And so, once more, the sheikhs and their followers are invoking apocalyptic traditions; the events of the day, they tell us, are the certain fulfillment of prophesy. And so it seems, unless we put our cultural amnesia aside to recall the history of these sacred precincts. So it seems if we forget that a group …
It’s wonderful that everyone is saying that Jeremy Corbyn has the full support of Labour party members. My question is how he will appeal to people like me who are not party members, who want to see a strong, effective opposition capable of holding an increasingly right wing and vindictive government to account.
With regards to the EU Referendum, I am not heavily invested in either camp, whether Leave or Remain. In truth I resent being forced to make a decision, simply to resolve an internal dispute within a political party; I’d rather I hadn’t been asked to take a stance on an issue so far beyond my pay grade. In the end, …
Over the past month we have leapt from one crisis to another, the last one to occupy us so easily forgotten. Life is unpredictable. Our reaction to the unfolding events alone remain under our control. Navigating the chaos and confusion is an art form.
In the analysis of what happened in the EU Referendum a few days ago, there have been a few articles now contrasting Hull with Hampstead — or whichever metropolitan centre that can lazily be caricatured as the realm of latte-sipping, Waitrose customers and Guardian readers. For in journalism Hull is always the land that time forgot. Journalism does …
I am being interrogated by a child at the mosque. Are you English? Why are you here? How can you be Muslim if you’re English, it doesn’t make sense? I think you’re a Patan. Are you a Patan? What does English Muslim even mean? You mean a Muslim who speaks English? Are you sure you’re …
If you need proof what a dirty realm politics is, just check out the way Cameron’s friends and allies are talking about him today. Murdoch has turned on him. His advisers are twisting the knife in radio phone ins. With friends like these, who needs enemies?
Jeremy Corbyn seems like an extremely nice man. He is like the Rowan Williams of politics. But if we are now hurtling towards the most right wing government in recent times, as I fear we are, the country is going to need an effective opposition that can robustly counter its excesses, extremes and flagrant disregard …
“It’s political correctness gone mad” is generally shorthand for “I don’t believe in fairness and decency.”
It is interesting that our Book often contradicts or conflicts with ideas and beliefs that we are taught are part of our tradition, and yet we will zealously defend those ideas and beliefs regardless, convincing ourselves that our orthodoxies have priority over Verses clear and true. We’d rather put the Book to one side than …
Scare stories about the anti-Muslim views of Slovakia’s Prime Minister (said to be the next EU President) are doing the rounds. Please note that the European Council President (currently held by Donald Tusk) and the EU Council Presidency are not the same thing. Slovakia will be taking up the latter shortly, a role which lasts …
We’re all multi-faceted, and how we present ourselves online or in writing is as much a part of our personality as our “reality” offline. Many of us just sink out in the “real world”. In social gatherings, we get lost in the crowd, driven to silence: our words disappear beneath the chatter, words stutter from …
“Heavy physical work, the care of home and children, petty quarrels with neighbours, films, football, beer, and above all, gambling filled up the horizon of their minds. To keep them in control was not difficult… All that was required of them was a primitive patriotism which could be appealed to whenever it was necessary to …
Look what we have in common… An unwavering belief in conspiracy theories… patriotic, oppressed, far-right white people everywhere are convinced that the murder of Jo Cox is a False Flag operation, created to derail the Leave campaign. An unwavering belief that the Mainstream Media is biased… every true patriot knows it to be anti-white and …
In the future, I presume, we will be whipped into unrelenting hysteria about robots and computers taking our jobs. Self-service checkouts at the supermarket and library are only a sign of things to come. But for now xenophobia will have to do.
