole Daedone.
Actress Karen Lorre (pictured) claims orgasmic meditation, or 'Oming' enables her to be more sensitive and appreciate men as well as to experience up to 11 orgasms in one day
She believes that the orgasm fundamentally roots the capacity for connection between people, 'hormonally, emotionally and spiritually' and insists that her classes focus on this rather than the goal of achieving orgasm.
It is thought that one in 10 women never reach orgasm but Ms Lore is not one of them.
Ms Lorre, 51, from Long Beach California, is a former Playmate and describes herself as a model, 'fun coach and love goddess,' as well as an actress, who has appeared in numerous TV programmes including Cheers and the X-Files.
She told Medical Daily: 'I was already in a place of bliss - I had been doing sit down meditation for 20 years but [OMing] opened up my ability to sense more and more subtle things and my appreciation for men.'
OMing is a 15-minute practice between two people where both people focus all their attention on the techniques used and sensations created when bringing a female to orgasm.
In a video of a class, one 'student' called Rachel said she was told at the age of 25 that she could not orgasm but disproved the diagnosis having attended orgasmic meditation classes.
She said: 'I felt a moment of electricity and thought that's what it feels like to be a woman - to be that safe and comfortable with another human being.'
Ms Daedone said the idea of the practice is similar to Buddhist Tantric sex, which aims is to extend the peak and like conventional meditation, oming affects the same parts of the human brain.
While it is possible to 'OM' individually or in private, OneTaste controversially organises 'OM circles', which is the group practice of orgasmic meditation.
The website says partners can set up a 'nest' and have a 15 minute oming session before sharing their experiences.
Dr Pooja Lakshmin, an associate researcher at a Rutgers University who studies orgasms, said: 'The same parts of the brain that are activated during deep meditative states get activated during orgasm.'
She believes the way in which people think about the female orgasm is limited and the mechanics of what happen when a female reaches climax is not fully understood.
Ms Daedone founded the OneTaste centres having had a tantric experience at a friend's party.
Rachel is pictured who said she was told at the age of 25 that she could not orgasm but has since mastered 'Oming'. Nicole Daedone, founding or orgasmic meditation centres, believes orgasm fundamentally roots the capacity for connection between people
She said: 'The experience that I had was everything that I had in sitting medication; cosmic connection, bliss, all of those things.'
She claimed that it was the most profound human connection she had ever experienced.
While Ms Daedone accepts that the idea of Oming and Oming classes might seem strange to many people, she said that while Yoga was unusual in the West 30 years ago, it is now common and orgasmic meditation could become usual activities too.
She established the first centre in San Francisco and now has 10 centres across the world, including a group in London. -
- The woman was made to relive her ordeal at the hands of Mohammed Azim
- She was forced to do so in front of a jury at Wolverhampton Crown Court
- Footage showed Azim smashing her over the head with a bottle
- Dragged her into a factory by the hair and subjected her to a 25-minute rape
Rape: Attacker Mohammed Azim was jailed for a minimum of 16 years at Stafford Crown Court on Friday
The victim of a rape was forced her to watch harrowing CCTV footage of the attack in front of a jury.
The woman was made to relive her terrifying ordeal at the hands of Mohammed Azim, 31,at Wolverhampton Crown Court.
Footage showed the moment Azim smashed her over the head with a bottle at a bus stop in in Oldbury, West Midlands, before dragging her into a nearby factory by her hair.
She was then subjected to a 25-minute rape ordeal, which was all captured on the firm's CCTV security cameras.
Azim, who was drunk and high on cocaine at the time of the attack in November last year, denied three charges of oral rape.
His not guilty plea meant his victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was forced to watch back the video in court during Azim's trial so she could be properly cross-examined.
Azim was found guilty of all charges on May 28 and was jailed for a minimum of 16 years at Stafford Crown Court on Friday.
After the case outraged anti-rape charities condemned the 'appalling' decision by legal teams to put the victim through the torture of viewing the footage.
Yvonne Traynor, Chief Executive of Rape Crisis, said: 'The Criminal Justice system have vowed to consider the feelings of victims of this heinous crime but this lack of consideration shows a contempt for the guideline and utter contempt for the feelings of the survivor.
'The judge had an opportunity to decide what to do and blatantly made the wrong decision.
'I am appalled this woman had been through enough and then to be shown this in court to torture her again shows an appalling lack of consideration and common sense.'
Judge Michael Challinor branded Azim a danger to the public and ruled he should only be released one a parole board consider it safe.
Shocking: The woman was made to relive her terrifying ordeal at the hands of Mohammed Azim, 31,at Wolverhampton Crown Court
He also extended Azim's period of licence by four years, making the total sentence for the rape offences 20 years.
Sentencing him, Judge Challinor said: 'You saw an opportunity to attack this vulnerable and defenceless woman. There was significant planning involved.
'Having engaged her in conversation, pretending to offer her help, you hit her on the head with a bottle.
'You could be seen on CCTV dragging her by her hair to nearby factory premises.
'It was a sustained sexual attack, you threatened to kill her - it's quite clear she thought her life was in danger - a horrific and shocking set of offences.
Justice Secretary Chris Grayling said victims of rape and other horrific crimes would be spared the ordeal of brutal cross-examination in open court
'When you had finished with her, you left her traumatised and frightened. In spite of clear evidence at trial, you continued to maintain your innocence.
'You are lucky to have escaped a mandatory life sentence.'
The court heard Azim, from Oldbury, had previous convictions for manslaughter and kidnap involving the death of a man in a canal.
Defending Amanda O'Mara said: 'These actions that night were complicated or motivated by that cocktail of alcohol and drugs.
'Something must have triggered his behaviour.'
In June this year, Justice Secretary Chris Grayling announced victims of rape and other horrific crimes would be spared the ordeal of brutal cross-examination in open court by giving their evidence before the trial.
The plans mean victims will be allowed to record their testimony on video in advance of the case going to court.
A series of pilots will see vulnerable victims given the chance to give evidence out of court with the footage played to the jury.
The announcement pleased victims' groups who have warned that children have been 'thrown to the wolves' in court.
In one recent case a rape victim who was abused by a sex grooming gang from the age of 13 endured 12 days of questioning in a 'forensic examination'.
Another vulnerable victim in the same case had to read out line by line from a police statement she gave detailing alleged sexual abuse by her stepfather.
But critics say the move could raise concerns among lawyers over whether defendants are getting a fair trial and whether the evidence used against them is properly scrutinised. -
Facing tribunal: Dr Amit Banerjee has been accused of telling an overweight teenage patient that he 'nearly had bigger breasts' than his mother ten years after allegedly molesting her
A family doctor told an overweight teenage patient that he 'nearly had bigger breasts' than the boy's mother a decade after molesting her, a tribunal heard.
The mother claimed her son went 'mad' after Dr Amit Banerjee made the quip at his surgery in Clarence Street, Stockton-on-Tees, Teeside.
Dr Banerjee, from Wynyard, Teeside, is accused of sexually motivated behaviour towards the woman, know as Patient A, on five separate occasions.
He is alleged to have conducted an inappropriate internal examination, asked her to take her knickers off, groped her breasts and made an inappropriate comment.
The allegations date as far back as 1996, but the patient did not complain to the practice until 2009 after Dr Banerjee smacked her bottom when she was being weighed, the tribunal heard.
The GP is facing a fitness to practise hearing at the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service in Manchester, where he is accused of misconduct.
The General Medical Council (GMC) allege that in 1996 Dr Banerjee asked Patient A to remove her trousers and knickers before conducting an internal digital examination.
It is claimed he failed to explain what he was doing, get the patient’s consent or use gloves and that the procedure was not clinically justified.
On another occasion he is said to have asked the woman to ‘take her knickers off’ without explaining why.
In 2001 Dr Banerjee is accused of undertaking a breast examination using both hands, without consent, explaining the purpose or offering a chaperone.
He is also said to have examined her son’s (Patient
naked chest and made an inappropriate comment, between 2006 and 2008.Patient A told the panel that on that occasion she had attended the surgery with her then 19-year-old son who had concerns about his weight and was uncomfortable with his 'man boobs'.
After examining the teenager's chest behind a screen, Patient A claims Dr Banerjee looked at her 'straight in the eye' and said: ‘He’s nearly got bigger ones than you.'
She said: 'I remember it like it was yesterday. He was looking straight at me.
'My son was stood behind him and the nurse was at the computer,’ said Patient A.
'He said it as he was walking out the door. My son didn’t want to leave it. I just didn’t know how to go about it. My son went mad about it. We both took offence to it.’
She added: ‘I remember all the incidents plain as day. I don’t think they will ever leave me.’
Accused: The General Medical Council (above) allege that in 1996 Dr Banerjee asked Patient A to remove her trousers and knickers before conducting an internal digital examination
Patient A later returned to the surgery for another consultation with Dr Banerjee when she claims he spanked her bottom as she got off the weighing scales.
She told the panel the incident left her feeling 'dirty and humiliated', prompting her to make a complaint about the medic's behaviour.
‘He 100 per cent asked me to get on the scales and he smacked my bottom when I was getting off and that’s the last time I ever saw him,’ said Patient A.
‘I never asked for an apology. I didn’t want that. I just wanted someone to acknowledge that there’s a danger there.’
Dr Banerjee denies the allegations and his defence say the woman invented the story after she was accused of neglecting her young daughter.
‘I’m frightened of doctors because of what Dr Banerjee done (sic) but I try to put it to the back of my mind' Patient A‘You have been trying to avoid the blame for the apparent neglect by blaming Dr Banerjee for the treatment of you,’ said David Morris, defending.
Patient A claims her treatment has left her ‘frightened’ of doctors and scared that she might 'punch' them when she makes a visit.
‘I’m frightened of doctors because of what Dr Banerjee done (sic) but I try to put it to the back of my mind,’ she said.
‘I’m scared in case I will punch one of them because I will get arrested. If someone touched her [my daughter] wrongly I might punch one of them.’
If found proved, Dr Banerjee could face conditional practice, suspension or being struck off.
The GP first came to the North East in 1981, having spent 11 years in London after moving to the UK from his home in Calcutta, India.
Within two years he had opened his own practice in Stockton, Teesside, and within a couple of years he had more than 2,000 patients.
His practice has since merged with several others to form one central development in the town’s Clarence Street.
When the allegations came to light, he was placed under conditions preventing him from examining female patients.
The hearing continues.
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No, this is the soul group not the Detroit gang.
As for why I put this up, it all comes down to attitudes. The white attacker blamed the black singer for causing the views and mindset that lead to issues of racial disharmony in post racial America. In the States, there is a notion among some whites (and even some deluded Blacks) that if the Blacks forgot about slavery and the problems of the last few centuries then it would be a lot easier for both sides to coexist. Mainly because it would sweep the legacy of the past actions under the carpet and it would be harder to talk about the racial implications when a white person decides he is threatened and kills a black kid. The mentality of the bigotted whites though would still exist and lead to a repeat of the problems that Blacks have faced in the past. Like nowadays they are given misinformation about election days or put off voting altogether. Or have their economic opportunities attacked in order to force them into lifestyles that lead to even more problems. You get what I'm talking about.
Why is that relevant to us? Well we are told the same thing. The muslims tell us that we should forgot our past with another. Why? So when grooming or child bullying issues come up, it's harder to blame them, their culture and their religion. It's all about them and our lot are too dumb to see it. If we forget the past and dont bring up the issue of race and religion when it comes to these hate crimes then the predatory group feel unthreatened and proceed to carry on with their behaviour. A behaviour that it all about taking from us, hurting us and making themselves feel better than us. Some of our lot even join in. Katy Sian, Sunny Hundal, that bloke from City Sikhs etc.
The English are no better. They teach a skewed version of our history and culturally attempt to hobble us. All to make us feel like we shouldnt mind them hating us and the abuse we get from it for just being different, encouraging mixed race relationships to make us feel bad or racist for not assimilating or to create a sense of insecurity when faced with theirs or other immigrant cultures that they are more open to having around.
Unless we stand up for ourselves and realise the games of others we will always have the blame pinned on us in some kind of eternal guilt trip - something that whites and coconuts in the states are trying to innoculate in the mainstream Black community. Not every race wants the same thing. I am beyond caring about others and their wants, it's time we put our people first. If others wish to seek validation from others for who they are, they can.
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Another thing is that there was stuff in the papers about his wider family, though I cant remember what. The reason I mention it is due to the recent revelations about how the police tried to smear the Lawrence family.
This kind of situation really reflects the mentality of certain English institutions. Trying to accuse him of being gay or avoiding an arranged marriage is symbolic of the bigotry Sikhs have to deal with and goes to show how 'equal' this country really is. There are more Sikhs banged up for the attack on the restaurant in Leicester than there are Muslim groomers of Sikh children behind bars in the entire country. Yet we still act like the authorities here are the be all and end all of justice. The Met even sells it's shoddy training abroad to gullible idiots abroad - the East Punjab Police included. No wonder we have so many problems.
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It's true. It seems the Tunisian government are worried about the implications especially in a generation's time. Recently the Syrian government complained about the number of dead terrorists they were finding with Indian passports. The Indian government just shrugged their shoulders. The East Punjab Govt did purchase 20,000 Kalashnikovs to combat 'future Sikh extremism' though. Even the Tunisians have a better grasp of the world and coming problems than our own lot.
Anyway, the Syrian women are being sold to rich arabs to fund the war and destruction of a sovereign state. The Syrians are fair like the Lebanese and that gets the oh so holy Arabs licking their lips and slapping their thighs. These Tunisian women are probably too dark to be sold so have to do the next best thing. Looks like even the equality loving muslims have issues with skin colour hierarchy.
If women are willing to see themselves as nothing more than baby Jihadi factories, does that mean they become fair targets to the people fighting them? It's not like they have that much respect for themselves anyway if they do this. Mind you our lot in EP are sending their girls to the West through Turkey were they end up working in the prostitute or porn industry. Wouldnt surprise me if a few end up getting trafficked into Syria too. Though some would justify that as part of sarbat da phalla lol.
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Benny Wenda, a 38-year-old exile from the Pacific territory of West Papua, has recently opened an office on the Cowley Road for his campaign seeking independence for the Indonesian-run half of the island of New Guinea.
Mr Wenda has lived and worked in the university city since 2005, but since opening the office in April has quickly expanded his following in Britain and overseas, and become a major diplomatic thorn in ties with Indonesia.
With a presidential election looming next year, street protests have erupted in Jakarta, parliamentary rows have broken out and even the country's army has called for action following internet reports about his Oxford operation.
Leading candidates have demanded President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono review a £7.5 billion natural gas investment deal struck by BP in the waters off Papua, as well as other British investments.
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, right, David Cameron (AP)Mark Canning, the British ambassador to Jakarta, was hauled in by Indonesia's foreign ministry for a dressing down. He tried to calm tensions by reiterating that Britain remained committed to Indonesia's territorial integrity.
But the complaints from the burgeoning southeast Asian state, which is a major priority for British trade and diplomacy, triggered a formal appeal to the Indonesians from Whitehall not to "allow" the row to derail the relationship, a source close to the matter said.
"It is vital that we do not allow the West Papua issue to damage our work with Indonesia," the Telegraph was told.
Despite the modesty of his accommodation, a 10ft by 10ft bureau, Mr Wenda exerts a powerful presence as he relays a compelling personal story of his journey from persecuted child to British citizenship.
As a boy he says he watched Indonesian troops rape his aunt at the bottom of the family garden. Later he was slapped in the face by an Indonesian schoolmate merely for trying to engage her in conversation. After arrest for his political activities, he escaped his homeland by plane from a jungle landing strip after a daring prison break.
"For the last 50 years we have struggled for freedom but nobody knows that West Papua is a prison, that we are slaves to the Indonesian military and that at least 500,000 men and women have been killed in a genocide," he told the Daily Telegraph.
"Since I came here to Oxford I have had a simple message and tell my own story. I have travelled around the world to tell people this is a 21st century struggle."
Unlike the rest of the Dutch East Indies, West Papua was not automatically included in the new Indonesian republic that emerged after the Second World War. But Jakarta has asserted its sovereignty over the oil and mineral rich territory after a United Nations-approved referendum in 1969.
A traditional water village, Yapen, West Papua (Alamy)West Papuans activists rejected the outcome of the vote, claiming that just a few thousand people voted at gunpoint out of a population of just over a million.
The territory is now Indonesia's richest in terms of resources but poorest in terms of income. Nevertheless it has become a magnet for mainland Indonesians who are flocking to the island for jobs, encouraged by a government policy that campaigners have condemned as a deliberate attempt to settle a loyal majority.
"Indonesia is plainly worried that someone will force them to hold vote and they will lose," said Charles Foster, an Oxford academic who has known Mr Wenda since he arrived as a refugee. "That's why they have a policy of bringing in people who will vote for unification."
While Indonesia continues to imprison Papuan activists on the island, it has failed to contain the groundswell of support abroad.
According to Mr Foster, the attempts to muzzle Mr Wenda are an extension of the repression Jakarta metes out at home.
Jennifer Robinson, an Australian lawyer who represents Mr Wenda, said: "The complaints from Indonesia to the British government demonstrate a complete lack of understanding of the rights of freedom of association and freedom of speech.
"Benny is a peaceful advocate who is seeking rights for his people that they are entitled to under international law.
"That the Indonesians are asking for his office to be shut down demonstrates a lack of understanding of British tradition of human rights."
However a spokesman for the Indonesian embassy in London said the country was determined to ensure that the British stance on Papuan independence did not change.
"We want to make sure that the British government is more wary of the separatists who are willing to twist the position of officials to make it appear that their cause is gaining support," he said.
While the Government has acknowledged the prospect of worsening ties, diplomats are hopeful that they can avoid retaliation in trade or other spheres.
Indonesia is not only oil-rich, it is also the world's largest Muslim nation and boasts a robust economy that is attracting British investors.
As a UK citizen, Mr Wenda no longer fears repatriation. His tireless efforts to spread the cause of West Papuan freedom led him to travel to perform at music festivals, give speeches to university students and seek the support of international leaders.
His growing fame led to an appearance in front of 2,500 people at the Sydney Opera House. Within hours the Indonesian government was protesting to Australia.
"Indonesia is still trying to hunt me down," he said. "My focus is self-determination for my people and I know I will achieve freedom for my homeland."
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The family of an Asian man whose body was discovered in the Thames hours after he was attacked by racist thugs said it has been contacted by a new witness who claims to have evidence suggesting he was murdered.
Ricky Reel, a 20-year-old from Kingston-upon-Thames, disappeared in 1997 during a night out with friends. His group was attacked by two white youths shouting racist abuse and Mr Reel went missing in the immediate aftermath of the scuffle. His body was found a week later in the Thames.
The police believe his death was most likely an accident but his family has always insisted he was murdered. An inquest recorded an open verdict and there were two police investigations, neither of which established exactly how he died.
The family has long been critical of how the police handled Mr Reel’s case, arguing that detectives did not take its concerns seriously because it was Asian – a charge the Met has always denied. Now Mr Reel’s mother, Sukhdev Reel, has disclosed that she was recently contacted by a woman who claimed to have information on a young man and convicted murderer who may have been involved in Mr Reel’s death.
In an interview with BBC London due to be broadcast tonight, Ms Reel said: “She gave a name as to who he is and where he is. He is currently in prison for a murder. He murdered a man and is spending life in prison.” The family passed the woman’s information on to the police but it was discounted after they were told that the witness might not be credible and had refused to talk to officers.
“They have come back and said the person who gave the information is too frightened to speak to the police and that maybe this person has learning disabilities and may not be credible,” Ms Reel said.
For the Reel family, the woman’s testimony is the first fresh lead in a tragedy. “This is the first time after a long time that a witness has come forward and named what the witness thinks is a possible suspect,” said Suresh Grover, from the Southall Monitoring Group, which has supported the family.
Mr Grover, Ms Reel and Tish, Mr Reel’s younger sister, recently met with officers at Scotland Yard to press upon them the importance of following up the lead. “The police have tried to interview the witness,” Mr Grover said. “For various reasons that witness has not come forward and given a proper statement to the police, so based on the emails that she sent to the family which have been handed to the police they’ve done their investigation. So we have a situation where they [the police] cannot say they are malicious or unfounded but they don’t think they should be relied on; now that’s a situation which no family should be under.”
But the Met has insisted that the evidence was insufficient to reopen the case: “We can confirm that inquiries were recently made by officers from the Special Casework Investigation Team after information was received by a member of the public,” a Met spokesperson said in a statement. “There was ultimately insufficient evidence to take inquiries further.”
The family said it has lost confidence in the police. At the time of Mr Reel’s disappearance, the family claimed officers suggested he had run away because he was gay or was facing an arranged marriage. “After that we knew we were not going to get any co-operation, any support or any assistance from the police,” Ms Reel said.
But the family’s lack of confidence in the police has encouraged Tish to train as a lawyer and she now works with Imran Khan, the solicitor who represented Stephen Lawrence’s family. “Even if the bottom line of this is we never know and I truly hope that is not the case… we can make sure other families were never treated the way we were,” she said. “Yet that still happens now, which is what’s appalling 15 years on.”
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Three men have appeared in court accused of the murder of Chatham pensioner Harjit Chaggar.The body of retired machinist Mrs Chaggar, 69, was found at the Sani Globe food store in Luton Road, Chatham, on Saturday, September 14.The mother and grandmother had been missing from her home in Hillside Terrace since September 2.Her family made a high profile appeal for any information regarding her disappearance the day before she was found.
Abdul Hannan and Murshed MiahA post mortem examination revealed the cause of death was head and chest injuries.Now Abdul Hannan, 44, Murshed Miah, 38, both from Maidstone, and Mohammad Islam, 28, from Gillingham, have been charged with her murder and appeared at Maidstone Crown Court today.
Harjit Chaggar was found dead in a shopThey stood in the dock, each dressed in grey sweatshirts and bottoms and flanked by three dock officers. Islam was helped by a Bengali interpreter.The public gallery was packed as prosecutor Ian Hope told the court all three worked at the store.He agreed with Judge Jeremy Carey that the case involved "substantial forensic evidence".
Scenes of crime detectives at the scene earlier todayThe defendants were remanded in custody until a plea and case management hearing on December 5 when they are expected to enter their pleas to the charges.http://www.kentonline.co.uk/medway_messenger/news/police-launch-murder-investigation-in-6014/
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Beardvertising: Get paid to advertise in your beard (Picture: Cornett-IMS)Beard growing enthusiasts could soon be raking in the cash should this fuzzy thinking advertising concept take off.
Aside from keeping your face warm and looking cool (sometimes), your bushy beard could also help boost your bank balance.
Beardvertising has been tipped to become the ‘next big thing’ in advertising and involves using a willing participant’s epic facial hair as mini billboards.
That’s good news for lumberjacks and hipsters, with Kentucky-based advertising agency Cornett-IMS offering men $5 per day to wear the clip-on adverts.
‘Do people stare at its awesomeness? Of course they do,’ reads the official beardvertising website.
‘Do you wanna get paid for having an epic beard? Join the world’s first Beardvertising network.
‘It’s simple – turn your beard into a business. Hang a BeardBoard (Patent Pending) in your beard. Sit back and get paid up to $5 per day.’
This beard enthusiast could rake in the cash (Picture: AFP / Getty)Company executive Whit Hiler said the firm have been inundated with requests from beard growers across the world interested in the ‘native advertising’.
‘I think it’s the next big thing,’ he told Business Insider. ‘Everybody loves beards.
‘We’re getting a ton of emails from guys with epic beards that want to host beardboards and we’re actually in talks with some brands that want to be Beardvertisers.
‘I think we’ll probably be seeing some ‘beardboards’ in the wild before too long.’
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Reports are coming in that as many as 5 Sikhs were killed by the Terrorists and many more injured including Satpal Singh, quoted in our article, and Pavraj Singh’s cousin.
Sikhs from Kenya have asked for all Sikhs worldwide to do simran for the large number of fatalities in this weekends terrorist attack which is still ongoing.
NAIROBI, KENYA (September 23, 2013)—A Sikh youth named Pavraj ‘Pablo’ Singh Ghataurhae has been reported as one of the victims killed by al Qaeda linked Somalian terrorist group al-Shabab during their attack on Westgate Mall in Nairobi Kenya today.
Armed gunmen faced off with Kenyan police and soldiers inside an upscale Nairobi shopping mall early Sunday, hours after brazenly gunning down shoppers, diners and more. On Saturday afternoon, the terrorists had freed all Muslims and began killing the non-Muslims present.
Satpal Singh, 36, another Sikh who was in a cafe on the mall’s top floor, said he ran downstairs when he heard the gunfire and was shot at near the mall’s main exit.
“A Somali guy shot at me. The guy who shot me was carrying a rifle, an AK-47.”
39 people, including Pavraj Singh, women, and other children were declared dead while another 293 people were injured.
Shocked people could be seen running away from the Westgate centre clutching children, while others crawled along walls to avoid bullets. “The gunmen tried to fire at my head but missed. At least 50 people were shot. There are definitely many casualties,” mall employee Sudjar Singh said.
“I saw a young boy carried out on a shopping cart, it looked like he was about five or six. It looked like he was already dead, he was not moving or making any noise.”
Vehicles riddled with bullet holes were left abandoned in front of the mall as police instructed local residents to stay away. -
Take some and then tell us.
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Tunisian women have travelled to Syria to wage "sex jihad" by comforting Islamist fighters battling the regime there, Interior Minister Lotfi ben Jeddou has told MPs.
"They have sexual relations with 20, 30, 100" militants, the minister told members of the National Constituent Assembly on Thursday.
"After the sexual liaisons they have there in the name of 'jihad al-nikah' - (sexual holy war, in Arabic) - they come home pregnant," Ben Jeddou told the MPs.
He did not elaborate on how many Tunisian women had returned to the country pregnant with the children of jihadist fighters.
Jihad al-nikah, permitting extramarital sexual relations with multiple partners, is considered by some hardline Sunni Muslim Salafists as a legitimate form of holy war.
The minister also did not say how many Tunisian women were thought to have gone to Syria for such a purpose, although media reports have said hundreds have done so.
Hundreds of Tunisian men have also gone to join the ranks of the jihadists fighting to bring down the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.
However, Ben Jeddou also said that since he assumed office in March, "six thousand of our young people have been prevented from going there" to Syria.
He has said in the past that border controls have been boosted to intercept young Tunisians seeking to travel to Syria.
Media reports say thousands of Tunisians have, over the past 15 years, joined jihadists across the world in Afghanistan Iraq and Syria, mainly travelling via Turkey or Libya.
Abu Iyadh, who leads the country's main Salafist movement Ansar al-Sharia, is the suspected organiser of a deadly attack last year on the US embassy in Tunis and an Afghanistan veteran.
He was joint leader of a group responsible for the September 9, 2001 assassination in Afghanistan of anti-Taliban Northern Alliance leader Ahmad Shah Massoud by suicide bombers.
That attack came just two days before the deadly Al-Qaeda attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York and Pentagon in Washington.
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Lester Chambers, a seventy-three year-old musician known for his work as a member of The Chambers Brothers, was assaulted on stage at a blues festival last night after he dedicated a song to Trayvon Martin.
Chambers’ son, Dylan, posted the following on Facebook last night: “Lester was just assaulted on stage at The Russell City Hayward Blues Festival by a crazed woman after dad dedicated People Get Ready to Trayvon Martin. He is on the way to the hospital now.”
Kurt Crowbar Kangas, a musician and friend of Lester’s, later posted in the comments thread:
Lester is fine, just a bit sore and he will feel it tomorrow, the woman who attacked him was white and yelled something like “it’s all your fault” before she hit him, he went down hard but was halfway caught by Barren, thank God, she was subdued by Police and taken away while the para-medics came and took him to a local Hospital where he went thru a series of cat scans, no broken bones, the only injury for now is a 8″ scratch in the kidney area of his back and it’s starting to swell. Thank you for all your well wishes, he will be up and running soon.Lester apparently dedicated the classic song, “People Get Ready,” by The Impressions to Martin. The woman heard the dedication and attacked him.
His son posted a photo of Lester’s injury to Facebook. He said he had a “bruised rib and nerve damage” and was “sore all over.”
There was a lot of talk, particularly by Zimmerman supporters, about how there would be riots if Zimmerman was acquitted. So far, all that we know happened that was violent was this attack and an attack on peaceful protesters by the Los Angeles police, who fired rubber bullets at them.
Over fourteen months ago, Lester posted an “I Am the 99%” photo. The Occupy movement was still making headlines and a sign he held up read:
I am the former lead singer of a 60′s band. I performed before thousands at Atlanta Pop 2, Miami Pop, Newport Pop, Atlantic Pop. I did not squander my money on drugs or a fancy home. I went from 1967-1994 before I saw my first royalty check. The music giants I recorded with only paid me for 7 of my albums.I have never seen a penny in royalties from my other 10 albums I recorded. Our hit song was licensed to over 100 films, TV and commercials without our permission. One major TV network used our song for a national commercial and my payment was $625 dollars.I am now 72, trying to live on $1200 a month. Sweet Relief, a music charity is taking donations for me. Only the 1% of Artist can afford to sue. I am the 99%.He told VICE in an interview in May 2012 other musicians were in “the same boat” as him.
“There are so many. And so many different members of different bands. There are a lot of cases where two or three members did well and two or three didn’t. So many, I can’t begin to give you names,” Lester said.
The good news is that Lester has recorded a new album after raising over $69,000 with a Kickstarter project. It is an opportunity for the “internet public” to right a wrong committed by the music industry.
“People Get Ready” is a song that The Chambers Brothers recorded for their album “The Time Has Come” in 1967 (which included a version of the group’s most well-known song, “Time Has Come Today”).
The song reflected the times. Written by the late great musician Curtis Mayfield, “People Get Ready” was written after Martin Luther King Jr. led the March on Washington, and it resonated with those fighting racial injustice and oppression because of the universal gospel message that, if people continued to persist in their struggle, they could prevail.
As the song goes:
People get ready, there’s a train a-comin’You don’t need no baggage, you just get on boardAll you need is faith to hear the diesels hummin’Don’t need no ticket, you just thank the LordIt is an incredibly appropriate song to dedicate to Trayvon. There may be no punishment for what George Zimmerman did when he killed Trayvon, but don’t let this be demoralizing. Keep on fighting. Challenge the law that gives self-appointed vigilante neighborhood watchmen the cover to claim self-defense after profiling a young black teenager and escape having to serve serious time in jail.
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Dubai / Chandigarh, Aug 27, 2013 (YP Bureau)Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal, Deputy Chief Minister, Punjab, who is leading an official delegation to Duabi and Turkey to study new models of Urbanisation, Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) and Solid Waste Management Systems today, concluded his two day visit to Dubai with extensive study of different models of Urbanisation and Tourism Promotion.
According to an official spokesman, Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal, Deputy Chief Minister during two day visit to Dubai had extensive discussions with the two major urban developers in Dubai, EMAAR and Nakeel. Mr. Badal was quiet impressed with the new urban development by Emaar around Burj Khalifa on 500 acres. The team also had an in depth study of the new urban parameters and building controls which help in vertical development. The Team also studied the model of mixed multiple use of the buildings as commercial, hotel, residential. Mr. Badal was impressed by the layout of the modern day apartments. Mr. Badal also visited the new Media City, IT City, Academic City so that the team could replicate these concepts in Edu City, Film City being planned in New Chandigarh and IT City at Mohali near Airport.
The delegation had a day long meetings and visits with Nakeel, the company of Palm Jumeruah fame, where land has been reclaimed to build a water front city. This company is further working on reclaiming land in the Gulf to develop world islands. The visit of team to NAKEEL was to get an on hand experience for Tourist City being planned at Mattewara (Ludhiana) that would include Jungle Safari and Adventure Sports Hub. Mr. Badal said that the visit was significant as various development agencies in Punjab were planning projects on these lines. He said that GLADA was already planning a 2000 acre Water Front City in Ludhiana.
Mr. Badal said that a world class Tourist City near Ludhiana on more than 6000 acre was already on anvil. He said that Down Town Cities in 60 acres in Mohali and 70 acres in Ludhiana are also being planned. He said that two exhibition centres one at Amritsar and other one at Mohali are in planning stage. Mr. Badal said that PUDA was planning group housing projects in Jalandhar, Bathinda, Amritsar and Patiala to meet the future needs of housing and this visit has helped the officials in understanding the new techniques being adopted worldwide and learn from the experiences of these developers. The delegation also visited the exhibition centers of Dubai and Abu Dhabi.The Deputy Chief Minister also had a ride on mono rail project and studied the suitability of the Mono Rail Project to meet the transport needs of big cities like Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Amritsar.
It may be added that the official delegation led by Sukhbir Singh Badal, Deputy Chief Minister including Mr. P.S. Aujla, Secretary PWD and Principal Secretary to Deputy CM, Mr. A. Venu Prashad, Secretary Housing, Mr. Ashok Gupta, Secretary Local Bodies, Mr. Anurag Aggarwal, MD PIDB, Mr. Manvesh Singh Sidhu, Chief Administrator PUDA, Mr. Ajoy Kumar Sinha, Chief Administrator GMADA and Mr. Rakesh Verma, Chief Administrator GLADA are on five day long visit to Dubai and Istanbul to study the urbanisation models, Bus Rapid Transit system and the solid waste management systems.
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That's nice of them. Have the SGPC commented on the Leicester grooming case where muslim men drove onto Gurdwara premises and raped minor Sikh girls in their cars?
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What's really stomach turning is the attitudes of the jury. These are kids ffs. God knows what the ethnicity of the victims were, but you can be sure they werent muslim.
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Sexual violence seems to be a great equaliser for them. In Ludhiana a housewife was raped by a muslim tenant who owed her husband a lot of rent arrears. A British child was also raped by their driver from UP whilst he was driving her to school. As if things arent bad enough with the gender imbalance we decide to let the muslims have a go too.
http://www.yespunjab.com/punjab/item/30042-tenant-held-for-raping-ludhiana-landlords-wife
http://www.yespunjab.com/punjab/item/29926-driver-molests-british-minor-girl-held
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A few months ago I wrote ‘Is there a problem of grooming and rape in the Muslim Pakistani community?’ I argued that I was sick of grooming being framed as something inherent with British Pakistani Muslim men. I also argued that criminals should be treated as criminals, the media and politicians (at the time of the Oxford grooming case), needed to stop pandering to xenophobic views by emphasising these mens’ ethnicities. I still hold these views, and these views are consistently proved whenever news stories break regarding a grooming case involving specifically men of colour. What is often forgotten or consciously ignored at these times is that most grooming cases happen online by white perpetrators.
I felt it lacked in-depth analysis as to why there were Asian grooming gangs. Although I still hold the view that the media is insistent on presenting the ‘Asian man’ as the sexually violent and dangerous ‘other’, since reading Yasmin Alibhai-Brown’s Some of my best friends are… a collection of her writings in The Independant, I admired how she was self-critical of Muslims and Ugandan Asians alongside her usual attacks on institutional racism. Disclaimer: of course as a young person and feminist I was offended by her attack on modern feminist recently but let’s forget that for a second. I admired her for criticising Muslims too (she is a Muslim) and I found myself nodding to her criticisms. I think it is important, to look the other side of the story. Alibhai-Brown for example talks about racism amongst brown/Black people; between Caribbeans and Africans, and I would say this is largely true amongst some Pakistanis, Indians and Bangalis .
I hope this doesn’t come across as an attack on Islam, I have criticised areas in which ways Muslims’ practice of Islam has led to the existence of these values held by these men. I also hope this doesn’t pander to xenophobes and Islamophobes (I would shudder if it does because they are the last people I would want to be agreeable with). But I feel untrue to myself if I do not look at the practice of Islam in this country in a fair way, and how some cultural practices (which are inspired by religion) have resulted in these men holding racist and sexist views. Again, this practice of Islam doesn’t apply to all Muslims and or all British Pakistanis because of course the practice of Islam is not homogenous in this country. I am only reflecting the practice of Islam that I have personally experienced.
Let’s talk about Muslims then. Unlike the media that loves to frame ‘Muslim’s and ‘rape gangs’ in one sentence, this problem has little to do with Islam. This problem is about masculinity, sex education and MOST IMPORTANTLY, PATRIARCHY PATRIARCHY PATRIARCHY.
I’m one of ‘those’ feminists that recognises that men are also victims of patriarchy i.e. the idea that men can only be masculine and are chastised for being otherwise. Of course they don’t ‘suffer’ literally in the same way as women or women of colour do, but their actions are a product of a type of patriarchy present in some some, Pakistani families (conservative ones). I have lived in Bradford, Manningham for that matter, I know and have seen Asian boys and their masculinity and patriarchal practices and it is ugly. These men are treated by ‘deities’ (I borrowed this from Alibhai-Brown) in the house, mothers cooking their precious sons their breakfasts (yes, I’ve seen it all and I cannot stand it!) So they enter the real world i.e. out of their homes and are expecting to be treated like Kings and when they don’t get treated like Kings their lives crumble (hence ‘suffer’ from patriarchy in these terms). Often these Asian ‘gang types’ lack in skills, education or charisma for that matter, and suffer from racism too. Remember I said in my last article that Asian/Black boys with gold teeth and ‘pseudo Jamaican accents’ (I borrowed that from Alibhai-Brown too) find employment harder. Asian gangs and grooming is a by-product of this, these men feel they are entitled (as men). Having said this I still am adamant that this kind of patriarchy exists across the globe, and Asian sex offenders are a minority, Greater Manchester’s police statistics show 95% of sex offenders are white
The next problem is sex, sex education is limited generally in Britain, sex is taboo and it not happening within some Pakistani Muslim families, especially if the parents are immigrants. Additionally sex is rigorously policed (inspired by religion which- preaches sex after marriage), Gangs often target vulnerable young white girls, and it is their vulnerabity that is the crucial factor not their ethnicity here. They also exploit Asian girls and victim blaming means the men get away with it. One could argue that these Asian men are both racists and sexist bigots as they simultaneously police Asian girls’ sexualities. Muslim Women’s Network report: UNHEARD VOICES – Sexual Exploitation of Asian Girls and Young Women shows that the grooming of Asian girls is largely ignored. It demonstrates that the unspoken agenda seems to be one that wants to exploit these mens’ ethnicities in order to increase Islamophobia and racism in this country rather than provide sympathy and support for the victims. Victim blaming is therefore normalised.
Are Asian boys in these gangs ‘Muslim’? Not really. Who do you find in Mosques, (which the EDL et al love to claim are terrorist training centres), in Bradford’s central Mosque (Hanfia) it’s old men discussing Pakistani politics, their committees are full of self-righteous, self-elected middle aged Pakistani men. Where are the women? and where are young people? There are not many. These so called (and self-labelled) ‘community leaders’ are too busy paying themselves high salaries from the charity boxes they collect than applyong themselves into having an understanding of what young people go through. They almost never talk about racism (unless it is strictly Islamophobic, – of course it is tied in with racism). They don’t discuss patriarchy, some leaders don’t recognise rape within marriage.
Only once in my experience have mosques actually reached out to young people and this was when the EDL marched in Bradford in 2010. Even then they relied on parents to tell their children not to go to the city centre to confront the EDL. They ignore patriarchy in Pakistani families because of course they are men, so they don’t suffer from it, neither are they all English speaking which puts many youth off. They don’t know what it means to be young and discriminated against; they are far too busy focusing on young people’s dress, beard length and whether women can enter graveyards. Those young people who are studying to become future Muslim scholars and leaders, and who therefore study the real Islam, are often from elite circles of students. For those dodgy Asian gang types there are no outreach schemes for them or rehabilitation which leaves them side-lined and their criminal activities unchallenged.
Only one Imam, Muhammed Asim Hussain in his spech ‘wanna be a bad boy’ who goes into depth about Asian gang culture, he is charismatic and has actually won a younger audience.
But I’m still queasy when he says ‘your mothers, sisters and daughter’, this picture simply explains the problem I have with that statement.
These ‘Muslim gangs’ are therefore barely drawn to Islam, in fact they are excluded from it and so it is simply unfair for the media to continuously print ‘Muslim grooming gang’. Muslim parents and/or Muslim names does not make you Muslim.
Regardless of if they do call themselves Muslims, Islam doesn’t allow these abhorrent actions anyway. But what does the BBC’s Inside Out programme reveal? It showcases the stigma attached to the victim, victim blaming is worse than the ordeal. The girl in the program leaves for America to start a new life, she doesn’t receive any counselling or support, her ordeal is brushed under the carpet and her family treat her like a problem as she ‘tries to forget’. As long as she can get married to a willing man everything is fine right? The ‘honour and shame’ culture acts as a support mechanism for these gangs in continuing their criminal activities with the belief that they will not be caught. The programme talks about Sikh girls, but Muslim girls are also victims. Yet the Sikh leader doesn’t seem to pick up on this horrendous oppressive situation, he is more interested in framing this issue in a more harmful and divisive way by asking ‘why aren’t we getting the same support as other communities’. The key word is ‘we’, as though Muslims in this country have special status. I hope it is not his intension. He later on says in the programme,the ‘same people keep cropping up’, I cringed a lot, it is beginning to look as though Muslims are a problem for him and for ‘our’ British society.
There is no easy answer to how this can be stopped, but the starting point is huge amounts of support for the young exploited girls, complete elimination of victim blaming and a better understanding of sex and relationships in schools. Also we cannot simply ‘lock away and throw away the keys’. They are horrific crimes and crimes that can effect whole communities, but these criminals also need to be rehabilitated, regardless of ethnicity.
Amna G Riaz writes about racism, orientalism, neo-colonialism and neoliberalism in her poetry and at her blog. Tweet her @AmnaGRiaz
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Well, look at this way. More Singhs on TV would just be for our own satisfaction. For some Sikhs it will just be a case of 'Oh look a Singh!'. Look at the shows that are on TV anyway. Sikhs on Coronation Street, The Only Way is Essex or Big Brother? It would be embaressing, especially as the Sikhs who gravitate towards TV are just clowns anyway as that's how they get by. Judging by the reaction to the Sikh grooming show on BBC1, a lot of people just dont get Sikhs and no amount of explaining will change their biases. Taking that into account it would be hard to find decent writers who can take Sikhs and put them into shows in non-ridiculous ways. Seeing as how some Singhs act really hedonistic in places like London it might not be the best PR. On the other hand if you could find handsome Singhs to put on TV, there's nothing to say the natives wont watch it and be like 'they are doing alright aint they?' with the problems that brings. I would like to see more SInghs in movies though.
The things I suggested can be done on a personal level. Sometimes we Sikhs got to think on our feet. Turning up the heat and cutting our way out is the only way these people understand. Also building ourselves up and cutting the sulleh out would change a lot. If I walk into a restaurant or takeaway and see sulleh serving I just turn round and walk back out. I gave my workmate grief for eating at fried chicken shops and now he's stopped. I only use taxis that I know the driver of. I would be happy if there were more Singhs driving cabs - some of these sulleh earn up to a grand a day in cash! It's no wonder their kids can rent decent cars, have fancy dinners, book swanky hotels etc to groom gullible girls. More exposure of what they get up to in local politics etc will eventually bare fruit. Let them ride the tiger, it will come to a stop one day, that shouldnt stop us from chasing after them.
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I get where you're coming from. But Guru Gobind Singh Ji instilled in our people a love of one another that allowed for people to sacrifice themselves without hesitation. He didnt love his sons more than other young Sikh men and he didnt favour them over the collective good. That isnt the case nowadays. A lot of people are only out for themselves and that means treating their kids like lottery tickets. That breeds the kind of resentment that leads to a lot of our problems.
On a macro level. look at the Badals. They poison the Sikh homeland, give out drugs and drink, impoverish poor people even more with high prices for everyday materials, prostitute our heritage for tourist dollars, destroy heritage to make way for terrible new buildings, import millions of muslims and other immigrants who make ordinary Punjabis' lives unbearable, order police and gangs to attack villages, bankrupt the state etc etc. Now this leads to a lot of anger and hatred towards them and the Akali Dal. When the Indian economy enters the shitter and the Badals start crying for help from the NRIs, none is forthcoming. Why? Well why would any Sikh in their right mind support these dogs? If they didnt do these things and did things that were not so damaging to East Punjab, people would be far more loyal and willing to help. Maharaja Ranjit Singh's Empire still inspires people to this day. The actions of our ancestors do so aswell. But the actions of modern Sikh elders and leaders is anything but endearing. You cannot say any Sikh leader today has the same level of benevolence that was worthy of respect and sacrifice like it was historically.
For the grooming issue, a lot of Sikh lads wont do anything because they arent inspired to do so. If they were to act would it stop Sikh parents acting like crackheads in the bookies with a slip in their hand hoping that their horse (kid) comes in first so they can walk off with the winnings? Will it stop the Sikh parents and community acting like idiots so that a girl saved from musigrooming doesnt end up just running off with a gora/kala later on? Will it stop the Sikh boys who helped their Muslim friends get Sikh girlfriends to abuse from being able to marry into the Sikh community? Who will employ these boys who put their neck out? Will they be happy if their daughters married them? Will fighting the groomers stop fundo Sikhs from blaming the victims and saying stupid things like this wouldnt happen if everyone wore a turban? These are the things that have changed since the old days. You've read PP, you should know all about support networks.
Look at what happened in Leicester. Why dont Gurdwaras give a grand to the boys' family for every month their boy is in jail? We hand out siropas like it's nothing, but we cant take care of our own. Would a Sikh business owner employ them when they leave prison? When it comes to others, we are all about second chances. With our own we let them rot. With parents ripping off their own kids in our own community I doubt these ideas would even pop into the heads of our elders or leaders. Why dont the Akali Dal raise this issue with the British Consulate staff who are always selling Sikhs over there all sorts of useless services and products? Why are the Badals going on trips to countries who give money to mosques here in the UK for every SIkh child they convert? Why are Sikh bodies in the West so sycophantic to Muslims when they cant even sort out our own issues? Look at what happened in Quebec with the hijab/kirpan issue. Why arent Sikh lawyers lining up to help the grooming victims and those who fought back after the BBC documentary? Why arent Sikh journalists countering the lefty and muslim apologist nonsense? Why arent Sikh politicians coming down hard on this seeing as muslim politicians were so willing to hide the culprits in their own community? Ultimately we have to work with what we have. Who knows, the office drone could be a lethal predator with the right man behind the controls.
What I'm trying to say is that you need to see this like a war. Having more footsoldiers might give an advantage in some battles and a little more flexibility but ultimately more meat for the grinder wont win the war. You have to hit them hard everywhere. You have to make life hell for those they care about, you have to hit them economically, you have to ruin their lives, destroy their support structures, limit your own exposure and make them never lift their heads again. When they realise they are not dealing with amateurs and try to sue for peace that is when you finish them and devour them as an example to the rest of their people. Until that hunger for victory returns to Sikhs that make them want to build a better world for their kids and to hell with the non-Sikhs we wont get over this issue. If Sikh elders and community really cared for their kids, it would be reciprocated, just as it was back in the old days. But if we tear ourselves apart just because we think it is what the wider world wants or it will help us get ahead, then the apathy will continue.
naked chest and made an inappropriate comment, between 2006 and 2008.
Why Are So Many Westerners Homeless In Thailand?
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http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/why-are-so-many-westerners-homeless-in-thailand-8830302.html