Issue 10: December 2019

SOAS SPIRIT

6 DECEMBER 2019

FREE

YOUR INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER

ISSUE 10

GRIME4CORBYN VS

POSTCARDS TO SOAS:

UNSUNG HEROES:

FCKGOVTFCKBORIS

INDIA

PARALYMPIC ATHLETES

p6

p16

p23

SOAS delivers specialised training to the British Military

A British soldier (Credit: U.S. Army Europe)

Daniel Selwyn,Decolonising Our Minds SOAS has received up to £400,000 from the UK’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) since the end of 2016, a student-led investigation can reveal.

Using Freedom of Information requests, the investigation found that the University has delivered Regional Study Weeks (RSWs) on Eastern Europe and Central Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa to the Defence Cultural Specialist Unit (DCSU). RSWs are organised for scholars to explain the historical, cultural, economic, political, and geographical contexts of these regions, including in-depth

case studies and sessions explicitly dedicated to the ‘implications for UK military missions.’

In a recruitment video, the DCSU defines its purpose ‘to understand what’s going on in people’s minds, society’s mind, the cultural mind wherever we operate,’ as a means to ‘demonstrate [the British Army’s] intent.’ ‘Information Manoeuvre’ is a rule under which the DCSU functions in the Force Troops Command Handbook, describing the purpose of the first Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Brigade. This is used as a tool ‘to attack the enemy’s cohesion and willingness to fight, rather than simply destroying their capability.

The benefits of cultural advice for military operations is

clear. At best, knowledge of local cultural institutions is useful for crafting more inclusive forms of imperial governance that can incorporate local elites. This further ensures that ‘hearts and minds’ are won in the process of achieving strategic objectives. At worst, this is used to either destroy or ‘neutralise’ potential sites of resistance with insider information. SOAS’s official response to criticism was that it is ‘right and important [that] critical non-Eurocentric perspectives [are] brought to bear on bodies which are engaged with these regions.’ The University also argued that it is entitled to raise finances by Continued on page 3

6 DECEMBER 2019

Contents

Letter from the Editor

News

SOAS delivers specialised training to the British Military

p1

Students show solidarity at Trans Day of Remembrance vigil

p4

Manifestos Made Easy

p7

China’s fierce policy against Uighurs in Xinjiang

p9

Opinion A Palestinian Zero Sum Game

p12

Leavers and Lefties Beware!

p12

Is Our Democracy Failing or Has it Already?

p13

Features In Conversation with Edith WeUtonga

p14

Top Things to do in a Populist World

p17

Creative Writing Submission: A Garden of Hope

Dear Spirit readers, We’ve finally reached double digits - issue #10 is here!

Unsurprisingly, term 1 has come and gone so quickly. There is so much to be excited about in the last issue of 2019, and so much to look forward to in the next.

Our front page article exposes a problem that seems to have plagued SOAS from its inception. Staying true to their colonial past, they have been teaching and receiving funding from the Ministry of Justice in order to aid global colonialism. Daniel Selwyn dives deeper into this issue detailing the issues concerning this disconcerting news. As the world continuously grapples with a climate emergency, and we are constantly changing the language with which we address the crisis, it’s incredibly heartening to see the practical changes being enacted. Anna Fenton-Jones covers the ways in which SOAS students and staff are voicing their rebellion at the climate assembly.

One of the pieces I am particularly excited about is the ‘Manifestos Made Easy’ written by Heba Kusseibati, as it outlines a lot of the points that will affect SOAS students and staff in the upcoming election. Another election related

Vegetarian Turkish Menemen Recipe

Syraat Al Mustaqeem • Managing Editor •

p18

Maliha Shoaib• Co-Editor-in-Chief • Hana Qureshi • Co-Editor-in-Chief •

p19 Maliha Shoaib • Co-Editor-in-Chief

p21

Mental health in and beyond the MENA region

p22

Varsity Tables

p24

Will Durrant • News Editor • Ludovica Longo • News Editor • Sabrina Shah • News Editor • Basit Mohammad • Opinion Editor • Fisayo Eniolorunda • Features Editor • Sasha Patel • Features Editor • Indigo Eve Lilburn-Quick • Culture Editor • Rami Shamel • Sport and Societies Editor • Adekunmi Olatunji • Senior Layout Editor • Maliha Shoaib • Senior Layout Editor • Tanzina Hassan • Junior Layout Editor • Mihaela Cojocaru • Copy Editor • Mubine Aydin • Copy Editor • Maryam Mirza • Copy Editor • Lyla Amini • Copy Editor • Hawa Noor • Copy Editor • Olivia Smith • Copy Editor •

Sport & Societies

2

Syraal Al Mustaqeem Managing Editor of The SOAS Spirit

Your SOAS Spirit Team

Culture Muslim Women Have Had Enough

piece is the ‘Grime4Corbyn’ article which looks at some of the political movements that have stemmed from the currently polarised climate.

Opinion also touches upon the UK elections, and some global party politics such as the Pink Wave and Conservative wave occurring in Latin America. Although this issue is heavily focused upon the current political climate, especially relating to bipartisanship, our Culture and Features sections have some more lighthearted pieces to bring you the best things to do and see in London. I’m very happy to see SOAS Street Style making a comeback in Features, as well as our Postcards to SOAS piece from India. Additionally, the breakfast recipe for Turkish Menemen definitely spices up our pages!

To touch upon the process for this issue, there is one particular lesson I have learnt. The confidence of our writers is lacking. An unfortunate trend has occurred where WoC (writers of colour) - especially women - approach the task of writing with a complete lack of self-confidence which makes me want to ask, “Which editor hurt you?” Although I know that this timidity stems from the perpetuation of much larger institutions of standardized ‘canon’ and the demand on women to take up less space, I write this letter to every individual who questions their talent and urge them to occupy our paper, because we’ll make the space for you.

You only have to take a single glance at the by-lines in our paper to see the varied talent we have the privilege of showcasing. Representation begins from the top, and I hope that the incredible diversity of our editorial team can encourage every single writer who ever considers to contribute to our paper. All are welcome - and we mean that!

As always, if you wish to write for us email the spirit@ soas.ac.uk and visit our social media pages to join our mailing list!

Hana Qureshi • Co-Editor-in-Chief

Adekunmi Olatunji, • Online Editor • Arzu Abbasova • Online Editor • Amaani Master • Social Media Co-ordinator •

WWW.SOASSPIRIT.CO.UK

6 DECEMBER 2019 https://soasspirit.co.uk/category/news/ News Editors: Will Durant, Ludovica Longo, Sabrina Shah

SOAS News

News

Continued from page 1

‘exploiting its expertise in Asian and African affairs.’ SOAS is described by the MoD as its ‘centre of excellence for cultural capability.’

One might ask why this collaboration is problematic, and there are several important factors to bear in mind about the MoD, and the wider context of the British military.

According to The Guardian, the UK is the world’s second largest exporter of arms, over £14bn a year. The British armed forces possess over 20 military bases around the world, from Brunei to Belize, Kenya to Oman. The armed forces website discloses at least 43,390 troops in over 40 countries deployed across the globe, including “covert wars” in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen. The DCSU is active in at least 22 countries, from Chile to Chad, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Formed in 2010, the DCSU emerged out of criticisms of

the invasions and occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan. Its equivalent unit in the US, the Human Terrain System (HTS), employed anthropologists to work with soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. The American Anthropological Association widely condemned this program for violating the ethical imperative: ‘do no harm to those they study.’ As part of the Network of Concerned Anthropologists, Professor David Price argued that, far from being a ‘neutral humanitarian project’, the HTS’ goal is a ‘gentler form of domination.’ The programme ended in 2014 after sustained public resistance.

At a time where SOAS and other institutions are declaring climate emergencies, the environment is a critical aspect of this collaboration. Wars, nuclear testing and contamination, and the relentless extraction of resources for military equipment and operations are all industries of immense ecological destruction. The US military, alone, is the single largest

polluter globally. The total emissions are higher than the figure of more than 140 countries combined. These cases highlight the MoD’s central role in protecting and advancing the inherent violence of British imperialism to humans and the climate.

Given Britain’s historical invasions and occupations of the Americas, Africa, and Asia, it is difficult to overlook the military’s role in maintaining neo-colonial relations. These affiliations are highly advantageous to British geopolitical and commercial interests over local populations. As a self-proclaimed progressive institution, SOAS is rebranding itself as a leader in post-colonial and decolonial knowledge production. Or, in departing Director Valerie Amos’ words, ‘championing the issues and concerns [of the] post-imperial Global South.’ The ‘Decolonising Our Minds’ campaign affirms that SOAS cannot do this while facilitating and profiting from the military domination, and ecological destruction of British imperialism.

Bridging the Gap: reaching academic equality Ludovica Longo, BA Politics and Geography Are you a student from a Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) background at SOAS? Do you feel like you are not reaching your fullest potential due to circumstances that are out of your control? Bridging the gap may be able to provide exactly what you need.

An issue cannot be solved until people are aware of its existence and agree upon its definition. Bridging the Gap is a project rooted in this assumption. More specifically, the project aims to create a safe space for BAME students to discuss issues they may otherwise think they are alone in facing.

The collective was founded in response to

a study carried out by Universities UK (UUK) and the National Union of Students (NUS) under the leadership of Baroness Valerie Amos, ex Director of SOAS, and Amatey Doku, Vice President for Higher Education at NUS. The report found that students from BAME backgrounds are 13% less likely to achieve first-class degrees from UK universities, and additionally, academic achievements of UK citizens were higher than those of international students, whose language difficulties are often overlooked by universities.

A SOAS-based collective was therefore launched by current SU Co-President for Democracy and Education, Maxine ThomasAsante, and Miranda Sheffield, and started in the Law Department during the 2018/19 school year as a forum in which black

Gavin Alexander and Luena Gama, leaders of Bridging the gap (Credit: Ludovica Longo)

WWW.SOASSPIRIT.CO.UK

students (later expanded to BAME students) could explore and improve their experiences at the SOAS School of Law. During this pilot-year, Bridging the Gap successfully achieved its initial goal of gathering quantitative and qualitative data about the experiences of the BAME student body at SOAS, which confirmed the racially implicated nature of the attainment gap in the UK. Gavin Alexander, a second year History and IR student leading the project this year, along with Luena Gama, a law student, took on the task of exploring issues of racial inequalities within SOAS to gain an insight into what tools students coming from minority backgrounds may need in order to succeed.

‘Policies such as anonymous marking are clearly not enough,’ said Alexander to the Spirit, ‘Much more structural solutions have to be implemented’.

‘A general misconception, which Bridging the Gap aims correct, may lead someone to think their failure to achieve excellent results to be caused by insufficient effort,’ Luena explains. This misconception neglects ‘a whole range of factors which may have led [a student] to have access to less support than other members of the student body.’ The attainment gap helps bring attention to many background factors, such as financial struggles, health issues, and previous educational experiences, which are usually left out of the picture when looking at university statistical data and portraying the student experience in university.

The project ran focus groups last year, which will continue this year, to raise awareness of the significant attainment gap, to help contextualise the difficulties BAME students face, and to ultimately provide students with the tools needed to balance whatever difficulties they are going through. In addition, the group has organized therapy sessions which are scheduled to begin in December. The collective’s leaders are optimistic that these will

be cathartic opportunities for students to share and learn from struggles they have been experiencing with one another, and this will also give the project an idea of which issues and resources should be prioritised.

‘It's not that you're not doing enough.

There are all these other issues at play that you need to take into account,’ says Luena, who personally benefited from the project last year during her leave of absence. Knowing that someone from the same or a similar background is going through the same struggle as you is essential and motivating. And if they managed to overcome it, so can you,’ she added.

The existence of this project is linked to the failure of institutions in making sure all students have the same access to opportunities for being successful students. This means that institutions are responsible for mitigating against factors that prevent certain demographics of students, BAME students for example, of having the same opportunity to succeed and excel in their studies. Additionally, universities are expected to take into account circumstances that may hinder someone from being able to succeed, or from taking advantage of the services offered that enable success. Racial minorities are less likely to seek support resources. Bridging the Gap aims to bring support directly to those who need it at SOAS. To achieve increased awareness about the wide range of intersectionalities that affect the experience of BAME students in university, there must be more open conversation and debate about how to improve services and resources. Bridge the Gap has been successful in sparking and providing the space for such conversations, and they continue to explore the goal of ensuring that academic prospects of BAME students are not diminished by economic and social inequalities that were created by racism and continue to be embedded into institutions.

3

News

6 DECEMBER 2019

Students show solidarity at Trans Day of Remembrance vigil Josh Mock, BA Arabic and Persian Students showed solidarity with the Transgender community on 20 November at a vigil on the SOAS steps.

Organised by Trans* and Gender Identity Student Officer Rachel Lindfield, the vigil marked Transgender Day of Remembrance, which ‘honours the memory of the transgender people whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence’, according to LGBTQ+ media monitoring organisation GLAAD. Students brought placards to the vigil calling for reforms to Gender Identity Clinics (GICs), the protection of trans* children, and support for trans* healthcare and economic justice.

A number of people addressed the crowd and reflected on issues currently affecting the trans* community. Speakers highlighted the 81% rise in transphobic hate-crime reported to the police over the past three years, and the fact that 41% of trans* people reported being threatened with physical violence or assaulted in 2011-2012.

Lindfield brought to attention the wait time that trans* people face at GICs, which currently stands at 26 months.

Lindfield named the Conservative Party austerity measures as the cause for these delays. Speakers emphasised the need for better measures to tackle endemic transphobia. Lindfield especially called for cisgender people to become more aware of trans* issues and trans* activists.

These issues have transnational significance. For example, India’s recent Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill was also mentioned at the SOAS vigil. The bill threatens to take away the right to self-identification in India. Transwomen of colour were celebrated and remembered at the vigil, as they are disproportionately affected by violence towards the trans* community and have often been at the frontline of trans* activism.

Transgender Pride Flag (Credit: Wikimedia Commons)

First observed in 1999 and spearheaded by transgender advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith, Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) began as a vigil to honour the memory of Rita Hester. Hester was a transgender woman murdered in 1998.

“Transgender Day of Remembrance seeks to highlight the losses we face due to anti-transgender bigotry and violence.”

People held placards calling for the protection of trans* lives (Credit: Josh Mock)

4

‘Transgender Day of Remembrance seeks to highlight the losses we face due to anti-transgender bigotry and violence,’ said Smith. ‘With so many seeking to erase transgender people - sometimes in the most brutal ways possible - it is vitally important that those we lose are remembered, and that we continue to fight for justice.’

The trans* community faces persecution around the globe.

Transrespect versus Transphobia Worldwide (TvT) reports that 3,314 trans* people have been murdered in 74 countries since 2008. TvT also reports that 331 trans* people were killed between October 2018 and September 2019.

But the actual number of trans* deaths is likely to be higher, as ‘in most countries, data on murdered trans* and gender-diverse people are not systematically produced and it is impossible to estimate the actual number of cases.’

The countries with the highest number of murdered Trans* people in 2018 are Brazil (130 people), Mexico (63 people) and the US (30 people). One trans* murder, of Amy Griffiths, has been recorded in the UK since the 2018 report.

The SOAS Students’ Union (SU) was criticised for failing to make people aware of the vigil. A group of students, led by a trans-woman of colour, delivered a list of demands to the SU office on 22 November. The list called upon the SU to release a public apology via email for failing to properly inform the student body of the Remembrance Vigil. The students also demanded that the SU commit to bringing in a QTIBPOC (queer and trans* indigenous, black and people of color), or at least trans* counsellor regularly, provides a fortnightly private space for trans* and non-binary students to meet, and organises a public forum ‘with as many permanent SU staff as possible … to introduce their roles to the student body and explain what they have been doing in this academic year.’

In a statement, the SU said: ‘We take full responsibility for the hurt and anger caused here and appreciate the labour students have done by bringing these demands to us.’ The SU has agreed to meet the timeline of the demands brought to them.

WWW.SOASSPIRIT.CO.UK

News

6 DECEMBER 2019

General Election 2019: Bella Sankey completes a trio of ex-SOAS candidates Ryan Prosser, BA Chinese (Modern and Classical) Three SOAS alumni are battling for seats in the General Election on 12 December. The newest candidate is Bella Sankey, standing for the Labour Party in the Arundel and South Downs constituency. Bella Sankey hopes to become the first ever Labour

representative for the constituency in West Sussex, which has returned a Conservative MP since its inception in 1997. Sankey is currently the Director of the advocacy group Detention Action (DA). DA is a humanitarian group that focuses on immigration detention in the UK. A supporter of Labour’s anti-austerity agenda, Sankey will use her experience as a campaigner and trained barrister to stand

Bella Sankey (Credit: The Argus)

for Arundel. Speaking to The Argus she said, ‘Government policies have left health, education, and social care services in Sussex ravaged with many people feeling vulnerable and isolated.’ The Law graduate added, ‘Throughout my life I have worked to assist others, including the most vulnerable in society.’

With tactical voting expected to be a gamechanger in this election, Sankey is keen to present herself as Arundel’s only alternative to her Tory rival, Andrew Griffiths.

Sankey completed a postgraduate degree at SOAS after studying Law at Cambridge University. She joins ex-SOAS election candidates David Lammy and Catherine West, who are both seeking re-election in North London. Both Lammy and West exceeded 40,000 votes in 2017, with Lammy taking a massive 81.6% share in his constituency in Tottenham. Lammy has represented the area since 2000, and he takes pride in his local roots, campaigning under the slogan ‘From Tottenham, For Tottenham.’

Meanwhile, West hopes to hold her seat in Hornsey and Wood Green, where she was first elected in 2015. West, who holds an MA in Chinese Studies at SOAS, was also a Shadow Minister for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs between 2015 and 2017. All three candidates have campaigned on various issues.

On Brexit, they have all signed the Labour

Bella Sankey (Credit: @BellaSankey via Twitter)

Remain Pledge along with 158 other Labour candidates. If a Labour government holds a referendum on a Brexit deal, Sankey, Lammy, and West will campaign to stay in the EU. But it’s not just about Brexit. The NHS, law and order, climate change, and employment are all on the agenda. This election promises to be a clash on many fronts, both nationally and regionally. Meanwhile at SOAS, Sir Keir Starmer is standing for reelection in Holborn and St Pancras, defending a majority of 51.9% in 2017. Britain will head to the polls on 12 December after Members of Parliament voted for a snap election in October. This follows the delay of the UK’s departure from the EU to 31 January 2020.

SOAS hosts Student-Staff Climate Assembly Anna Fenton-Jones, BA Middle Eastern Studies A cross-SOAS panel agrees that all groups must work together to accelerate change within the university in the face of the climate crisis.

Representatives from SOAS SU, the University and College Union (UCU), UK Student Climate Network (UKSCN), and Campaign Against Climate Change (CACC) came together on October 13th for the Student-Staff Assembly on the Climate Crisis. The event was an opportunity for all groups to share their news of ongoing activism and plan for joint future action. This is the first time the assembly has met since the university announced it was supporting the declaration of a climate crisis in September. It promises to use the newly created Climate Action Group (CAG) to oversee the implementation of policy changes and initiatives.

The panel focused on the inequalities created by the climate crisis, recognising that newly industrialised nations suffer disproportionately from increasing numbers of extreme climate events despite contributing less to global emissions than the rest of the world. Representing the UCU, Feyzi Ismail reiterated that ‘those who suffer most from the effects of climate change have contributed [to it] the least,’ and all climate activism should operate in solidarity with ‘anti-war and antiausterity activists.’ The panel agreed that working to end the ‘colonialist legacy of climate change’ should be at the forefront of climate activism.

Audience members took to the floor to express their

WWW.SOASSPIRIT.CO.UK

concerns with the dominating influence of Extinction Rebellion within the climate movement. Complaints were made by some audience members about the group’s presence during Black History month events, where many felt their occupation of the space prevented Black voices from being heard.

The need to support the most vulnerable in the UK against the effects of a changing climate was raised unanimously.

Suzanne Jeffery, of the CACC, said that the purpose of the campaign over the last 10 years was to ‘dispel the belief that the choice we face is between the environment and jobs,’ highlighting the One Million Climate Jobs report published by the campaign. Now in its Third Edition, the report argues that the public overhaul of current infrastructure will create one million ‘climate jobs’.

Labour unveiled its election manifesto on 21 November. As part of their Green New Deal, ‘A Green Industrial Revolution’ outlines how the party plans to create one million new jobs by transforming ‘industry, energy, transport, agriculture, and our buildings.’

Speaking on the election, Jeffery described the coming weeks as a ‘time of resistance and rebellion.’ The panel stressed the importance of uniting to support those who would implement radical green policies, saying that this was ‘the most important election in recent history.’

Sandy Nicoll, the SOAS Unison Branch Secretary, said that November’s UCU and UNISON strike was purposely timed to coincide with the Global Climate Strike on 29 November. The university decided not to support the strike.

In May, the Students’ Union passed a motion declaring a

climate emergency ‘which acknowledges and apologises for the complicity of academic institutions like SOAS in creating the conditions for it.’ Jack Di Francesco, the SOAS SU officer for Sustainability, expressed his hope that the newly formed CAG would take this sentiment seriously and begin implementing university wide change in dialogue with the SU. Speaking to the SOAS Spirit, CAG Chair Tom Tanner said, ‘the strength of turning ideas into action here is really impressive across both students and staff.’ He praised ‘recent decisions to ban domestic flights and plastic water bottles, use Skype for interviews, and create a meat-free campus as part of wider work towards making SOAS climate neutral’ and promised to ‘work harder to integrate climate and sustainability issues into curricula and training.’

Climate Emergency Poster (Credit: Anna Fenton-Jones)

5

National News

6 DECEMBER 2019

National News

Grime4Corbyn VS FckGovtfckBoris Assia Hamdi, BA Arabic and History

Grime artists and representatives such as AJ Tracy, Skepta and JME felt ‘used’ by the Labour Party in 2017. But what does this mean for the upcoming elections?

Grime4Corbyn was a movement initiated in 2017. It incorporates famous grime artists alongside the arsenal of hashtags, tweets, music, and visual art leading to an interest in current political affairs amongst the youth.

The campaign intended to connect the energy of the youth to the heart of politics, which shattered the stereotype of youth apathy in politics. It seemed when the election rhetoric included issues such as minimum wage, tuition fees, and worker’s rights, the youth could be interested. The 2017 elections saw a turn out of 60% of ages 18-24 voting for Labour compared to the 43% in the previous election, two years prior.

However, after the elections, Labour’s defeat led to supporters and participants of the Grime4Corbyn movement feeling that Corbyn ‘didn’t capitalise’ on the support he had amongst the youth. The disappointment post-election and mismanagement of the relationship fostered in 2017, led to a lack of revival of the Grime4Corbyn in these weeks

leading up to the December elections.

Despite the lack of visibility of Grime4Corbyn as a campaign, the campaign lives on in different ways. DIY events organised by the likes of Fckgovtfckboris, which include Grime4Corbyn members, have been galvanising the support of the youth in creative, carefree ways. These include parties, selforganised Fckboris bingo, and vibrant art. A dazzling light show, campaign bus, and live parade in Uxbridge and South Ruislip on Saturday 16 November continued the trend of garnering youth support for socialist politics.

A huge social media wave of hashtags, stories, and tweets have crashed timelines, reminding young people to register to vote.

Statements that Johnson wanted an early election to avoid students voting have led to an overwhelming number of people registering to vote (Gov.uk voter registration). Etonian Boris Johnson has been outsmarted by millions of students, including an increasing amount of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Meme pages on Instagram with millions of followers such as @imjustbait, shared gifs and memes that continue to support Labour and crown Corbyn as the best leader for the future of Britain. Youth apathy has turned into a more offensive reaction of disappointment

and refusal of the current British political situation. Although Grime4Corbyn seems to have disappeared into the shadows in 2019,

the legacy of its message and aims endure in the minds of the youth, and the memes of Johnson.

Grime4Corbyn has been criticised (Credit: Ben Jennings Cherwell.org)

Vietnamese nationals fall victim to umpteenth case of human smuggling Ludovica Longo,BA Politics and Geography 39 people, identified as Vietnamese nationals, were found dead in a refrigerated lorry in Grays, Essex on 23 October. Eight were women and ten were teenagers. One individual was confirmed to have gone missing from an asylum centre in the Netherlands.

One month after the bodies were found in the lorry, the driver, Maurice Robinson, faced 43 separate offences including manslaughter at the Old Bailey Courthouse in London.

On 25 November, Robison pleaded guilty to ‘conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration and acquiring criminal property’ (Essex Police), confirming his role in a global smuggling ring. Robinson is 25 years old and from Northern Ireland.

According to investigations, Robinson had driven the lorry from 17 to 22 October between various cities in Belgium and France, including Dunkirk, Bruges and Lille, before

6

making his final crossing from Zeebrugge to Purfleet on 22 October. Eamonn Harrison, 22 years old and also from Ireland, was another driver of the lorry and was arrested on charges of human trafficking and assisting unlawful migration. He reportedly drove the refrigerated lorry to Belgium.

Vietnamese officials have also arrested eight people for suspected involvement in coordinating human smuggling into Britain.

The 39 migrants were initially suspected to be Chinese but were later identified as Vietnamese, with ten traced back to originating from the Ha Tinh province. Their families have been informed but neither the UK nor Vietnam have agreed to cover the costs of bringing the bodies back to Vietnam.

As the circumstances of the migrants deaths become clearer, it remains important to treat this case not as an incident but rather ‘as the logical outcome of border policies that deliberately reduce legal pathways of migration’ reports the Guardian.

Excessive control and enforcement of border security tends to distract from the wider picture and root causes of human trafficking and smuggling. Reports indicate stronger border security is not successful at preventing people from migrating but rather pushes migrants to choose alternative, riskier routes that often result in higher levels of injuries and fatalities.

To exemplify this, consider the following cases: In 2000, 58 Chinese died of suffocation in a sealed container in Dover. In 2014, an Afghan migrant was found dead at Tilbury Docks, Essex, in a shipping container along with 34 other Afghans who survived. In 2015, two migrants were found dead in a wooden crate in a warehouse in Branston. In 2015, 71 people were found suffocated in a truck on a highway in Austria. In 2016, an 18-year-old migrant was crushed while clinging to the underside of a lorry in Banbury, Oxfordshire.

Also in 2016, a body was found in Kent in the

back of a lorry (BBC). All of these cases highlight the ways in which migrants are pushed into situations that put them at increased risk.

172 countries participate in labor systems valued at $150 USD billion globally, which collectively exploit more than 40 million people per year on a transnational scale, one fourth of which is constituted by child labor.

Capitalism and international labor markets will always trump border control efforts and human trafficking and smuggling will continue to exist to fill the transnational need for exploitable labor.

Despite the importance of carrying out criminal procedures against human trafficking and human smuggling, low-level operators in the overall hierarchy of criminalzed networks, such as drivers, are often the only ones to face charges and consequences of their involvment whilst the bigger, international, wealthy actors and systems remain virtually unchallenged.

WWW.SOASSPIRIT.CO.UK

National News

6 DECEMBER 2019

Manifestos Made Easy Know what you’re voting for, not just who.

Heba Kusseibati, BA History and International Relations

Liberal Democrats On Brexit: Article 50 will be revoked. The UK will remain in the EU. Brexit will not happen.

On Foreign Policy: Suspending arms sales to Saudi Arabia and controlling future sales to countries with poor human rights records.

International Organisations such as the UN and NATO will be supported, and nationalism and isolationism will not be tolerated. Increased investment in cybersecurity to tackle the rising threat of cyberwarfare.

On Healthcare:

The Conservative Party The Labour Party On Brexit:

It will be done by January. The deal will pass through Parliament if there is a majority of Conservative MPs in the House of Commons.

On Immigration Control: The introduction of a new ‘Australian-style’ points-based system, involving selecting migrants based on their level of education, language proficiency, and work experience.

On Healthcare:

£0.01 extra in tax to raise money to spend on the NHS and social care.

£33.9 billion more for the NHS, with a promise of 50,000 more nurses and 50 million more GP appointments each year. Five new medical schools will be opened, and 40 new hospitals built.

On Schools & Education:

On Schools & Education:

An extra £1billion will be invested in further education. A ‘Young People’s Premium’ will be introduced to help children between the ages of 16-18 from economically disadvantaged families stay in education. Teachers’ salaries will increase to £30,000 p/a.

School funding will increase by £14billion, with a promise to focus on underfunded areas. Teachers’ salaries will increase to £30,000 p/a.

On the Environment: A goal to generate 80% of electricity from renewable energy sources. All low-income households must be insulated, and all cars must run on electricity by 2030. 60 million trees to be planted per year.

On the Economy:

On the Environment: A goal to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 through investment in clean energy.

On the Economy Post-Brexit free-trade deals will be struck all around the world. Businesses will be taxed less.

£130billion will be invested in infrastructure. Corporation tax will be restored to 20%. Adapting and changing employment rights to ensure they apply to the modern ‘gig economy’.

Jo Swinson (Credit: Wikimedia Commons)

WWW.SOASSPIRIT.CO.UK

Boris Johnson (Credit: Wikimedia Commons)

On Brexit:

A promise to reach a deal with the EU within three months, and a public vote for either the deal or remaining. The deal will ensure jobs, the economy, and security are all protected. There will not be a no-deal Brexit.

On Foreign Policy: The introduction of a War Powers Act to prevent any future Prime Minister from implementing military action overseas. £400million investment in the UK’s diplomatic capacity. An audit of the impact of Britain’s colonial legacy.

Reforms of arms-sales to ensure weapons made in the UK are not used to target innocent civilians. The immediate suspension of arms sales to Israel and Saudi Arabia.

On Healthcare: The ending of NHS privatisation, with an increase in expenditure by 4.3% every year. Hospital parking for patients, visitors, and doctors will be free. £1.6billion a year will be invested in mental health services.

On Schools & Education: KS1&2 SATs will be scrapped, with more focus to be put on pupil progression. All primary school children will be provided with free school meals. Tax loopholes in private schools will be closed. University tuition fees will be abolished.

On the Environment: Goal to reach net-zero carbon emissions within the 2030s by ensuring 90% of electricity and 50% of heat comes from renewable and low-carbon sources. 9000 wind turbines will be built, enough solar panels will be built across the country to cover around 157,000,000 square metres. New laws on corporations and investment will be implemented to ensure they cause less harm to the environment.

Jeremy Corbyn (Credit: Wikimedia Commons)

7

International News

International News

6 DECEMBER 2019

Turkey’s war on Rojava: war crimes and purported ethnic cleansing

Tallulah Rose Taylor, BA Social Anthropology and South Asian Studies Turkey’s military invasion of North Eastern Syria, also known as Rojava, has recently intensified with reports of war crimes committed with such intentionality that they have been deemed as acts of ethnic cleansing.

On 9 November, Turkey began a military offensive along the Syrian/Turkish border. This came just days after Trump made the decision to withdraw American soldiers from Syria.

The removal of US troops signalled to Turkey to go ahead with their long planned invasion. Ankara claimed Turkey was invading to establish a 32 km “safe zone”, later threatening to “open the borders with Europe” if they faced any resistance or opposition.

According to the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights (SOHR), Operation Spring Peace, the ironically named Turkish military offensive in Rojava, has displaced more than 300,000 people. The majority of the displaced people have fled to Hasakah, Raqqa and Deir-ez-Zor. They are in immediate need of food, water, emergency shelter and fuel. The UN reports that “most are being sheltered in host communities but an increasing number of them are arriving at collective shelters… many are seeking refuge in schools.”

The Syrian National Army (SNA) is trained and equipped by a rebel alliance, under the control of the Turkish army. In a video circulating on social media, SNA soldiers shout: “We are mujahedeen from Faylaq Al-Majd [Glory Corps] battalion”, and call the body of killed YPJ fighter, Amara Renas, a ‘whore’.

The YPJ (Women’s Protection Units) has been at the forefront in fighting off the Islamic State in Syria. However, due to the recent Turkish invasion of Rojava and the need to prioritize their own defence, IS prisons under Kurdish security administration, have had to be left virtually unguarded and reports claim that hundreds of former fights and their families have

escaped.

The UN released a statement that the Syria National Army (SNA) and Turkish military “have displayed a shameful disregard for civilian life, carrying out serious violations and war crimes, including summary killings and unlawful attacks that have killed and injured civilians”. Alarmingly, both the UN and human rights groups have documented that Kurdish civilians who attempt to return to cities such as Ras al-Ayn, are questioned by Turkish militia about their identity and affiliation with the YPG. Kurdish people and anyone associated with the YGP have their homes and possessions confiscated.

Furthermore, front doors of houses owned by Christians are marked with graffiti, which is reminiscent of previous IS practises in Syria.

Kumi Naidoo of Amnesty International stated, “Turkish military forces and their allies have displayed an utterly callous disregard for civilian lives, launching unlawful deadly attacks in residential areas that have killed and injured civilians”. US drone footage show SNA gunmen clearly targeting civilians, and reports of white phosphorus attacks on innocent civilians, causing severe chemical burns. Turkish-backed soldiers have executed civilians on the road. Hevrin Khalaf, a female Syrian-Kurdish politician, was brutally executed along with nine other Kurds by Ahrar al-Sharqiya, a rebel branch of SNA, which highlights the specific, ethnically motivated violence spiraling into a catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Rojava, carried out by Turkey and Turkish-backed militia.

Beyond the loss of life, homes and livelihoods, the remarkable revolution in Rojava is also experiencing potentially irreparable damage. Formed in the midst of civil war, the Democratic Federation of Northern Syria became home to Kurds, Arabs, Christians and several other minorities. The model of governance is inspired by Omar Aziz and PKK founder Abdullah Öcalan who advocates for the centrality of women’s rights and women in leadership in any movement for social change.

Rojava is modelled on Ocalan’s ideology of Democratic

Kurdish YPJ fighters embrace in Afrin, a city now occupied by Turkey since January 2018 (Credit: Kurdishstruggle/Flickr)

Confederalism, based on a democratic and autonomous society, ecological sustainability and gender equality. Their alternative economic model uses the co-operative system, based on social and communal principles to democratise all sectors of society. Many sources claim that Turkey’s invasion is aimed at permanently dismantling the Kurdish region in Syria due to the YPG’s affiliations with the PKK who are seen as a threat to Turkish state security The war crimes and racially motivated violence committed by Turkish-backed militia directed at Kurds and Christians shows the intent to permanently change the ethnic demographic of North East Syria. “We are witnessing ethnic cleansing in Syria by Turkey, the destruction of a reliable ally in the Kurds, and the reemergence of ISIS,” said Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC). Rojava’s experiment in direct democracy and equality remains under threat from Turkey despite multiple EU countries having frozen arms sales to Turkey. There absolutely needs to be more pressure put on Turkey from numerous heads of state to protect Kurdish and non-Kurdish minorities in Syria from the ethnic and racial descrimination and targeted violence of Turkish and Turkish-backed militia.

Life struggles as Zimbabwe’s drought worsens Josh Mock, BA Arabic and Persian Life in Zimbabwe is failing to flourish amidst the country’s worst drought in years. Hundreds of animals have died while the World Food Programme believes at least 2 million people have been affected by the drought.

According to Tinashe Farawo, Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority’s spokesman, over 200 elephants have died in Hwange National Park since October of this year. Competition for scarce food and water resources has led to animals dying of exhaustion and starvation. As the country faces temperatures above 45°C, even fish are struggling to survive in the inhospitable conditions.

‘Almost every animal is being affected,’ said Farawo, ‘elephants are easily noticed during patrols, but some bird species are seriously affected because they can only breed in certain tree heights and those trees are being knocked down

8

by elephants.’ Predator and scavenger species are thriving as their access to food increases with the rising death toll of prey species. Volunteers are bringing food and resources for the struggling park but at a cost of $2500 per truckload. However, Zimbabwe as an already economically challenged nation, will struggle to use this as a sustainable solution.

Agence France-Presse has reported that the country’s wildlife agency plans to move 600 elephants, two prides of lion, a pack of wild dogs, 50 buffalo, 40 giraffes, and 2,000 impalas, in what would be the ‘biggest translocation of wildlife in Zimbabwe’s history,’ according to Farawo. The relocation will alleviate the pressure on limited resources as the land will take time to recover after the rains come.

The people of Zimbabwe have also suffered because of the drought. The effect of the water shortage on crops and the failed harvest means that over 50% of the population is in need of food aid. Bloomberg reports that the government has appealed for $464 million in aid to tackle the famine, following

a fall in output from hydroelectric plants and the depletion of dams. Nationally, the ACT Alliance (Action Churches Together) has reported that prices of maize, the population’s staple food, have increased 31% from last year. In Bulawayo, the country’s second-largest city, water has been rationed in an attempt to stem the demand on the depleting resource.

In the age of climate crisis, these droughts will become ever more common. Southern Africa has been labelled by The United Nations International Panel on Climate Change as a so-called ‘hotspot’ region that faces higher risks of extreme heat and less rainfall as the global temperature continues to rise. Globally more than 2 billion people live in countries experiencing high water stress, and the UN warns the problem is set to worsen, with demand expected to grow as much as 30% by 2050. The world will be watching Zimbabwe closely to see whether an intervention can help alleviate the problem, or whether this will serve as a warning for other climatethreatened nations.

WWW.SOASSPIRIT.CO.UK

International News

6 DECEMBER 2019

US Aid stipulated on religious freedom Assia Hamdi, BA Arabic and History Efforts have been underway to link the US Government’s foreign aid expenditure with interests related to religious freedom. The second half of 2019 has seen the development of these agendas coalesce in various ways.

From 16 -18 July, Secretary Mike Pompeo attended the 2nd Annual Religious Freedom Ministerial in Washington DC to promote religious freedom internationally. The conference gathered 1000 civil and religious leaders as well as 100 foreign invitees. Subsequently on 24 September, President Trump’s speech to the UN General Assembly highlighted America’s “effort to defend and promote freedom of worship and religion.” Recently, on 27 October, the USAID administrator Mark Green released a statement on linking religious freedom to the right of financial aid.

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom has mapped out the countries most likely to be affected by a new drafting of aid-dependent religious freedom stipulations. These include ally Saudi Arabia in Tier One, grouped with Iran, North Korean, Russia, China and Syria. Tier

Two includes India, despite recent tensions between Muslims and Hindu’s in Kashmir, and Egypt, regardless of current treatment of Coptic Christians. Egypt and India have been strengthening their political ties with the US, which is undoubtedly to their benefit with regards to this new proposition. Egypt was the second largest recipient of foreign aid in 2017 and 2018 after Israel.

Experts on US aid warn that this approach to administering aid could harm political relations with allies. Although the Trump administration is in the early stages of drafting this order, many questions remain as to whether this will include military aid, how this will interfere with current business agreements, and if it will enable preferential aid treatment.

The approaching 2020 elections make some believe this is a political maneuver to garner Evangelical support for Donald Trump’s re-election. The proposal is led by Vice President Mike Pence, who is himself a conservative Christian. The Trump administration has been searching for ways to decrease US expenditure since they came into office. In 2017, Trump stated that funding should be cut from “countries that hate us.’’

In 2018, the US cancelation of funding allocation to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) affected 5 million people relying on its life-sustaining services.

Israel has consistently been the top benefactor of foreign aid since 1985. Sums from the US to Israel have averaged at around $3 USD billion per year. However, Israel has

not been mentioned in any of the Trump administration’s conversations related to aid expenditure scrutiny. In light of the strikes on Gaza in November, Bernie Sanders was attacked by Israeli lobbyists and officials for suggesting that US aid should be directed towards Palestinians instead of Israel.

(Credit: Xinhua/Sipa USA)

China’s fierce policy against Uighurs in Xinjiang Chung Man Leung, Msc International Politics China’s policies in Xinjiang targeting the Uighurs have become significantly more ruthless. Since 2017, according to reports by various media sources, Chinese authorities have been systematically targeting Uighur Muslims and detaining them in ‘re-education camps’. Reports suggest that the Uighurs are being forced to denounce Islam and

show complete allegiance to the Communist Party of China through means of brainwashing and torture. Others claim there are also cases of sexual abuse.

Separatism and extremism in Xinjiang have been a trouble for China for a long time and the state has been continuously trying to repress it. Despite a relatively peaceful period in the last decade. The situation seems to have become worse during the tenure of the current Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The United Nations Committee on

the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) issued a statement to condemn China. CERD urged the country to immediately release those detained and shut down the camps. Similarly, Human Rights Watch, an international NGO, published a report stating that Chinese authorities have been constantly adminstrating mass surveillance in Xinjiang. The ‘Integrated Joint Operations System’ is used by officials to collect personal information, identify suspicious activities, and investigate those who have been flagged as ‘problematic’.

“Chinese authorities refuse to accept the allegations of them violating basic human rights, and at first denied the existence of these camps.”

(Credit: Al Jazeera)

WWW.SOASSPIRIT.CO.UK

Chinese authorities refuse to accept the allegations of them violating basic human rights, and at first denied the existence of these camps. Shohrat Zakir, chairman of the Xinjiang Autonomous Region has claimed that the camps are merely Vocational Education and Training Centers ‘just like boarding schools.’. Zakir added that these centres will eventually be abolished when society does not need them anymore. Chinese officials

also argue that these centres are soft measures to counter extremism.

Recent coverage by The New York Times has shown that the detention of Uighurs and Muslims has been precisely organized.

The newspaper got access to an internal report of over 400 pages, which has been identified as one of the biggest leaks from the Chinese Communist Party in its history.

The report not only includes instructions on how detainees should be treated but also the ideological structure that underpins the whole policy. Beijing’s relentless policy towards Xinjiang was noted as the ‘most far-reaching internment campaign since the Mao era.’ President Xi Jinping stressed that his government has to show absolutely no mercy in their fight against terrorism, infiltration and separatism.

A statement from the Xinjiang authority criticized the coverage and deemed it as fake news ‘fabricated by hostile forces at home and abroad.’ Even the Minister of Foreign Affairs insisted that China’s effort against extremism has been remarkable.

However, did not deny there was a leak of internal documents and that the measures mentioned within them were being used to target Uighur Muslims. As quoted by The New York Times, Xi Jinping claims ‘religious extremism [in Xinjiang]… is like taking a drug, you lose your sense, go crazy and will do anything.’ Therefore, the re-education camps are, in this logic, the ‘cure’ for the Uighurs by the Chinese Government.

9

International News

6 DECEMBER 2019

Assassination of Jihadi leader escalates violence against Palestinian resistance Claire Dujardin, MSc International Politics Beginning on 12 November, rockets were fired between Israel and the Gaza strip. A ceasefire was declared on 14 November but has not been followed. 34 Palestinians have been killed, including children.

This attack took place after the commander of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), Baha Abu al-Ata, and his wife were assassinated in their home while they were sleeping. Al-Ata’s murder was a ‘direct act to remove an imminent threat,’ an Israeli Defence Force (IDF) statement declared. Israel is also implicated in an assassination attempt on an Islamic jihadi political leader in Damascus, Akram al-Ajouri. Israel has not confirmed their involvement in this assassination attempt.

In recent years, Israel has reduced its use of targeted elimination techniques because it generally leads to increased Palestinian resistance against occupying IDF forces. The PIJ warned that their ‘inevitable retaliation will rock the Zionist entity’. They fired more than 350 rockets on Israel from Tuesday to Wednesday, but most of them were taken out

by Israel’s air defence equipment and caused minimal damage to Israel.

Israel subsequently closed checkpoints that are already heavily guarded into Gaza

and reduced the allocated fishing area for Palestinians to six nautical miles. The new Israeli defence minister Naftali Bennett declared that ‘anyone who plans to attack us in the day will never be sure to make it through the night’. Israeli airstrikes killed a

total of 34 Palestinians before a ceasefire was agreed upon from 5:30am local time on 14 November.

In spite of the ceasefire, rockets were fired from Gaza into the town of Beersheba. Israel carried out airstrikes in response, targeting

Gaza Residents inspect damages after Israeli air strikes in 2014 (Credit: UN Photo/Shareef Sarhan, Creative Commons)

Hamas who had not claimed responsibility for any of the rocket launches to that point.

The IDF clarified in a statement that it ‘holds the Hamas terror organization responsible for events transpiring in the Gaza Strip and emanating from it.’ Israel put an end to a longterm ceasefire which was agreed upon in May 2019 by both Hamas and the IDF. The PIJ was not a part of this truce.

The conflict arose at a time of political paralysis in Israel. Benjamin Netanyahu’s rival Benny Gantz was trying to create a coalition government to succeed him. Only days after the Israeli attack on 18 November, the IsraelPalestine conflict jumped back to the international scene with the declaration made by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo concerning the ‘non-illegality’ of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which is a direct violation of UN Resolution ‘2334’ and International Law. SOAS Palestine Society released a solidarity statement on 14 November: ‘We join the calls from the Palestine Solidarity Campaign for the UK Government to condemn Israel’s latest escalation, including its policy of targeted assassinations, and to demand that Israel ends its bombing campaign.’ They held a ‘Voices from Gaza’ event and invited students and workers to follow the boycott of ‘companies that profit from the violations of Palestinian human rights’.

Protests strike Bolivia as President forced to step down Frances Howe, LLB Law Waves of protests in La Paz, Bolivia, have turned violent this month following the resignation of Evo Morales on 10 November. Evo Morales is Bolivia’s longest-serving and first Indigenous President. Morales resigned after accusations of tampering in the 2019 Bolivian General Election, where his majority win saw the start of his fourth term in the seat. The Organisation of American States (OAS) reported findings of ‘clear manipulation’ of physical records, signatures, and data related to the election. After the OAS published their primary report, Morales announced a second election but stepped down on the same day after losing favour with the nation’s military.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has reported 23 civilian deaths since the election in October. The majority of protests have taken place in the city of Cochabamba, where many cocaleros (coca leaf growers) continue to support Morales. This has caused international condemnation from political leaders, who are arguing that Morales stepping down was the result of an internal military coup. Bernie Sanders took to Twitter to say, ‘I oppose the intervention of Bolivia’s security forces in the democratic process and their representation of Indigenous protests.’

Morales’ political career has seen the implementation of policies to improve literacy, reduce poverty, and eradicate racism towards Bolivia’s 36 recognised indigenous groups.

10

Morales also introduced the requirement that all civil servants must learn Aymara or Quechua, two indigenous languages. Morales also declared the flag of the Aymara people, the Wiphala, as the co-flag of Bolivia. Prior to his presidency, Morales was active in protests by cocaleros, who were strongly opposed to the United States attempt to eradicate all of Bolivia’s production of coca. Coca is sacred to Indigenous communities across South America and the key ingredient in cocaine.

Beginning his Presidency in 2006, Morales pledged to nationalise Bolivia’s natural resource industries. The same year, Bolivia’s hydrocarbon industry generated US$1.3 billion, compared to just US$173 million in 2002. Morales’ resignation comes just a week after he cancelled a multinational Lithium deal, following unrest from the residents of Potosí.

The nearby Uyuni Salt Flat is believed to potentially house one of the world’s largest reserves of lithium. Morales’ resignation could overturn this decision to cancel the Lithium deal, marking a significant change for Bolivia. Without Morales, the doors to the exploitation of natural resources may be pushed wide open.

The right-wing senator, Jean Áñez, has declared herself interim ruler whilst Evo Morales has been given asylum in Mexico by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. In media appearances from Mexico, Morales has said: ‘I am not afraid. I have the right to return to Bolivia and defend myself and the people of Bolivia… We will be back and join the fight to strengthen our social forces.’

Evo Morales (Credit: Wikimedia Commons)

WWW.SOASSPIRIT.CO.UK

6 DECEMBER 2019 http://soasspirit.co.uk/category/opinion/ Opinion editor: Basit Mohammad

Opinion

Oh deer! Is Erdogan taking on the role of Mr. Claus?

Mahnoor Sajid, BA Economics and Politics Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is determined to take on the role of Santa Claus this holiday season and it appears Western Europe is getting a present it was hoping to avoid The members of the Islamic state who were captured in Syria ought to be returned to their home countries. The decision of how to punish them – harshly where warranted, lies in the hands of their home countries. These citizens should

(Credit: Reuters)

be dealt with responsibly as leaving them stateless would only make the situation worse. The children are innocent, caught in a situation, not of their own making and must be protected at all costs.

Earlier this month, Turkey was held responsible for evicting Islamic detainees despite the threats it received regarding the imposition of sanctions over its unauthorized gas drilling in the eastern Mediterranean. Mr Erdogan is set to uphold a strict policy when it comes to returning the members of the Islamic State back to their home countries. He has asserted in a recent interview that Turkey has started a swift repatriation process. By the looks of it, the Turkish President is entirely indifferent to the problems these detainees are facing on the borders and is adamant on delivering these captured terrorists as part of a Christmas present to European countries. About a week ago, a US citizen of Jordanian descent was deported by Turkish authorities and was stranded for two days between the Greek-Turkish border. This incident was seen as a mere inconvenience by Ankara which responded by nonchalance.

Unfortunately, the American detainee was not the only one Turkey has vowed to deport. According to the Turkish interior ministry, 11 French citizens; women and children, 7 Germans alongside some Danes are to be expatriated to their native countries who are not entirely merry about welcoming them. As Turkey followed through on these threats, Western European nations are burdened with a problem they had long sought to avoid: how to deal with the possible return of these

radicalized Europeans. It seems like European leaders are not quite happy with the delivery of these presents and strongly believe that these detainees could prove to be a long-term threat. Thus, the European countries have thought of prosecuting ISIS members anywhere but Europe, preferably on Iraqi soil, which seems to be asinine but a quick and easy way to dispose of this problem.

On the brighter side of things, French lawyers seem to be working hard to give women and children a promising future as they fight to reunite them. The children are young and vulnerable, they do not deserve to be separated from their mothers and vice-versa. Last year, one of the four women was set to be deported but she demanded that she would not leave without her son. At the very least, there seems to be more protection and sympathy for the vulnerable children in comparison to the pushback the women and former male militants are receiving.

Western Europe needs to devise a better strategy in order to deal with the situation at hand rather than foisting these detainees on Iraq. The Turkish President Erdogan eagerly delivered his presents in hopes of deepening his bond with the European leaders but it seems that Western Europe is caught up with the Christmas blues this season and has refused to accept the Islamic state members entering the countries. The leaders have decided on re-gifting them to Iraq but it seems as though the continent has forgotten that re-gifting is an action that is considered to be morally and ethically wrong.

Happy Birthday, Gilets Jaunes!

Claire Dujardin, MSc International Politics Happy Birthday to you, Gilets Jaunes! It’s been over a year since 17 November 2018, when 282,000 of you demonstrated across the country. The discourse in the media or in everyday conversation seems to recount, either with anger or some kind of nostalgia those Saturdays of chaos as if they were ancient history. However, when I look at what is actually happening, it is confirmed that the protests are by no means dead.

What I see is a government sweeping an entire social crisis under the rug. I see Gilets Jaunes protesters still meeting on their roundabouts every Saturday. There were 28,000 on their anniversary, and although their attendance has dwindled their revendications are still the same. If they’re still here, it is because they haven’t been heard. The ‘Great Debate’ organized by the government was merely a show whose script had already been written. Gilets Jaunes demanded precarity and democracy, the government answered with a new programme yet to be implemented.

However, Gilets Jaunes’s sporadic outbursts must not divert us away from a much wider social crisis about to explode at any moment. The Medical sector is especially hard-hit. Health workers were on the streets earlier this month. Their slogan: ‘Save public hospitals’. Since 2005, cut-backs worth nine billion euros have been imposed on hospitals. Degrading the quality of health and the working conditions of medical personnel. The capacity of 39 hospitals, in and around Paris, has been cut by more than 900 hospital beds. Done in the name of increasing efficiency in hospitals has led to a situation in

WWW.SOASSPIRIT.CO.UK

which professionals, who are saving lives, must do so at the cost of others.

It is not just the working classes that face difficulties, Students are effected as well. On 8 November, Anas, a student from Lyon attempted self-immolation due to adverse living

“The government is accumulating too many skeletons in its closet to keep it closed forever. It has to hear the demands of the people it governs.”

conditions. Students who only have scholarship money to rely on have to sacrifice their health or have to take on jobs on the side which compromise their studies. In 2018, 42% of French students declared having given up on a medical consultation, 40% of them for financial reasons. Such issues are faced by the vast majority of people. In 2014, a study showed that 19.1% of students in France lived under the poverty threshold. This is after the fact that 46% of French students work (in a system in which school is nearly free). Keep in mind that it is proven that the probability of passing the year is 43 percentage points higher in France if you don’t have a job on the side.

Yet the government is sticking its head in the sand over these issues, pretending not to see them. The political focus is on start-ups and businesses as if everyone is supposed to wait

Gilets Jaunes protesters (Credit: Wikimedia Commons)

for wealth to trickle down to them in the form of vindicating showers after a drought. Even more sickening is the government’s practice of using distractions in the form of immigrant rhetoric to shift the discourse away from its failings. There sure is something magnetic about this subject in French politics.

The government is accumulating too many skeletons in its closet to keep it closed forever. It has to hear the demands of the people it governs. So please, Gilets Jaunes, on your anniversary I am not giving you a gift. Instead, I am asking you for one. Unite your struggles with other movements and make the general strike on 5 December a success.

11

Opinion

6 DECEMBER 2019

A Palestinian Zero Sum Game Chung Man Leung, MSc International Politics For Palestinians, this is not an election between moderates and extremists, it is a choice between two parties that both aim to occupy more territories from their hands.

The political deadlock in Israel is still to be resolved after two inconclusive elections in this calendar year. The first election was held in April, in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party managed to narrowly win against the Blue and White Party lead by Benny Gantz. However, Netanyahu’s unsuccessful attempt to form a coalition government with other parties meant another election in September was needed. The re-election, interestingly but perhaps not surprisingly, came up with an almost identical result. Both parties winning 32 seats in the Knesset, and until now, neither Netanyahu nor Gantz has been able to form a government. Thus a third election in less than a year is definitely possible now.

The Knesset has a total of 120 seats, and a party has to gain a majority of seats in order to form a government. Historically, due to the complex and vibrant multi-party phenomenon that is Israeli politics, no party has ever formed a government without forming a coalition with other parties.

One of the more significant differences between the last two elections is the higher level of engagement from the Arab minority. Despite making up 20 per cent of Israel’s population Arab citizens living in Israel have long been marginalized from society and its political system. Half of them are living below the poverty line and have been consistently labelled as ‘class B citizens’. In 2018 a ‘nation-state’ law was implemented to give exclusive rights to Jewish citizens. It also revoked Arabic as an official language of the country. Similarly, Netanyahu frequently employs rhetoric which labels Arab citizens as non-Israelis. Under these circumstances, most Arabs and Palestinians in Israel have shown little interest in politics as they assume they do not have enough bargaining power to change their own situation or the fate of the Palestinian state.

Nevertheless, the current situation seems to have posed an opportunity for them. In the election in September, the Joint List – an alliance formed by four Arab parties, won 13 seats, becoming the third biggest party and the key ‘kingmaker’.

(Credit: Getty Images)

The party originally backed Gantz for prime minister albeit disagreeing with his policies. But recent news reported that the coalition talks between them have failed. The Arabs have taken a rare approach in endorsing a Zionist candidate for Prime Minister (for the first time since 1992). The question is, will such an approach be beneficial in improving the current situation of Palestinians? Or in other terms, is it prudent if the final goal is to create a free Palestine? To be fair, the intention of the Joint List in supporting Gantz was to prevent Netanyahu from returning to power. But does that mean Gantz and his party will bring something different? Probably not.

Neither of the candidates has actually proposed a peace plan. Nobody has suggested ending interventions in the West Bank and the Gaza strip. In fact, both of them have pledged to annex a larger area. Netanyahu maintains that he will expand

Israel’s sovereignty over the Jordan Valley and Northern Dead Sea if he forms a government. Gantz has a similar stance as he stated that his party has made it clear in the past that Jordan Valley is a part of Israel forever. He even criticized Netanyahu’s promise as a strategy to divert voters’ attention from recent rocket attacks. He further claimed that he will use substantiating ‘actions and deeds’ instead. The expectations that Gantz will resolve the conflict with Palestine in a softer manner than his predecessor is wishful thinking. For Palestinians, this is not an election between moderates and extremists, it is a choice between two parties that both aim to occupy more territories. Israel might be having its third election. Perhaps drawing more Arabs to the poll. Yet it is sheer optimism to conjecture that their involvement will be of major consequence.

Leavers and Lefties Beware!

Yusha Jung, BA Arabic and English The upcoming general election will largely be determined by the singularly stubborn issue of Brexit. To an unprecedented extent, voters are ignoring the social/economic policies laid out in party manifestos and thinking up tactical ways to vote in a government that will deal with Brexit in a way they prefer.

After Nigel Farage’s tweet on the 11th November, announcing his plan to not oppose the 317 tory seats, it is clear that MP’s are playing this tactical game as well. Farage claimed he’s putting “country before party” by not splitting the ‘leave’ vote in Tory held seats.

As a Remainer myself, and no friend to Farage or the Tories, this frustrated me. I wish that remain voters and parties could work together in a similar way to unite their votes and allow their full force to be felt at the ballot box. You see, with the possible implementation of Brexit finally looming in the near future, this election may feel like it’s a Brexit referendum all over again. But the important distinction is that leave or remain supporters will only be represented to the extent of

12

a leave or remain government.

I was deeply frustrated with the Lib-Dem leader, Jo Swinson when she opposed moves by her own MP’s to follow suit.

Canterbury’s Lib-Dem candidate Tim Walker announced he would step down in an attempt to unite remain votes in his constituency and give Labour MP Rosie Duffield the best chance of securing the seat. Personally, this would seem like a sensible move to me, considering Rosie Duffield is a Remainer, and considering the risk of splitting remain votes and letting Sir Julian Brazier (an arch Brexiteer) take the seat. The seat in question was Labour-won by just 187 votes in 2017! But my main concern is that there are plenty more seats with similar arithmetic. 7 Tory seats perch on a majority of less than 400 over their labour rivals. And 7 more, labour seats, have the same tiny majority over their Tory opponents. With the margins, this fine, disunity in party support will take all the brunt out of the ‘remain’ movement and the attempt to de-throne the terrible Tories.

I would urge anyone fearful of a hard-Brexit, and far-right Tories dominating government, to push for unity. If we can put aside our small differences, we can make a real difference

(Credit: Getty Images)

in what matters. Yes, that means a smarter approach to Brexit, but also, perhaps much more importantly it means a possible end to Tory austerity, to inaction on climate change, to shocking levels of wealth inequality, and in all optimism, an era of positive change for the people of this country.

WWW.SOASSPIRIT.CO.UK

Opinion

6 DECEMBER 2019

The Latin American Implosion Samar Fatima Ali, BA Economics and Politics

Latin America exemplifies how frustrations based on inequality and corruption, emboldened by a global wave of resistance, threaten the stability of any regime, regardless of its political alignment.

2019 has seen Latin America spiral out of control. Some are calling it the “Latin Spring”.

In January, Venezuelans began protesting and continue to do so as a humanitarian crisis grips the nation. October brought with it an eruption of unrest in Ecuador, Chile and Bolivia characterised by widespread protests and violent clashes with the authorities.

The current Venezuelan and Bolivian governments are byproducts of the Pink Tide of socialism that spread across Latin America in the late 1990s and 2000s. The direct reaction to the Pink Tide, was the Conservative Wave, or Blue Tide, of the 2010s in support of right-wing politics and neoliberalism. Within the context of the Conservative Wave and the rise of the far-right in Brazil with the election of Jair Bolsanaro in 2018 - recent protests could be seen as the final fall of socialism in Latin America. In Chile and Ecuador, however, the protests are against conservative, capitalist governments of Sebastian Pinera and Lenin Moreno. This makes it impossible to generalise the reasons behind the protests as a unified phenomenon based on political alignment. There are, however, a commonality between the protests. Michael Reid, the author of Forgotten Continent: The Battle for Latin America’s Soul, describes the reasons as economic inequality, corruption and a lack of political transparency alongside the pancontinental wave of movements challenging the status quo.

Severe hyperinflation in Venezuela was

(Credit: Getty Images)

clocked at 200,000% in 2019 by the IMF. This has resulted in extreme poverty, food and water shortages and a healthcare crisis. As a result, President Nicolas Maduro’s socialist government is losing ground as frustrations mount. Chile, the ‘oasis’ of Latin American neoliberalism, is effectively the polar opposite of Venezuela. Globally recognised as the most stable Latin American state (until recently), Chile has one of the worst inequality rates, ranking as the 3rd most unequal country in the OECD index. A rise in subway ticket prices acted as the impetus for recent unrest.

In Ecuador, President Moreno came to power through a largely centre-left party, Alianza País (Country Alliance), but has shifted his stance towards increasingly conservative policies. The opposition to his ‘betrayal’ came to a head when fuel subsidies were removed.

While the policy was reversed on October 13 and protests quelled, instability lingers.

Bolivia is the only outlier where the October protests were not based on economic concerns, but rather solely on the

claims of electoral fraud, leading to President Evo Morales’ resignation on 10 November.

Moreover, protests in Venezuela, despite being rooted in economic inequality, were sparked by Maduro’s undemocratic inauguration as President for a second term. While dissent in Chile is based largely on economic factors, democracy is wavering there too.

Pinera’s reaction to the protests in the form of violent repression has been dubbed, as ‘the behaviour of a dictator’. Stating that Pinera ‘did what they all do – the Trumps, the Bolsonaros, the Johnsons of this world’. This notion of similarity between the protests and world leaders brings us to the next reason behind the wave of unrest - a pancontinental domino effect.

From 2016 onwards, the world has seen a global wave of nationalism; the election of Donald Trump in the US, the U.K. voting to leave the E.U. on account of ‘making Britain great again’ and the rise of conservatives Bolsanaro and Pinera, amongst others. Foreign

Policy (FPGroup) refers to this phenomenon as the ‘Trumpification of the Latin American Right’. The Washington Post attributes the economic slump, which is the leading cause for the wave of protests, to this rise in populism that has led to ‘short-sighted policies that are stunting long-term growth’. The protests can also be seen as a part of a global wave of frustration extending from Hong Kong to Lebanon to Latin America. The Guardian notes a ‘copy-cat element’ within the protests referring to the use of similar methods of dissent such as the use of ‘frontliners’ in Hong Kong and then Chile and Ecuador. Protestors are also gaining inspiration from others within Latin America. Venezuelan opposition leader, Juan Guaido, announced three days of protests on account of Bolivia’s success in ousting its President, rallying Venezuelans to remain hopeful and follow suit.

The complexities of the current Latin American crisis renders a simplification into Pink vs. Blue almost impossible. It is no longer socialist governments alone that are losing ground. Instead, Latin America exemplifies how frustrations based on inequality and corruption, emboldened by a global wave of resistance, threaten the stability of any regime, regardless of its political alignment. In terms of the success of the protests in achieving real political change, there is no right answer. While Bolivia may have successfully ousted Moreno and Ecuador reversed the removal of fuel subsidies, it is only the triggers of the protests that have been dealt with - not the deeper problems they represent. Furthermore, the situations in Chile and Venezuela are continuing to escalate with no indications of change. At this stage, however, it would be hasty to conclude as to whether or not the protests will amount to substantial change.

Is Our Democracy Failing or Has It Failed Already?

Chloë Cochron, BA Global Popular Music Current discussions on politics and the political climate in the UK and around the world leaves us with a tangible sense of dissatisfaction and frustration. This is fueling an atmosphere of apathy. Examining the political state we are living in can be depressing, exhausting, and disheartening. Democracy is failing to represent people’s best interest and is teetering on the edge, at great risk of falling into the abyss.

Since 2015 the UK has had three elections (if you count the upcoming election), the resignation of two prime ministers, two referendums (Scottish independence, and Brexit), and two unelected prime ministers. This doesn’t seem stable and in fact, suggests a failure of due process. Polarisation within the polity and wider society has augmented the proliferation of extreme political groups. Across the channel, The Forum Voor Democratie (FvD) in the Netherlands is a far-right party with very extreme views on immigration. The Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD) in Germany uses neo-nazi language and

WWW.SOASSPIRIT.CO.UK

sees Islam as an ‘alien to German society’ according to The BBC. Here in the UK, our Prime Minister has on the record referred to black people as ‘piccaninnies’ with ‘watermelon smiles’ (QuartzAfrica) and made some frankly unprintable statements about Muslims. A person holding the highest position of power, representing millions of individuals of all backgrounds, should not be making these kinds of remarks.

It fosters an environment which is susceptible to hate speech.

The question is why are these extreme views increasing in popularity? and why are the individuals associated with them finding themselves in positions of power?

Perhaps the most heartbreaking is the rise of political nihilism and a lack of desire among people to engage. The election of the 12th will be an exercise in which we are forced to choose between either voting solely to dethrone the tories or to vote for parties that don’t fully represent us. When considering who to vote for, we should be able to choose representatives who best represent our needs and desires, but with the state of politics today, issues like Brexit are overshadowing critical questions over the NHS, Social welfare, and the

nationalisation of the railway.

Our politicians must be held accountable, we should vote for someone who understands our needs. Talking to people who used to be passionate about politics, ethics, and our democracy, one feels as if our democracy is crumbling around us. Mr Facebook flat out refuses to fact check political advertising and posts, further fueling the ‘fake news’ phenomenon.

Media bias is rampant and people are increasingly suspicious of mainstream outlets for this reason. The status of democracy in the United Kingdom, and globally, is open to personal interpretation. However, when a government fails to represent the people, it encourages the growth of extremism and nihilism among their populous.

Heartbreaking is the apathy this environment is fostering, the masses are simply tired of being disappointed and tired of a system that doesn’t represent them. The system is failing us in its dysfunctionality and betraying us as we, one by one, become more apathetic due to simple exhaustion and frustration.

13

http://soasspirit.co.uk/category/features/ FEATURES EDITORS: Fisayo Eniolorunda, Sasha Patel

Features

6 DECEMBER 2019

In conversation with Edith WeUtonga Sasha Patel, BA History and South Asian Studies (Hindi Pathway) So, tell us a bit about yourself. What do you play, what’s your style?

I’m Edith Katiji, leader of Edith WeUtonga, a self-taught bassist. I started as part of an all female band from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, which was a project funded to train women musically. In most African bands back home, women are backing vocalists or dancers. My job in the band wasn’t to play the bass guitar but to be the lead vocalist and compose and arrange the music.

The turning point for me was when we got stuck somewhere on our way back from Victoria Falls, and all we had were the instruments in the car. Whilst waiting for the emergency repair car to come, I started playing with the bass guitar to find the music I was singing.

Fast forward to 2007, I managed to buy my own bass guitar, formed my own band in 2008, and recorded and released our first album in 2010. Then everything just blew up.

I got so much recognition from the album. I got 5 stars in two reviews in big newspapers from our country. That was when I started getting invited to festivals.

You’re chairperson of Zimbabwe’s Musicians Union, tell me more about the work of the Union.

On the one hand you have promoters and venues that want you to come and perform but are not willing to pay. And your music is being played on the radio, with people raving over your name, but you have nothing to show for it. As a union, we are trying. How can it be that one is so popular, but when they get sick, they don’t have medical aid, when they pass on, you find out they didn’t even have a funeral. We still go on to shout these musicians and call them by their name, but no one is willing to pay for the music that they’re enjoying.

This is the first time we’ve had a union led by young people and have actually been able to do to something. We carry out clinics on music entertainment law, music business, and on the wellbeing and mental health of musicians. We’ve done projects and campaigns on gender based violence, working with Doctors Without Borders. As a union, we realised the best way to get the message out is to work with musicians, the same as what we did with Doctors Without Borders and those that have gotten justice out of it. Given the current economic hardships in the state, we’ve used music as an agent to talking points and discussions, getting people to seek help when they need it.

14

What is the music circuit like in Zimbabwe?

There was a time when people would go out to enjoy music, but currently due to the economic hardships of the country, people don’t go out as much, but still love to hear some live music. There’s a new wave of digital music called Zim Dancehall. What drives it is it’s lyrical content. It’s a new age and you know the one-man kinda band. They go wherever they go, take their big truck and they’re off.

Airplay wise, there’s so much influence in the new radio stations of new kinds of music and pop culture from all over the world.

But musicians are being hard done by at the moment given the current economic situation. You have the challenge of musicians getting their royalties as we struggle to fight the issue of corporatisation. The music royalty collection society has been failing to get the money out of these broadcasters, and the struggle is real. It’s a challenge, even when you get that money, you still have to go and buy foreign currency at a very high rate. The going is really tough.

How is music being utilised to resist in the current economic-political situation in Zimbabwe?

You have people who use it more to resist, but also young artists that have left the country to find greener pastures elsewhere. Some have been in trouble with the state, because the inspiration is what surrounds you, so when you start questioning, you end up questioning the state. We’ve found artists who’ve been found beaten up and no-one can explain why, but you know what happened. I guess like in Zim Dancehall, the lyrics are used as a tool to air out what’s going on in their daily lives on the street. There’s so much to inspire musicians, but the question is how willing one is to exercise their freedom of expression, and you don’t know from whom and where the attack will come from.

“There’s so much to inspire musicians, but the question is how willing one is to exercise their freedom of expression.”

What’s been one of your most memorable musical experiences?

The only time I’ve had to stop performing was when I had to take my son to India for open-heart surgery. I just finished recording an album and I had to drop the marketing and everything to go. We were in Bangalore

Edith WeUtonga (Credit: edithweutonga.co.za)

and the people there were amazing. I had to auction my guitars just to raise the money required for his surgery, but you know the corporate world came through. A mobile provider paid for his medical bill and another bank paid for his ticket, we had to fundraise the rest..

I remember someone reading about it.

When you’re a performer, someone will always find you. An Indian reporter came to find me at the hospital, she googled and discovered I had auctioned a guitar. She was so hurt, why didn’t you tell me you’ve been going through all of this. Next thing it was front page. The Indian people showed me so much love, Everyone had come to the hospital with

flowers. And then you know a lady bought me a bass guitar in India. When I left India I had two guitars, and when I arrived, I came with none. And when I came home, the people that I had auctioned it off to gave me back my guitar! They had seen what happened, so they felt sorry for me and gave it back! You find that as a musician, when things are looking bad, it’s the people that genuinely love you for your music that come through for you.

IG: @edithweutonga www.edithweutonga.co.za

WWW.SOASSPIRIT.CO.UK

Features

6 DECEMBER 2019 Gaia Tan, BA Development Studies and Social Anthropology

The Thrift that Keeps on Giving

By Syraat Al Mustaqeem, BA English The most eco-friendly form of consumerism is not engaging in consumerism. That being said, we all like to look good whether it’s on a budget or treating yourself on payday. Looking for affordable, sustainable fashion in this day and age is like waiting for rain in this drought - useless and disappointing. For those looking for a middle ground, here is my list of thrifting options for the fashion forward Londoner.

Atika, Brick Lane The high ceilings and statement furniture pieces scattered around set the stage for their stock to shine. This is fitting as the store actually resides in an old furniture factory! The vibe is definitely more ready-to-wear than other stores as the items collected are cleaned before being sold. As with most stores, the trends are in the front and the cheaper older things are hidden away in the basement. This means for a student budget, head straight down and get digging.

WWW.SOASSPIRIT.CO.UK

Brick Lane Vintage Market, Spitafields The entrance to this store is small and takes you underground so it gives you the satisfaction of a real find! As soon as you walk into this space there is an array of sunglasses and jewellery on display, drawing you in with trinkets before the mesmerising maze of apparel. The selection offers high street prices for items that will last far longer in your wardrobe. Each area is pretty well organised, with entire sections dedicated to Jean Jackets – a staple of any good vintage clothing store.

East End Thrift Store, Stepney Green This is less of a store and more of small storage unit hidden under some rail arches. If London Thrift Culture is a thing, then this embodies it. Racks and piles of off-smelling pieces that you should double (and triple) check for stains. My last trip was timed with one of their infamous £1 sales and I came away with coolest items that I still wear over a year later!

Although I went to find items that I could tailor and customise it is definitely possible to find things to fit. The trendier things will usually not be included in sales but search well and you will find.

Rokit, Covent Garden This well-known store has multiple branches around London including Covent Garden, Camden, and Brick Lane.

The variety in this store is exceptional, especially at the flagship in Covent Garden. If you’re looking for a last minute costume, some typical Americano style fashion, or trendy accessories, this is the place to check out – and they have cool badges which scream “i ThRiFt oN tHe WeEkEnDs”.

Charity Shops, Anywhere I won’t include any particular branch because charity stores are like a box of chocolates – you never know which one smells like pee. Or something like that. What I will say, is keeping an eye out in your local store can bring forth some treasures. Play the long game and maybe even befriend the volunteers who work the stores because not everything is about you. It may be worth visiting charity stores in well-to-do areas to increase the likelihood of finding high end pieces. Although you may not entirely buy into the idea of brands, I’m sure you can admit that vintage designer pieces just hit different.

15

Features

6 DECEMBER 2019

Postcard to SOAS: India Dafydd Vaid, BA Linguistics and South Asian Studies (Hindi Pathway w/ Year Abroad)

The body of my sitar. The round bit is made out of a large gourd.

The other materials used include wood of multiple species and animal bone. (Credit: Dafydd Vaid)

I’m on my year abroad in India, studying Hindi in Jaipur, Rajasthan. I just got back from visiting friends and family in Delhi, and I’m in a café, trying to write a Postcard to SOAS. But in my experience there are two SOASes, and I wonder which SOAS I’m writing to.

Am I writing to the SOAS that feels like a second home to people from various diasporas? I hope so. That’s the university where descendents of the colonised can study their ancestral languages, learn about the cultures they’ve been distanced from, and meet others with roots that span the world yet who share the peculiar pains and joys of being a person of colour displaced from their homeland.

Dosa at Carnatic Cafe in South Delhi. (Credit: Dafydd Vaid)

16

Sunset viewed from the terrace of my home in Adarsh Nagar, Jaipur. Another reason to call Jaipur the Pink City. (Credit: Dafydd Vaid)

Or am I writing to the SOAS for white students and staff?

That’s the university where you can get a good degree in Arabic or Chinese for your finance or international relations career, or where you can learn an obscure and exotic language, culture, or instrument from another white person. It’s the school whose well-meaning students want to help the people of the third world through development initiatives and language documentation, rather than by prying the first-world corporate and governmental boots off of our collective necks.

Maybe I’m writing to this one, the machine that assembles orientalists.

I suppose I’m writing to both. And as SOAS faces cuts and crises that are changing, even destroying, what many of us consider the core identity of the university, I worry that the SOAS I love will be abandoned in favour of a whiter, less radical SOAS. That would, I suppose, be a return to its roots.

SOAS has a foul origin. It was created to train agents of the British Empire, instructing them in the languages and cultures of conquered peoples in order to optimise their subjugation. It was founded only months after the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in 1919, in which British soldiers trapped peacefully assembling civilians in a walled public garden in Amritsar, Punjab, and opened fire on them, maiming and murdering over a thousand people. It was founded to serve and further that exact agenda of violence and domination. And when I think about SOAS, and about returning next autumn, I wonder if its work has fundamentally changed. Now as always, it teaches and sends out into the world throngs of white Westerners, empowered and emboldened by their blurry understanding of the people upon whom they will build their careers.

I don’t mean only to trash SOAS. Although it’s where Enoch

Powell learned Urdu, it was also a means for Paul Robeson to connect with Africa. It’s how I’m here in my homeland right now, rapidly improving in Hindi, visiting my Indian family for the first time in ten years. I’m even getting to study sitar, which is changing both my understanding of music, and my approach to writing it. I’m having the time of my life, but I’m also looking forward to returning.

SOAS, I hope you continue to reject your roots while I’m away, once I return, and long after I graduate.

Paneer and naan at Hanuman Dhaba in Jaipur’s Raja Park bazaar.

(Credit: Dafydd Vaid)

WWW.SOASSPIRIT.CO.UK

Features

6 DECEMBER 2019

Top Things to do in a Populist World Rose-Aymone Sauvage de Brantes,

BA English and

Japanese Populism is spreading across Europe as fast as seasonal depression in December. But don’t worry, we’ve got your back! Here are some tips on what to do in this gloomy political weather that will lift your spirits back up: Become a populist politician’s online ghost-writer If you’re looking for a job with no boundaries to your imagination, this might be the one. Populist messages are designed to appeal to people’s common sense. Populists construct a new threat or reproduce an already existing fear so that they can consecutively create hope and present people with a solution to a problem that wasn’t really there in the first place. In this new-born atmosphere of post-truth, you can really make your talent shine! Take pleasure in diminishing the opposition’s fact-founded arguments into simple opinions, or claiming that more people turned up to your inauguration speech than Obama’s. In a world where truth doesn’t matter, you cannot possibly get called out on your logical incoherence. Lying is normalised, so go ahead and write the most outrageous nonsense. You have absolute creative freedom.

Smash the dating app game with minimal effort Do you find there are too many people on Tinder stealing all the penglings away? Does the diplomat coffee-shop middle class trigger your inferiority complex? Here’s a perfect plan to become more attractive, without working out or working hard. Find out what are some issues born from society’s current fears. Blow them out of proportion and choose a common enemy to blame it on. Historically, the most effective targets are foreigners, religious groups or the establishment. Make sure you yourself are not part of any said groups. When the voting season comes around team up with your local populist candidate. Present your observations to the audience and watch rumours demonising the scapegoat-group spread, and parents pressuring their children to choose a partner their conservative grandfather would approve of. The number of your potential love-rivals has diminished. In these alleviated conditions you will get laid in no time.

Start an education company offering quick training programs online Many populist leaders rely on us versus them mentality, blaming either capitalism or mass migration for rising inequalities. In reality, they should blame automation. While great inventions like self-driving trucks lower the risk of truck accidents, they also leave many drivers with uncertain futures.

Truck driving is just one of the lower-skill jobs that are gonna get replaced by computers and software. Technology is changing the work environment fast, and nobody is prepared for it.

The demand for affordable and time-effective retraining is big.

So seize the chance, while the market is still relatively niche, and make some bucks before Japanese engineers come up with an AI to replace you too.

Use your impossible love to become popular Are you trapped in a love triangle, crushing on a centenary or madly in love with your cousin? Here is a way to get the best out of your misery. Charm is required though, so if you’re not very pleasant, follow one of those Youtube channels teaching people and sociopaths how to exist within a society. Once charisma has been acquired, indulge yourself in misinterpreting your crush’s every display of compassion as a grand romantic gesture until you reach absolute demagogy. As recent events like Trump’s election campaign or Boris Johnson’s Brexit have proved, charismatic demagogues are good at galvanizing the masses. You now have a bright future as a public speaker, politician, and/or comedian. Every word you say will become a religious mantra to your followers and so will your tweets.

Kim K will get jealous of your social media followings, that is guaranteed.

SOAS Street Style Tara Bhat, BA History

50 Shades of Beige: Jaehee (@ jaehee0426) rocks a monochromatic look with the cutest pop of yellow

Pretty in Pink: Katy (@sadtrash101) is a walking Lazy Oaf campaign

WWW.SOASSPIRIT.CO.UK

The Moscowvian Candidate: Poppy (@ poppyy4queen) looks as cool as Serbia in a cosy Cossack hat

Wrapped up Warm: Leenah (@daddiedenim) shows how layering can be done right

17

Features

6 DECEMBER 2019

Creative Writing Submissions

Garden of Hope Abdul Basit Mohammad, BA International Relations and Economics

Ahmed Youssef, 40, is a Syrian national. He had a family of five, including three children. He had a life in Aleppo, Syria until the civil war began. Aleppo became one of the hotspots of violence and war. Shelling had destroyed his once-thriving city. He watched his city disintegrate in front of his own eyes. The beautiful mosques, the lavish gardens, all reduced to rubble. Food became scarce as the war stretched. His children stopped going to school, commerce had been asphyxiated. The city had become a war zone. His family was constantly under threat. He was no stranger to the fact that, more often than not, civilians had come in the line of fire. This is when he decided to take the risk. He arranged the voyage and his family started packing. They were going to cross the Mediterranean on an overcrowded ship. He knew that most of the boats didn’t make it. However, he decided that he had to do something. So, out of desperation, or maybe out of hope, he embarked on this perilous journey He is one of the vast multitudes of refugees who cross the Mediterranean each year. Most of these boats are filled – to the brim - with men, women, and children. Many never make it.

Ahmed Youssef was one of them. His boat sank about 45 nautical miles from the Italian coast.

He and his family perished. Now, many would wonder why he took such a risk. An endeavour which frequently fails? The following is an attempt to discover Ahmed Youssef ’s motives. If he had died in Aleppo he would have died as a misery-stricken man. However, he died on his way to safety, he died a hopeful person. He had hope, and dying a hopeful man is better than dying a defeated death.

These are the people who have been sitting in the darkness for way too long to give away any glimpse of hope they see. These people are flowers in the garden of hope. Hope is a most fundamental of emotions among human beings. It gives us the strength to drive out the predicaments of our lives. It is something that is never taught to us, yet we always bear an instinctive knowledge of it. It is truly the defining quality of humanity. We have countless examples of hope all around us, ranging from young soccer players to aspiring actors. However, we must never take its inevitable arrival for granted, for its existence is conditional upon continued and ecstatic belief. Even then it can only be conceived, never manufactured.

The hope that the dark clouds will disperse, and the heavenly light will shine upon us eventually, the hope that the darkness will eventually fade away is what drove Ahmed Youssef and many others. May this be an ode to all those who show hope every day and keep this emotion alive.

When the world says give up. Hope whispers; try one more time.

18

WWW.SOASSPIRIT.CO.UK

6 DECEMBER 2019 http://soasspirit.co.uk/category/culture/ Culture Editor: Indigo Lilburn-Quick

Culture

Film

Nigerian Film ‘Lionheart’ disqualified from Oscars Destiny Adeyemi, BA African studies

Film

The Nigerian film ‘Lionheart’, was disqualified from the Academy Awards’ ‘Best International Feature Film’ category, on 5 November, for having too much dialogue in English.

Lionheart, which is currently on Netflix, details the story of a young woman who attempts to save her family’s transportation business and her navigation of the business world as a woman.

The film, which is Nigeria’s first submission to the category, features dialogue in English, Nigerian English, Igbo, Yoruba and Hausa, but heavily features English. The requirements by the Academy state films in this category should have ‘predominantly non-English dialogue track’.

The Academy has previously faced criticism about this

category. It was recently changed from ‘Best Foreign Feature Film’ to ‘Best International Feature Film’, to centre America less, though, it still has a language requirement, as well as limiting countries to one submission, which reduces the ability to feature the range of global filmmaking. The requirement of non-English prevents countries like Nigeria, that was colonised by the British, from using and fluctuating between a variety of languages, something that occurs in everyday life.

This is seen with the development of Nigerian Pidgin English which fuses local and colonial languages.

The director, Genevieve Nnaji, voiced this in her disagreement: ‘This movie represents the way we speak as Nigerians.

This includes English, which acts as a bridge between the 500+ languages spoken in our country’. Critics have argued that the film could be submitted to other Oscar categories, although these are dominated by American films.

‘Lionheart’, directed by Genevieve Nnaji. (Credit: IMDB)

Muslim Women Have Had Enough

Rihab Attioui, MA Postcolonial Studies The official trailer for Hala was released on 5 November 2019. Hala is a new film that supposedly made so many “waves” at Sundance that Apple deemed it worthy enough to purchase its worldwide distribution rights, streaming it exclusively on their brand-spanking-new heartless cash grab – sorry, streaming service, Apple TV+.

To briefly synopsise, Hala, is a coming-of-age story about a skateboarding, poetry-writing Muslim girl in the United States (isn’t it amazing that she skateboards and loves poetry and is Muslim?) constantly grappling with the expectations of her ‘traditional’ Pakistani-American parents and that white boy she wants to kiss so badly. Yes, this very evidently is a sarcastic and curt description of the film, but quite frankly,

The film presents skateboarding American teenage freedom as diametrically opposed to Muslim values (Credit: Apple TV+)

WWW.SOASSPIRIT.CO.UK

Muslim women have become so utterly fatigued with the inauthentic portrayal of supposed hijabis in the Western cultural landscape that films, like Hala, are no longer afforded polite and reserved constructive critique. No, our critique only comes in one shade now: scathing. If the eponymous Hala was the first of her kind, the golden unicorn of Muslim representation that Muslim women search so exhaustively for, perhaps our response would be different. But alas, Hala is just another part of a long and surreptitious Hollywood history of grossly and dangerously misrepresented Muslim women. What makes matters worse is that if there were ever a time for the dissemination and normalisation of Muslim-centred productions and narratives, it would be now. There exists a collective outcry for authenticity and a desacralisation of white stories in the zeitgeist. This outcry is palpably charged and revolutionary, demanding not simply the reform, but the decolonisation of cultural production and the public cultural space. It is this Millennial and Gen Z-led movement that has facilitated radical changes in Hollywood, such as creating the conditions for box office record-breaking Black-centred films, like Jordan Peele’s salient, Get Out. Not to mention, it has also made ubiquitous the condemnation of previously conventionalised practices like cultural appropriation and whitewashing.

In simple terms, today’s the day for a hijab-wearing character to be played by a hijab-wearing actress who keeps her hijab on and does not remove it for the plain-looking white boy in her school, who does not respect her religion nor her hijab.

Unfortunately yet unsurprisingly, this is not the case. What we have instead are insincere, superficial and painfully islamophobic caricatures; or more dangerously, Muslim characters battling their Islam and their cultures in favour of a romanticised ‘Western ideal’. This is found not just in Hala, but, in the Muslim portrayals of shows like Elite, Quantico, Homeland, and pretty much any American drama about an intelligence agency. What this effectively produces, is an insidiously Huntingtonian proposition in which Islam is positioned as the antithesis of Western liberation and freedom. The entire

premise of Hala rests on the fact that she is caught in between her parents’ antiquated ideas of arranged marriage and how a culturally appropriate Muslim girl should behave, and the freedom she desires to be the cool skater girl who wants to engage in American dating practices. Essentially, she is presented as a girl whose Islam and Americanness are opposed.

This does nothing but perpetuates the Bush-era narrative that Muslims cannot co-exist with Americans, nor any Westerners for that matter, as they are always in conflict. To demonstrate how Hala specifically has achieved this, take for instance this article titled, ‘One Way to Be a Muslim Girl in America’ in The Atlantic. The opening paragraph of the article states that this is a story of ‘Pakistan versus America; Islamic tenets versus romantic freedom’, explicitly suggesting the two are incompatible. Moreover, the review proceeds to describe Hala’s coming of age story as a ‘clash’ and a ‘binary’ multiple times, making direct references to the - widely discredited -notion of a civilizational clash, and invoking ideas of Muslim Westerners living in reductive binaries, instead of being cohesive and multidimensional people.

There is, of course, infinitely more critical cultural analysis this subject yields that can be more comprehensively engaged with in an academic capacity. However, we cannot reserve this conversation for just the academic space. Discourse on the dangers of Islamophobic representation in the Western cultural landscape must necessarily exist in mainstream and accessible spaces of popular culture and easily digestible journalism. Every Tom, Dick and Harry must be able to recognise the inequity of how Muslims are depicted as much as their Fatima, Khadija and ‘Hala’ counterparts. Perhaps then, this new generation of cultural revolutionaries can mobilise their structural power and effect substantive change in the way Muslim stories are told. Perhaps then, they can ground Muslim narratives in authenticity instead of dangerous subversion. Perhaps then, we may finally get a hijab-wearing character played by an actual hijab-wearing actress.

19

Exhibition

Culture

6 DECEMBER 2019

Bold Afro-Futurism Front and Centre at

Kudzanai-Violet Hwami’s Vibrant Solo Show Victoria McCraven, MA History of Art

Theatre

If you haven’t seen it yet, make sure you pay a visit to see Kudzanai-Violet Hwami’s incredible solo show, (15,952km) via Trans-Sahara Hwy N1, at Gasworks in Vauxhall. The exhibition which is on display until 15 December 2019, marks the artist’s first solo exhibition as studio holder at Gasworks which was supported generously by the Tyburn Gallery. Gasworks is a non-profit arts collective in South London which has been providing studio space for emerging artists for over twenty-five years. Hwami’s exhibition is free and open to the public Wednesday-Sunday, 12-6 pm.

The exhibition has a total of ten works which are displayed across two galleries. In her process, Hwami begins by working with collage to incorporate her family portraits and some of her photography, then renders the works in oil paint. Hwami was born in Zimbabwe but left due to political unrest and grew up in South Africa. The exhibition’s title accounts for the journey from her home town in Zimbabwe to Capetown through to London. This body of work was created during her monthlong stay at an artist’s collective in Dzimbanhete, Zimbabwe, where she lived with a healer.

In an interview for Gasworks Hwami said: ‘Because I’m black, because I am Shona, and because I am lesbian and all of this stuff, I guess I have to find a way to bring those in the works. Not necessarily, because I think sometimes it hinders the work, but those themes find themselves in the paintings. I guess this also goes with avoiding political themes, although I guess being a black body there is a sense

that politics will follow you wherever you go. There’s nothing you can do about that. But how can I escape that just for a little while and carve my own ideas about the world, carve my own identity.’

In her work Newtown, Hwami urges the viewer to think simultaneously of place and place-naming through her use of a map, framed within a pink border. Two female figures are presented centrally, one standing holding a cigarette while the other is seated. If you look closely, there is a photograph layered in the background of two men in front of a home. As the photograph is replicated, it becomes more distorted and disappears behind the two women. As viewers, we are unsure of the relationship between the women. However, Hwami captures the joy they share and leaves us to create our own conclusion. In the final work of the exhibition, Speaking in Tongues, Hwami shows a clustering of small canvases to create a larger work on the back wall. The small works portray people, cows, chickens, plants, and deities in inverted colours which draws possible connections to ritualistic practice. In her interview, Hwami expands on her use of small works as a way of inviting the viewer in. For her, the small works connect to the digital age and social media platforms, the same way Tumblr and Instagram contribute to the dissemination of images and the normalized action of swiping through content in search of the next image.

Overall, it is an excellent show that uniquely encapsulates the themes of family, nature, and consumerism and is definitely worth the trip to Vauxhaull.

Hwami’s oil painting ‘Newtown’ features two female figures whose relationship we are unsure of. The piece explores the past, present and future with slick elegance. (Credit: Work by ZudzanaiViolet Hwami, photographed by Andy Keate)

RSC’s Taming of the Shrew subverts gender roles

Josh Mock, BA Arabic and Persian Each year I look forward to the winter RSC Shakespeare productions at the Barbican, and this year I was not disappointed.

Petrucia and Katherine (Credit: Royal Shakespeare Company)

20

With each performance offering 20 £5 tickets to 18-25 year-olds, I struggle to think of many reasons why young people shouldn’t go and hear some of the greatest stories ever told by the Bard. With the powerful messages portrayed in Justin Aubert’s gender-flipped interpretation of Taming of the Shrew, it is even more important that young people go to see this fantastic production.

In a subversive reinterpretation of the 16th-century work, women take the main roles of Shakespeare’s play about power, patriarchy, and control. The central character, Petruchia (renamed from the original Petruchio and played by Claire Price), tames and abuses her husband Katherine (whose name remains intact), played by Joseph Arkley, into doing her bidding. Two bachelorettes, Lucentia and Baptista, played by Emily Johnstone and Amanda Harris respectively, fight over Katherine’s younger brother Bianco - a rather submissive and unassuming figure played by James Cooney. The matriarchal reimagining of 1590’s Italy in this production and the objectification of male characters mirrors the way the patriarchy functions, leaving men squirming in their seats. What struck me most was that Petruchia’s degrading and abusive treatment of Kate stayed behind closed

doors while her friends praised her for getting her husband in line. It reminded me of figures like R Kelly, Harvey Weinstein and Bill Crosby who were revered as public idols while they assaulted and abused countless women out of the public view. This subversion of gender roles on stage forces the crowd to reflect on the power men hold in society and the ways that this has been abused countless times; this adaptation is both timely and pertinent to our current #MeToo culture.

The performance also accommodated several actors with access requirements. Biondella, played by Amy Trigg, was a wheelchair user and was not held back in the slightest by the staging. A whole scene involving Curtis, played by deaf actor, Charlotte Arrowsmith, was partly in sign language. At first, I found this slightly alienating for those of us who do not understand sign language. Nonetheless, I gathered that deaf people must also find many areas of entertainment and society alienating as they are unable to comprehend due to a lack of accommodation. Perhaps this was a point the RSC wanted to make, and I did not mind when I considered this. Ultimately, Shakespeare’s words are equally as poetic and beautiful in sign language as they are spoken.

The production should also be praised for

its artistic and visual achievements too. There was impressive and atmospheric music written by Ruth Chan to accompany the acting onstage. Gorgeous costumes were designed by Hannah Clark, which even had comic aspects at times - the audience never failed to laugh at Gremia (Sophie Stanton) who seemed to float across the stage in what I can only imagine, were hidden wheels in her dress. In the background of all this were beautiful sets designed

by Stephen Brimson Lewis.

Taming of the Shrew is simultaneously hilarious and unsettling, making it a mustsee. The RSC has championed a fresh and innovative interpretation of this timeless 1590’s comedy, and at £5, I felt I got every pound’s worth out of my ticket.

Taming of the Shrew is playing until 18 January 2020 at Barbican Theatre, London.

The costumes fwere designed by Hannah Clark (Credit: @CarlySMichaela via Twitter)

WWW.SOASSPIRIT.CO.UK

Culture

6 DECEMBER 2019 Music

Creativity and catharsis come handin-hand in FKA Twigs’ ‘Magdalene’ Jasmine Hearn, BA Global Liberal Arts

Food

As the year draws to a close, FKA Twigs’ record ‘Magdalene’, released on 8 November by Young Turks record label, stands out as one of the most unique and spiritually conscious albums to come out of 2019. Twigs (Tahliah Barnett) combines innovative and slick production with lyrics that illuminate her ascension to a more self-assured woman.

The process of healing is a silvery thread woven through the album’s nine tracks, as Twigs offers an intimate reflection of her traumatic experiences with physical and mental illness. In the years that have passed since her last record (‘M3LL155X’, released in 2015) she has struggled with fibroid tumours and been forced to confront some heavy psychological issues following the conclusion of the long-term relationship. These themes have distinctly drifted to the forefront of Twigs’ consciousness, and what has come out of her experience epitomises the power of music to empower both the creator and the consumer. Eerie yet captivating, the record can be seen as a voyage through Twigs’ emotional landscapes.

As listeners, we are fascinated by the aptitude with which she combines intimacy and art-pop, spirituality and electronica.

A large part of what makes the record so distinctive is Twigs’ ability to draw on such a large number of genres. The choral acapella featured on the album’s opening track, ‘Thousand Eyes’, has a sinister yet medieval quality: the refrain, ‘it’s gonna be cold with all those eyes,’ evokes Twigs’ struggle to

come to terms with her position in the public eye. The track descends into contorted disarray, creating almost an underwater effect. Similarly, in ‘Home with You’, her vocals are distorted and husky against robotic piano chords, before the pitch and intensity rise to a disturbing crescendo of inner turmoil.

Twigs crisply cuts away to angelic acapella, ‘I didn’t know that you were lonely,’ jarringly reminding the listener of the intimacy of her past relationship. There is something tragic about the juxtaposition of the ferocity of her mental battles with her bittersweet memories of affection.

Meanwhile, Twigs’ reflection on her recovery process frames the album as she projects light onto her experience with depression. Achingly honest ‘Daybed’ illustrates the haziness and immobility of mental illness from the perspective of Twigs, possessed by her living room furniture, day by sluggish day. Parallel to her experience with mental illness is her recovery from the surgery she underwent in December 2017. She describes her experience as ‘living with a fruit bowl of pain’, likening the size of the tumours to ‘two cooking apples, three kiwis, and a couple of strawberries’. Indeed, this image finds a place in the album’s lyrics as she evokes ‘apples, cherries, pain / Breathe in, breathe out, pain’ in ‘Home with You’. Yet, crucially, Twigs also associates this image with the reclamation of her body and sexuality: ‘Taste the fruit of me / Make love to all you see.’ This triumph of confidence and inner power over pain and discomfort is what characterises the album.

‘Magdalene’ is exceptional in its sonic quality; there is nothing else on the music scene right now that sounds quite like it.

Commendably innovative, FKA Twigs’ ‘Magdalene’ is adorned with aural experiments and quirks (Credit: Young Turks)

The use of sound is daringly experimental: it is harsh, metallic, and even post-apocalyptic at points, whilst her deft overlay of tender, candid lyrics remind us of her identity. Yet despite its eccentric aural quality, the album is by no means uncomfortable to listen to. ‘Magdalene’ is a fascinating exploration of Twigs coming to terms with finding power in her femininity, sexuality, and psychology. She is, once again, a pioneer of the parallel processes of creativity and catharsis.

Vegetarian Turkish Menemen Recipe

Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 25 minutes Portion size: 2 person

INGREDIENTS 2 tablespoons olive oil ½ onion, finely chopped (optional) 2 peppers, chopped 1 tin chopped tomatoes or canned tomatoes 4 cloves garlic, sliced (optional) 1 green onion, ½ for cooking and ½ for the garnish ½ teaspoon salt Cinnamon Smoked paprika Cumin Ground coriander 3 free-range eggs ¼ teaspoon black pepper Mint leaves for garnish

WWW.SOASSPIRIT.CO.UK

Menem is the perfect student meal - quick, tasty, and affordable (Credit: Yousef via GiveRecipe.com)

METHOD Heat olive oil in a pan, preferably an iron cast. Add in chopped onion and green peppers, saute until brown.

Add spices: chilli powder, cinnamon, smoked paprika, cumin, and ground coriander.

Add in tomatoes, garlic and green onions, let it simmer for 10-15 minutes stirring frequently until it thickens. Sprinkle salt over it.

Using a spoon make rooms for each egg and break eggs into those hollows. Let it simmer uncovered until the eggs are slightly cooked for 8-10 minutes. Help egg whites cook well with a spoon. If you like the yolks hard, cook longer.

Sprinkle ground black pepper over it.

Garnish with chopped green onion and mint leaves. Serve in the pan.

21

6 DECEMBER 2019

Sport & Societies

https://soasspirit.co.uk/category/societiesandsport/ Sport & Societies Editor: Rami Shamel

Mental Health in and beyond the MENA region Noor El Huda A. Bashir, BA MIddle Eastern Studies The ‘M-H’ word: a tricky topic in the most liberal and open of places and a generally unspoken taboo in the MENA region. Often shrugged off as a lack of prayer, a lapse of devotion, a sickness or even- in some rare cases- possession.

Mental health issues are considered a social death sentence in much of the Middle East and North Africa. The genesis of this general attitude is extensive and covers a wide range of social, political and economic factors, but harder than pinpointing the exact conception of the MENA vs mental health debacle, is moving forward and tackling the generational trauma and repressed internal struggle that exists within so many members of this community.

The Arab Youth Survey 2019 carried out by Asda’a BCW, showed mental illness to be a widespread concern among young people in the Middle East and North Africa. Worryingly, less than half of those who took part (men and women aged 18-24) said they would seek professional help if they were suffering from a psychological disorder. Fadwa Lkorchy, a psychologist at the Dubai-based German Neuroscience Centre, explains that “the Arab population is plagued by issues that are no different from any other population in the world: depression, anxiety, eating disorders, addiction, suicide, selfmutilation, post-traumatic disorders and mood disorders. The difference now is that the Arab world is willing to admit the problem.” It is this changed attitude that Lkorchy mentions

that requires our attention here. With the imminent hand over of power to the next generation, the youth of the arab world show promise in making major advances in regard to mental health awareness.

So, the question remains: what can be done? Speaking as an outsider, although of Arab descent, it would be infantilising to make suggestions to the people of the region of how best they could solve their issues. However, that being said there are things that can be done within the vast communities of MENA immigrants abroad, the primary focus being education. Education and awareness are the first hurdles, once people are aware of an issue, they are ready to tackle it.

Furthermore, for members of the community who live with issues of mental health and psychological disorders, having increased awareness creates a safe space in which they are able to find more people they can relate to and in whom they can confide. Following from this, engagement is necessary. Education is all well and good but unless it is engaged with it is simply memorisation. We can attempt to engage with what we learn by starting a dialogue around the topic, encouraging openness and starting a discussion that will go on through the generations, equipping the members of the MENA community abroad with the knowledge and experience to ensure that the oversights of the generations before us are not repeated.

At the end of my first year, as I was looking to get involved with societies, it occurred to me that there was a gap in the MENA society committee in that there was no position dedicated to mental health; and so, with a quick suggestion, the

Iraq’s Growing Mental Health Crisis (Credit: Middle East Eye)

mental health and wellbeing officer role was born and I took on the position. One of our aims as a committee is to provide a safe and open space, free of judgement and stigma for all members of the MENA region and anyone else who seeks such an environment. We will hopefully be holding many mental health focused events, facilitating discussions and generally providing end of term relief, through relaxed events for all, in our attempt to implement better mental health awareness in our society and to impact our community in a progressive and solicitous way.

The Evolution of Boxing: From Anthony Joshua to KSI Rami Shamel, BA History Known as the ‘Sweet Science’, the sport of Boxing has always been one with an epic history as old as civilization itself. Considered barbaric or brutal by some critics, boxing fans know that this sport is far from it and can be considered as eloquent as a dance and one of the most beautiful sports in the world. The sport of boxing has seen the likes of many great influencers, such as Mike Tyson and Muhammed Ali. However, the sport of boxing has taken a new leap in the modern era with YouTubers now taking to the boxing stage. On 9 November 2019, YouTube megastars KSI and Logan Paul took to the boxing ring to fight their first professional boxing fight; a night where sport and entertainment collided. With over 40 million subscribers on YouTube, the two created an even - promoted by Boxing’s leading promoter Eddie Hearn - that transformed the landscape of Boxing.

The facts and figures speak for themselves, with the fight being labelled the biggest event in YouTube history. It got millions of views worldwide and surpassed Match Rooms Boxing’s prior fight involving Anthony Joshua, previous Heavyweight champion of the world.

Despite the huge success the event received

22

(Credit: @Harry_Mansell via Twitter)

in terms of numbers and revenue, the event itself received a huge amount of boxing critics.They labelled the event a mockery of the sport. Professional boxers, alongside hardcode boxing fans, argued that the event would ruin the reputation of the sport and further

discredit the passion, desire and hard work that goes into boxing. However, not all boxers agreed with this view. In fact, many saw it as an opportunity to further gain a new following and increased fan base, as evident by the undercards on the main event, which included

professional boxer Billy Joe Saunders.

The night itself has been described a huge success for boxing in terms of the revenue received, the increased traffic, and the amount of new members signing up to watch future boxing events. Undeniably, the event has increased the number of fans now tuning in to boxing and, despite some critics still arguing against the event, a huge amount of respect is due to both fighters for entering the ring. This now poses the question of where the future of boxing lies. The paramount success of this event has resulted in a number of celebrities wanting to fight the winner, KSI, ultimately leading to potential future fights. There is indeed a huge market for such events - and in an era of social media, the limits and future of boxing can be pushed to new boundaries.

It cannot be denied that this event has definitely engaged a new target audience, as evident by the increased number of subscribers tuning in to watch the AJ and Ruiz fight in mid-December. There is, however, still a lot of heated debate surrounding this polemic topic of ‘celebrity boxing’. As for KSI and Logan Paul, the future of boxing is still to be seen, but in this day and era who knows what fight we could see next. Anything is possible…perhaps even a KSI and Mayweather fight…

On second thoughts maybe not anything.

WWW.SOASSPIRIT.CO.UK

Sport & Societies

6 DECEMBER 2019

Fighting the Stigma Against Women’s Football Samia Abdurahman, BSc Economics Sexism still exists in the world of football and there is indeed a stigma surrounding women in sport. As a budding footballer, I myself have experinced the constant shock of people when they see a black and muslim female playing football.

However, women’s football has come a long way despite receiving little news coverage and attention, to now having over 1.12 billion viewers watching the Women’s World Cup in 2019. The Women’s World Cup exceeded expectations smashing records with over a billion views, showcasing that football is now entering a new era in the women’s game.

Indeed, more recognition of women’s football needs to be seen in the media to tackle the stigma that women are not good enough or tough enough to participate in the sport. The gender inequality needs to come to an end. Despite this there is still a stigma surrounding women’s football, which needs to be eradicated and is still an issue being tackled today.

There have been many amazing success stories within women’s football, however to no surprise such achievements have received no media coverage. In addition to this, women footballers face unequal pay, despite the 2017 agreement to bump women’s pay up, it is still far from equal. The football association figures show that there is a 23.2% gap between men and women footballers. This pay gap is simply due to being a woman, which shouldnt exist in 2019. Megan Rapinoe has been trying to tackle this stigma by calling on them to “fight like hell” until they achieve equal pay. Attitudes like this will help remove and tackle the stigma surrounding women’s football. The rise of women’s clubs has also helped in making football more accessible. These are positive changes which will help to normalise women playing football.

Alongside the sexism, women in football are also having to deal with racial and religious discriminations.The rise of

Women’s World Cup 2019 (Credit: Wikimedia Comm)

racial abuse towards players has increased dramatically. One recent example was where Renee Hector, a talented defender for Tottenham Hotspur womens was racially abused by opponent, Sophie Jones of Sheffield United, making monkey noises at her . Despite the FA taking charge and fining the opponent 200 pounds alongside a five-match ban, the punishments and consequences need to be more severe as it is clear that their current responses are simply not enough. As a black muslim women playing football, l have faced barriers due to my religion. My decision to wear trousers instead of shorts has been

frowned and questioned upon by referees and has even gone as far as potential disqualification. However, there is a reise of clubs that promote diversity. NUR WFC is the club I play for which allows women, like myself, to wear what they’re comfortable in and creates a safe environment where women can express their passion for football. It has given me and other women the confidence to not doubt our abilities despite having the rest of society against us. These are positive changes which will help eradicate sexisim in football or any other form of discrimination.

Unsung Heroes: Paralympic Athletes Milad Abdelhay, LLM Law Historically, the Paralympic games have always been overlooked in the shadow of the Olympics in previous years.

However, in recent times interest in the Paralympic games seems to be growing and the amazing achievements of such brave individuals are being celebrated globally. The rise in popularity is evident through stories of sporting stars; Melissa Stockwell, competing in the para-triathlon, and McKenna Dahl, in the sport of shooting. Statistics show this rise with an increase from 400 participants in Rome 1960, to over 4,000 from 159 countries in the 2016 Rio games.

Melissa Stockwell, a former US soldier who unfortunately lost her left leg as a result of a home-made IED in Iraq, went on to represent the United States of America in swimming at 2008 Paralympics. She won three world championships in a para-triathlon and was crowned bronze medallist at the 2016 Rio Paralympics. Stockwell is training hard in an attempt to win a gold medal at the upcoming 2020 Tokyo games to further increase her already long list of incredible achievements. She seeks to inspire the up and coming generation

WWW.SOASSPIRIT.CO.UK

of Paralympic athletes. In an interview with BBC Sport she says, “Maybe there’s a 10-year old girl who just lost her leg and doesn’t know what she can do with her life and she turns on the TV or looks on her phone and says ‘look at this girl, she’s just like me, if she can do that, I can do it as well’.

The second inspiration taking Paralympics to worldwide prominence is McKenna Dahl. Her parents were informed, prior to her birth, that she would be physically incapacitated with regard to; walking, talking, and competing with her fellow age mates. Despite this, she pursued her passion in shooting, culminating in her becoming an American Olympic bronze medallist in R5 10 metre Air rifle shooting. She is also the first US woman to win a Paralympic shooting medal. But her journey and desire for success does not end there. With similar aspirations to Stockwell, Dahl is competing to achieve the prestigious Gold medal at the Tokyo games.

These inspiring and successful stories have seen the expansion of the British Paralympic Association welcoming its latest partner, the Dwarf Sports Association UK. This shows the rising opportunities within the Paralympics and the inclusion of grass roots sports for athletes with disabilities on the global stage.

Melissa Stockwell, Paralymic medalist (Credit: US weekly)

23

Sport & Societies

6 DECEMBER 2019

Join your student-run newspaper!

Interested in journalism, writing, design, or photography? Want to gain valuable experience to pursue a career in the media or publishing?

Want to express your opinions?

Email spirit@soas.ac.uk to find out about your student-run newspaper!

The SOAS Spirit is your independent student-run newspaper; an on campus presence since 1936.

We publish monthly throughout the term.

We have opportunities to join our team as a writer, photographer, and much more

: @soasspirit

SOAS SPIRIT