2013-05-24T01:04:09-04:00 Omar Shahid http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/author/index.php?author=omar-shahid Copyright 2008, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc. HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for Omar Shahid Good old fashioned elbow grease. tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.2540698 2013-01-24T06:40:42-05:00 2013-03-26T05:12:01-04:00

Omar Shahid http://www.huffingtonpost.com/omar-shahid/
The Home Office accuses Mahdi, 23, of being an Islamic extremist and, in June 2012, had his British citizenship revoked. At the time, Mahdi was living in Somalia - but was then incarcerated in Djibouti before being taken to the US to face charges. The FBI accuses him of providing "material support" to the Somali militant group Al-Shabaab.

"The family is devastated. You should see his mum. But what can we do? You have to carry on with life," Mohamed says, who draws great strength from his religious faith.

"The MI5 started harassing my son when he was about 16, with a group of Muslim friends of his. They wanted him to become an informer. They use to call him but he'd hang up [out of frustration]. They even called me to try and talk to him," he says.

"After years of pressure by the MI5, Mahdi decided to leave the country in 2009 to go to Somalia. I don't know why they picked on Mahdi. He was a normal, quiet guy, a community guy. I think it's because he is a practicing Muslim, they felt he would be a good spy on other Muslims," Mohamed says.

During his time in Somalia, Mahdi looked after his grandmother, got married and had a son. But last year, Mahdi's parents received a letter from the Home Office saying their son was no longer a British citizen and was considered a "threat to the national security". The family says Mahdi then disappeared. They later got a phone call from a man, who had just been released from a Djibouti prison, explaining that he had been held alongside Mahdi and that their son was still there. Up until the FBI released a statement about Mahdi, the family knew nothing about his situation and feared he might be dead.

"All we want is a fair trial. They haven't produced any evidence against him. Things like this create hatred. We are working on a case to present to the courts," Mohamed adds.

"Anybody who's a dissident is being pressurised," adds Saghir Hussain, the family solicitor.

In recent years, the government has come under fire for the detention of children in immigration centre's. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg boasted last year that the coalition government has now put an end to child detention for immigration purposes. However, when young children aren't able to see their parents who've been detained, it often has a detrimental affect on them, according to Bail for Immigration Detainees [BID], an independent charity.

Sarah Campbell, Research and Policy Manager of BID says: "There is currently no time limit on how long an individual can be detained and that needs to be changed.

"The UKBA must end the inhumane practice of splitting families by detaining parents. The Home Office has forcibly removed parents from the UK without making any proper checks as to the whereabouts and care arrangements of children who are left behind," Campbell says.

She adds: "We have worked with parents who have been separated by immigration detention from children who are as young as one-years-old. Older children are able to explain to us the extreme distress they experience. They tell us that they often break down in tears, lose weight, have difficulties sleeping, and have nightmares about their parents never coming home."

Jackie Young is a 21-year-old girl from Sussex and is facing deportation to South Africa. In 2006, Diane, Jackie's mother, came to the UK on an ancestral VISA and brought her two children with her. In 2007 Diane got married to a British man called Robert Young.

"In 2010, by chance, I was looking through Diane's passport and realised a mistake: instead of it being five years, which it's supposed to be according to UKBA, it was a four-year VISA," Robert says. "I was like 'oh my god - we only have a few weeks to renew it.'"

Diane and her youngest daughter were able to stay in the country, as their VISA renewals were successful. However, Jackie, who was 19 and now an adult, was refused by the UKBA as she failed to make her own independent application. The UKBA told the family that Jackie would be deported within weeks.

Two years later, Jackie and her family are still waiting to hear from the UKBA about her removal. "I'm petrified," Jackie says. "If I'm deported, it will completely tear up our family. I would lose my family and boyfriend of three years. I want them to put me out of my misery. With all the stress, I have more asthma attacks," she says.

"I'm not prepared to lose my [step] daughter for something like this, it's just not fair. I feel like our family is being tortured," Robert says. Diane adds: "All this has made Robert and my health worse. Our family has been crippled."

Earlier this year, the UKBA awarded a contract to a private firm, Capita, to track down and deport illegal immigrants, paying them for each immigrant they remove. "Jackie is an object of money," Robert says. "There are rapists in this country who should have been deported, my poor girl has done nothing." The UKBA strongly deny that Capita will use its remit to illegitimately make profit.

The Lib Dems 2010 Manifesto said the immigration system is in "chaos". Indeed, the immigration process in this country often manifests signs unbefitting to a state that prides itself as a beacon of democracy. The UKBA is still to wash its hands of a scandal that emerged in 2006, when half-a-million asylum applications were discovered gathering dust in boxes at the Home Office.

What's more, Theresa May, Home Secretary, falsely claimed at the 2010 Conservative Party Conference that an illegal immigrant avoided deportation because he had a pet cat.

Samantha (whose name has been changed to protect her identity) lives in Somerset and, earlier this year, was detained in Yarl's Wood for two months - she faces forcible removal to Nigeria. She recalls her memories at the detention centre and what it was like being separated from her nine-year-old son. "I was treated really badly in Yarl's Wood. I saw so many things that make me cry everyday. Since I was given bail and was reunited with my child, he's been acting very strange. It was very upsetting for him," she says.

Samantha says she came to the UK escaping domestic violence and had nobody in Nigeria who could help her, leaving her with no option but to flee. "Her detention was unnecessary," says Campbell.

The High Court has found on different occasions that Yarl's Wood has detained mothers wrongfully - showing that the centre was acting against the interests of the parents' children, which should be paramount.

HM Prisons Inspectorate, in its latest report on Yarl's Wood found that though there have been improvements, "too many pregnant women were detained". It expressed concern about how the needs of "vulnerable women were met", said detainees found it difficult to get advice about their cases and had insufficient contact with immigration staff based at the centre.

Without a thorough review of immigration system, many families will continue to live with the shadow of uncertainty. What's more, the government is currently trying to pass the Justice and Security Bill, which will allow judges the ability to listen to more civil cases in secret without claimants being able to hear the evidence against them, also known as "secret courts".

While a spokesman from Serco refused to comment on whether there would be an open, independent public inquiry into many of the abuse allegations at Yarl's Wood, a thorough review of the immigration system is needed.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1410720 2012-04-08T08:17:47-04:00 2012-06-08T05:12:02-04:00

Omar Shahid http://www.huffingtonpost.com/omar-shahid/ Maher Zain; Raef, whose Islamic cover songs of Chris Brown With You, Rebecca Black's Friday, Michael Jackson's Man in the Mirror and others have gone viral in the past six months; Irfan Makki, Canadian singer/songwriter; Hamza Namira described by some as "voice of the Arab Spring" and others.

The concert, taking place on 14 April, will aim to raise awareness of the plight of orphans around the world and all proceeds will go to Save an Orphan.

What makes Awakening different as a record label is the way they have coalesced modern music with spiritually uplifting songs - it therefore has a universal appeal. While their artists - especially Maher Zain - have done particularly well in Islamic countries: Malaysia, Indonesia and the Middle East; many young western Muslims have taken to the music, too.

"The music is catchy. The lyrics have meaning and some form of Islamic message and knowledge which I feel I learn from," says Ejeh Nas, 20, a university student based in London. says.

"I listen to Awakening's artists, especially Maher Zain because I like his lyrics and because his music is easy to understand," says Omar Ahmed, 16, another student from London.

It will be the first time Raef will be visiting London and he thinks the event will be unmissable, he says: "It's going to be totally awesome. In terms of attendees, it is going to be a phenomenal event not just because of the cause - although the cause is wonderful, I can't think of a better cause - but also in terms of the line up, all of us, Awakening's artists together. There will be a wide range of music."

Zain, having just released his second album, Forgive Me, will be headlining the show with songs from his new record. Like Raef, it is the first time Zain will be performing in London and, in the same way his music has suffused much of the Islamic world, his music has the potential to do the same in the West. The universality of his music is highlighted not just in the many languages Zain sings in but also in his song One Big Family, a track about the urgent need for world unity.

You can buy tickets for the event here. ]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.1164236 2011-12-21T21:48:27-05:00 2012-02-20T05:12:01-05:00

Omar Shahid http://www.huffingtonpost.com/omar-shahid/ Logic, a London-based MC, has set out on a mission to shatter that stereotype with his alliterative first major release True Talk. The album has a clear summer vibe running through it and returns to the raw essence of hip-hop.

Logic is the co-founder, along with fellow MC, Lowkey, of People's Army - a movement of like-minded people who advocate "positive change".

While not completely politically motivated, the nucleus of the record is overwhelmingly conscious: the standout track We'll Never Know, featuring Akala and Maverick Sabre, covers a nexus of socio-political issues. However, the occasional mentions of Freemasons and bloodlines in the album will alert the new wave of conspirators who have emerged within the last few years.

The record, assembled by up-and-coming producer LastResort - who produced Lowkey's Obama Nation part 2 - has successfully suffused a sense of 90s hip- hop into the album. Listeners would be blameless if, momentarily, they forgot which decade they were in when listening to this throw-back record: Dead Prez is an obvious influence but some of the beats are reminiscent of the immortal sounds of Dr Dre's Chronic and Ice Cube's Predator.

While an album should naturally be diverse, Logic has oddly coalesced serious tracks with more facetious ones. He amorously explains his bedroom dealings with his girlfriend in Morphene while, in his most witty track, Animal, says, "I stamp on the beat I'm an Elephant/ I'm an animal/ still I'm a gentleman".

Naturally, there'll be comparisons with Lowkey's album Soundtrack To The Struggle -- released six weeks earlier. Unlike Lowkey's record, Logic's has one too many forgettable tracks. What's not forgettable, though, is his incessant call for change and for people to "wake up" as illustrated in his heartfelt track 4 Revolution. In this track Logic says: "So revolution is the next step/ tell them the people are the soldiers they'll never get." The biggest criticism, perhaps, is the timing of the record's release: True Talk has one too many tracks that would be perfect for summer time.

The album is worth the buy, not just because it's a good record, but because unique artists like Logic deserve the support.

Rating: 4/5]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.1115494 2011-11-27T20:05:56-05:00 2012-01-27T05:12:02-05:00

Omar Shahid http://www.huffingtonpost.com/omar-shahid/ Restless Beings, a non-profitable charity founded in 2007, decided to bring a nexus of talented Hip Hop artists together to 'ignite your conscious' on Saturday night. The event, called Human Writes, was held at Rhythm Factory in Whitechapel, and intended to promote awareness of some of the most neglected communities across the world. "This is not music for the sake of music. It's music with a message, for charity," said Mabrur Amhed, co-director and founder of Restless Beings at the event.

"We believe in creativity and visual arts because art is accessible to everybody," said Rahima Begum who, along with Mabrur, set up the charity. Kayne Anthony, an 18-year-old rapper and one of the standout acts of the night, said: "I think it's a really good outlet for people to learn something new." And it's true. Historically, Hip Hop has been used as an instrument to educate and inspire. "You need music to bring about change. Hip Hop has educated people. Who was Malcolm X? Who was Gandhi? People have found out about them through Hip Hop," said TY, a prominent rapper in the British hip-hop scene.

At the very front of the hall, on DJ Snuff's workstation, hung a Keffiyeh (the ubiquitous black and white scarf that was made popular by the Palestinian resistance movement in the 1960's). And, although there was probably no real reason why it was there, it was symbolic of what Restless Beings stand for: the fight for human rights.

However, Mohammed Yahya - who along with Sarina Leah, make up the duo Native Sun - elucidated before his performance: "We attach ourselves to certain causes and forget about others. Who knew about the riots in Mozambique [in September]?"

Yahya's words are indicative of the Restless Beings organization who aim to bring hope to the most marginalised and impoverished people throughout the world - communities often ignored by the mainstream media. Restless Beings, most notably, concentrates on four projects worldwide: Bangladesh street children, the Roma gypsies, the Rohingyas and the Uighur community. To find out more about these projects, click here.

Melissa Melodee, who sung and rapped about: the ephemerality of material possessions, the importance of family and the lack of world justice, praised the work of Restless beings: she said: "I think what they are doing is amazing. I can put them on the same level as Amnesty international. Events like this opens the consciousness of minds of people."

Femi Santiago, like Melodee, is a singer/songwriter, he said: "The amazing thing about this type of movement is that it will inspire people to make a stand - whether they attach themselves as part of this cause or create their own cause. And this is how we will evolve as humanity. "

Jimmy Jitsu, a rising star in the UK Hip Hop scene, said: Restless Beings shed light on issues which haven't been covered. I personally connect with the homeless population in the UK, drug addicts and those with mental illness.

TY tweeted after the event: "I've never done a show anywhere in the world and the day after, the audience and the artists are all speaking on twitter. NEVER."

The atmosphere was, on the whole, palpably friendly. We need more of them.

The event was also graced with performances by: Black the Ripper, Nathan 'Flutebox' Lee, Poetic Pilgrimage, Quest-Rah, Poet Curious, Lorianne, Caxton Press and Mangaliso Asi.
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Omar Shahid http://www.huffingtonpost.com/omar-shahid/
America and Pakistan are supposed to be allies in the war on terror, but the two countries betray each other with repetitive regularity.

The last ten years have arguably been the worst in Pakistan's history. 30,000 have died as a consequence of the 'war on terror'. Furthermore, 311 suicide attacks have taken place in the last decade, according to Pakistani foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar.

Within the last year, two events have had a significant impact on how the two countries view each other. First, Raymond Davis, a CIA contractor, was alleged to have shot two men in Lahore - causing a diplomatic frenzy between the two countries. Then, in May of this year, Osama bin Laden was found hiding in Abottobad - not far from a Pakistani military academy. America, inexorably, questioned whether the ISI were complicit in the hiding of bin Laden.

The most serious allegation in the past ten years came last week from Admiral Mike Mullen, America's Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He accused the ISI (the best intelligence agency in the world according to Crime News, New York) of supporting the Haqqani group - a violent faction allied with the Taliban in Afghanistan.

But it is imperative to understand why Admiral Mike Mullen made these accusations. According to Mirza Baig, the context dates back to the jailbreak incident which occurred earlier this year. 480 Taliban members escaped from Sarpoza prison in Kandahar, Afghanistan. These same Taliban members, who dug their way out of jail, began to take revenge on the American army, killing 100 soldiers in one incident and wiping out an entire garrison.

While American soldiers are dying on a regular basis, the US media have been spewing incorrect propaganda about the 'success' in Afghanistan. This does not conform with reality on the ground, Baig says. The reality is that the US army is not in control: the Taliban are actually enjoying lots of success.

Many Americans are questioning why dead soldiers keep retuning home. The Obama administration, however, doesn't have any answers.

The greatest super-power in the world are staring defeat in the face and they need a scapegoat - General Baig says. And the Pakistani army are perfect to shoulder the blame on.

Furthermore public opinion in America is being skewed towards the idea that Pakistan deserves punishment. And to satiate the falsely developed public opinion in America, a launch attack against Pakistan is slowly being advanced.

If America do attack, Baig continues, it would be in Fata - a semi-autonomous tribal region where many Haqqani insurgents reside. However, if America decides to attack this region, it could send the Pakistani army on to war footing.

The Pakistani army has already been left humiliated by the US' unauthorized mission which killed bin Laden in Pakistan earlier this year. And if they were to attack Fata, General Baig believes that the Pakistani army, the Haqqanis and even the Afghan Taliban, would unite to fight America - 'the common enemy'.

How many of the 140,00 Americans troops in the region would return? "I can't tell you," General Baig says.

Pakistan has told the US that they risk losing an ally if they continue to accuse them of double standards. If Pakistan decides to cut ties with America - which may mean losing $2.7billion annually from US aid - it would end a decade of submission.

In an interview with a US television network in 2006, former President Pervez Musharraf narrated a conversation Pakistan's then-military intelligence chief had with Richard Armitage, the US deputy secretary of state, soon after 9/11.

Musharraf told the interviewer: "He [Richard Armitage] said, 'Be prepared to be bombed. Be prepared to go back to the Stone Age'." This, of course, was an unequivocal threat informing the Pakistani government to support America's 'war on terror', or face the consequences.
Could Pakistan be ready to throw off the shackles placed on them by America? Not yet, it seems. Pakistan is a crisis-ridden state and the billions provided to them by America seems a sum too big to reject.

Pakistan - with a population of 180 million - half the size of the entire arab world, has not just been suffering on the political and religious front. The 2010 floods, the worst humanitarian disaster in modern history, devastated the country. Maurizio Giuliano, a spokesman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), described the disaster as: "worse than the tsunami, the 2005 Pakistan earthquake and the Haiti earthquake."

One year later, having barely recovered, Pakistan have been hit with more floods, washing away 1.2 million homes and putting a further 2 million children at risk - according to the UN children's fund. The $2.7 billion is dearly needed - although many would accuse the elite of pocketing much of it.

Imran Khan, the Pakistani politician, said this week on ARY Digital that instead of going to war "Pakistan should facilitate America's exit strategy from Afghanistan." But if things do get rough between the two countries, Pakistan should "cut all supply lines" so that America can no longer use Pakistan as a hub to supply the US army in Afghanistan. But will the two countries go to war? Khan doesn't think so. The leaders in Pakistan are "slaves" of America - according to Khan, and America are too reliant on Pakistan to continue fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan.
]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.951885 2011-09-07T08:59:41-04:00 2011-11-07T05:12:02-05:00

Omar Shahid http://www.huffingtonpost.com/omar-shahid/
However the recognition and medicalization of mental illnesses is now more prevalent then ever; doctors are accused of too hastily classifying 'abnormal behaviour' as a mental ailment. This is cited as one of the reasons for the 'increase' in mental health.

Furthermore, the stigma attached to mental disorders is nowhere near as heinous compared to previous decades. Only 50 odd years ago, those who struggled with mental disorders were locked up in a clandestine environments, today, thankfully, we're much more willing to admit that we have a problem and receive a diagnosis.

The findings also tell us that women suffer disproportionately more from mental disorders than men do. Hans-Ulrich Wittchen, one of the report's authors, says the reason why women suffer twice as much depression and anxiety disorders is because of their inability to successfully balance work with their family life.

While some misogynists or religious zealots may claim that women were not somehow 'designed' to simultaneously balance work and family life, an alternative explanation - and one supported by evidence - is that women go to see the doctors more often than men do.

There are a couple of factors relating to mental health that time and time again seem to evade public attention.

The first is the increase in prescription of antipsychotic drugs. In 2008, antipsychotics became the best-selling therapeutic prescription drugs in the United States - exceeding drugs to treat high cholesterol and acid reflux. Investigative journalist James Ridegeway said in a piece he wrote for Al Jazeera recently that drug companies now encourage the prescription of atypical antipsychotics to patients for off-label use. This should concern us. For what other reason would drug companies be doing this other than to boost their profits? And will British drug companies soon copy their American counterparts?

The second thing that is seldom discussed is the ubiquitous refrain propounded by some anti-consumerists: 'depression arises when we can't satisfy our insatiable wants'. While it is true that we live in a profoundly consumerist society (I don't think anybody denies this), whether consumerism leads to depression or other mental illnesses seems like a proliferative jump. The relationship between consumerism and mental illness isn't generally taken seriously, but why isn't it?

It is not unusual to hear that mental illness is on the rise, but we rarely hear what is being done to prevent the issue. If we concede that it is not that mental health is increasing, it is that we are able to diagnose it better, that still doesn't solve the problem. The World Health Organisation has said by 2020, depression is expected be second most burdensome disease worldwide; shaving the life expectancy of countless people.

When we do decide to confront the issue, antipsychotic drugs and consumerism should both be discussion points.
]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.939446 2011-08-29T15:00:00-04:00 2011-10-29T05:12:02-04:00

Omar Shahid http://www.huffingtonpost.com/omar-shahid/
Yes, over £4,000. How many youngsters can even afford cars worth £4,000?

AA insurance has found that premiums for 17-22 year-olds has risen, on average, by 80% over the last two years - a rather extortionate amount.

Until recently, girls have had it pretty easy compared to guys. But a recent ruling by the European Court of Justice has decreed that insurers can no longer use sex as a means to determine whether someone represents a bigger risk (males under 21 have been found to be twice as likely to have an accident than their female equivalents, according to BIBA). Women currently pay less but their insurance is expected to rise by 25% according to The Association of British Insurers. This isn't good news.

Quinn Direct, a specialist in young people's insurance, found 35% of 17-25 year-old women would consider driving without insurance if faced with a significant price increase.
John McDonagh, Head of Consumer Insurance at Quinn-direct, said: "It is shocking that many young drivers would consider driving without insurance."

The price increase might also affect young women's education with 5% saying they would be unable to get to school or college without a car and 15% saying they would have to change jobs.

Simon Douglas, director of AA Insurance, said: "Most young people can't get their heads round why their first car insurance premium should be 10 times greater than what they might pay for an old banger. But it's got everything to do with the potential damage their irresponsible use can inflict. Entirely preventable car crash injury claims of £5m or more are becoming increasingly common."

But the question posed is: Why should young sensible drivers have to pay for the stupidity of reckless drivers? Is this discrimination by the insurance companies or risk assessment? Whatever the case, young people seem to be discriminated against more and more; whether it is jobs, car insurance or being blamed for the riots.

True - insurance is fundamentally down to risk assessment, but to prevent unfair discrimination, the insurance companies should ask more stringent questions before providing a quote. Not only do the ridiculous prices discriminate against sensible drivers but also the poor.

Martin Lewis, creator of MoneySavingExpert.com, said: "Why should one man pay more because others behaved badly? Would we allow the same to happen based on racial differences"? No.

A recent government survey found almost two thirds of young people are put off by the rising costs involved with driving - according to the BBC Newsbeat. The BBC also found a 36% increase in the cost of driving tests, 48% increase in theory tests, 14% increase in driving lessons and a 56% increase in petrol (unleaded) since 2005.

The earlier young people gain experience behind the wheel, the quicker they will become better drivers and will realize that fast and reckless driving will not get them very far - they have to stop at the traffic lights and everyone they overtook will catch up with them.

Many young people already vented their frustrations when rioting earlier this month. With the governments' scrapping of EMA, the tuition fees increase, the closure of youth centers; not forgetting exorbitant car insurance prices - don't be surprised if we see further disquietude manifesting violently in the near future.
]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.924272 2011-08-11T10:04:53-04:00 2011-10-11T05:12:01-04:00

Omar Shahid http://www.huffingtonpost.com/omar-shahid/
The killing of Mark Duggan by a policeman in Tottenham last week was indeed the catalyst, but it also acted as a pretext for widespread looting by those who knew nothing about Duggan. One particular masked hoodlum confirmed my accusations about the riotous youth when, upon being asked by a Sky News reporter: "If you're law abiding then you've got no reason to fear the police," he replied: "But I'm not law abiding." No wonder Assistant Chief Constable Garry Shewan of Greater Manchester police says he has never witnessed anything like in his life this before in his life.

I tweeted on Saturday evening "# Tottenham is the first of many." I was right, it was all too obvious to me. Like Twitter and Facebook, the youth have become people who follow trends in a profoundly impulsive manner. For these opportunistic youngsters, the prospect of free trainers, tv's and apparently even 'sausage rolls' was something far too irresistible.

My only fear is that the riots may emerge again some time in the near future. It has become clear that sporadic and mass rioting will catch the police of guard if they have no intelligence beforehand. There is only one way to prevent this from happening in the future. Harsh penalties need to be meted out to those found guilty to act as a deterrent to anybody thinking about causing havoc in the future.

Although severe reprimanding may be a preventative measure for future rioting, it will not cure the 'sickness' our Prime Minister describes. Ed Miliband believes the causes for the riots are 'complicated' and he's right. Yes, these rioters are thugs, but understanding why they are thugs is imperative. Deprivation, government cuts and police brutality may play a small part in it all, but really, it has everything to do with the voracious and egotistical messages espoused to us by various media outlets causing us to behave in such dysfunctional modes.

There has been palpable tension between the police and the youth in many areas in London for years - especially Tottenham. The chronology dates back to the mid 80s when race riots ensued; the police were accused of institutional racism and, eventually, a policeman was hacked to death by a group of men armed with machetes.

Sherish Aftab, 22, is a London based youth mentor and Secondary School teacher, she said: "First, it [ the Tottenham riots] was understandable; then it became ridiculous, and now its out of control and grim. I say it was understandable at first because I still agree with the initial motive behind the riots. That is, the first protests that took place in Tottenham in retaliation of the police officer shooting Mark Duggan. A lot of young people have always had a vendetta with the police, particularly from areas such as Tottenham, Hackney and Peckham. Incidently these are the areas where the riots have taken place. It worries me, as a secondary school teacher, who works with young people from 11-18."

David Cameron put the riots down to a "complete lack of responsibility". Responsibility is one factor yes, but a word more befitting is the ubiquitous and old-fashioned term 'respect' - or the lack of it for that matter. The riots have done nothing but confirm the profound egoism and immorality prevalent in many of the youth today.

Indeed, the police do abuse their powers on certain occasions and that needs to be redressed, but the underlying issue why the youth see the police as an anathema is because they don't respect authority. This view is echoed by England footballer Rio Ferdinand who said this week: "It seems these kids/people have no fear or respect for the police."


Ed Miliband described the unruliness as 'complicated' and the Prime Minister said "there are things badly wrong in our society." Well, obviously. Disgracefully, three young Asian men were run over and killed in Birmingham amidst the riots. And Ashraf Rossli, a Malaysian student studying in London, was another victim of harassment - after suffering a broken jaw he was robbed by those pretending to help him causing nationwide disquietude.

If anything, the riots will serve to better relations between the various ethnic communities in the country. Take, for example, the group of Sikhs who stood outside Southall Mosque to allow Muslims to pray during the riots. And those who stood up against the riots and decided to clean up the mess on the streets the following mornings. Indeed, we have seen the worst of Britain, but also the best.
]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.913329 2011-08-02T12:48:31-04:00 2011-10-02T05:12:02-04:00

Omar Shahid http://www.huffingtonpost.com/omar-shahid/ Ramadan, is looming. But why is it that Muslims fast?

Fasting is a Quranic injunction prescribed upon the believers so that they may attain self restraint (2:183). The idea of discipline is all about taming the human soul and not allowing the evil that often emanates from it to manifest into your daily life. Fasting is undertaken to do exactly this: to discipline oneself.

Abstaining from food and drink is just one aspect of the fast: Muslims should also abstain from vain talk; raising their voice; using foul language; having sexual relations with their spouse (between dawn and dusk) and becoming angry. It is therefore a fast of the mind, body and soul.

Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, is the month in which the Quran was revealed and is therefore held in high esteem amongst Muslims. According to Muslims, the Quran is able to govern a Muslims day to day life with instructions about every matter pertaining to life - it is therefore a holistic and complete book. It advises in 20: 81 "Eat of the good and wholesome things that We have provided for your sustenance, but indulge in no excess therein." Ironically, Muslims seem to do exactly the opposite of this during Ramadan. Not only do they eat rubbish for both their morning meal (Suhoor) and their evening meal (iftar) but they end up over-eating. Not only is this contrary to Islamic teachings, but it often results in the gaining of weight.

Fasting is about the detoxification of the mind, body and soul after it has become corrupted throughout the course of the year. I believe that fasting helps get rid of the toxins in the body, it gives the digestive system a break (a well needed one for some excess-eaters). It is also known that the person who can refrain from eating can stop themselves from indulging in other capricious activities.

Fasting, essentially, is about bettering oneself. It is a time for reflection and contemplation. To look at your character and improve it; to master your ego, and suppress your desires.

Like many other acts of worship, many Muslims treat fasting as a perfunctory ritual. When, in reality, nothing should be done in a perfunctory manner. It is the time, more than ever, to realize your spiritual dimension and return to the fitrah (a human beings innate nature).
]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.910083 2011-07-27T15:08:04-04:00 2011-09-26T05:12:02-04:00

Omar Shahid http://www.huffingtonpost.com/omar-shahid/
Ahsan, who suffers from aspergers syndrome and was known by friends and family as a 'sincere and caring' individual, seems the antithesis of the profile we delineate for a terrorist.

So why was Ahsan detained by British authorities? He is accused by the US of terrorism-related offences arising out of his alleged involvement over the period 1997-2004 with a series of websites which were used to recruit people to join Chechen and Afghan Mujahideen fighters linked to Al Qaeda.

Arzu Merali , director of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, said "Talha's case is yet another outrage of the so-called anti-terrorism regime that has ruined so many thousands of lives in the UK.

The problem lies in the following dilemma: we either have various sorts of dissidents in our country - like Ahsan - who conspire against our countries safety, or we have western governments arbitrarily detaining innocent civilians for unthinkable reasons.

What's pretty amazing, however, is the complete lack of attention the media have given to the story of Ahsan. His detention has been overlooked, and in doing so, has not allowed for public outrage. Ahsan has always denied wrongdoing but The Extradition Act 2003 only requires the USA to show 'reasonable' suspicion in order to request the extradition of UK citizens into its penal system.

He has never been arrested or questioned by British police, despite this happening to a number of local men in December 2003 for similar allegations - all of whom were released without charge. No prima facie evidence (evidence that - unless disproved - would be sufficient to prove a crime) is required to request the extradition of UK citizens.

Such a frightful invasion of sovereign citizenship can also be cited via the case of Gary McKinnon. Accused of hacking US government networks (again, no prima facie evidence has been presented by US authorities), his case was appealed in front of the House of Lords.

The appeal was rejected by Lord Brown of Eaton-under-Heywood who said that extradition proceedings should "accommodate legal and cultural differences between the legal systems of the many foreign friendly states with whom the UK has entered into reciprocal extradition arrangements". Lord Brown clarified that foreign policy and judicial proceedings are far from mutually exclusive - a clear systemic flaw.

The extradition situation regarding Ahsan also brings to light how the government pilfered the ethics from judicial process in order to pursue foreign policy objectives - a pilfering highlighted by Lord Brown.

Liberty has long campaigned against unfair extradition laws. Liberty Campaigns Co-Ordinator Sabina Frediani said: "Never were justice and the law so out of sync as in the case of Britain's rotten extradition arrangements. No one should be sent anywhere - be it the US, Europe or elsewhere - without good reason and without a case first being made in a local court."

"British justice should not be circumvented in this way. Our campaign, 'Extradition Watch' seeks to persuade the Government to stop extradition without safeguards."

In addition to the problems associated with prioritising foreign policy objectives at the expense of sovereign citizen rights and judicial ethics, the US authorities plan to incarcerate Ahsan in the United States Penitentiary Administrative Maximum Facility. If convicted he will spend the rest of his life in "Supermax" solitary confinement - 70 years in ADX Florence.

In 2006, the U.N. Committee Against Torture expressed concern about "prolonged isolation periods" and "the extremely harsh regime" in US 'Supermax' prisons (the United States Penitentiary Administrative Maximum Facility being one of them). It determined that "the effect such treatment has on an inmate's mental health...would violate the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment", ratified by the United States in 1994.

The European Court of Human Rights, in its judgment in July 2010 on US 'Supermax' prisons, also noted that "complete sensory isolation, coupled with total social isolation, can destroy the personality and constitutes a form of inhuman treatment which cannot be justified by the requirements of security or any other reason."

What lengths should the government go to protect the state? Utilitarianism (the idea of the greatest good for the greatest number) dictates that detentions such as Ahsan's would be permissible upon the consequentially diluted national threat. Our sovereign citizenship is a principle enshrined in law. It forms part of the unwritten constitution and contract between citizen and government.

The Extradition Act 2003, alongside the anti-terror laws, clearly requires alterations to accommodate human rights.

by Omar Shahid and Rizwan Syed

Follow Rizwan on Twitter: @riz205

This article first appeared on Live Magazine]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.908046 2011-07-24T11:57:22-04:00 2011-09-23T05:12:01-04:00

Omar Shahid http://www.huffingtonpost.com/omar-shahid/ New Statesman magazine there is an article called: Faith no more. Andrew Zak Williams asked an array of public figures why they don't believe in God. This follows an article written in April where Williams asked 30 other public figures why they believed in God.

I was pretty disappointed with the arguments put forward by those who said they were believers, as their arguments were weak and unconvincing. Cherrie Blaire, for example, cites her reason for believing in a divine entity because: "It's been a journey from my upbringing to an understanding of something that my head cannot explain but my heart knows to be true." The majority of the believers in April's article were also Christian and therefore it lacked a pluralistic approach to different belief systems.

Faith no more saw the likes of Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Sir Roger Penrose, Polly Toynbee, Stephen Hawking and others add their voice to the ongoing human debate about the existence of God. Having read both articles, the arguments put forward by the atheists and agnostics in this week's debate seemed more convincing than those propounded by the believers in April.

Sam Harris, a Neuroscientist and author, says that the burden of proof doesn't lie on the shoulders of atheists but on believers. This, of course, is true. If one believes in something, no matter what is is - there must be a reason for believing in it: and if you want others to believe in it, you must provide substantiated reasons for believing in it. Saying 'I know in my heart it is true' is wholly insufficient, not only because it is purely subjective and intangible but because that proves nothing!

Saying that, however, Richard Dawkins says something interesting, but also highly ignorant for someone of his stature: "I don't believe in leprechauns, pixies, werewolves, jujus, Thoe, Poseidon, Yahweh, Allah or the Trinity." Conflating imaginary things like leprechauns with the God of the Abrahamic faith clearly shows Dawkins ignorance of religion. For one to believe in God, one has to understand the definition of God.

'Leprechauns', according to those who believe in God, do not provide us with the ultimate answer or a reason for why we exist. Dawkins clearly has a profoundly immature and inchoate understanding of other religious traditions.

For Christians, Jews and Muslims, God provides the ultimate answer. He is the Beginning, the Creator, but also the one who has placed within us the ability to question, to understand and to reject the existence of God. Interestingly, in Arabic, the word 'kufr' can mean disbelief, ingratitude or an arrogant rejection of the truth but has other nuanced meanings. The idea entails that 'kufr' is a response within a human being which involves concealing or covering up the truth. God, who according to believers is the 'Truth', has put within us the recognition device of remembering who our Lord is. Another profoundly interesting word in the Arabic language is 'Insaan' - which means a human being. But the root word comes from the one who 'forgets'. This is similar to the Platonic idea of remembering what we previously knew in the World of the Forms.

When people like Cherrie Blaire then say that she feels God in her heart - although it is an highly impotent argument - it is her way of saying she has 'remembered'.

Stephen Hawking says: "I am not claiming there is no God." He further says: "Free will and God" can exist. This more agnostic approach towards understanding the realm of knowledge which is outside our dimension is much more rational. Because science is still incapable of denying the existence of God, an agnostic approach by scientists should be undertaken for the mean time until science does completely remove God from the equation - if that ever happens; which I doubt it ever will.

Buddhists remain silent on the question of God's existence because they recognize the inability of humans to prove otherwise. The more proselytizing religions like Islam has the belief that the existence of God can be proved through innumerable evidence. The main two being: the inimitable and perfect Quran and the prophetic life of Muhammad.

Michael Shermer, publisher of Skeptic magazine says: "In the last 10,000 years there have been roughly 10,000 religions and 1,000 different gods; what are the chances that one group of people discovered the One True God while everyone else believed in 9,999 false gods?" How could a believer reply to this? What makes their God the 'real one'? Again, let's revert back to the Arabic language for an answer. There is an Arabic word called 'fitrah'. This word encapsulates the idea of the natural inclination of a human being to believe in the Divine. Therefore, it could be argued, throughout time immemorial - in our quest to understand our purpose and understand this innate feeling within us - we have constructed many Gods. This, however, is not a reason against a belief in God but one for a belief in God. This natural feeling which is often manifested by people creating idols, or worshipping Jesus or Allah, is a sign within us pointing to the source. What that source is, science has yet to discover. But until then, it is best for the likes of Dawkins to leave the existence of God open.
]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.897791 2011-07-13T18:48:22-04:00 2011-09-12T05:12:01-04:00

Omar Shahid http://www.huffingtonpost.com/omar-shahid/
As aspiring journalists it is hard for us to see the name of journalism tainted amid all the phone hacking scandals and other rogue activities taking place within the newspaper industry.

One of the reasons we want to become journalists is because of its long tradition as a noble and respectable profession.

There has been a profound role reversal in the industry: instead of newspapers reporting and exposing misdemeanours, the misdemeanours of the newspapers are being divulged.

Indeed, now that The Sun and the Sunday Times too have been implicated in the muck, Murdoch's seemingly indestructible dynasty appears shaken.

The closure of the News of the World newspaper after News International's eavesdropping into: the voicemail of murder victim Milly Dowler; the mobile phones of the families of 7/7 victims; the phones of the parents of the Soham murder victims and others, could be the start of irreparable damage done to the Murdoch empire.

Tom Standage, Digital Editor at The Economist recently held a Twitter discussion called 'What is the Future of News?' which we participated in.

When we asked him what the consequences of the phone-hacking scandal will be upon the future of journalism, Tom Standage cited positive consequences.

'It [phone hacking scandal] will strengthen it [journalism] by increasing pressure on journalists to be transparent about sourcing and methods.'

In the age of unmediated blogging and micro blogging where everybody seems to be an 'expert' on news and current affairs, traditional media is being threatened. Highly opinionated work seems to be replacing factual work.

Standage was then asked about the blogosphere's threat to factual journalism and skew towards opinion. He argued that although blogs had become more widespread, mainstream factual media had also become more widespread - in effect, counteracting the
consequences of the growing opinionated blogosphere.

'Yes, much more opinion around (blogs) and more facts (WikiLeaks, data.gov). But also more news than ever.'

'Americans can watch Al Jazeera, Australians can read the New York Times. Both provide real news.'

Blogs and opinions work to spread news across the world, informing the public more than ever.

Opinion threads were also touched upon by Tom Standage: 'Comment threads, at their best, also act as a communal convergence on the truth.'

Here we see how comment threads promote a 'democratisation' of public opinion about the news.

A large part of the journalism industry appears increasingly lazy with old-fashioned investigative journalism looking redundant.

Whistle blowing websites like Wikileaks - although under threat from the U.S government - have changed the way investigative journalism works.

The time when spending months digging for leads to unearth great stories now seems to be ending and is being replaced with journalists sitting in front of computer screens and choosing what they want.

The tabloids currently lead the broadsheets in terms of sales. But which newspapers will come out on top after this hacking saga?

Indeed, with the decline in newspaper sales year on year, one has to question whether there will be such an industry in years to come, especially with an emerging digital youth.

Alex Westchester, Senior News Editor at Mary Ann Liebert Inc. and Genetic Engineering News, commented on the consequences of the digitalisation of the media and its effects on young journalists in the Twitter discussion.

'I fear digitalisation will lower salaries, making it harder for my son to make a living in the news business as I have.'

In the words of journalist Will Self, there seems to be a 'tectonic shift' taking place within our culture.

The full ramifications of this tectonic shift - although yet to completely established - will mean that the journalism industry us aspiring journalists end up in will have a completely new face.

Omar Shahid & Rizwan Syed

This article first appeared on Live Magazine]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.888523 2011-07-01T09:31:17-04:00 2011-08-31T05:12:01-04:00

Omar Shahid http://www.huffingtonpost.com/omar-shahid/
To say that the culture of South Korea is different to ours in Britain is a complete understatement. "If a child performs well at school, their parents will reward them with money for plastic surgery," Spencer tells me. If the prospect of children as young as 14 getting plastic surgery doesn't freak you out, maybe it's because I haven't told you what type of surgery they receive. Spencer further tells me: "Because they generally have round faces- the plastic surgeons break their jaw on both sides to make their face longer so that they can look more western." Ouch. That is, of course, just one of the many procedures that they go through in an attempt to look - in their opinion - more aesthetically pleasing.

In Britain, plastic surgery is, generally speaking, a rarity - but in South Korea it's a norm. Their desire to look better borders on an obsession. And for teenage girls, their primary concern is their eyes. The mentality is 'the bigger my eyes, the more attractive I am.' A girls' dream can come true via a $800 operation whereby a small incision is made above the eye which creates an artificial double lid. This operation has come to be known as 'an eye job'.

A nose job is not particularly unusual - many celebrities get it - but what is weird are calf and thigh operations. Many girls in South Korea get liposuction on their calfs, or worse, get the entire muscles extracted. "This is because Korean girls often have very muscular legs, and they don't think it suits them," Spencer tells me as I ponder whether I want to hear anymore.

It is not just looks that the Koreans are obsessed with, it is also their intellectual ability. All the school children are so clever and are often in constant competition with one another. It is not unusual for the whole class to excel academically, but when a student fails to, say, get an A or A*, they become depressed. But why are all the children so clever?

South Korea is one of Asia's biggest economies, behind, of course, the titans China and Japan (who have the second and third largest economies in the world respectively), and education is seen as key if they are to compete with their rivals. The meritocracies send their children to the elite schools, and the parents and grandparents who cannot afford to do this make sure their children miss no opportunity during the course of the week to be schooled. Sleep is seen as a weakness. And as such, children are schooled from around 9am till 7pm on a week day, this is followed by a couple of hours break before a private tuition session until the early hours of the morning. The weekend is by no means a time to relax either. "Children come into school even if they are really ill," I am further told.

Although I don't agree with the obsession of aesthetic beauty, I'm not sure if constant schooling is necessarily a bad thing. Sure, it does have its defects, in that children are over worked and may not have the chance to enjoy the younger years of their life. However, if the entire nation is being stripped of ignorance and all ultimately become intellectuals, and if they become great scientists helping humankind, is this a bad thing? Surely not. One thing I kept thinking was: South Korean children-a future 'super race?' Hmm quite possibly.

This post first appeared on Omar Shahid's blog: www.mindfullofinsights.com]]>