#the british education system folks

[laurenfoxmakesthings]

So, I've started reading the first book in Adam Diment's spy series. I mean, after hearing about the author's story, I was pretty damn curious. And, well...very 'everyone's felt that before, right?'.

[justalittlesolarpunk]

Hey, so, if you didn’t know, there are legit racist pogroms happening in the UK, primarily targeting Muslim and South Asian communities especially refugees and immigrants. So for those of you who, like me, have the misfortune to live on rainy fascist island, and might want to help, here’s my list of advice. If any of this is unhelpful, POC please feel free to correct me as I want to be as accurate and useful as possible.

Disclaimer: this is written from my perspective as a white person with full citizenship. Asylum seekers and communities of colour don’t need my advice, and know best what they need and how to practice their own care and mutual aid. This is for people not directly targeted by the riots who want to show solidarity. So,

1) listen to those most impacted and be led by their needs and wants.

2) if there’s disorder going on in your local area, mobilise with other anti-fascists to outnumber and counterprotest the rioters so they can’t attack individuals or institutions trying to help migrants or local minority communities

3) similarly, volunteer on local cleanup and donations if places like Mosques, libraries, advice bureaus or refugee housing is targeted where you live

4) join a local mutual aid network to build cohesion and solidarity in your community and be able to respond rapidly to evolving emergency situations

5) donate money to charities or organisations that work to protect and care for immigrants, refugees, religious minorities and people of colour in the UK

6) learn street first aid, including how to help someone after an acid attack

7) write to your MP, mayor and councillors and ask them to stand up vocally against racism and to take action to stamp out fascism in your community. Arrange a meeting to discuss your concerns if possible

8) donate blood in anticipation of further violence

9) don’t be a bystander if you see individual hate incidents, there have been repeated cases of lone POC being cornered by racist mobs. Be ready to step in or seek help but don’t make stupid decisions that will just put the person (or you!) in further danger

10) make an effort to educate yourself more on other cultures and spend time with neighbours who come from a different background than you

11) learn about systemic racism and the legacy of fascism and colonialism that has made the UK the kind of place where this happens

12) this is also about your own safety, but put together a go bag and have an evacuation plan for you and your family/friends/neighbours in case of local violence

13) organise a solidarity rally in your town

14) argue with your racist relatives, have difficult conversations, hold them to account and make it crystal clear that these attitudes and behaviours are absolutely unacceptable

15) send complaints in to media outlets when they refer inaccurately to ‘protests’, ‘anti-immigration rallies’, ‘pro-British groups’ and ‘legitimate concerns’, when discussing fascist pogroms, or when they imply communities of colour organising in self-defence is equally dangerous and violent

16) check in with your friends who are more likely to be targeted and offer to help in any way that’s useful, but understand they might just want time and space to process and for you to leave them alone

17) donate money to the effort to rebuild Spellow library

18) carry a spare scarf or jumper to offer to any hijabis who might have their hijab torn off

That’s everything I can think of. Let me know if you can think of anything else or if any of these suggestions aren’t useful. Stay safe out there folks, solidarity with POC and as ever, fuck the fash.

[thedreadvampy]

I think there's a huge gap in language when talking about British legislative and social racism bc some of the most overt and unchallenged legislative racism lately is against GRT people and a lot of countries (especially America) do not use the term GRT.

The G in GRT stands for Gypsy (using this bc it's as-self-described, like it's the term the British GRT community uses often) and bc this is for a lot of people exclusively a slur and bc it has a lot of historical weight, people will often object to use of the expanded acronym slash try to correct it to Roma or Rroma.

But the GRT community as a political class and as a group subject to racism includes, but is not synonymous with, Roma, cause it also includes Irish Travelers (who are another large nomadic minority ethnic group, aka Pavee), Scottish, English and Welsh Travelers (a mix of indigenous nomadic groups), and other nomadic peoples in Britain.

In some, but not all, contexts, GRT also includes non-ethnic nomadic communities: New Age Travelers (people living nomadic lifestyles by choice - full-time caravanners or van lifers), Bargees (people living full time in canal boats) and showmen (traveling funfairs and circuses). Not being a specific ethnicity, New Agers and Showmen have a different relationship to racism and marginalisation than Roma and Travelers (a settled Roma or Traveler family are still Roma or Traveler, it's not just a question of lifestyle and community) but obviously anti-Traveler legislation and bias harms everyone living nomadically.

I think (and I'm not GRT and my thoughts should be taken with a truckload of salt, I just feel like it's worth explaining what the terminology actually means) that a lot of the nuance around GRT identity is kind of lost in transnational discourse (particularly with Americans) because. the G bit of GRT has been used as a blanket term for hundreds of years to refer to multiple groups of nomadic peoples in Europe and so there are ethnocultural groups included under that term who aren't Roma but also are GRT and are racialised as GRT.

People racialised within the GRT community (as Roma or Travelers) experience way higher rates of social and economic exclusion than any other ethnogroups in the UK, including if they're settled (living in brick-and-mortar housing, which around 75% of people recorded as GRT do).

Both Roma and Traveler kids are systemically excluded from education (Gypsy/Roma kids are 6x more likely to be suspended from school and 7x as likely to be expelled than the national average, and Traveler kids aren't much better off (4x more likely than average to be suspended and 5x as likely to be expelled)). GRT people face systemic employment discrimination, being 6x more likely than average to be long term unemployed and 1/4 as likely to be offered high-level or management positions. GRT folk have the worst health outcomes of any ethnic group, and consistently report high levels of medical discrimination and trouble accessing healthcare. As a result, GRT infant mortality and maternal death is way higher than average, and GRT life expectancy is 10+ years shorter than average. GRT communities are disproportionately criminalised, settled GRT families have spoken often about having been treated as inherently suspicious on the basis of their ethnicity.

A lot of people write these issues off as being, like, a product of a nomadic/no-fixed-address lifestyle, but a) it's a problem with the system if our social care systems don't account for the fact that some people are nomadic, itinerant or have no fixed address. there is no reason why nomadic life needs to be more dangerous or excluded than settled. but also b) as stated a majority of GRT people included in these figures do have fixed addresses. it is just racism.

Homelessness is also a huge problem in the community, with many landowners refusing to rent land to Travellers, residential camping berths being oversubscribed by something like 10,000%, and significant difficulty accessing affordable housing. The land which is available to Traveling communities is increasingly ringfenced, often specifically with the intention of discouraging nomadic communities.

given that it is. racism. with an exceptionally long and brutal history of genocide, criminalisation and systemic social exclusion. it is also striking how often open, sometimes genocidal, racism against GRT people is handwaved or accepted as normal. anti-GRT legislation is explicitly passed on the regular. people are incredibly comfortable referring to all GRT people as thieves, scroungers, criminals and frauds. I have had literal circular mailings offering to "remove vermin, pests and Gypsies from your land." and yet calling this racism is often treated as an overstatement. Even though it's explicitly ethnically-driven bias, and has deeply entrenched social impacts affecting everyone racialised as GRT regardless of cultural behaviour or lifestyle.

anyway that's what GRT means, it stands for Gypsy/Roma/Traveller and it's an extremely underserved and marginalised racialised group in the UK and Europe. It includes Romani ethnic groups, but also includes non-Roma ethnic groups (like the Pavee) and Roma subgroups (like Sinti). They're united by a common experience of anti-nomadic racism, criminalisation and social exclusion and, as an aggregate group, are consistently among the most directly disadvantaged racial groups in the UK.

[possiblyunhinged]

The majority of ruling-class folks have the same disdain for normal people that Rishi Sunak has illustrated since letting his mask slip.

In their education, they are taught that they are simply better, more intelligent, and more capable than 'normal' people. They are taught that they deserve wealth and privilege. There is no room they don't belong in, no subject they are not equipped to talk about.

They are taught audacity.

In my opinion, anyway.

However, one thing that always strikes me is that privileged folk seldom get more angry than when the topic of private education is brought up. In fact, as soon as you mention it, it feels like they're waiting in the wings to roll their bell sleeves up and scream 'the politics of envy' into your face.

This conversation summarises the class divide in this country, which is so entrenched in our history and the systems that govern us that it will never change.

There is little that the middle class fears more than losing access to the world they know is easier. They would lose their seat to get glimpses of the ultra-privileged worlds they deeply desire to be a part of. Getting your kids into private education is a cheat code to brush shoulders with a class of people this country was built for.

I just think they know how bad it is for us, frankly. Instead of wanting to live in a changed world, they are far too concerned about losing their proximity to privilege and fearful of being seen as and treated like normal folk.

Anyway, here's my unhinged thoughts on the British class system again hehe. Eat the rich sweet peas, chomp chomp xoxo

[everything-is-crab]

:))

This is what I meant when I said both rightoids and liberals in India are equally dumb as fuck. Both are pro imperialists. She's not even lower caste and yet she's speaking on behalf of us. I have seen this trend in a lot of "anticasteist" upper caste women (who unfortunately have more voices than people like me, actually women from oppressed castes).

How are these people different from the white supremacists who say brown people are intellectually and socially inferior?

"At least the goras let us have meat" oh okay we're gonna ignore the 3 million lives lost in Bengal famine caused by Churchill's policies (after which he blamed it on us instead of his own greediness). Did he let those people eat meat then? Unhinged shit. They wouldn't let people fill their bellies cause sometimes instead of food crops they wanted our ancestors to grow cotton, indigo, spices, tea. Which also left areas prone to land disasters. Commercial stuff that they could sell at much cheaper prices in their own countries and others in the Western world as well. Also levied extremely unreasonably high taxes. Leaving us with no money. Delusional world these middle/upper class liberals live in where the British let us have meat. They didn't even let us have rice.

The British protected the caste system. Read Sharmila Rege's work about how the British introduced the process of "Brahmanisation" in colonial India.

This is the exact thing Hindu nationalists are doing rn! And have been doing forever! Protecting Western imperialists! Why do you think Modi is bootlicking the US so much? Do you think the farmers' protests and the after effects of globalization after 1991 are disconnected from Western imperialism?

Just because nationalists claim to be against white dominance doesn't mean they practice what they preach.

And this folks is why you need to incorporate class and gender in your analysis and not read about the work of only the middle class men of a community :)

Women and poor people matter too.

But unfortunately many earlier anti caste activists who were middle or upper class were anti Marxists and only later few like the Dalit Panthers and R.B More realized the importance of Marxist analysis for understanding modern caste based oppression more. Yes many Indian Marxists ignored casteism. But that does not mean we must dispose it as a useless theory.

But who tf cares about the Dalit Panthers or anyone else? Have you even heard of any other names that aren't Phule or Ambedka? Everyone followed and still follow people like Periyar, Ambedkar, Phule who were all from relatively well off family. And why will people who uncritically follow these people not think colonization was as bad? All of them attended British school and went for higher studies as well. The British was staunchly anti communist. They constantly resisted communist activists in colonial India. This is a privilege even today many people from oppressed castes cannot enjoy.

I have seen all these upper caste women, ignore people like me pointing this out. They think we're against education of oppressed castes (why would I advocate that for my own community?). But rather we take issue to these men ignoring their economic and male privilege and speaking on behalf of all of us.

A reminder that Periyar criminalized devadasis and read Ambedkar's arguments against Hindutva solutions to the Partition (hint: he cared more about the money that could be wasted in missionaries rather than the violence and human rights and unironically called Muslim people "tyrannical" and referred to "Muslim oppression" on Hindus). He was anti casteist, but he was Islamophobic.

To avoid with this kind of thinking, follow Dalit feminist theory. Dalit femininism from its inception has been pro Marxist (cause women make most of poor here). And they explain the effects of colonization on lower caste women (how the British introduced evidence act, a law that justified rape against lower caste women and let me remind you gang rape of lower caste women by upper caste men is a national issue. Ex the Manipur case, the rape of Phoolan Devi, the Hathras case etc). And how dowry (that earlier used to be a practice mainly amongst upper castes was now becoming dominant in lower castes as well due to capitalization of economy during colonial era). Maybe then you will understand why the British abolished sati but not any temple prostitution or other issues faced exclusively by women from oppressed castes. In fact they called upper caste women those who deserve to be protected but lower caste women were inherently deviant in their justification. But please go ahead and argue how imperialism brings "good things" sometimes.

Just read about caste reformation during colonial era. The choice isn't between hindutva and colonial era. The choice is between hindutva and hindutva along with colonial rule. Why do most liberals pretend the British never favored the Brahmins over everybody else?

White supremacy is so much better than Hindu supremacy for women of lower castes am I right guys?

This is so much better?

Also reminded of the "breast cloth" controversy. Do not mistake that anti caste activism is always anti caste for both Dalit men and women. Sometimes it favors Dalit men. And oppresses Dalit women further. Cause usually the colonizers never cared about oppressed castes but when they did, it was only for the men.

Ik many upper caste Marxists are not good at anti caste politics but I cannot separate Marxism from my anti caste or feminist politics. And as a Marxist from a formerly colonized country, I cannot ignore the imperial divide between the West (that is white dominated) and the global south (that includes India). You cannot separate the conditions of brown and black people today in the global south from the past dynamics of the colonizer and the colonized.

Lower caste women are obviously very poor. The poorest of all with least social protection. These upper caste women can sit on their asses and write papers and blogs on how much white supremacy was much cooler. But the ones from oppressed castes and working class? They don't have this privilege. They have the same burden of upper caste women related to marriage and domestic work and everything. But on top of that they have to do labor as well. And after globalization, when condition of "blue collar jobs" degraded (wages lowered, subsidies cut, worker protection rights gone etc) , the percentage of women in these fields increased. That's not a coincidence. Men always force women into lower earning occupations that have little job security. I am not gonna ignore this.

Fuck Hindutva. But fuck white supremacy too. For me neither is better. Both go hand in hand in fact. Look at the Hindu nationalists in France allying with white supremacists over shared conservative interests.

[beesbeesdragons]

hi!! i know you love history so i wanted to ask if you want to share any special cultural headcanons about amestris that are inspired by the historical setting? i know that’s a super broad question but hopefully it makes sense :)

YESSSSS!!!!

ok first! Amestris is a military dictatorship, so it makes sense that it would have restrictions on certain activities or things such as education and the entertainment industry (film, radio, music, etc etc). it probably also has censorship, both in news but also in actual letter writing. i'm exploring the topic of censorship in From The Desk of Dorothy Mustang a bit, both in the media (specifically radio) and in letters.

second!!! fashion!!! Amestris is definitely the kind of country where you don't waste materials, not if you can avoid it. hence, most of their fashion styles are rooted in practicality. in my fics, i'm writing them as having 1940s fashion, so utility suits, patching clothes, revamping old out-of-fashion clothes, carpetbags, etc. Ngl will probably end up posting a work specifically about my research and with visual inspiration for the clothing i mention.

third, food. Amestris doesn't...have the best trade relation with most of its neighbours. hence, there's probably a fairly limited amount of 'exotic' foods, and it's probably SUPER expensive or limited to the military. You might notice later in my fics that the only sweets they really mention are all hard candies, such as rock or candy drops. They don't have chocolate, and probably not 'tropical' fruits like pineapple, banana and mango. This would affect the kinds of food people eat; most people would eat offal because it's cheap and you can get creative with it. for farmers or the folks in towns like Resembool, they probably all have small veggie patches and maybe chickens. Almost everyone in towns like Resembool would also know how to pluck a chicken, how to make sausages, etc. Just practical skills, you know?

Fourth, they definitely have some sort of 'youth group', similar to scouts. Gotta get the kids involved, right? it'd provide practical skills, for girls probably homemaking skills such as sewing, darning clothes, cooking, etc. It has the added bonus of, should Amestris be invaded or at war, they have an easy way of sending messages! (that is based off how the British army used girl guides as messengers during WW1 because boy scouts were considered too unruly). This also loops back to the control the military has on education; they control the curriculum, the examinations, the entire education system.

that's all for now but I have more!!!!!

[astarab1aze]

Belegerande's School & (some of) Belle Valley

Nestled in the expansive and nebulous American South lies Belegerande’s School for the Arcane, a well-respected magical institution focusing on the education and behavioral correction of sorcerous beings, operating as what magicless folk might call an alternative school. In effect, Belegerande’s curriculum focuses on exposure to all things dark and terrible, for they believe a student can only become a well-rounded sorcerer if they are knowledgeable in all fields of sorcery and, therefore, capable of defending or dismantling offensive and dangerous magic. It was built by the fretfully late Alistair Belegerande in the late 15th century, following a schism between his party of disaffected sorcerers and the British and French Crowns, all in search of observed freedom, flexibility, and life without the moral busybodies and foolish piety of religious folk.

Belegerande's operates on a house system, dividing its student body into multiple, diverse groups so as to promote teamwork among varying supernatural species. Houses are not divided according to personality or ambition; In fact, there are multiple factors that go into student placements, such as lineage, species, individual talent, and more. As an example, Loux, being a shapeshifter with an affinity for multishifting and offensive sorceries, would have been slotted into House Laveau; Vayn, being a vampire with especially unqiue proclivities toward herbalism and alchemy, would have been slotted into House Le Fay; and Sortia, being a witch with formiddable talents in divination and illusions, would have been sorted into House Scrivener. The fourth house is House Bell, which necromancers usually end up placed in, such as Enfurious Night.

Most other schools do not follow the house system, thinking it an antiquated and confusing practice. Instead, they tend to go by school spirit, forcibly pulling most of supernatural society away from the idea. So, Belegerande's is treated as a very well-equipped alternative school that holds a lot of sway in every aspect but this one.

Despite its current disrepaired reputation under Spira Belegerande, the school is a very prestigious institution, commanding the respect of most supernaturals throughout the supernatural world. It's praised for its dedication to a well-rounded and thorough education, but defamed for its willingness to cross boundaries and teach about even the worst forms of magic. Their belief is that the only way a supernatural can hope to be prepared to survive is if they know as much about their world as they can, from the acceptable to the forbidden, and such has proven a winning strategy over the centuries despite a few hiccups. Belegerande's has churned out a few of the worst and vilest supernatural beings since its establishment...

Belle Valley

Like most other places in the supernatural world, Belegerande's and the whole of Belle Valley are kept behind endlessly folded layers of wrinkled time, charmed and manipulated by sorcery in an effort to keep all things supernatural hidden from the mundande masses. It is unwise to hang about in the open as the non-magic population is split on its beliefs of the supernatural and arcane alike, so long-standing locations such as Belle's Hollow, Altus, Monroe, Salem's Crossing, etc. are hidden away in equal measures of tenacity and enchantment.

Any non-magic entity attempting to enter explicitly magical places inhabited by supernaturals will be easily redirected via GPS to non-magic locations. As the supernatural world works in conjunction with the United States Department of Regulatory Sorceries, a secret arm of the US government, this process of redirection is more or less seamless. Unless said non-magic entity already knows what they're looking for, they will be unable to find magical locations outside of the purview of places like Belegerande's.

Belle Valley is, with that said, located at the junction of multiple Crossroads; An impossible series of lay lines stitching pieces of Louisiana, Alabama, Texas, and Mississippi together.

Places to Check Out in Belle Valley (i went full corny on this)

Belle's Hollow, the bustling town just outside of Belegerande's

The Raven & the Writing Desk, the popular antiques shop run by C. Montgomery

Forgotten Lore, this bookstore has every tome, scroll, or book you'd ever need

The Twisted Knot, local staves & wands shop

The Witch's Kris, local athame & ritual dagger smith

Ambiance Noir, gothic Cajun bistro

SpeedTrap Broom & Supply, enchanted broom and care shop

The Bearded Lady's Parlor Esthetica, local beauty, supply, and personal care shop

Cloak & Dagger, apparel shop

Viri's Flytrap, local herbalist & apothecary

The Night Shoppe, the Night family's necromantic supply shop

Pot & Kettle's, alchimcal supply store

Simone's, a coffee and tea shop owned and operated by Simone Belegerande

The Gothic Theater, a performing arts theater for plays, dances, musical performances, magical performances, etc.

Callahan's Familiar Supply, feed & supply store for familiars and beasts

The Chugging Serpent, riverboat cruises & ferry rides run by Althea Wildebrand

Bloody Mary's, the local bar run by Mary Bloomwood

Gildebanque's, local bank run by the Gilde family

The Magic Mailbox, local package & mail service (arm of the USPS)

The Packhouse - West, gathering hub for shapeshifters

Luckshot's Diner, local restaurant run by former racing champion Luckshot

Altus, another town one can reach by taking the ferry

Monroe, another town one can reach by following the Mirewood Crossings

[gretchensinister]

Book Recommendations 2023!

Hello from someone who read 111 books this year! Time for favorites and recommendations!

Favorites:

Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution by R. F. Kuang: I read this back in January 2023 and when I did I was like, “Did I read my favorite book of the year already in January?” Well, I did. In a world where the British Empire solidifies its power with silver infused with magic based on translation, a Chinese boy becomes an Oxford student and then has to decide what he’s going to do in the face of this system. Absolutely fantastic. (Also scratches that “school story + magic” itch that we’re all supposed to pretend we never liked.)

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik: This one was pure fun, about students in a magical school with reasons for “no adults” and “high risk of death” that I was down with for the world. Main character has been foretold to be the most powerful evil wizard in the world. She doesn’t want this.

Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson: This is a nonfiction book by a lawyer who is working against the death penalty, and I highly recommend it to everyone who wants to know more about WTF is going on in the current US criminal justice system.

Creature: Paintings, Drawings, and Reflections by Shaun Tan: Art, highly charming art of creatures and monsters.

Dealing With Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede: This is the first book of the series The Enchanted Forest Chronicles, which I loved as a child and decided to reread this year. It’s about a princess who decides to go work for a dragon as the dragon’s princess, because it’s better than being wooed by a stupid prince. Fun, earnest fantasy. Also Kazul (King of the Dragons, she/her) please call me I love you.

Translation State by Ann Leckie: Things I really liked about this were that it included people in widely varying strange situations trying to figure out their futures. And one of the people doing this was a middle-aged adult. Also involved one of those Advanced Sci-fi Intimacy situations with two other people, which I always enjoy hollering about.

Revelations by Mary Sharratt: This is a novel about Margery Kempe, a medieval mystic, her life, and her travels, taking the work of Julian of Norwich to other communities in secret. This book really stood out to me because I found it really showed a deep understanding of the era it depicts, and the characters really feel like they have the framework of their time. I’m not a medievalist but I think I have read more than average about the European middle ages and that’s what I’m basing this opinion on. I thought it was very beautiful and very human.

The Wordhord by Hana Videen: This is a nonfiction book about Old English with chapters on topics like “health and the body” “travel” “occupations” etc. The idea is to examine what we can tell about the lives of Old English speakers based on the words they had. A significant amount of Old English vocabulary is included. Made me want to start putting Old English puns in the next thing I write but maybe I recovered from that.

Other recommendations:

Jesus and John Wayne by Kristin Kobes Du Mez: Do you want to know WTF is going on with the Christian Right in the United States? This will help.

Readme.txt by Chelsea Manning: Another book that I felt helped me understand a little more of WTF is going on re: the military/security culture

The Stones are Hatching by Geraldine McCaughrean: This is a book I read as a kid and missed a lot of because I didn’t know about a lot of traditional British faeries/creatures. I think anyone interested in folk horror as a genre would have fun reading this. It didn’t go on my favorites because the main character’s older sister is treated fatphobically to a degree that taints the overall book for me.

Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots: This is a fun book about a woman who makes a living as a henchperson for supervillains. After she gets injured by a superhero, she starts analyzing the actual cost of superheroes to the world, and this work leads her to working for one of the world’s top supervillains. I think this isn’t in my favorites because...IDK, it’s like...it felt vaguely like a reply to one of tumblr’s endless writing prompt posts? It’s good, and I know I have no room to talk about the tumblr style or whatever, but there’s a certain vibe...I don’t know how to describe it. I really do still recommend it.

NOTE: Reading is my main form of entertainment. I’m not keeping up with movies, videogames, TV shows, comics, etc. I have no qualifications with these recommendations except that I am a person who read 111 books this year.

[mariammagsi]

Christmas in Pakistan

Image: Annual traditions of decorating and lighting up the Christmas tree at our family's residence in Karachi, Pakistan. © Mariam Magsi

As an immigrant from Pakistan who has called Canada home for 18 years, whenever the winter holidays come around, I am often asked the following question: Do you celebrate Christmas in Pakistan?

While some folks approach these topics through a lens of othering, others are genuinely curious to know more about my motherland and the kinds of holidays and festivities we celebrate. Despite a rising influx of influencers and white tourists flocking to various provinces of Pakistan, and with a breadth of material available online, for the most part, a lot of folks have no knowledge about the existence of non-Muslim communities in Pakistan, such as Hindu, Christian and Zoroastrian Pakistanis and how their respective religious vernacular has evolved in the region, impacted and shaped by several socio-political and cultural factors.

I must also preface this blog piece by stating, that while there are some communities, clans and families practicing pluralism and religious/cultural diversity in Pakistan, religious minorities continue to face oppression and marginalization by intolerant and hegemonic right-wing forces. I received a firsthand glimpse into this rising intolerance, when several members of my Pakistani community reached out at the end of last year to say that “Muslims should not say Merry Christmas to Christians as it is haram” (unlawful or forbidden). Because I was raised in a pluralistic household, I reject the creation of insular, exclusionary, rigid and polar worlds.

Image: One of Asia's largest bulletproof crosses, towering over Karachi's only operational Christian cemetery known as Gora Qabristan or "White man's graveyard." © Mariam Magsi

I had the unique privilege of being raised by a Punjabi mother is Punjabi and a Baloch father. They originate from entirely different provincial and cultural backgrounds, and fought very hard to transcend ethnic segregation, race and class to be together, despite several barriers. They struggled with lack of support and financial challenges, and several of their family members were vocally against their Baloch Punjabi union. Still, they persisted, and persevered. Within our home, our caregivers consisted of people from every religious background imaginable, including Hindu and Christian. As the years went by and our family grew, people from the Philippines, Bangladesh and Afghanistan also joined our home. Elders from my paternal Baloch Magsi clan also became important life guides and lived in our house with us. I was offered a healthy, robust exposure to multiple generations and their unique ways of worshiping, eating, dressing and living within the same household.

Image: My mother, siblings and I traveling through Jhal Magsi, Balochistan, the Philippines and Karachi, Pakistan with our diverse caregivers and family members. © Magsi Family Archives

My siblings and I were enrolled in a Catholic convent school nestled within a British education system. Celebrating Christmas in school was as natural as celebrating Eid. My parents shared close ties with the local and foreign Christian nuns who ran the establishment and had also forged friendships with priests in the clergy. To further illustrate this closeness, one of my sisters was even christened in the chapel at the school. There was a seamless integration of Islam with Christianity, and there was nothing abnormal about it. One could be rooted in their faith of birth, and fluid with faith-based practices. This helped us develop a flexible understanding of faith-based practices and how they are not static, but constantly evolving through contact with environmental influences and encounters.

Image: Filling out festive greeting cards to be snail mailed to my loved ones. © Mariam Magsi

The days leading up to Christmas were filled with so much excitement. A fresh stack of greeting cards was placed in front of us on the night of Christmas eve, and by the next morning the cards were filled with warm wishes in our writing, ready to be given out with gift packages to all of our loved ones. I remember visiting the local bakery to order fresh, creamy, soft-sponge cakes, crispy chicken patties and marzipans. Then we’d go to the bazaar with our mother to pick out colourful fruit baskets, festive ornaments and a Christmas tree. One year we even found fake snow that came in a can and erupted like silly string. We wore new and sparkly clothes, just like we did on Eid holidays, and made our way to St. Anthony’s church for Christmas mass with our Christian caregivers. We’d sing along with all the hymns, walk up to the priests to get communion, and then zip back around using holy water to cross ourselves. There was nothing odd or other worldly about it. I remember looking around at the congregation and noticing that there were so many people in skirts and dresses in one setting in Pakistan. The sounds of heels clicking away on the glossy floors would echo against the stained glass windows. Women would reach into their glittering, sequined purses and pull out hand-held fans to cool their sweaty brows, while using wrinkled tissue paper to blot their melting, crimson lipstick. After Christmas mass, my siblings, caregivers and I would pile up into our pick-up truck and head straight to school to wish the nuns, and distribute gifts to the clergy.

Image: A letter from our Christian Pakistani family friends, Ms Theresa and Uncle Gaspar dated November 25th, 1994. This was the first letter they mailed over to our family after their migration to Canada. © Magsi Family Archives

Late Christmas nights were usually spent with family friends Uncle Gaspar and Ms. Theresa in their apartment. The elders gathered around bottles of secretly imported brandy, rum and wine, while us kids dashed to the dessert table ornamented with some of the world’s finest homemade toffee, fudge and cakes made by Ms.Theresa, who was not only my educator, but also very close with my mother. Today, like most other Christian people in our networks, many families have migrated to Canada, UK and USA for higher income opportunities, safety and religious freedom. Many of these migrations began in the 90s and year after year, our festive celebrations and get-togethers grew smaller with more and more Christian Pakistanis leaving the country on a permanent basis.

One of my closest paternal aunts is American with Nicaraguan roots. When she arrived in Pakistan from the USA to join our family, she brought with her many American holiday traditions that became the norm in our homes over Christmas time. Every December, Chachi (paternal aunt) Carmen opened her doors to all of the family’s children for tree decoration traditions, stuffed turkey with mashed potatoes and merrymaking.

Chinese and Pinoy foods were also a regular feature on our festive dinner tables. Our primary caregiver, Ate (older sister) Flordeliza Sauza introduced us to many foods from her motherland, such as, Pancit, Chicken Adobo and Siopao, which we greatly enjoyed especially over festive, winter holidays. Though Ate Liza, as we lovingly know her, identifies as Catholic, she seamlessly adopted many Muslim faith-based practices as well. She not only prayed with us on Fridays, but she also participated in Zikr (meditative chanting of the 99 names of Allah in Arabic). On Sundays, we went to church with her.

Image: Lighting candles at an Orthodox monastery in Milton, Ontario in memory of our deceased loved ones. © Mariam Magsi

After my marriage to a person from the Balkans, my own awareness and knowledge about Christmas has expanded. After all, we were primarily exposed to Catholicism in Pakistan. Though my husband converted to Islam and now identifies as Muslim, he was born in an Orthodox Christian family, and we have chosen to carry on many of the beautiful Christmas and Easter traditions he was raised with. January 7th is Orthodox Christmas. We usually start the day by making a trip to the monastery and light candles for our deceased loved ones in honour of their memory. Traditionally, on Orthodox Christmas eve, people place “badnjak” (oak tree branches) into a fire, but because this isn’t possible in urban households, a community center or monastery is usually designated for the ritual. Of the many food traditions I have observed and adopted from my beloved’s mother, one of my favourites is hiding coins, cloves and other items in bread to signify luck, wealth and health. The bread is baked fresh, and the entire family comes around the dinner table to break into it. Everyone receives a portion of the bread, usually with a symbolic item hidden inside that will signify the trajectory of the year pertaining to health and good fortune.

Image: My beloved, Gordan Sumanski and I, celebrating Catholic and Orthodox Christmas in our home in Toronto. © Mariam Magsi

Holidays Mubarak! Merry Christmas!

Image: Allah engraved in Arabic on wood, an Orthodox crucifix rosary from Egypt and a Turkish evil eye installed on the entrance wall of our home in Toronto. © Mariam Magsi

[foolishwizard]

the real buggery of leaving the british education system as a worker is that - by design - the job leaves you with almost no time or resources available should you leave. folks get held hostage by not being able to save due to wages, or look for something new due to teaching's extraordinary time/energy commitments, or the three-month fucking notice periods.

[collymore]

Self-evidently some people are pathologically, just plain nasty!

By Stanley Collymore

There are some vile people around I know; however, don't be put off helping others because of your awful experiences with such folk as not everyone is as odiously evil and quite ungrateful as the undoubtedly aforementioned evidently are. Furthermore, in this literally, publicly reported police and court case of a British doctor, obviously of Asian ancestry having been quite violently abused, by a solitary white woman, whom he saw sitting, and seemingly unhappy, in the rain voluntarily, and quite altruistically going to her assistance and truly offering her a hot cup of tea only to be vitriolically and very noxiously racially abused by her, shouldn't I honestly believe obviously put off other ethnic minorities, or anyone, for that matter, helping others as clearly not all people, whom you can genuinely help aren't psychopathic morons who should be in mental institutions, very irrefutably so if Maggie Thatcher, and her distinctly discernibly vile short-sighted likeminded Tories hadn't financially got rid of them; or clearly if such basically transparently and effectively undeniably lowlife scum previously had not equally, escaped the   educational system, utterly completely!

(C) Stanley V. Collymore 11 August 2024.

Author's Remarks: Are you one of them? That said you evidently need the intelligence and education to simply ascertain that one. But if out rightly you state that you're not without even checking, then I promise you, most assuredly, that irrefutably, you're distinctively a first class lowlife moron!

[mbbsblogsblog]

Pursuing MBBS in Bangladesh: A Comprehensive Guide for Indian Students

The people of Bangladesh possess creative and innovative ideas. The system of education in Bangladesh is at par with the modern educational system.  Respecting your online navigation the page offers you relevant information about MBBS in Bangladesh. The top medical college in Bangladesh offer excellent education to their students. Students studying MBBS in Bangladesh acquire in-depth theoretical knowledge and excellent practical skills. For Indian MBBS aspirants Bangladesh is a safe country because it maintains proper harmony and concordance. Indian students are not required to be worried about any language barrier while studying MBBS in Bangladesh because the medium of teaching instruction is English.  For more days-to -day interaction with the people of Bangladesh, you can use Standard English language because many Bangladeshis possess the knowledge of Standard English. However, it is better to learn some common language of Bangladesh for your day-to-day communication with the folk.

MBBS in Bangladesh: Key Benefits

·         India accepts Bangladeshi MBBS as legitimate

·         In India, an MBBS degree from Bangladesh is respectable and sufficient.

·         The students become eligible to pursue their careers anywhere in the globe and are qualified for important exams such as the USMLE, PLAB, and screening evaluation overseen by the Medical Council of India (MCI).

·         MCI views the MBBS degree and further practitioner training obtained from a medical university in Bangladesh. Thus, this provides an additional incentive for understudies to study MBBS in Bangladesh.

·         Duration of MBBS in Bangladesh Including Internship

·         For international students, there is an optional one-year logbook-based rotatory internship following the five-year MBBS program in Bangladesh.

·         Since the students receive the utmost attention, they feel as though they have a sense safety. 

·         High-quality, reasonably priced accommodations and infrastructure are provided.

·         Bangladesh medical colleges produce a vast number of highly qualified medical professionals.

MBBS in Bangladesh: Job Prospective

After studying MBBS in Bangladesh students can track their professional career with great professional opportunities. Bangladesh has strict law for drugs and alcohol. Thus, Indian students can get safe and better environment for their study and maintaining a harmonious life style. Bangladeshi MBBS degrees are widely accepted for the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE). Since the MBBS curriculum in Bangladesh adheres to the Medical Council of India's (MCI) British-style study structure, many Indian physicians pass the FMGE on their first try without further instruction or coaching.

MBBS in Bangladesh at a Glance:

·         Recognition: NMC and WHO approved

·         Eligibility: 60% in PCB in aggregate

·         Course Duration: 5 yr + 1yr internship program

·         NEET Qualify               : Required

·         IELTS/ TOFEL: Nor required

·         Medium of Teaching: English

Documents Needed in Bangladesh for MBBS Admission

·         A copy of your passport

·         Ten current passport-size photos are received by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka.

·         All certificates must be officially certified by the appropriate body, such as the Ministry of Education in the issuing nation and the relevant foreign and Bangladeshi embassies located in Dhaka.

·         The selected candidates will have to provide all of their mark cards and academic credentials (transcripts in their original formats at the time of MBBS admission).

For more information about MBBS in Bangladesh contact us.

[castlebyersafterdark]

yeah i agree with romain about heartstopper!! Cos i remember seeing straight people watch call me by your name and be like ‘wow they love just like us’. And i suppose much of that may be because if some folk’s only access to queerness has been straight media (hell, even will and grace was considered risque when i was growing up), then they will have seen the vast majority of films where queer relationships were either illicit (guys stopping at gas station bathrooms or for shameful affairs to get it out of their system) or ended in tragedy (still a common experience esp for the time!)

these experiences are valid parts of being queer, but ofc theyre just the tip of the iceberg and were the only acceptable things at the time - being gay is ok to depict in film if the characters feel guilt and shame, or if they die at the end was the subliminal message.

so i think what is needed is just more queer media. More more more, where comedy and tragedy and everything in between can be told, just like it is for het relationships. The sexuality is important and the illicitness does/did exist, but what we never really saw until recently was that love beneath because basically, queer folk werent given platforms to tell their stories. So we need more! on the other hand i can see how heartstopper is seen as twee. As a brit, may i offer my perspective on this? Because british tv is often much gritter than american (not talking peaky blinders lmao, but rather something like Normal People), heartstopper has this very idealistic, american caste to it. Sort of like sex education on netflix. We all love it here BECAUSE its so dreamy, its basically an american twist where no one is actually that horrible each other (hence being not very realistic for us lol) but still very british, in how subdued it is, how awkward, in the small town life and the mundanity, the quiet beauty. If the sex is awkward next season, it’ll be very very british haha.

I'm enjoying seeing all the different perspectives on these shows, really proves that different pieces of media can mean really different things to a lot of different people. One person not finding it entertaining or relatable just means someone else thoroughly enjoyed it and that's good and totally valid. Which is cool. Maybe when there's a gut reaction to poke fun and poke holes, also leave space for those who fall in love with some media. Sometimes maybe insular opinions you're exposed to don't allow room to consider others and I've been glad to read a lot more opinions. The bias I had of this looks goofy and boring, I see where others are coming from at a different angle. Neat!! Excellent conversations.

Love love love love this most of all:

so i think what is needed is just more queer media. More more more, where comedy and tragedy and everything in between can be told, just like it is for het relationships. The sexuality is important and the illicitness does/did exist, but what we never really saw until recently was that love beneath because basically, queer folk werent given platforms to tell their stories. So we need more!

Perspective. The entire damn truth yall 😘

[navneetmindmaker]

Why New Zealand?

New Zealand bases its education programs and degrees on the world's most recognized and accredited education system-the British system.

New Zealand has an international reputation as a provider of quality education.

It has a progressive education system with many states of the art facilities.

It offers a safe learning environment with excellent study opportunities and support services for international students.

New Zealanders are famed for their friendliness, hospitality and warmth to overseas visitors, and enjoy meeting folk from other cultures.

Courses are available for academic, professional and vocational studies at New Zealand institutions - universities, polytechnics and institutes of technology, colleges of education, secondary schools and private training establishments.

The cost of studying in New Zealand is also much cheaper than the USA, Australia, UK, or Canada.

The quality assurance practices that the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) has in place gives both local and international students confidence when it comes to choosing a course of study in New Zealand.

Combining the benefits of a developed country with the charm of a quiet and peaceful countryside, New Zealand offers some distinct advantages over other countries as a destination for education.

New Zealand is the ultimate outdoor adventure playground, from offering every kind of thrill and adventure to pure hedonistic relaxation and pleasure.

Ranking second on the Global Peace Index 2022, New Zealand is undoubtedly the safest country to study in. With globally ranked universities and a responsive education system, it has the right mix of opportunities, culture, economy and climate to thrive for an Indian student. Not to miss, its unspoiled scenery will make your experience worth every penny.

New Zealand Student Visa

If you are over 18 years and plan to study in New Zealand for more than six months, here’s an overview of the types of student visa available for you:

SrNo. Types of student visa Description 1 Fee Paying Student Visa Study full-time for up to four years and be able to work part-time 2 Exchange Student Visa Study full-time for up to four years for an approved student exchange program 3 Foreign Government Supported Student Visa Study full-time for up to four years on a foreign government loan or scholarship 4 Pathway Student Visa Study up to five years for 3 consecutive courses on a single student visa and be able to work part-time *For detailed information, please visit the New Zealand Government’s Immigration website

Cost of studying in New Zealand

Most commonly humanities, arts and education courses are cheaper, while subjects such as medicine and engineering are likely to be more expensive. If you wish to study at postgraduate level, the tuition fees are typically higher and the costs vary depending on the program. As with most other countries, MBA programs are often the most expensive. The average cost for these programs ranges between NZ$31,000-50,000 (indicative).

SrNo. Study Program Cost (in NZ$) * 01 Undergraduate degree $20,500 - $25,000 annually 02 Master's degree $19,000 - $29,000 annually 03 Doctoral degree $6,500 - $9,000 annually 04 MBA

$31,000 - $50, 000 annually

For more information Visit - https://naveneetsmindmaker.com/

[drmaqazi]

WHY BLAME ISLAM?

Individuals, not religions,

carry out inhuman acts.

Islam means PEACE and is a religion of peace, accepted and practiced by more than 1.5 billion people worldwide. It is the fastest-growing religion in the world, and if it was what some critics claim, why should the people from all walks of life from around the world keep embracing Islam?

Where is the sword now?

In Islam, a person has the right to defend himself, his family, his country or his neighbor(s), which justifies the resistance being offered by the people of Afghanistan, Bosnia, Chechnya, Iraq, Kashmir and Palestine, to attacks on their soils by the so-called liberators, who are actually the occupiers.

The Holy Qur’an clearly states that if a person saves one life, it’s as if he saved humanity, and if a person kills one human being, it’s as if he killed humanity.

What is happening in the enslaved Muslim countries is a natural reaction to occupation, bombings, killing and terrorizing of innocent civilians (children, old men and women), rapes, in addition to looting of resources, national antiques and artifacts, above all destruction of property by the occupiers.

Terror breeds terror.

We assure those who bash Islam that if there was no occupation in this world by foreign invaders, there would be no resistance – the so-called terror.

We would like those who criticize Islam to explain the following acts committed by the Christians on Jews, other Christians and Muslims alike, throughout history:

- Hundreds of thousands of Muslim men, women and children killed by the crusaders, who were Christians.

- Inquisition of Jews and Muslims from Spain by Queen Isabella, a Christian.

- Millions of people killed by the European and American Christians during the two world wars.

- Hundreds of thousands of Christians killed every year by the Irish Christians, including the British and the IRA, both Catholics and Protestants, during the past few centuries. Why are they not blamed to be “Christian Terrorists?”

Both of them believe in Jesus Christ, who told them to turn the other cheek, and both of them believe in the same Lord, Who commanded that “Thou shall not kill.” Period.

- Timothy McVeigh, who bombed the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, was a Catholic.

Are all Catholics terrorists?

Last but not least, explain the bombings, killings, rapings and lynchings of both American Indians and black slaves (Afro-Americans) during the past 200 years in the United States.

What about them?

Will those filled with hate for Islam blame Christianity for the above inhuman acts by Christians in various parts of the world since its inception

If not, then why are they blaming the religion of Islam for what is a natural reaction to occupation of Muslim countries by foreign invaders

Most importantly, these folks should know that the three great Abrahamic religions – Judaism, Christianity and Islam – have one common basis, and that is one God Almighty.

“All men (and women) are created equal, and we all are one nation under Almighty God,” is a statement according to the Holy Qur’an and is very well elucidated in the US Constitution.

Lastly, yet importantly, as brothers in humanity, we recommend those filled with hate get an education in the history of Islam and Muslims, before they dare to write nasty letters full of personal, ingrain hate and vendetta.

We would be pleased to provide anyone with free copies of the Holy Qur’an and Islamic literature in English, which would help them to understand the truth about Islam and Muslims and get rid of hate from their systems, God willing.

May God Almighty show you the light, Amen.

"THOU SHALL NOT KILL," is one of the Ten (10) Commandments from God Almighty.

Anyone who kills is neither a Jew, nor a Christian, nor a Muslim, because he disobeys the LORD. PERIOD!

HE IS A KILLER AND A MURDERER; THAT IS HIS RELIGION!

http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/02/living/pew-study-religion/ index.html

[outoftheforestshow]

New Rule: The War on the West | Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO)   Yes, we understand your opposition to Islam, Bill, and acknowledge that there are certain aspects of Islam that are uncivilized and contrary to freedom and women's rights. Understood. However, Israel's recent actions are also concerning. An eye for an eye, and so forth. Regarding Western Civilization, I consider myself very liberal and progressive. However, I oppose the extremities of WOKISM on the left, finding it excessively ignorant in various ways. The position is that the British Empire, despite its outward claim to civilization, was profoundly racist. The same criticism applies to the United States, which hypocritically advocates for freedom.  There is a strange racist superiority that comes with Empire building.. We attempted to force Democracy down the throats of other countries and it backfires spectacularly!.  Maybe we need to find a different approach to get folks to understand the concept of FREEDOM.    Reminder.. despite the US stating that this is a FREE COUNTRY.. that didn't include blacks, who were slaves up until the 1860s and women who couldn't even vote until 1920 with the ratification of the 19th amendment.  And now each state is having to fight to protect a women's right to sovereignty over her own body!!   It's not surprising for younger generations to perceive the hypocrisy and criticize Western Civilization. Yet, as a liberal and progressive individual, I am an exception. I value things like learning Latin, appreciate the merits of a Classical education, and read the written works of the founding fathers while acknowledging their hypocrisy. While the Holocaust and Nazis were undeniably horrific, and I understand the need for Israel to have a homeland, Palestinians also deserve the same consideration. Personally, I find all religions ridiculous. Although I study esoteric spirituality, I reject organized religion as a cultish and ignorant control system. Declaring oneself the "chosen people" seems cult-like to me.  HMMM and honestly.. Israel hasn't (according to a lot of human right's watchers) really treated people in Gaza very humanely, treating them like criminals sooooooo. Interestingly, many mainstream Jews in the US don't support Israel's actions, while Evangelical END TIMES Zionist Christians do – the same group you, as an atheist, have criticized. So, where does that leave us?Show less