So its been awhile, the grip of the pen has slipped as the vice like grip of a working life has tightened. Anyhow I thought I would drop some words in light of an afternoon spent at Guardian HQ for an education launch. The relevance of such is the fact it was one of those moments when you go 'oh shit'. The reason for such a moment was linked to todays event, an educational resource launch to accompany the Age of Stupid film which tackles the issue of climate change. Climate change is an issue, like many of you I would imagine, that makes me switch off, sigh and other indifferent responses. However, when watching scenes from the film you are forced to go 'fuck' we really are screwing over are planet. I am not going to preach about being an eco warrior etc. especially in light of my own lifestyle choices, however, the few clips from this film have made me determined to watch the film and find out more. It only leaves me to post a link, that shows the making of the film and urge you to find out more, of both the film and the issue.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/video/2009/mar/02/age-of-stupid-making-of
Tuesday 27 October 2009
Tuesday 14 July 2009
Check Dis
So I was zoning out to the questionable comedy of Sacha Baron Cohen and Ali G Indahouse last night. What cannot be questioned though is the grandiose nature of one track on the soundtrack, Reggae Ambassador by Third World. Reggae snobs may snort and spit tea over their computer screen but this tune has a cheesy charm to it.
Monday 13 July 2009
Deorala Sati
Time appears to have alluded me in recent weeks, hence the mini sabbatical I have taken from writing. Now that I am all set up (hopefully) with a new abode in the leafy East End (oh yes!!) I can hopefully scribe a little more regularly.
In the last week or so I have been engrossed in a book, called No Full Stops in India, by the one time India correspondent for the BBC Mark Tully. A subject that grabbed my particular attention was that of the ancient Hindu practice of Sati. Performing Sati is a specifically female phenomena, in effect the self sacrifice of a women, who, on the death of her husband chooses to burn herself on his funeral pyre . The name Sati translates as 'virtuous women' and the act is considered to ensure their husbands salvation. Historically, women who have committed Sati have been worshipped and revered, often with temples erected in their honour.
The ritual caused a major outcry with the notorious incident of the Deorala Sati in 1987. This case concerned the Sati of an 18 year old widow Roop Kanwar, who, on learning of her husbands death announced she was to immolate herself. However, after the alleged voluntary nature of the Sati reports began to surface that the Sati was not through Roop's own volition. What began to unravel instead were stories of Roops promiscuity and an exposure of the alleged dark underbelly of rural Indian life, with tales of female suppression and abuse. The case exposed deep rifts between the rich western educated elite and the poor rural underclass. The case became one pitting a burgeoning feminist movement that abhorred the Sati tradition against those who emphasised ultra conservative Hinduism. While the case was reopened in 2004 after an initial failure to prosecute 11 people, there has as yet been no prosecutions. What the case did achieve was the banning of and glorification of Sati, it was the use of the funeral pyre site as a temple and its subsequent financial gains, that were used as a motivation for the supposed enforced Sati by prosecutors in the original case.
Despite the somewhat shocking nature of Sati, it must be remembered that the act itself is an extremely rare occurrence. As with many alien concepts in the eyes of western commentators, such as sharia law and arranged marriage, its role is more often than not overplayed to the society it derives from. It is also worth noting that while the case of the Deorala Sati is a mysterious and disturbing event the essence of the act is replicated in many forms throughout the globe. A recent manifestation of a wifes devotion to her husband through self sacrifice was seen this week with the suicide pact of BBC composer Edward Downes and his wife at a Swiss clinic. It should therfore be remembered that while the activities of the rural heart of India may seem strange, they are no stranger than the events the occur in our own seemingly 'normal' society.
Despite the somewhat shocking nature of Sati, it must be remembered that the act itself is an extremely rare occurrence. As with many alien concepts in the eyes of western commentators, such as sharia law and arranged marriage, its role is more often than not overplayed to the society it derives from. It is also worth noting that while the case of the Deorala Sati is a mysterious and disturbing event the essence of the act is replicated in many forms throughout the globe. A recent manifestation of a wifes devotion to her husband through self sacrifice was seen this week with the suicide pact of BBC composer Edward Downes and his wife at a Swiss clinic. It should therfore be remembered that while the activities of the rural heart of India may seem strange, they are no stranger than the events the occur in our own seemingly 'normal' society.
Tuesday 30 June 2009
Fruity Roots
So today can only be described as a sizzler, with my present freelance status this has enabled me to get involved in some tan toppage while digging for victory in my garden.
As an interlude from the great outdoors I ducked inside and began preparing for a primary school assembly I'm conducting next week. This, for those that don't know, is part of my work as a volunteer school speaker for Oxfam. The subject of the talk is fairtrade, which I wont bore you with, however, while scouring the Fairtrade Foundation website I came across this rather odd campaign video. While I'm all for celebrity endorsement of charity work, if it gains extra press coverage etc. this little link up between Roots Manuva and the Fairtrade Foundation is strictly from the left field. Suffice to say I wont be playing this version of Again & Again (from the 2008 Slime & Reason album) to the kids, but for all you guys, here is the video in all its questionable glory.
As an interlude from the great outdoors I ducked inside and began preparing for a primary school assembly I'm conducting next week. This, for those that don't know, is part of my work as a volunteer school speaker for Oxfam. The subject of the talk is fairtrade, which I wont bore you with, however, while scouring the Fairtrade Foundation website I came across this rather odd campaign video. While I'm all for celebrity endorsement of charity work, if it gains extra press coverage etc. this little link up between Roots Manuva and the Fairtrade Foundation is strictly from the left field. Suffice to say I wont be playing this version of Again & Again (from the 2008 Slime & Reason album) to the kids, but for all you guys, here is the video in all its questionable glory.
Monday 29 June 2009
Hi-Tek Soul
After kicking off my blog with a lengthy bit of deepful business I'm gonna calm it down with some tuneful relief. I was reminded of these New Zealand dudes when working in Hungary recently. While slogging away at an immensely exciting fishing exhibition one of the local hostesses was banging on about Fat Freddys Drop, who she saw play a local festival. On my return to blighty I got reacquainted with their soulful sounds and in particular the track Ray Ray. Stay with this as its a slow burner, but ultimately a banger, enjoy.
Friday 26 June 2009
Identity
Fuck, this blog writing thing is a nightmare. When my good friend K started writing hers, with a truthfulness and eloquence only she could manage, it seemed so easy. However, its gone midnight on Sunday and this is the second consecutive night I've been battling my thoughts and self doubt over what to write and how to write it. Having procrastinated for long enough however, I now present to you the first of many (I hope) entries I intend to share with you.
It seems apt to begin on the subject of identity, something that has had both a personal and political resonance in recent times. Only last week I was at an art exhibition, to see the work of an art teacher friend. It displayed both her and her students work from the past year, tackling the subject of identity. It gave me a great insight into the personal perceptions of self identity from both adults and children alike. What was most inspiring however, was the visual representation of peoples self image, both positive and negative. This at a time where national identity has been at the forefront of political debates both here and across the channel in France.
At home the British National Party (BNP) success in the European elections has been much discussed, dissected and by now (hopefully) digested. What interests me most is their (BNPs) very peculiar sense of Britishness and this purported existence of a specific white British identity. If you take a visit to their website (I wont provide the link) you cannot help but notice the references made to how 'immigrants' 'Muslims' and 'liberals' have eroded away the indigenous Britain's way of life. This is linked to conservative conceptions of traditional family life, respect and a strong work ethic. This is combined with an evocation of war time victory and the associated 'British bulldog' spirit . The arrived conclusions therefore are that indigenous British people have an identity uniquely informed by a history of grafting and a collective unity to defeat enemy invaders. What is suggested then is how this supposed flood, stream or wave (note use of water based analogies) of immigration has had negative consequences for the 'white British' identity. Yet, from a 'white British' perspective, this conclusion is both puzzling, but more importantly wrong.
Identity is first and foremost a fluid concept, it is a product of experience, therefore to suggest there is a homogeneous 'white British' identity is to assume our lived experiences are either irrelevant to our own identity or monolithic. Similarly, my own identity, despite technically being 'white British' is heavily influenced by other cultures, which is to my benefit. For instance, by knowing people from all four corners of the earth my awareness of politics, society and culture been has greatly enriched and enhanced my understanding of the world. To follow the BNPs line though, it would consider my 'foreign' influences detrimental and perhaps even have radicalised me, heaven forbid. While I may not represent the 'average' 'white British' individual, I feel it necessary to contest some of frankly ignorant and simplistic framing of the immigration debate. It is my view that immigration has improved this country no end, making the UK a hub for all sorts of economic and social activity. This has been enabled by the dynamic demographic make up of modern Britain, which while difficult to accept by parties such as the BNP is undoubtedly a reality and is something to be heralded not rejected.
In line with the BNP attack on immigration and the perceived danger of Islam in the UK, it is sad to see similar sentiments being expressed in France recently. Most alarming is the source of this attack, Nicholas Sarkozy aka Monsieur President. In a recent speech, he declared the Muslim veil 'not welcome', on the basis it represented the repression of women and threatened the secular nature of the French republic. While from a personal point of view I still find the sight of the hijab or niqab to be a touch odd, this is more because its a rare sight, as opposed to something threatening or symbolically misogynistic. I imagine the number of women wearing such veils in France is slim, therefore such a statement by the countries leader seems irresponsible, and insensitive. While the sight may seem threatening or regressive to some, surely the more repressive action is to outlaw an individuals right to recognise their own religion. Although some may point to the fact wearing the veil is no prerequisite of the Islamic faith, I doubt wearing a St Christopher is written down in the bible either.
I included this discussion of religious symbols as its something a close friend of mine will also be contending with in the near future. As a Muslim who currently does not wear a headscarf their switch to wearing one will perhaps draw comment, even condemnation from friends and strangers. What should be remembered however, is they are still the same individual, headscarf or no headscarf, sadly in this climate of religious sensitivity, people are often to quick to ostracise, so here's hoping their transition will be assisted by supportive friends not spiteful ones.
I will finish by saying then identity defines us all, whether consciously or not. Sadly at the present time identity is being framed in a way that is divisive, being used to further exacerbate religious and political divides. However, as I witnessed at the school art exhibition, peoples own expression of identity is what matters, not the politicians, not the journalists, just yours.
It seems apt to begin on the subject of identity, something that has had both a personal and political resonance in recent times. Only last week I was at an art exhibition, to see the work of an art teacher friend. It displayed both her and her students work from the past year, tackling the subject of identity. It gave me a great insight into the personal perceptions of self identity from both adults and children alike. What was most inspiring however, was the visual representation of peoples self image, both positive and negative. This at a time where national identity has been at the forefront of political debates both here and across the channel in France.
At home the British National Party (BNP) success in the European elections has been much discussed, dissected and by now (hopefully) digested. What interests me most is their (BNPs) very peculiar sense of Britishness and this purported existence of a specific white British identity. If you take a visit to their website (I wont provide the link) you cannot help but notice the references made to how 'immigrants' 'Muslims' and 'liberals' have eroded away the indigenous Britain's way of life. This is linked to conservative conceptions of traditional family life, respect and a strong work ethic. This is combined with an evocation of war time victory and the associated 'British bulldog' spirit . The arrived conclusions therefore are that indigenous British people have an identity uniquely informed by a history of grafting and a collective unity to defeat enemy invaders. What is suggested then is how this supposed flood, stream or wave (note use of water based analogies) of immigration has had negative consequences for the 'white British' identity. Yet, from a 'white British' perspective, this conclusion is both puzzling, but more importantly wrong.
Identity is first and foremost a fluid concept, it is a product of experience, therefore to suggest there is a homogeneous 'white British' identity is to assume our lived experiences are either irrelevant to our own identity or monolithic. Similarly, my own identity, despite technically being 'white British' is heavily influenced by other cultures, which is to my benefit. For instance, by knowing people from all four corners of the earth my awareness of politics, society and culture been has greatly enriched and enhanced my understanding of the world. To follow the BNPs line though, it would consider my 'foreign' influences detrimental and perhaps even have radicalised me, heaven forbid. While I may not represent the 'average' 'white British' individual, I feel it necessary to contest some of frankly ignorant and simplistic framing of the immigration debate. It is my view that immigration has improved this country no end, making the UK a hub for all sorts of economic and social activity. This has been enabled by the dynamic demographic make up of modern Britain, which while difficult to accept by parties such as the BNP is undoubtedly a reality and is something to be heralded not rejected.
In line with the BNP attack on immigration and the perceived danger of Islam in the UK, it is sad to see similar sentiments being expressed in France recently. Most alarming is the source of this attack, Nicholas Sarkozy aka Monsieur President. In a recent speech, he declared the Muslim veil 'not welcome', on the basis it represented the repression of women and threatened the secular nature of the French republic. While from a personal point of view I still find the sight of the hijab or niqab to be a touch odd, this is more because its a rare sight, as opposed to something threatening or symbolically misogynistic. I imagine the number of women wearing such veils in France is slim, therefore such a statement by the countries leader seems irresponsible, and insensitive. While the sight may seem threatening or regressive to some, surely the more repressive action is to outlaw an individuals right to recognise their own religion. Although some may point to the fact wearing the veil is no prerequisite of the Islamic faith, I doubt wearing a St Christopher is written down in the bible either.
I included this discussion of religious symbols as its something a close friend of mine will also be contending with in the near future. As a Muslim who currently does not wear a headscarf their switch to wearing one will perhaps draw comment, even condemnation from friends and strangers. What should be remembered however, is they are still the same individual, headscarf or no headscarf, sadly in this climate of religious sensitivity, people are often to quick to ostracise, so here's hoping their transition will be assisted by supportive friends not spiteful ones.
I will finish by saying then identity defines us all, whether consciously or not. Sadly at the present time identity is being framed in a way that is divisive, being used to further exacerbate religious and political divides. However, as I witnessed at the school art exhibition, peoples own expression of identity is what matters, not the politicians, not the journalists, just yours.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)