iblog

Rushda: A film that was made by Channel 4 undercover to reveal extremism in messages given in Islamic mosques by Imams has been heavily criticised. It is said that Channel 4 has taken the speeches out of context and hence given an unfair account of Islamic teaching in Britain. Indeed, police have even reported Channel 4 to TV regulator OfCom for their misrepresentation.

The programme, which was named “Dispatches”, was made of a number of secret videos made in mosques over the last few months. The results of the film appear to be very shocking: the alarming messages of hatred towards Westerners and homosexuals can be seen in this video and in this article. After much investigation, however, the police have concluded there is not enough evidence to prosecute those who have spread this so-called racial hatred. The police’s statement is as follows:

“The splicing together of extracts from longer speeches appears to have completely distorted what the speakers were saying”

Channel 4 insist, however, that their portrayal was in fact fair. Their statement is as follows:

“We believe the offensive views expressed by the people revealed in the programme speak for themselves. We didn’t put these words into people’s mouths and all extracts were carefully contextualised.”

It is clear that how Islam is viewed in Britain is a very sensitive issue, especially given today’s political climate. So it is, of course, a very serious issue if anything is misrepresented from either party. It is obvious that if we are to achieve the tolerance we are hoping for from either party, then such controversial films will probably make matters worse, not better.

Jeanne: Shortages in the number of bell-ringers have left the ancient custom of bell-tolling in jeopardy in some parts of southern England. Residents of a number of villages in Devon have voiced concerns that a lack of interest in the custom which dates back several centuries may lead to its demise altogether. The Guild of Devonshire Ringers, an organisation which has overseen bell-ringing in this part of Britain for decades has stated that a number of church towers across the county have already fallen silent on account of the lack of trained ringers. In an attempt to deal with the crisis, it has launched a far-reaching recruitment and training program. The group has estimated that some 1,000 new ringers are required if the distinctly English tradition is to continue. A survey conducted recently indicated the existence of 500 bell towers across the county.

Devon’s bell-ringers have voiced great concern about the demise of bell-ringing in Britain. Mike Hatchett a representative of the Troyte Ringing Centre, based in the villages of Huntsham and Bampton voiced his concerns in a recent interview stating:

“Most people who live in villages love the sound of church bells - even if one or two describe it as a racket. But the next 10 years will be a critical period. We need to prepare a training and recruitment program because if we fail there will be many, many silent towers. Bell ringing is a great hobby, a great form of exercise and it performs a public service as well.”

Without immediate action, it is likely that this age-old tradition will soon die out.

Rushda: In the last few days, many parts of South Asia have been devastated by terrible flooding. India, Bangladesh and Nepal are the worst hit countries, where rivers have overflowed and entire villages have drowned. The current situation is desperate - there isn’t enough aid to match the colossal numbers of people who suddenly have nowhere to live and little to eat.

Almost 200 people have died as a result of these floods so far and the situation is indeed catastrophic for survivors as well: not only have families been displaced and separated, but hundreds of thousands are at risk from disease and starvation. Only a fraction of those affected are receiving aid which consists of food, clean drinking water and medical aid for those who are injured. Part of the reason for this delay is that most of the main road and train networks have been damaged by the floods.

As one of the victims of the floods, Musamat Manwara Khatoum, a mother of seven, describes:

“Everything is underwater. We’ve lost our crops, there’s nowhere to put the children down, not even a place to cook.”

Her situation is similar to thousands who are stranded in deep water with nowhere to go. For many these floods are the worst in living memory. Now like Musamat, they are on the move and trying to find higher-level ground in order to rebuild their lives.

All this when put together with the horrific fact that over a thousand people have died across South Asia since mid-June due to the annual monsoon, gives a stark image of the reality of such natural disasters. Especially considering the fact that the floods struck areas where inhabitants were already trying to deal with the horrors of poverty, we can only hope that with aid and luck the survivors can recover the best they can.

Whilst we in England are just about recovering from the floods which have disrupted lives across the country over the last few weeks, it is worth remembering the plight of those much worse off.

Anna: The competition is hotting up for designers whose “gateways” will soon be welcoming visitors at three key entry points to Wales. The second Severn crossing, the A550 in Flintshire and Holyhead harbour are the location in question and the the ideas should start being translated into reality by the end of the year - announcement of the winning designs is expected in September, and a £13m bid for lottery funding, if successful, should provide a big boost.

Over 100 architects, engineers and creative minds submitted ideas to the Landmark Wales project, and you can see the shortlisted ideas on the project website. Glancing through the designs, I saw what appeared to be little red men, gigantic inverted umbrellas, and a glow-in-the-dark celtic knot. Small wonder that opinion is divided about which design should win, and indeed the huge sums of money involved in the venture as a whole.

Anna: I was upset to hear today that the Cutty Sark went up in flames last night. Thankfully, because of ongoing restoration work, large parts of the ship had been removed for conservation work, so the fire did not cause as much damage as it might have. The 19th Century ship is an imposing sight, and I used to enjoy walking along the river front when I lived in Docklands, marvelling at the contrast between Canary Wharf on my side of the river and the elegant Cutty Sark on the Greenwich side.

There are suspicions that the fire may have been started deliberately. I can’t imagine what would lead anyone to torch a 138-year-old tea clipper, and a key piece of Britain’s maritime heritage. I remember reading the “Last Grain Race” by Eric Newby, which catalogues Newby’s experience as a young man aboard a clipper. Battling strong winds, high seas and difficult conditions, never mind his fellow seamen, the stint aboard seems to have been the making of Newby. Perhaps if this turns out to be an arson committed by a group of “bored” youths, they should be packed off on a sailing ship to the South China Seas! Maybe more effective than more “normal” forms of community service?

Matthew: I have long been suspicious of people that wear clothes adorned with arbitrary slogans. T shirts with meaningless numbers, emblems of universities the wearer’s never been to and garages and diners that probably don’t even exist. There’s nothing particularly decorative about the number 26 in my opinion. And don’t get me started on those apolitical business students getting ready for a career in investment banking heading down to Topshop to buy a mass manufactured Che Guevara T shirt. People seem perfectly happy to cover themselves in symbols, which if they have any significance, the fashion follower is totally ignorant of it. Some people are even content to have kanji or Chinese letters tattooed onto their skin. Would they even know if the tattoo artist instead of writing ‘Barry Hooper’ had written ‘Ignorant simpleton’? I think not.

‘Where’s this rant going?’ I hear you cry, avid Ibloggers…

Well, this week my suspicions were confirmed, as menswear chain Burton’s came under fire for selling a t shirt whose decoration was Cyrillic script. The chain had clearly not even taken the trouble to consult a Russian speaker as to what the sentence actually said. It turned out to be a slogan of an extreme right-wing Russian nationalist organisation. The slogan was ‘Cleanse Russia of all non-Russians.’ People! Fashionistas! Beware of draping yourselves in symbols of which you have no understanding. You never know what you might be standing for.

Caroline: Having visited the Orangerie in Paris last month where eight huge paintings of water lilies fill two rooms, I was interested to read yesterday that Monet’s failing eyesight may have affected the work. The year that he began work on the paintings, he learned that he had two cataracts and told a friend that he no longer saw colours with the same intensity. Researchers at Stanford University have attempted to recreate Monet’s vision using historical records, medical knowledge and computer software. If you are a Monet fan I can recommend a trip to the Orangerie and also to the Royal Academy in London where Monet’s little-known pastels and drawings are on display until June 10th. It is not a huge exhibition but well worth a visit.

Rushda: It’s interesting what new things become delicacies, especially those which are particularly yucky. I just read an article in the Times about a special new coffee in Australia which is made of beans that have been digested and excreted by Indonesian civet cats. Costing £21 for a single cup, it has been marketed as “the world’s rarest and most exclusive coffee” and many satisfied customers think it’s absolutely worth the price for its “earthy and musty” (hmm, pooey?) flavour. Customers who try the coffee are even rewarded with a “certificate of experience” as a souvenir for their memorable gulps. Well normally I’m all for the “each to his own” mentality, but really, what’s going on here? I think I’m going to start my own business venture now and start selling sock-flavoured coffee. It’s rare and exclusive enough isn’t it?!

Rushda: The Taj Mahal has been considered by many to be the most beautiful building in the world. Representing love it has been nominated for one of the seven wonders of the world. Sadly, however, the beauty of it has been fading over the years as it is continuously being tarnished by the air pollution of India’s busy city of Agra, which is gradually turning the impeccable white marble slightly yellow. It has been decided, therefore, to give the Taj Mahal a traditional beauty treatment. The process, costing about £115,000 in total and taking a few months to complete, involves the use of a natural mud pack which will be used to remove deposits from the building. The whole of the Taj will be covered with this traditional mud from and then washed off to reveal its new sparkly white skin once more. I’m guessing the mud-covering feat will become a tourist attraction in itself!

Virgil: A new addition in the Hayward Gallery in London, created by Turner prize winning sculptor Antony Gormley, has recently been installed. The artwork, named Blind Light, consists of a foggy room-sized box with a single exit, where the visibility is so restricted that anyone who steps into it feels blinded and disorientated. As interesting as the idea sounds, many have disputed with its artistic status by saying it is no different to something you’d find in a funfair. The artist has responded with ”You don’t get funfairs in galleries. What makes an artwork is its position, its placement” I find the answer ridiculously unsatisfying, and reflects to me what seems to be bad about Modern Art in general - the fact that anything can be art simply by being in a gallery. Nevertheless, Blind Light does sound like a cool experience - I just hope it comes with a health warning for those easily scared!