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Chelsea vs Tottenham Preview: One of England’s Most Underrated Rivalries?

Fergus Macphee
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Chelsea vs Tottenham Preview: One of England’s Most Underrated Rivalries?
The two sides meet again at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night in a fixture which perhaps doesn’t get the recognition it deserves.

Despite much huffing and puffing on Sunday afternoon, Chelsea were
ultimately unable to prevent Manchester City from claiming the first silverware of the season in the League Cup final. While avoiding the utter humilation of a couple of weeks ago, the blues never really looked like seriously threatening to take the crown. There is no rest for Maurizio Sarri’s men however, as on Wednesday night they host a Spurs side desperately trying to cling on to their fading title hopes. A contest which always seems to provide plenty of entertainment, should carry an added edge considering both teams’ current predicaments.

This fixture has traditionally gone under the radar somewhat due to the relative lack of historical competition for success between the two sides. Both Millwall vs West Ham and Arsenal vs Spurs will always be spoken about ahead of this match up, simply due to the geographical closeness of the clubs. The North London derby is often hailed as the biggest game in London, though some believe Chelsea and Spurs is now poised to overtake this.

When you think of the other great rivalries, you’re also instantly reminded of those teams who are known for fighting out league titles and cup finals. Due to their shared dominance, Man United and Arsenal formed a new hatred for one another throughout the late nineties and early noughties. Even Liverpool vs Man United, which will always be a derby for the North West, took on new meaning with Sir Alex Ferguson’s arrival and claim that his greatest challenge was “knocking Liverpool right off their f*****g perch”. This is what Chelsea and Tottenham has been missing, but their continued developments over the last decade have brought a new level of significance to this game. With Chelsea winning five of the past 15 league titles and Spurs on course to record their fifth successive top four finish this season, the stakes have never been higher between the two sides.

Sure fire entertainment?

Source: BBC Sport

This is not a game that tends to disappoint on the pitch either. Matches between those teams fighting it out at the top can often be disappointing, with both sides cancelling one another out of the game. That certainly wasn’t the case back in November, when a scintillating Tottenham performance saw them blow Chelsea away at Wembley, 3-1. It was also perhaps the first glimpse of how teams quickly learned to nullify ‘Sarriball’. A year earlier, it was Chelsea who were celebrating at Wembley, in another hugely entertaining 4-2 FA Cup Semi-final victory. Tottenham, however, came out top in the most memorable recent meeting between the two sides; that 5-3 victory in 2015, where Harry Kane truly came of age and was unplayable on the day, scoring a brace.

The game that will be in the back of everyone’s mind is the 2016 2-2 draw between the two teams that saw Chelsea terminate Totteham’s title hopes and practically hand the crown over to Leicester City. It was a scintillating game that saw Dembele square up to a fiery Diego Costa, not to mention Chelsea coming from behind to make the game square in the 83rd minute; pushing the dagger into the hearts of hopeful Spurs fans.

Whatever happens on Wednesday night, there should be goals.

Things got heated in Chelsea and Tottenham’s 2016 match up. Source: Evening Standard

The most important game of the season?

Considering both teams’ current standings, this could well prove to be the case. Chelsea go into the game with a game in hand on those above them, but will know they simply cannot afford anything less than a win. With Manchester United drawing to Liverpool at the weekend, Chelsea now find themselves just two points behind United and three points adrift of Arsenal in fourth. Considering all that has been said about Sarri’s failing reign, this is not a bad place to be in. With trips to Liverpool and United still to come, Chelsea simply must find a result against Spurs to keep their top four hopes alive.

Spurs meanwhile, might be forgiven for feeling slightly relaxed ahead of this game. After their shock defeat to Burnley, Mauricio Pochettino conceded that the title is out of reach and yet they still have a very comfortable top four cushion. It may seem on the face of it, therefore, that Spurs have little left to play for. A little look at the fixture list however, raises some serious worries for Pochettino’s men. After Chelsea, they face Arsenal in the North London derby on Sunday and still face trips to Manchester City and Liverpool later in the season. Defeat to Chelsea means Arsenal could go into Sunday’s game just four points behind Spurs. It is then not unlikely that Spurs may return from the Etihad and Anfield with zero points, meaning their top four place could be seriously under threat. This of course relies on other sides dropping minimal points, but watch this space.

Dodgy Kepa

Source: Fox Sports

All eyes will be on Chelsea’s Spanish goalkeeper after his extraordinary refusal to be substituted in the League Cup Final. It is likely he will be dropped and may not feature again this season, but if he is to feature, the attention will be directed back to Chelsea’s under-fire manager. If Kepa publicly disrespected Sarri on Sunday, what would it say about the Italian’s authoritative qualities to allow him back into the team on Wednesday? Pochettino may also be under the spotlight after he was charged for improper conduct over the tirade he subjected Mike Dean to on Saturday. This should be a fascinating contest between two under pressure teams and their respective managers.

Brexit Delay: Yay or Nay?

Fleur Boya
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Brexit Delay: Yay or Nay?

On March 12th, Parliament will vote on another Brexit agreement deal put forward by Theresa May, however there are talks of a potential delay in leaving the European Union, which is leaving many people very uncertain and uncomfortable. 


President of the European Council, Donald Tusk was asked about the prospect of an Article 50 extension. He responded by stating that the closer it gets to the deadline – March 29th – the more likely an extension becomes. At the moment, there is no strong majority in the House of Commons for a potential deal, thus an extension would be a “rational solution”, of which the EU would be “understanding”.”I believe that in the situation we are in, an extension would be a rational decision but prime minister May still believes she will be able to avoid this scenario,” Tusk told a news conference in Egypt a day after seeing the British leader, according to the Guardian. 


Whilst Donald Tusk supports the extension of Article 50 in an almost sympathetic manner, most people are enraged and despise the possibility of living in uncertainty for another 2 years. According to Independent, Guy Verhofstadt, The European Parliament’s Brexit Chief, branded Theresa May’s position to delay the Common’s ballot as “one of the most reckless” he had ever seen, accusing May of “kicking the can down the road”. 


Ian Blackford, SNP Westminster leader, also sides with Verhofstadt, stating that May “could not be trusted” to not avoid another significant vote. According to BBC news, he also said: “It’s the height of irresponsibility for any government to threaten its citizens with these consequences. Rule out no deal, extend Article 50, but do it today – this should not be left until the middle of March.”

Ex-Conservative, Anna Soubry and former Labour MP, Chuka Umunna have warned May that the deadline agreed in Parliament had to be met. The Independent Group have become vocal on this issue since its formation, stating that the member MPs will bring contempt proceedings if the Conservatives “fail to publish cabinet papers on the damage on the no-deal Brexit wishing 48 hours”.“If they don’t do so” Umunna states, “we will immediately move to institute contempt proceedings against them in the Commons for going back on their promises,”Beyond the Westminster Sphere, ADS Group Chief Executive Paul Everitt mentioned that the poorly managed political process of the Withdrawal Agreement causes evident damage to the British economy. He states: “The continued delay is turning the UK’s political failure into a full-blown economic crisis”, as reported by Reuters.


Though many people are gritting their teeth and ripping their hair over the prospect of a delayed Brexit, blaming Theresa May for being disorganised and, as Guy Verhofstadt describes, “reckless”, May has made her perspective on the circumstance very clear. 
For an extension to be achieved, Theresa May must formally ask the European leaders for the Article 50 process to be extended, with the member states unanimously agreeing to her request.According to the Telegraph, May told MPs “I do not want to see Article 50 extended”, before then going on to say: “our absolute focus should be working to get a deal and leaving on 29 March”. 


At this point, whilst the clock continues ticking, Britain can only keep their fingers crossed that an agreement is reached on March 12th as a best case scenario. If not, the next best option would be a delayed EU-exit, given Labour’s recent support of a second referendum, nobody wants a no-deal Brexit.

American Suspension of INF Treaty Risks 21st Century Nuclear Arms Race

Catherine Sirotkin
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American Suspension of INF Treaty Risks 21st Century Nuclear Arms Race

“Russia is in material breach of its obligations under the INF treaty”

At the beginning of the month, Trump announced the American suspension of the INF treaty, a treaty that one acted as a pivotal catalyst in ending the tensions of the Cold War once implemented in 1987. The suspension was applied following long term Russian breach of the treaty, which bans intermediate range nuclear forces (INF) – mainly those with a travel range of 500-5500km. With insinuations by the American government suggesting the USA are now working to engineer their own INFs, this risks a new age arms race coming to the surface of international security.

Effectively, the INF treaty banned a class of weapons that would have detrimental effects globally if used. Yet, following its suspension, Trump wrote in his official statement that “we will move forward with developing our own military response options”, suggesting an offensive reaction amongst the West to the actions of Russia. The Russian missile in question, a ground-launched cruise missile known as the 9M729, has been further scrutinised by global powers and organisations such as NATO.

The organisation, whose name stands for the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, and its 29 member states, issued a joint statement in support of Trump’s decision. Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, following the meeting of NATO foreign affairs ministers in December, concluded that “Allies agree that this missile system violates the INF Treaty and poses significant risk to Euro-Atlantic security. To which they agree that Russia is therefore in material breach of its obligations under the INF treaty”. The suspension includes a six month implementation period meant to encourage Russian to re-allign with treaty standards. 

This was a somewhat controversial move on behalf of the organisation, as although it tends to stand with America on most matters, its foundations are rooted within the upkeep of international norms and laws – thus its primary role tends to be protecting treaties, such as the INF. This could prove to be a driving wedge for the future relations between NATO allies, with only a handful of current members possessing nuclear weapons themselves, whilst countries such as Denmark refuse to allow nuclear weapons on their soil due to domestic political sentiment.

This could potentially cause complexities within Trump’s plans for future nuclear deployment. The ability to deploy Nuclear weapons into Europe is central in allowing America to appear as a significant challenger to Russia, as without European deployment and support, the weapons are not actually capable of reaching Russia. The situation is further made critical with continuing moves of aggression by Russia towards its neighbouring states, as seen within the last two months from the Kerch-Strait crisis, and continuing occupation of Ukraine and Crimea. 

Unless NATO is able to reinstate a replacement treaty or create a coherent alternative framework within six months, international politics faces a potential revival of Cold War tensions that will inevitably feature a modern day Nuclear Arms race. Yet, with the increasing intricacies we see in our present political system due to the creation of organisations such as NATO and the divisions seen specifically within Eastern Europe, the effects of intensified tensions between Russia and America will have unprecedented consequences. 

School Children in the Scottish Borders to be Given iPads

Common Sense Contributors
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School Children in the Scottish Borders to be Given iPads

by Dolline Mukui

The Scottish Borders Council announced that every child between the age of the 10 and 17 will receive the gadget as part of a £16m investment for digital learning.

This plan will allow children to take home the iPad given to them to use with families but pupils in P1 to P5 will have an iPad at a ratio of one for every five children.

The investment is aiming to promote digital technology in classrooms which is part of the Scottish Borders Council’s 2019/20 financial budget. This comes after the council need to save £29.5m in the next five years with also a 4% rise in council tax.

Council leader, Shona Haslam said ‘We’re really excited about the impact it’s going to have in the poverty attainment gap, as well as for additional needs students. Quite often in classrooms, additional needs students are the odd ones out because they’re sitting with their iPads. That will now no longer be the case.’

She also mentioned that although the Borders have faced some challenges, ‘Despite being faced with significant financial challenges, this administration is presenting a really exciting budget for the Borders, packed with huge investment plans at a truly vital time for our economy.’

ipad.jpg


Alongside this news, an extra £2.3m has been allocated to repair roads and pavements and within the coming year – they will be safeguarding all public toilets.

With council tax set to increase, Councillor Robin Tatler, Executive Member for Finance said ‘A balanced budget is increasingly hard to achieve, particularly when public expectations are so high, demand for various services are increasing and public finances are reducing.’

It seems that the council have a strategy in place for their budget for this year, however, this doesn’t come without a price. 

Increasing council tax to 4% might help save money but without increasing wages such as the national minimum wage, residents might have to rethink their cost of living, especially for those with large families. It might seem justifiable that council tax increasing by 4% but for those already struggling to make ends meet will see the difference.

Investing in education can be achieved in other ways such as using money towards art facilities, playgrounds; simply materials for children to use before resulting to iPads. £16m could be evenly distributed among schools and let the schools decide what to use the money on to help their school.

Digital learning is a key aspect in any curriculum as children need to build multiple skills and be digitally aware, but is there a need for the tablets to be taken home? 

Giving a child an iPad can be a good addition to any classroom whether the focus is on digital innovation or using the device for online work, however, taking the iPad home could essentially be problematic. There are many parents trying to reduce online screen time for themselves and their children for many reasons. Consulting the parents on these plans would have been beneficial to this financial decision.

Dolline is a traveller, journalist and blogger who has palate to try new things. She is a very spontaneous person; you might find her skydiving over the Kenyan coast to kayaking in the Lake District. She can be an over thinker who thinks of every outcome but if she doesn’t she welcomes the change that wasn’t planned. However, she is a very simple person who is up for a good laugh or a book and enjoys living the moment. Dolline also writes for her small personal blog called ‘Swatches of Beauty’ and is currently a production journalist trainee at ITV Border.

Brexit: The EU Is Looking At Delaying Brexit By Up To 21 Months

Timi Awoniyi
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Brexit: The EU Is Looking At Delaying Brexit By Up To 21 Months

The Guardian has reported that the EU is preparing to propose a lengthy extension of Article 50 to avoid a no-deal Brexit. This comes as Theresa May struggles to find a cross party consensus in the House of Commons that continues less than five weeks away from Brexit day.

This is undoubtedly in reaction to the ongoing pressure that May faces: a large portion of the House of Commons and some of the ministerial cabinet are pushing for May to take a no-deal Brexit off of the negotiating table. This is further exacerbated by the amendment due to be tabled this week by Yvette Cooper and Oliver Letwin, which will force May to seek an extension of Article 50 if she does not have a deal ratified in Parliament by March 13th.

The EU apparently prefers an extension period of 21 months, as it provides more certainty over the UKs short term relationship over the EU. The EU fear that a short-term extension of three months will merely result in repeated extension requests and continued uncertainty.

This news is likely to provide a boost to the British Pound, which has become increasingly turbulent in the last few months. It has been provided with a boost in the last week as a no-deal Brexit seems to have become increasingly unlikely, but will likely surge even more upon the opening of business.

Recent Brexit Update

It has been quite a turbulent seven days in British Politics. Twelve MPs have resigned from the Conservative and Labour parties, with eleven of them becoming part of the independent group – a pro-EU, centrist organisation. They have already had their share of controversy, with one of the founding members, Angela Smith, almost immediately referring to ethnic minorities as people with a ‘funny tinge.’

Theresa May has also delayed the meaningful vote by two weeks, now promising to deliver it by the 13th of March. The decision to delay it to less than three weeks before Brexit day has provoked backlash, as May faces accusations that she is merely running down the clock to force parliament to accept her withdrawal agreement – backstop and all.

Jeremy Corbyn has also shifted Labour policy towards a people’s vote, which senior members of the labour party are said to have been pushing for. John Mcdonnell, the shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, has confirmed that in the event of a second referendum he will campaign to remain in the EU.

The Department of International trade is expected to publish a list of import taxes this week that will apply in the event of a no-deal Brexit. There were previously reports that the UK were considering a zero tariff regime, but Michael Gove, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, recently ruled this out. These tariffs will see the prices of goods increase, as the cost of the extra tax will undoubtedly be passed onto the consumer.

Amani Simpson: Establishing Community Potential in the Midst of Authoritative Ignorance

Catherine Sirotkin
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Amani Simpson: Establishing Community Potential in the Midst of Authoritative Ignorance

“Sometimes you can be trapped in this mental prison and society isn’t offering any alternatives. Society is putting these young boys in the box of criminals but not humanising their experience”

Amani Simpson, the CEO of “Aviard” and the man behind Jovain Wade’s new short film, discussed with TCS the impact of the community, the responsibilities of mainstream media, and positive role models on violence and ‘gang’ crime. The “Amani” Short Film has received over 1.5 million views on Youtube since being released earlier this month. At the root of the film is Simpson, who was stabbed seven times and almost died after trying to break up a fight in 2011. This turn of events created “Aviard” – the organisation now ran by Simpson to help young people elevate themselves to reach their full potential rather than falling into a cycle of violence. Instead, Simpson emphasises societal and personal improvement through the utilisation of agency by the community, rather than relying on authoritative structures and mainstream representation. I interviewed Simpson in relation to Aviard’s mission and how elements of the “Amani” short film relate to this. 

1) In researching Aviard, I found that one of the most emphasised ideas is that you compare human beings to an aircraft, in the sense that we all need the correct fuel, engineering and destination to elevate ourselves. How does this relate to Aviard’s goals as an organisation?

“The metaphor relates to the idea that sometimes we aren’t meant to fly. Sometimes the environment is set up to hold us back, but essentially we need to engineer our minds to steer away from that, so we are not being trapped by a mental prison. Its more about trying to make sure that your are improving. So that if you’re unhappy, you can do something about it.”.

2) This idea of self empowerment is also seen at the beginning of “Amani”. There is a conversation with God which is pretty much driven by this self realisation of power, and the ability to escape this mental prison; How as a community, as a society or as organisations can we encourage this self belief to prevail over difficult environments? 

“As a community we need to learn, earn, return. For example, role models like myself and my peers need to go into schools and go into those sorts of environments. We need to go into schools where they are willing to teach because I know that if I had a mentor, a black mentor, that looked like an older brother, that dressed well and had respect and confidence, i’d aspire to be like that. That would have given me what I was looking for in the negative side of things.”.

3) Do you think it goes back to finding more representation for communities that are more vulnerable – Is it more about trying to get more representation for ethnic minorities as working professionals to counter this negative stereotype promoted in the media?  

“Yeah definitely. It’s not just about being distant role models, we need to be in and around that. We as a community need to promote more of these things in general conversation. Someone sent me a video of a boy being stabbed up in McDonalds in my area, and I said ‘Why would you share that? Why would I want to see that?’.  For me one of the missions for Aviard was to create a platform for positive personal development and something that will work to change minds. Like I said before, sometimes you can be trapped in this mental prison and society isn’t offering any alternatives. Society is putting these young boys in the box of criminals but not humanising their experience. I was in an interview the other day and someone asked ‘right, so gangs…’, and I said no, not gangs, it’s a group of friends first of all. They’ve all grown up together and so on, and it develops from there because if one person on the block gets stabbed, then everyone in the area feels like they have to carry a knife. Its a story, not an isolated thing of just someone being a criminal. There are a lot of factors, and there is going to be times when we are faced with hard situations but that is when we have to find ways to promote positivity.” 

4) Within the media I think we see some lack of responsibility. There is a lot of blaming and discourse surrounding gangs, and drill music but when there is a crime committed by a group of ethnic minority youths it is labelled differently to their white counterparts. Do you think this image portrayal holds some responsibility in the rise of violent crime? 

“We live in a society that perpetuates particular stereotypes because that is what feeds the state of fear we live in. We live in a state where people find it easier to fear things rather than communicate. When the media publishes these sorts of things, I think it’s prejudice. Within the team of people that are publishing it, there is not enough representation from the communities that are being spoken about. If we are looking at young people in general, the news is going to say whatever it is they have to say just to sell a paper, and to make everyone choose not engage in that group. But really, they are just humans that are making mistakes as they’re growing up. Really there is no difference between them and a white guy in Cheshire that is getting in trouble. Its just the fact that you’re putting it on TV and saying that these are all hoodies, and gang members. There is no difference – we are all affected by our own adverse experiences and the environments we grew up in.”.

5) So would you say one of the biggest problems is representation and portrayal in the media? 

“A lot of visual media does not represent us in a good light. It’s a multi layered problem. For example when I listen to drill music, I understand that it is an opportunity to make money for some young boys and to move away from their areas and express their experiences. Similar to how Grime music was – but Grime artists slowly became more palatable to the public, and the artists were able to change and develop. However, with Drill music, it is just about killing people, it’s not allowing young boys to free their mind. They are constantly in this space where you are seeing it on TV and with the music, what else are the kids supposed to think of themselves? When it comes to drill music, I think it’s just too violent. Its not artistic, you’re just rhyming and talking about violent things. Listening to that every single day cannot be good for your mindset. There’s always going to be violence. For example – Gun Lean. It’s now part of popular culture, but at the same time boys in London are being shot up. I’m not saying that song is directly responsible but it’s part of that culture. Then the news are sharing it, and then videos of it go viral and it just engulfs everything.”.

6) But with that, how do we separate music which could have a positive impact, to Drill music which can be seen as having a negative impact?

“Music has a massive responsibility. I think the solution is to create an alternative platform where young people are challenged to talk about something else. Right now people aren’t being challenged to talk about anything else apart from what we hear in drill music. With the showcases Aviard are running, i’m trying to create an alternative platform. It allows young people to talk about more positive things,  so no ones allowed to talk about drugs, or violence, nor are they allowed to swear, because there are other ways to express yourself. If I can impact that a little bit then I will.”. 

7) A couple of years ago, you were stabbed yourself. Knowing that that would have happened, but also knowing that it would have led to Aviard, would you have done anything differently? 

“No. No, to be here right now is a blessing, not even in an arrogant way. I hear young boys and girls saying ‘thank you, because of you I don’t want to be on the street anymore’. And for me, that is a massive responsibility. Me getting stabbed was pre-destined, before I was born, that was meant to happen to me. As much as I could have been upset about it, you have got to elevate, be positive, there is a silver lining on every cloud. It all depends on what you are willing to sacrifice. I had chances to retaliate, but for me, that only feeds into this never ending cycle of fear and bad decisions. At one point you have to break the cycle and move forward. You can never go back, you have got to keep moving forward.”.

From my discussions with Amani Simpson, I deducted a strong emphasis on collective responsibility. Regardless of if you are a white privileged man in ‘Cheshire’ as Amani mentioned, or a single mother on an inner city council estate, we all have a sense of responsibility to look after our kids, siblings, and our community. Through this responsibility, we need to recognise the importance in representation and empowerment. If we allow the mainstream media or authoritative structures to represent communities as inherently more evil or criminal than others, the cycle will never stop. As members of grass-root communities, we are more at risk of experiencing violence than policy makers who have never looked beyond the surface. As Simpson said, society is quick to label criminals and criminal acts but not condemn the social conditions that shaped criminality as a consequence. Both Aviard and Amani Simpson recognise community experience and membership as holding an empowering potential hence why Simpson has been able to help as many young people as he has. We all must follow Simpson in his steps towards reshaping discourse surrounding ‘gangs’, youth and violence. 

To find out more about Amani Simpson’s organisation, follow the link: http://www.aviard.co.uk/

Shamima Begum: The Case for Citizenship

Timi Awoniyi
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Shamima Begum: The Case for Citizenship

Around this time, four years ago, a 15-year-old Shamima Begum flew via Turkish Airlines from Gatwick Airport to Istanbul, Turkey. From there, she crossed the border to Syria where she married an ISIS fighter, had three kids (the first two have since passed away) and sparked a national debate with her seemingly emotionless request to return to the United Kingdom.

Controversially, she has now been stripped of her British Citizenship, however, she is likely to appeal this decision on the basis that she has now been rendered stateless, following Bangladesh’s declaration that they are ‘deeply concerned that [Shamima] has been erroneously identified as a holder of dual citizenship.’ The Bangladeshi government also went on to expressly state that Shamima would not be welcomed into Bangladesh – as a citizen or otherwise.

It has, at this point, become increasingly clear that she should be permitted back in the country. As someone who was brought up in the United Kingdom, Shamima is undoubtedly ‘Britain’s problem’. She was born and raised in the UK, radicalised whilst she was still in the British educational system and was allowed to catch an international flight – unquestioned by British border control – at the age of 15. Given the number of opportunities that Britain had to intervene and prevent her from finding herself in the situation she is in today, it is unfathomable that the country now seeks to wash its hands of her.

This attempt by Savid Javid to abandon her in Syria, a country that is presently still fighting and recovering from a civil war and one which cannot provide adequate care over its own citizens, is unsettling. The same Britain that took charge of the Madeline McCann investigation when she went missing in Portugal over ten years ago, should take charge in investigating, prosecuting and rehabilitating Shamima. We must take responsibility for the actions of our citizens, regardless of the crime.

There is also the matter of her new born child. Abandoning Shamima, is tantamount to abandoning her new born child – an indisputably innocent and vulnerable British citizen. By obstructing Shamima’s entry, the UK is, by extension, preventing a British citizen from returning to the United Kingdom. This is, of course, unless the United Kingdom is willing to separate a new born baby from its mother. This calls into questions if her child goes onto suffer from ill health due to lack of proper healthcare, will the UK take responsibility for it?

Another issue that the Shamima Begum debacle has brought to light that British Citizenship is revocable for actual or potential dual nationals and non-white British citizens, even if the latter do not have dual citizenship- as is the case for Shamima and the Windrush generation. The Immigration Act 2014 gave the Home Secretary the power to revoke British citizenship from anyone who is or may be able to become a citizen of a foreign country. This means that if you, your partner, parents or grandparents are dual citizens or were born outside of the United Kingdom, you may be eligible to have your British citizenship revoked. This is the case irrespective of whether the person in question has even visited the third country, or whether they have any relatives living there.

It is also interesting to note that the Home Office have not made any comment indicating that they may seek to revoke Jack Letts, popularly referred to as ‘Jihadi Jack’s’, citizenship. This is despite the fact that the government would be able to do it in accordance with National and International law, as Jack is also a citizen of Canada.

While it is clear that Shamima is likely to be found to have committed a crime by going to support ISIS, revoking her citizenship is not a precedent that the UK should want to set or follow going forward.

Bristol Students Walk Out Of ‘racist’ Professor Kaufman’s Talk

Shaun Flores
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Bristol Students Walk Out Of ‘racist’ Professor Kaufman’s Talk

On April 4th 2019, University of Bristol Students walked out on professor Eric Kaufman’s speech claiming that he “is an apologist for racism”.

Eric Peter Kaufmann is a Canadian professor of politics at Birkbeck College, University of London. He’s specialist on Orangeism in Northern Ireland, nationalism, political demography and demography of the religious/irreligious.


In his book ‘White Shift, Populism, Immigration and The Future of White Majorities’, he speaks on how western politics is being engineered through demographic changes and a “the tug of war between white ethno-traditionalism and anti-racist moralism”.

Two controversial topics which the Bristol students are not ready to hear, as proclaimed racisms are immediately shut down from conversation with comments on twitter such as :
“Racism and hate does not need a voice and we should not lend our ears. Let it go back under a rock to live silently in darkness where it belongs”.

Kaufmann recently released his book ‘White Shift, Populism, Immigration and The Future of White Majorities’.

This is the beginning of an issue, covert racism underground is more pernicious than overt racism if the claims are true of Kaufman’s work.

Is Our liberal ideology so fragile that we can’t let him speak?

Is Progressive Social Liberalism The Vaccine To Societies Ill’s?

Kaufman proposes that white identity is under threat from non-white immigration, which has created a sense of resentment that is aiding a resurgence in right-wing populism. White people, Kaufmann argues, should be able to assert their own “racial self-interest” like any ethnic group. Kaufman like many who dare to speak on white majorities is ordained a “racist”.

Quick and Unfair Judgements?

Kaufman isn’t the only one that has recently been by ‘society’ as being discriminatory.
Former Wimbledon Champion Martina Navartilova who been criticised for “disturbing, upsetting, and deeply transphobic” comments, when she argued allowing transgender women to compete in women’s sporting tournaments was “insane and cheating”. She was immediately labelled as “transphobic”.

Secondly in response to Liam Neeson’s comments about his friend who was raped. He stated: “I went up and down areas with a cosh [crowbar], hoping I’d be approached by somebody. I’m ashamed to say that, and I did it for maybe a week — hoping some [Neeson gestured air quotes with his fingers, ] ‘black bastard’ would come out of a pub and have a go at me about something, you know? So that I could kill him.”

Liam Neeson has been diagnosed as a racist. Martina Navratilova a transphobic. Eric Peter Kaufman a racist. Are these labels that are powerful statements all too easy to dish out?

Politics, racism, xenophobia, transphobia and sexism are being challenged at every corner. Racism is being called out everywhere, sexist scandals is the front page of many national newspapers and hot on the topic are the rights of those who are transgender. Are we over-diagnosing these issues or is this the start of a society that will finally allow everyone that cohabits it with a sense of tolerance, love and respect?

What is a Social Justice?

Modern liberalism can be best explained as, “a viewpoint that all people, regardless of race, gender, sexuality or religion (amongst other things), should be entitled to the same basic rights and freedoms.These rights and freedoms namely being the right to freedom of expression, right to freedom of speech, equal treatment under the law, and a protection from prejudice and discrimination”.

A Social justice warrior (SJW) is an individual who promotes socially progressive views, including feminism, civil rights, and multiculturalism, as well as identity politics. They tend to side to the left of the political spectrum.

Previously, social justice warriors used to be praised for the changes they made in society, but now they are becoming more like soft dictators. This can be otherwise known to be a form of soft fascism. Fascism is typically associated with the far right. It has now been co-opted by the left. Left wing, right wing, they are both wings on the very same bird. However, the bird of the social justice warrior is an all too different bird.

Are We Raising A Weak Generation?

We are in a time of soft fascism with the policing of language. Fascism has taken the new form of progressive liberalism. Society has become a china shop of fragility, you have to be careful because you may offend someone. Offence is everywhere.

A worrying example of this fragility is how university lecturers have been told not to use capital letters when setting assignments because it might frighten students into failure. Staff at Leeds Trinity’s school of journalism have also been told to “write in a helpful, warm tone, avoiding officious language and negative instructions”. It is clear that political correctness is going too far. Social justice warriors have gone too far.

What does the future look like?

The students performed their right to walk out the room. The walking out of Bristol students further cements the liberal ideology entrenched in a net of echo chambers. Calling Kaufman a racist does nothing beneficial to the political conversation. Labels do not help when a professor is outlining his research and what he has observed. Nor does it make him a racist.

Yet Kaufman speaks to a sense of nationalism the white population are not afforded to the supposed anti-racists fighting against ideologies that have served to destroy countries. Whilst the liberal ideology serves to be a repugnant form of anti-racist moralism.

To associate SJW’s with liberalism is an insult. Instead, they are part of a greater problem in our society; the continuing developing and emerging widespread movement intentionally undermining sensible, moderate and intelligent discourse. To invade spaces oversensitively is a personal problem, not a political one.
The shift of self-identification will continue to polarize the nation. The corruption of language has only just begun. Progressivism has a place in society but it’s for the people to decide, not to be entrenched in law or forced upon the masses. If progressive politics continue to go on at the rate they are going now, we are in for uncertain political future.

Former Prince of Veganism Tim Shieff wants to kill an animal

Shaun Flores
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Former Prince of Veganism Tim Shieff wants to kill an animal

Tim Shieff has announced “he plans to kill an animal himself”, In an interview with “This Morning”, on the 15th April.

Tim Shieff appearing on This Morning Show

The anti-vegan message he now proposes will continue to split vegan audiences worldwide. He felt his body was “shutting down”, suffering from “chronic fatigue” and “mild depression”.

Proposing he is in the “avant-garde realm of healing” hoping to “find simple natural solutions”.

Shieff and his methods are questionable, from urine drinking to eat raw sweet potatoes and eat only a raw fruit diet. He speaks his truth, but where did it all go downhill for Shieff?

Who is Tim Shieff?

YouTuber and Athlete, Tim Shieff in a YouTube video on 15th March, announced he has left veganism after 6 years. In an honest video, he said it was right to return to eating meat after first turning vegan in 2012.

Timothy Shieff is an English freerunner. He won the Barclaycard World Freerun Championship in 2009 and participated in the television programme MTV’s Ultimate Parkour Challenge. He rose to fame with the vegan clothing company ETHCS who also created the popular ‘NAGEV’ and ‘VGANG’ designs.T

Tim Shieff “If I have to wear clothes, I wear ethical clothing in-line with my beliefs”.

The Beginning Of Tim Shieff’s Decline

Tim was experimenting with his diet since he became vegan from junk food, a whole food diet, then he consumed only raw foods, mainly fruits.

Tim Shieff after his competition spotted in Vegan runners outfit.

Tim Shieff also drank his own urine for 2 years, which he claimed “has saved him” and “healed him”.

Tim went on a 35-day water fast, where he only consumed distilled water, previously he was on what he believed was the “optimal vegan diet”, a raw vegan diet. It was originally intended to be 7 days.

Tim Shieff breaking his 35 day fast.

Tim Shieff’s departure from veganism has exposed veganism for its radical, extremist far-left sentiments. He has been victim to a barrage of online insults such as “manipulating his vegan audience”, and “not thinking of the animals”. The vegan moral crusaders have created a massive divide in the community between those who appreciate Tim for his honesty, doing what was right for him compared to those who deem him “selfish” for eating animal products again.

Tish Wonders is another one of the latest stars to leave veganism, alongside other stars such as Tim Shieff a mass exodus of vegan YouTubers have followed.

Tish Wonders with 94k followers on Youtube and 32k followers on Insta announced on the 17th March on her youtube channel, she will be leaving veganism and will be incorporating animal products into her diet.

Chef and youtube sensation Tish Wonders

Wonders has released 3 e-books which have also been a hit in the vegan community. The YouTube sensation has been accelerated to vegan stardom, but her decision has split the vegan community. Many have supported her decision to do what is in her best interest, whilst others have immediately unsubscribed and ‘cancelled’ her as she no longer identifies as a vegan.

This has called veganism into question. Why are so many vegans leaving the movement that is proposed to be the epitome of morality, environmental consciousness and adding to the betterment of society?

Is Veganism As Moral As Vegans Say It is?

In the dominant narrative surrounding veganism, it’s one of morality and accountability as we buy meat or animal products. The use of brutal, cruel and very hard-hitting truths.

In the words of Paul Mc Cartney, “If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be a vegetarian.”

Morality does not work in such a linear way; many cultures and environments allow for a greater access to flora and fauna. This has to be brought into the discourse surrounding the political social justice movement that is veganism. Morality in veganism has a tunnel vision that is only extended to the morality of animals and not necessarily to the humans. Veganism, as reported by The Guardian, has grown exponentially by 360% over the last 10 years. This shows the power and cultural, social and political capital veganism has garnered over the years.

Without overstating the far-reaching implications of veganism, the inter-sectional approach of the vegan movement and those who promote it is needed at the human level as well.

Ethiopia heralded as the place where civilization started is being drained of the world’s smallest grain Teff, a nutrition powerhouse. Quinoa a new staple in the vegan diet is hurting the Bolivian farmers. Avocado is harming the Chilean and Mexican farmers.

Not everything that glitters vegan is gold. Many enter the diet and lifestyle change without understanding the nutritional implications or the wider implications, even thinking about where bananas, chickpeas and tofu come from as an example. The agricultural impact and more. It is important to come into dietary and political lifestyle changes well informed.

The plethora of food we have access to comes at the cost of those in third world countries. This is due to globalization within the capitalist market that promises a better life and variety for us in the juggernaut West.

Future of Veganism

If we can not classify it as a religion and its community devout followers of the message perhaps it should be a cult of sorts, demonised and denigrated upon exit of the vegan movement.

Balance in light of the issues surrounding veganism is imperative. Tish and Tim made decisions that they needed to make. Both individuals should not face the moral vegan police to add more pressure. If veganism is as loving as it supposed?

Whilst Joey Carbstrong has solidified the notion that veganism transforms lives and morally, emotionally and spiritually incentives people who follows its human doctrines of compassion, and living. It’s evident more than a lifestyle choice, but a inherent belief some will argue has been divorced out of our being, by dissaciative capitalist mechanisms.

In conclusion, my belief is that Tim Shieff, alongside Tish Wonders are both brave. Vegans have gone to protesting extremes outside fashion stores such as Moncler and Canada Goose, protests in supermarkets and restaurants, stopping trucks on the way to slaughterhouses, and soaking themselves in blood to rain home the message of animal cruelty. Both Tim and Tish have done something almost outside of the vegan revolutionary parameters. To do what was right by themselves and not the vegan collective identity takes strength more than meat eaters or some vegans could imagine. Tim and Tish have unearthed a dangerously radical vegan community which has been and is continuing to alienate those within it and outside of it.

Is the Premier League Managerial Merry-Go-Round About to Kick Into Gear?

Fergus Macphee
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Is the Premier League Managerial Merry-Go-Round About to Kick Into Gear?
It’s been a relatively tame season in terms of Premier League manager sackings, however with the latest casualty at Leicester City in Claude Puel receiving the axe, this trend could be fast changing.

In the biggest games with the tightest margins, the team to come out victorious are often lauded for tactical genius and out thinking their opposition number. At Stamford Bridge on Monday night, this proved to be the case, with Manchester United producing a perfect away performance, albeit the tactics were far from revolutionary. Man mark Jorginho out of the game with an attacking midfielder; stop any of Chelsea’s creative supply lines; hit them on the break; score; repeat. It is an incredibly simple set up that teams have used to nullify the so-called ‘Sarriball’ system all season long. A system that means Chelsea have now played four games against the top six in 2019, losing all four, conceding 13 goals and scoring zero.

https://twitter.com/Football__Tweet/status/1097616095450664961

It’s been a quiet season so far in terms of Premier League sackings but it seems somewhat fitting that Chelsea, so often credit for popularising the trend, will now surely be the ones to kick start this year’s sack race. If Sarri is to leave, he would become only the sixth Premier League managerial casualty this season. A growing trend has been bucked in 2018/19, but how did it come to this and why have there been so few departures since the summer?

A job of increasing difficulty

Football has always been a results driven game, but it is a fairly recent phenomenon which means it is also now treated for what it is; a lucrative business. Roman Abramovic’s £140 million takeover at Chelsea in 2003, the biggest in British history at the time, was a watershed moment for football. Along with his billions of pounds in Russian money, he brought a sheer ruthlessness to England, which clearly said to all; if I don’t get a return of success on my investment, the manager must pay the price. 16 years on and the footballing landscape has totally changed, with foreign owners now making up a huge percentage of clubs in English football.

Percentage of foreign owned clubs in the 2017-18 season.
Credit: Football Stadiums

But has this really lead to an increase in Premier League managerial sackings? Well, bar a freak season in 1994-95, when an astonishing 15 managers left their positions, it certainly seems that way. Since 2004-05, there has only been one season in which less than nine managers have lost their jobs (eight in 2009-10). From that year up until 2017/18, at least 10 managers have departed each season, with 13 sackings in four of the last five. There was an average of 11.2 managerial changes per season between 2004-05 and 2017-18, compared with just 7.1 between the first Premier League season in 1992-93 and 2003-04.

Of course this tells it’s own story of just how much the Premier League itself has played in all this. With only four sackings in its first season, this shot up to seven the following year and then to 15 the next as the true force of television money began to infect the British game. It’s an infection which has since gone viral and engulfed the EFL as well, with the 2015-16 setting a new unwanted record. With all this in mind, what makes this year’s Premier League a different animal?

A result of circumstance
The first casualty of the season
Credit: Reuters/Eddie Keogh

It’s not a case that owners and fans have become more charitable overnight, but most likely just a result of circumstance and coincidence. The nature of low managerial job security means those at either end of the table are most at risk of facing the axe. If you look at the top of this season’s Premier League however, it is hardly surprising that only one side has changed their manager.

Manchester City and Liverpool possess managers who have now both fully implemented their own ‘projects’ at their respective clubs and any change at this stage would risk a severe loss of progress and damage to future performances. Arsenal and Chelsea meanwhile, are starting processes of mass upheaval, so their managers need time; although admittedly this may not be given to either. Bar a catastrophe from one of these teams, only Manchester United – languishing under Mourinho’s third season syndrome – were ever realistically going to change their manager by this stage.

At the bottom, it’s been more a case of loyalty and expectation. Fulham’s, Slavisa Jokanovic, was the first to be sacked in November, but the club held off for so long after his outstanding work the year before in getting them out of the Championship in the first place. It was a similar story with David Wagner at Huddersfield, who managed to survive all the way until January, thanks to his now legendary status at the club.

That being said though, with Claude Puel’s sacking earlier today after only 16 months in charge, again we see the cut-throat nature of Premier League management. Albeit Leicester have lost four consecutive home games – the latest a 1-4 thrashing to Crystal Palace – they are now looking to appoint a third manager in just over two years. Leicester sit mid table in 12th, only three places off their last season finish in 9th, and on target to replicate their 12th place finish in the 2016/17 season.

Claude Puel is latest casualty at Leicester City. Source: Daily Mail

With just over ten games remaining this season, should Puel have been given more time to turn things around? It seems the Leicester City board are still clinching to the days of that extraordinary 2015/16 season, forgetting their span as a mid-table side. It’s undeniable that Premier League owners, fans and even players now are becoming more and more critical in their dissection of managers.

Have Man United provided a glimpse of the future?
Changing face of management?
Credit: Getty Images

Few could have predicted the dramatic and instant impact Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has had on United. What looked like being a season to totally write off when Mourinho was sacked, now could bear some real fruit for the club. More than this however, it may have given us all a taste into the future of management.

Before his departure, Mourinho and Paul Pogba were trading very public blows causing the club to choose between player or manager. Traditionally, the view has been that ‘no player is bigger than the club’ but this isn’t the dialogue we saw in December. With high-level football now a business, so dependant on stocks and shares, it felt like Pogba’s huge social media following and bankable appeal won him this round.

A club like Man United, so dependent on their global brand, just couldn’t bare anymore of the Mourinho PR nightmare. Now, in Solskjaer they have a club legend at the helm, who is excellent when facing the media and who seems to respect his most important players. A political spin doctor couldn’t have written the script better themselves. Is this the future way forward? Time will tell, but Arsenal’s under-pressure manager Unai Emery already appears to be facing his own troubles against star man Mesut Ozil. If social media shares begin to outweigh the value of club shares, he and many others could already be on borrowed time.

Its The Remix To Conviction

Common Sense Contributors
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Its The Remix To Conviction

by Benedicta Denteh

What’s Happened So Far? The Facts 

On Friday 22nd 2019 reports concluded that after months of anticipation following the release of the docuseries “Surviving R Kelly” the singer R Kelly, has been formally charged and arrested by the Chicago police department after having issued a warrant for his arrest.

Robert Kelly has been accused of 10 counts of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse against 4 females, three of which are between the ages of 13 and 17. The allegations include battery under common assault, both force or the threat of force and most shockingly sexual intercourse with a minor, all dating between 1998 and 2010.

If found guilty, R. Kelly could be facing up to 70 years in prison.

Attorney Michel Avenatti at Press conference responding to the charges against R Kelly

Attorney Michael Avenatti, who represents two of the victims and survivors of R. Kelly, is confident that the tapes containing sexual content between R Kelly and an under-aged girl, (which was handed in just a week before his arrest) will leave no question of whether he is guilty of multiple sexual illegal acts, especially when compared with the video used in the 2008 child pornography charges, in which he was acquitted as it contains more clear footage, according to several reports.

Attorney Avenatti also has announced that he has a further two videos in waiting, proving R Kelly guilty of all the allegations he has been accused of. And he is determined to not let this new trial be rigged using methods such as witness intimidation.

The following day on 23rd of Feburary, Kelly’s bail, set by a Judge in Chicago, amounts to US $1 million ($250,000 for each woman). His Attorney Steve Greenberg is currently in the process of gathering the money. In addition, Kelly will have his passport confiscated and will be unable to be in contact with any girl under the age of 18 until his trial, which is currently set to take place on March 8th.

R Kelly mug shot 22nd February at Chicago Police Station

Will R Kelly get justice?

Following the wealth of evidence through public testimonials and the release of documentaries including “Surviving R Kelly”, BBC’s “R Kelly: Sex, Girls and Scandals” and “R Kelly: The Sex Scandal Continues” it was evident that eventually R Kelly would have to face up to many of the accusations. 

But the question still stands of whether R Kelly will be brought to justice or whether he has a plan to slip through and be found innocent of all charges despite the body of proof, again.

One must ask how after decades of allegation but little media attention it is taken so long for R Kelly to show up in court again. Whether it has been through bribery or other forms of manipulations from within and outside the judicial system (like delaying the trial for so long that by the time the trial continued the minors were no longer minors and so the jury could not imagine them to be abused underage). Will he be able to evade justice again?

Following this is several other questions which have yet to be answered. According to several reports R Kelly has been accused of 10s perhaps 100s of acts of sexual abuse, physical abuse and manipulation of both underage girls and women, will everybody be satisfied if he is only charged with a fraction of his crimes, could this be the makings of justice for all who have been sexually harassed and manipulated but a known predator? What about the other people involved in his scandal, the part-takers in his inner circle?

Docu-series “Surviving R Kelly” which in 6 episodes examines old sexual misconduct allegations entangled with stories of the survivors of R. Kelly and their family members, previous members of his inner circle, and famous personalities such as Tarana Burke (founder of the #MeToo), Toure and Wendy Williams.

In addition will he be able to continue producing music behind bars? Will people continue to listen despite offences of violation against women and how his music covertly but explicitly admit this? 

The Case of Black Women

One thing that one can be certain about is that R Kelly’s case is special due to the typecasting of his victims. It is evident that to some extent race was undeniably a factor in his previous exoneration. These black females of the previous trials of 2008 (six years after the allegations were first brought to court) were victims of much more than the case against R Kelly, and were part of the history against black American women which has been codified unconsciously into institutions and individuals.

Here is the issue. Black women are sexualised, and this type of objectification has existed since slavery. In the modern day this can be seen in the way black bodies are used in them media and film as sexual objects (amongst of course, female bodies as a whole, but to an arguably larger extent). Due to this, the same innocence we often give to other children aren’t awarded to black girls. According to a study by Georgetown Law Center on Poverty and Inequality“adults view black girls as less innocent and more adult-like than their white peers, especially in the age range 5-14.” 

There is a level of vulnerability that isn’t given to young black females and this can be seen in the case of Serena Williams who was bedridden for weeks following the birth of her child due to her being “strong” enough to deal with overwhelming levels of pain. Again it could be argued that the image of the “strong black women” does more bad than it does good.

Faith Rodgers who appeared in the “Surviving R. Kelly” series, one of R Kelly previous victims/survivors

In relation to the R Kelly case we must question why according some jury members who were part of the previous case, the way the victims “looked”meant they must have been lying. Why these girls were believed to be unintelligent instead of victims of manipulation just like the victims/survivors of the Harvey Weisten case or the case of Bill Cosby, who’s victims included white females.

Of course it is part of the bigger question of why, as a whole, females are let down by the judicial system time and time again when it involves accusations of sexual assault.

Controversial I know. Currently we are awaiting the trail, convictions, confessions and to see whether R Kelly will finally find himself behind bars. 

Benedicta is currently studying Arabic and French at the University of Manchester and hopes to become a linguist and broadcast journalist in the future. In her free time, she enjoys learning about African development and issues to do with race, society and culture. Benedicta also takes pleasure in pole fitness, travelling and promoting plant-based eating.

The Main Problem With The Independent Group

Fleur Boya
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The Main Problem With The Independent Group

After Chuka Umunna was unable to detail issues that he had with the 2017 Labour manifesto – the formation, direction and even duration of The Independent Group is worrying.

Earlier this week, Ian Austin, former MP of Dudley North, became the ninth MP to quit the Labour Party. According to BBC News, “A Labour spokesman suggested Mr Austin should stand down and call a by-election in his West Midlands seat, which he won by only 22 votes in 2017”. Austin told the BBC: “One of the main reasons I joined the Labour Party as a teenager here in Dudley more than 35 years ago, was to fight racism and I could never have believed I would be leaving the Labour party because of racism too.” Austin also states that he was too ’embarrassed’ to remain under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership for allegedly “creating a culture of extremism and intolerance”.


Most interestingly about this resignation however, is that Ian Austin does not intend to join The Independent Group (TIG) but to sit as an independent member, which could be a dangerous catalyst for the Labour Party. This could likely motivate many other Labour Party MPs to defect and channel their reason for leaving into one of two issues, or both: anti-semitism and/or Brexit, as Chuka Umunna exemplified in a BBC Radio interview with Nick Robinson.


This brings rise to the many issues facing TIG. According to The Spectator, “The Independent Group is not your standard political party. It has no manifesto, no popular base, no memory of struggles, victories or defeats. Rather than a movement in search of political representation, it is a group of elected representatives in search of a movement”.


The Independent Group considers itself to be a new political power disturbing the manner in which old legislative issues works. The Group seeks to “occupy a space in the centre that traditional party politics divides have left empty”, urging individuals to make a change and take a stand. Members of The Independent Group, otherwise known as ‘Tiggers’, have had to prompt Brexiteers to their cause or they risk becoming irrelevant once the UK leaves the European Union – which is definitely happening.


Though TIG is still “new on the scene” and further resignations are likely to follow, the Group has to face the necessity of providing clarity on who they actually are, what they stand for and what they intend to change – and most importantly, their post-Brexit plan, since it can no longer be their scapegoat.

Islamic State Recruiters: The New Motivational Speakers

Itunu Abolarinwa
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Islamic State Recruiters: The New Motivational Speakers

In light of the recent case of Shamima Begum, the 19 year old from Bethnal Green in East London, who fled to Syria at the age of 15, one must question how the Islamic State successfully recruit young Westerners?

With promises of helping people fulfil a greater purpose, benefiting their community, and doing what is viewed as God’s work, the Islamic State have turned to the internet to radicalize the vulnerable and ostracized individuals in the West. The growth of social media has become a vital tool for Islamic State recruiters to target predominantly young Westerners with the hopes of motivating them to join the Jihad.

According to the Washington Post,  “The presence of young Western militants in Iraq and Syria signals a profound generational divide between ISIS and the older and now diminished al-Qaida,” So is it fair assume that the lack of connection with Al-Qaida’s greatest success, the September 11 attacks, are now pushing Islamic state recruiters to adopt innovative ways of attracting members? The answer is yes. How? With the use of social media platforms ranging from Kik to Instagram; recruiters are now relentless in their efforts to increase membership.

There are commonalities within the individuals that the Islamic State recruit. They are individuals who feel inadequate and disrespected.  Several case studies support this theory such as 17-year-old Australian Abdullah Elmir, who became known as the Ginger Jihadi’ in 2014 due to his red hair by women from the West who call themselves  “lionesses of Allah” and who are, according to The New York Post, ‘bearing the next generation of terrorists, whom they call “cubs of the caliphate.” The Islamic State reach is wide, and their audience varied, and the Islamic State recruitment technique is proving effective.

Imagine spending an afternoon at ease in the mountains with new friends, after some hours they being to ask questions about your future and your purpose. At first, the questions appear harmless but soon their persistence becomes suspicious.

You question what their intentions may be, and sensing your growing discomfort. As time together comes to close, they insist on meeting up again, a commitment you agree to but have no intention of honoring. You leave the mountains knowing that you just escaped Part One of the Islamic State recruitment process. This story was recalled by Mark Juergensmeyer, professor of global and religious studies at University College Santa Barbara, as he outlined the Islamic State motivational talk technique.

‘If you can get someone to kill themselves, you can get them to do anything’ said Juergensmeyer; explaining how the use of religion is an effective way to promote violence, while suggesting to potential recruiters that the violent acts are part of a greater purpose. Juergensmeyer alluded to the effectiveness of the message of Islamic State recruiters – through the promise of martyrdom for a greater purpose, the recruited believe in their cause so strongly that death seems like worthy price to pay.

Some may argue that the use of motivational speaking is one of many methods used by Islamic State recruiters to attract members and many state that their methods are still incredibly violent. From taking pictures next to decapitated heads, to prayers for the murders they plan to carry out, as written by The Washington Post, the Islamic State recruitment social media pages are a reminder that alongside the motivation there is a history of brutal violence.

Considering the imagery of explicit violence, the act of selling potential Islamic State recruits a promise of fulfilment of purpose seems counterintuitive when considering why Westerners join the jihad. Some call it brainwashing, others call it a means of survival, but non-violent recruiting techniques speak to the innermost part of all of us, the part that wants to be seen, heard and ultimately to matter.

It is estimated 4,000 people have left their homes in the West to migrate to ISIS’ according to The Atlantic. This number could potentially grow, so in addition to questioning why Westerners commit themselves to terrorist groups, it is crucial to understand what it is about society in the West that renders people invisible and consequently more susceptible to IS recruitment.

Climate Change School Protests…. What a climate we are trying to change

Shaun Flores
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Climate Change School Protests…. What a climate we are trying to change

On February 15th 2019 there was a protest against climate change led by hundreds of young people. The protest was organised by a group called Youth Stike 4 Climate. It took place opposite the Houses of Parliament in Central London.

“Save our planet”, chanted the crowds of young people, as they held up placards. There were several young people from all walks of life. Climate change, it seems, is a bridge between races, religions, genders and sexualities. It was refreshing to see so many young people who care about making their planet sustainable and ethical.

Young Protestors last weekend in London.

London was disrupted in the name of climate change, will this change the current climate we are evidently destroying?

The protests were sparked from 15-year-old Greta Thunberg who skipped class and chose in protest to sit outside government buildings accusing her country of not following the Paris Climate Agreement. There were protests across Europe in Sweden, Belgium and also across the world in Australia. Climate change has caught on and has caught the attention of the world. Parents also attended the protests in support of their children, showing the generational support from a generation who otherwise may not have understood the impact of climate change. Climate change in the past decade has come to the forefront of our attention. From the movements such as veganism highlighting the impact of climate change in the agriculture business.As well as the BP Oil spill and the use of non-renewable energy. Climate change has become something that is widely discussed.

Some may say that students should have a right to protest against something they feel passionate about, but on a “Saturday or a Sunday”? The protestors have deliberately marched on a Friday when they are aware it would disturb the centre of London to gain attention. Attention is at the very centrepiece of what is happening, attention and to show that young people care, what other means can the young use for parliament to take them seriously? Or are protests part of the illusion of democracy? It is beautiful to see young people use their political autonomy, even though they have no legal voice.

Are we raising a generation where the culture will become one of students striking whenever they feel passionate about something? Could we see the change of the voting laws which could prevent protests? It is inspiring to see young people who care about the environment protesting for the cause, but is there ever a right way to protest? This will not be the end as there is another protest planned for the 15th March.

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