On Rihanna, Robyn and fearlessness

 

 

 

 

If you need proof of Rihanna's fearlessness, look no further than her new "Pour It Up" music video.

The 25-year-old singer both directed and stars in the raunchy clip, which - true to the song's lyrics - features plenty of both dollar bills, strippers, and their requisite poles.
As RiRi showed on her Instagram account, she even fit in some pole practice for the shoot.

But, the star tells Glamour magazine in its November issue, that carefree attitude had to be cultivated.
"I had to regain my fearlessness because it did go away for a little bit," Rihanna says. "My mother said something to me a few years ago: 'I’ve seen something in your eyes I’ve never seen before: fear.' She was like, 'No, this is not you.' I just got back to being OK with myself."
Rihanna admits that she was teased as a kid, but believes the criticism helped prepare her for the kind that comes with fame.
"I got teased my entire school life. What they were picking on I don’t even understand. It was my skin color [which was lighter than her classmates’]. Then when I got older, it was about my breasts. But I’m not victimized - I’m grateful. ... It’s so easy for me to deal with the bulls*** now," she says.
If the singer does get any negative feedback for her latest video, it wouldn't be the first time. Another single, "Man Down," was criticized for promoting violence. But, the artist tells Glamour, she's gotten used to being misunderstood.
"When people call me Robyn, my head just flies around because I feel like that person knows me. But Rihanna, that tends to be people’s own [creation]. Robyn is who I am. Rihanna - that’s an idea of who I am," she says. "That’s why it’s important for me to know who I am. There’s no way for people to know me. All they have are a couple of pictures and some crazy headlines to go off of."

LAGOS PLANE CRASH: See What Actress Susan Peters Says About Agagu’s Death

Different reactions have trailed the plane crash of yesterday, in which many lives were lost.

Among those questioning the crash is Nollywood actress, Susan Peters.
Susan took to social media, Twitter to express her opinion on the Associated Airline Plane Crash which had the corpse of late Olusegun Agagu and others on board.

 
 

A daughter's plea: "My mother's life is in danger"

The testimony below has not been edited by FRANCE 24, and we are not able to verify its claims. The Iraqi authorities say that that there was no attack at Camp Ashraf, a camp for Iranian exiles in Iraq - where journalists are not allowed - and that its residents fought amongst themselves. However, camp residents say they were attacked by Iraqi security forces.]
 

 

On September 1, 2013, the Iraqi forces, acting upon the commands of the Iraqi Prime Ministry’s office, stormed camp Ashraf and slaughtered 52 of its residents, all of them defenseless and unarmed people, all of them protected

persons under the Fourth Geneva Convention. During that same raid, seven residents were abducted, 6 of whom are women. My mother, Mahnaz Azizi, is one of them. Since then, I’ve been struggling day and night to find and rescue her, but to no avail.

 

The only thing that I know for certain is that, every minute that she spends in the custody of Maliki’s forces, she is being subjected to torture and is under the threat of being surrendered to the Iranian regime.

 

The Iraqi government refuses to release my mother and the other six hostages. The latest information published by the NCRI states that the hostages had been kept by the Iraqi forces in a location near the Baghdad airport, and that they had later been transferred to Al-Amara, in southern Iran-Iraq border, with four helicopters belonging to the Prime Minister’s

office. The Iraqi government plans to hand them over to the Iranian regime’s consulate in Basra and Al-Amara and make the arrangements for their extradition to Iran.

 

"I call on the French government to put pressure on al-Maliki to release my mother, who has political refugee status in France"

 

President Obama, Secretary of State Kerry, the UN Secretary General, and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees must work out the release of my mother and the other hostages with their active engagement; they must prevent Maliki from handing the hostages over to Iran, where they will be further tortured and, eventually, executed. I particularly call on the French government to put pressure on al-Maliki to release my mother, since she has a political refugee status in France.

 

In protest to this injustice and inaction by all those who had made pledges to protect the residents of the camp, I have gone on hunger strike since the day of the attack, and I will remain on strike until all of the hostages are freed and UN protection forces take charge of the security of camp Liberty, since this camp has already been the target of three missile attacks.

 

The September 1st massacre has already claimed the lives of 52 innocent people. Do not let the Iraqi government raise the death toll higher than it already is. I reach out to all awakened consciences around the world for aid in this humanitarian cause.

Burundi stallholders bare their breasts to “save their businesses”

 

Picture this: distressed women baring their breasts in front of stunned customs and police officers.

 

This unusual scene took place at a market in the Burundi capital, Bujumbura, as officers seized wrap cloths imported illegally. The women, who are all stallholders, spontaneously decided to bare all in protest.

 

In Burundi, as in many countries in Africa, wrap cloths or “pagnes” are an integral part of the country’s heritage. Today, most of the cloths are imported from the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo where prices are lower there. In Bujumbura, the "pagnes" have been sold at markets by “mama vendors” for generations. But at the Chez Siyoni market on September 27, all stock was seized because authorities say the stallholders had not paid import taxes on the cloths.

 

The pagne sellers bared their breasts to show their despair. Photo taken by Iwacu.  

“Selling pagnes is our only means of survival”

Mama Yvette is a "pagne" seller at the Chez Siyoni market, in Bujumbura.

 

Customs officers from the Burundi Revenue Authority came with police officers and closed all the market stalls. This devastated us because selling "pagnes" is our only means of survival. It was in despair at the closure that we showed our breasts. We didn’t know what else to do to stop them from seizing our merchandise.

 

The year has been an unlucky and difficult one for us. On January 27, a fire broke out at Bujumbura’s central market. The stands and a large portion of our stock went up in flames, destroying our livelihoods of thousands of vendors and making our lives extremely difficult.

 

Some “mamas” then moved to the Chez Siyoni market, a privately-owned market [the central market run by the city] where the cost of hiring a stall is much higher. Every month, I pay 50,000 FBU [around 24 euros] as opposed to 15,000 FBU at the central market.

 

Ever since the custom officers’ raid on September 27, we don’t know what to do. It’s the first time that such a seizure has ever taken place; I’ve never seen this before. What are we doing to do now?

 

In Burundi, "pagnes" are overtaxed. The state raised taxes on them by 70% [according to the Burundi Revenue Authority, the tax came into force on July 1, 2013]. It’s no longer profitable, and thus encourages fraud.

 

We are calling on the Burundi Revenue Authority to sit down with us at the negotiating table to agree on a tax that would suit everyone financially.

 

When contacted by FRANCE 24, a spokesperson from the Burundi Revenue Authority said the operation “was carried out as part of the fight against fraud. All customs officers can, according to the law, carry out a search if there is serious information on the existence of fraudulent merchandise. It happens that in Burundi, "pagnes" are never declared even though the markets are filled with them, and it’s one of the most sold products. Surprising, isn’t it?”

 

The spokesperson added: “The tax on "pagnes" is there for the benefit of the local economy. Given that it’s a massively-imported merchandise, we tax it more than other items.”

Return to Mogadishu: Former Army ranger revisits ‘Black Hawk Down’ 20 years later

Twenty years after retired U.S. Army Ranger Jeff Struecker led a squad of elite forces into Mogadishu on a failed rescue mission that inspired the film “Black Hawk Down,” he returned to the site of the battle in Somalia and said the memories of the 17-hour-long firefight came rushing back.

“When I went back there this spring and turned the corner into the Bakaara Market, immediately the emotions, the smells, the thoughts from Mogadishu came flooding back like I was just there yesterday,” Struecker said.
Struecker sat down with “Power Players” to discuss a new documentary, “Return to Mogadishu: Remembering Black Hawk Down,” that follows his trip back to Somalia.
Struecker recalled that the mission -- which took place 20 years ago today and began as an effort to seize key Somali military lieutenants loyal to the self-proclaimed Somali president at the time, Mohamed Farrah Hassan Aidid -- quickly spiraled out of control.
“The original mission actually, for the first 30 minutes, goes well until the first helicopter gets shot down,” Struecker said. “Basically, within an hour, it becomes ‘salvage whatever human lives at the crash site’ for the next 17 hours -- fighting for our lives.”
Struecker described the battle as “the most intense gunfight I've ever been in,” and recalled that “a number of our vehicles were completely shot to pieces … in a matter of seconds.”
The elite forces were greatly outnumbered in the battle – a factor that hadn’t been foreseen.
“Most of us anticipated … a couple of hundred – but, in reality, those couple of hundred were probably more than 5,000 to 10,000 armed Somalis,” Struecker said. “We went in there with just 100 or 200 people on the ground, so we were totally outnumbered and totally overwhelmed.”
Despite the intensity of the fight, Struecker made several trips back into the battle to rescue fellow comrades and said he thought to himself, “I know I am going to die.”
To hear more of his memories of that day 20 years ago, including how Struecker said the battle transformed his faith and led him to become a pastor

Deadly giant hornets kill 42 people in China

Hornets have killed dozens of people in China and injured more than 1,500 with their powerful venomous sting.

The Asian giant hornet, known scientifically as Vespa mandarinia, carries a venom that destroys red blood cells, which can result in kidney failure and death, said Justin O. Schmidt, an entomologist at the Southwest Biological Institute in Tucson, Arizona.

But perhaps a bigger problem than the toxicity of the venom is allergy, Schmidt says. Some people are naturally more allergic to stinging insects than others; a sting can trigger a deadly anaphylactic reaction, which may involve airway closure or cardiac arrest.

Since July, hornet attacks have killed 42 people and injured 1,675 people in three cities in Shaanxi province, according to the local government. Among those attacked, 206 are receiving treatment in hospitals.

What are these hornets?

In person, the Asian giant hornet, which is the largest hornet species in the world, looks like "the wasp analog of a pit bull" with "a face that looks like you just can't reason with it," said Christopher K. Starr, professor of entomology at University of West Indes in Trinidad & Tobago.

These hornets are found throughout East and Southeast Asia, in countries such as in China, Korea, Japan, India and Nepal.

And they're big. The giant hornet extends about 3.5 to 3.9 centimeters in length (1.4 to 1.5 inches), roughly the size of a human thumb, and it has black tooth used for burrowing, according to an animal database at the University of Michigan. The queens are even bigger, with bodies that can grow longer than 5 centimeters (2 inches).

The species feed their young the larvae of other insects and use their mandibles to sever the limbs and heads of their prey.

The giant hornets are attracted to human sweat, alcohol and sweet flavors and smells. They are especially sensitive to when animals or people run, according to Xinhua.

Every breeding season, the giant hornets produce an average of 10,000 offspring. They feast on other insects such as wasps and bees, launching coordinated attacks on the hives of their prey.

Most hornet hives or nests are tucked away in secluded places, such as tree hollows or even underground.

"It's very difficult to prevent the attacks, because hornet nests are usually in hidden sites," said Shunichi Makino, director general of the Hokkaido Research Center for Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute in Japan.

What is the human impact?

Over the summer and early fall, hornets have invaded schools full of children and descended upon unsuspecting farm workers in China.

One of them is Mu Conghui, who was attacked in Ankang City while looking after her millet crop.

"The hornets were horrifying," she told Xinhua, the Chinese state-run news agency. "They hit right at my head and covered my legs. All of a sudden, I was stung, and I couldn't move.

"Even now, my legs are covered with sting holes."

Two months, 13 dialysis treatments and 200 stitches later, Mu still remains hospitalized and unable to move her legs.

Makino, who specializes in entomology, warned that the sting from an Asian giant hornet was severe compared with those of other insects.

The influx of venom to the human body can cause allergic reactions and multiple organ failure, leading to death. Patients like Mu have been receiving dialysis to remove the toxins from their bodies. In photos, patients bore deep, dark craters scattered across their limbs, the size of bullet wounds.

Dr. Wang Xue, director of the intensive care unit at First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University and an expert of the provincial hornet sting treatment guidance unit, warned in a Shaanxi government release that hornets tend to be aggressive and more active during September and October, their breeding season. The hornets do not go into hibernation until December, according to local government authorities.

Local authorities have deployed thousands of police officers and locals to destroy the hives. About 710 hives have been removed and at least 7 million yuan (about $1.1 million U.S.) sent to areas affected by hornets, according to a government press release.

Why so many attacks now?

The spate of attacks could be caused by the unusually dry weather in the area, authorities say. The arid environment makes it easier for hornets to breed. Urbanization could also be a contributing factor, as humans move into hornets' habitats.

Some experts cited in Xinhua stated additional factors such as increased vegetation and a decrease in the hornets' enemies, such as spiders and birds, because of ecological changes.

In other words, it's a good season for the hornet population, which makes it a bad season for people who encounter them.

The provincial government of Shaanxi has warned residents to wear long sleeves when outdoors and not to attempt to drive the swarms away or remove the hives.

Japan is familiar with Asian giant hornet stings, too. About 30 to 50 deaths are reported each year in Japan from such attacks, according to Japanese studies. Most of the deaths are due to allergies to the venom, Makino said.

The giant hornets are also destructive to western honeybees. Research in Japan suggests that tens of thousands of honeybee hives are damaged by the giant hornets each year.

How to protect yourself

People run into trouble when these hornets form a nest: a basketball-shaped nest that looks like it's made of gray paper, sometimes under an eave, Schmidt said. If you disturb one of these, or happen to whack a tree that has a nest in it, the hornets may respond as if they're under attack.

Humans can get themselves in danger by reacting poorly to these large hornets. If you see a nest or a hive, just avoid it, Schmidt says. If one of them buzzes around you, don't panic.

"Don't flap or scream or freak out," he advised. "Just calmly walk away."

One victim told local media this month that "the more you run, the more they want to chase you." Some victims described being chased about 200 meters (656 feet) by a swarm.

An area of research that hasn't been explored is how many people get stung by these hornets while taking down a nest in order to use the larvae as fish bait, or even to eat. The larvae do not have venom, Schmidt explained. But in general, people should not tamper with these nests.

As powerful as their sting can be, it is highly unlikely that these hornets would travel all the way to the United States to find a new home, Schmidt said, or in the United Kingdom for that matter. To go to Western Europe, they'd have to cross some "nasty deserts" to which they are not adapted.

As deadly as live adult giant hornets can be, some people don't shy away from them altogether.

There is a sports drink in Japan called VAAM that incorporates amino acids derived from hornets.

In Taiwan, where the giant hornet is known as the "tiger head," the insect is sometimes used in alcoholic drinks, Starr said, the idea being that "the essence of this great big strong hornet will go out into the booze, and when you drink it, you'll become strong."

That's one way to get a buzz.

Qatar defends 2022 World Cup project amid migrant worker abuse claims

There's nearly a decade to go before a ball is kicked at soccer's 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. But the tiny Gulf state, which won the right to host the event nearly three years ago, is embroiled in controversy over the treatment of the huge migrant labor force within its borders.

Hassan al-Thawadi, secretary general of the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee, defended his country's efforts in a CNN interview, and said he was outraged by the claim made last week by an international labor organization that it is a "slave state."

But at the same time, he acknowledged that it takes time to develop and enforce labor rights laws in what is one of the world's fastest developing countries.

The "slave state" claim came as Sharan Burrow, secretary general of the International Trade Union Confederation, warned that if current trends continue an estimated 4,000 migrant workers may die in Qatar as they toil on construction projects in the run-up to the World Cup.

She told CNN that the world could not "sit by and watch the conspiracy of silence that appears to be surrounding Qatar" in the face of the risks faced by migrant workers.

"You're talking about a slave state," she said. "That's an extreme statement, I know, in the 21st century. But what else can you call an environment where workers are totally controlled by an employer?

"They're forced to live in squalor, they are indeed pushed to work in extreme heat, often left without enough water for very long hours and then they go home to cook food in unhygienic conditions, live 8, 10, 12 to a room, and even if they want to leave, if they've just had enough, they can't go because the employer has to sign an exit visa or sign the papers to allow them to work for a better employer."

Rights groups have repeatedly warned that migrant workers in the tiny but hugely wealthy state face miserable conditions.

Al-Thawadi: 'Appalled' by claims

Those concerns were reignited by a report by Britain's Guardian newspaper last week which alleged that thousands of Nepali migrant workers are enduring dire conditions, and that 44 died over the space of nine weeks this summer. More than half died of heart attacks, heart failure or workplace accidents, it said. Some laborers told the paper they were denied access to free drinking water despite the summer heat.

A CNN report in May highlighted allegations by rights groups that thousands of construction workers building the infrastructure for the 2022 World Cup have been abused, denied their wages and trapped in a situation from which they cannot escape because, under Qatar's visa system, workers cannot leave the country without their employer's consent.

Asked about Burrow's comments, Al-Thawadi told CNN: "I'd be worried and concerned and appalled and disgusted at any individual working on any project -- not just relating to the World Cup, but any project out there -- that suffers such circumstances, and definitely these stories that have been reported are being investigated currently. The government is taking a look at them.

"I've had discussions with many representatives of the government at senior levels and they've all indicated that there are investigations into this matter.

"But it's also important to focus on the fact that currently these activities that are going on, or that have been reported about, are actually illegal under the company laws, (which) very clearly criminalize these actions, and as soon as the government or the relevant authorities take a look at them action is taken."

The ITUC claims that fatal construction work injuries in Qatar are eight times higher than in other rich countries, putting laborers at serious risk. Those from India and Nepal make up the bulk of the estimated 1.2 million migrant workers in Qatar, it says.

"The absolutely hazardous conditions mean that up to 4,000 workers from just two countries where we have statistics -- Nepal and India -- will die before the World Cup kicks off if we don't see international intervention," Burrow said.

Workplace accidents, cardiac arrests

There are different accounts about the scope -- and causes -- of the workers' deaths.

Qatar's National Human Rights Committee, a government body, said Monday in Doha that the mortality figures published in recent media reports "greatly varied from the actual numbers" and stressed that it "realizes the value of all human lives."

About 55 Nepali workers died last year "either as a result of neglecting safety measures or because of actions committed by the workers themselves," out of about 340,000 Nepali workers currently in Qatar, it said in a written statement. So far this year, that figure stands at 15, it said.

Figures attributed to "representatives of the (Nepali) community" support the Qatari figures, indicating that in total 276 Nepalis died in Qatar last year and 151 through September this year. Of the deaths last year, half were put down to "natural causes" and a fifth, or 55, to workplace accidents.

This year so far, 10% of deaths, or those of 15 workers, occurred in workplace accidents, with half the total again attributed to "natural causes." The remainder are attributed to traffic accidents and "disputes."

What is not clear is whether the migrants' working conditions might have contributed to the deaths from natural causes.

Documents provided by officials at the Embassy of Nepal in Doha, seen by CNN and cited in The Guardian's report, give a somewhat different picture. They indicate that 169 Nepali migrants died in Qatar last year, although they also cited 151 dead so far this year. Many of the deaths are attributed to "sudden cardiac arrest" or other cardiac failure, but again, no further explanation is given.

The officials said "roughly 400,000" Nepali migrants are in Qatar.

Nepali community leader Narendra Bahadur Bhat, coordinator of the Non-Resident Nepali Association in the Middle East, said that conditions in Qatar are comparable to those for workers elsewhere in the Gulf, that Nepali workers have legal protections in Qatar, and that efforts by Qatari and Nepalese authorities to improve their working conditions continue.

At the same time, he said, "We can't say that the work circumstances are ideal; we are facing challenges regarding salaries, issuing the residency and providing adequate accommodations."

Bodies sent back to Nepal 'every day'

Suresh Man Shrestha, secretary of the Ministry of Labor in Nepal, told CNN that the return of the bodies of migrant laborers to Nepal from overseas already is a daily occurrence.

"Every day, one to three bodies of Nepali migrant workers are sent back to Nepal," he said. "From July 2012 to July 2013, 726 bodies have returned, mostly from the Middle East."

Almost half a million Nepalis depart as migrant workers each year, mainly for Middle East and Malaysia, Shrestha said. He put the number of Nepalese workers in Qatar at 793,000.

Shrestha gave three reasons for the tragically high death toll among Nepali laborers, who quit the Himalayan kingdom on the promise of better paying jobs to help support their families.

First, workers die in accidents, he said. Laborers who have perhaps never seen a skyscraper before are made to work on extremely tall buildings.

Another factor is the heat, he said, with workers from the Himalayas unused to searing desert temperatures. Third, Shrestha highlighted the poor employment conditions that many migrant laborers suffer.

'Crucible of exploitation'

Qatar has faced repeated calls for reform since it was awarded the World Cup in late 2010.

Rights group Human Rights Watch said in February that Qatar "has not delivered on its pledges to improve migrant workers' rights."

The group said then that if the labor reforms promised when the wealthy Gulf nation won the 2022 World Cup did not materialize, the tournament "threatens to turn Qatar into a crucible of exploitation and misery for the workers who will build it."

On Friday, Burrow said the ITUC had been in discussions with FIFA, soccer's world governing body, and the Qataris about how to improve the situation but nothing has changed, highlighting the need for international pressure.

"We've never seen countries so quiet about what is in fact modern-day slavery. It has to end," she said. "There can be no World Cup in Qatar without labor rights. ... If they engage with us, we can help them fix it."

But Al-Thawadi insisted that labor abuses are not tolerated by Qataris and that things are changing.

"The issues that are being raised are not part of my culture," he said. "We unequivocally are outraged. We definitely do not accept these cultures happening within our society and we are taking action about it."

He said laws have been established and policies are being implemented, but "it's important to take things in perspective." Since 1995, he said, "there has been significant development that has occurred in the state of Qatar, probably the fastest developing nation on Earth," including a population boom.

"During this period of time with rapid construction, rapid urban development, rapid population growth, the country is still committed towards putting in place policies to address these situations," he said. "The issue is in terms of finding a system of enforcement to enforce these policies. The government has been taking actions towards it (but) this can't happen overnight."

Al-Thawadi said the government is seeking to ensure that it takes sustainable action, providing long-term, enforceable solutions rather than a quick fix.

Feeling the heat

FIFA said last week it would raise the issue of worker rights with Qatari authorities and would discuss the latest reports at the FIFA executive committee meeting that started Thursday in Zurich, Switzerland.

The world professional footballers association, FIFPro, has said that "Qatar must respect the rights of the key people who will deliver the 2022 FIFA World Cup: the workers who build the World Cup stadia and infrastructure and the professional footballers who play in them."

FIFA's top officials will also be considering a call for the Qatar tournament to be moved to the winter months because of fears that players and fans would be adversely affected by the searing heat, which can reach 122 degrees Fahrenheit during the summer.

Europe's football associations voted earlier this month against holding the tournament in the Qatari summer -- although FIFA will make the final decision.

Al-Thawadi acknowledged that summer in his country is hot, but said "other nations have hosted similar World Cups in similar if not more severe conditions."

In addition, he said, Qatar is investing in cooling technologies for stadiums, training areas and fan areas.

Labor groups say the workers toiling to build the World Cup infrastructure in these conditions are even more deserving of concern.

Nigeria bombs Boko Haram camp near site of massacre

Kano (Nigeria) (AFP) - Nigeria's military has launched air strikes on a Boko Haram camp, killing several Islamists, near a northeastern college campus where insurgents massacred 40 students at the weekend, a spokesman said Thursday.
"We tracked the Boko Haram terrorists to their camp in the forest outside Gujba," military spokesman in Yobe state Lazarus Eli said of the Tuesday operation.
"Fighter jets bombarded the camp while troops launched a ground offensive, which left several terrorists dead," Eli added.
On Sunday, heavily armed Boko Haram gunmen attacked an agricultural college in Gujba, killing 40 students as they slept in their dorms.Gujba is roughly 30 kilometres (18 miles) from Yobe's capital of Damaturu.

Nigerian troops patrol the streets of the remote northeast town of Baga on April 30, 2013 (AFP Photo …

"The whole camp was destroyed in the raid and we are on the trail of fleeing members of the terrorist group," Eli said.
The military has previously issued statements following major Boko Haram attacks, boasting of successes which are often difficult to verify.
Eli said "15 suspected terrorists" have been arrested around Gujba.
The weekend school massacre cast further doubt on the success of an ongoing military campaign, launched in May, which is aimed at crushing the four-year insurgency.
More than 100 people have been killed in a spate of school attacks since June, while dozens of others have been slaughtered in violence across the northeast, Boko Haram's historic stronghold.
The insurgents have said they are fighting to create an Islamic state in Nigeria's mainly Muslim north, but their demands have repeatedly shifted.
According to an estimate made earlier this year, the insurgency has cost more than 3,600 lives, including killings by the security forces. The current figure is likely much higher.
Nigeria is Africa's most populous country and top oil producer, roughly divided between the mainly Muslim north and a predominately Christian south.

Beachgoers in Spain discover 30-foot giant squid

Carcass found in Cantabria is that of the mysterious and fabled Architeuthis Dux; it remains unclear whether the deep-sea denizen will be put on display

  

Giant squid images are courtesy of Enrique Talledo. Note the size of the eye 

Beachgoers in the Spanish community of Cantabria were astonished Tuesday when they stumbled onto the carcass of a giant squid that had washed ashore almost fully intact.
The deep-sea denizen—the fabled and mysterious Architeuthis Dux—measured 30 feet and weighed nearly 400 pounds.
It was delivered to the Maritime Museum of Cantabria, where it was cleaned and frozen, while a decision is awaited between museum scientists and the government as to what will be done with the colossal cephalopod.
(According to El Diario Montanes, there has been some argument regarding ownership, and it remains unclear whether the squid will be put on display, eventually, or dissected in the name of science. According to some reports it was initially to be simply cremated.)
Regardless, the discovery was remarkable, considering that giant squid, although they’re the largest invertebrates on earth, are extremely elusive and, thus, difficult to study.
They generally reside at depths of between 1,000 and 3,000 feet, and most of what scientists have learned has come from carcasses that have washed ashore, and rarely are entire carcasses found.
However, scientists are persistent in their quest to learn more. In 2004, Japanese researchers captured the first known live images of giant squid. In 2006, a team of Japanese researchers brought to the surface a live female squid measuring 24 feet.
The mysterious creatures, meanwhile, remain steeped in lore.
In the times of ancient mariners, Architeuthis Dux, which resides in the lightless depths of all of the world’s oceans, is believed to have spawned tales of sea monsters, such as the legendary Kraken.
Architeuthis Dux was one of the vicious creatures in Jules Verne’s classic science fiction novel, “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.” (First published in 1870; made into a Disney movie in 1954.)
It was represented in other books, too, from Herman Melville’s “Moby Dick” to Ian Fleming’s “Dr. No,” to Peter Benchley’s “Beast” (later adapted as a film, “The Beast”).
To many, the mere mention of giant squid conjures images of the beasts waging vicious battles with deep-diving sperm whales, although in these battles the squid is the prey and the whales are the predators.
The giant squid that washed ashore in Cantabria was photographed by Enrique Talledo, who allowed the use of images accompanying this story.
“The animal died at sea and ocean currents brought it to the coast,” Talledo said via email. “The squid was in good condition except one [tentacle] had been broken.”
He remarked the eyes were gigantic and almost lifelike.
That’s no surprise because the giant squid, according to National Geographic, possess the largest eyes in the animal kingdom. They can measure 10 inches in diameter, almost the size of beach balls, and it’s believed the size helps the creatures detect objects in their dark habitat.
There are only a handful of museums that have a giant squid carcass on display. Hopefully, the public in Cantabria will soon be able to admire this remarkable specimen.

For Ladies – 4 Top Causes Of A Smelly Private Part

Most women experience feminine issues from time to time. Feminine odor is especially frustrating, because it can leave you feeling unclean and gross, even if that’s not the case. There are lots of causes for feminine odor, but here are the top four culprits.
 BACTERIAL VAGINOSIS
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most common cause of vaginal odor. Every v**ina is filled with naturally occurring bacteria, and BV is simply an overgrowth of those bacteria. Most women in their reproductive years will experience at least one case of BV. The cause is unknown, but unprotected s*x and frequent douching can put you at a higher risk. Other symptoms include itching, soreness and discharge. Some cases of BV will go away on their own, but Planned Parenthood recommends that all women with BV symptoms visit their doctor for treatment to prevent rare but serious complications. Treatment for BV is usually as simple as a course of antibiotics.
YEAST INFECTION
A yeast infection is also very common (and very uncomfortable!). They present signs much like BV, with the addition of a thick, white discharge. Yeast infections do not require antibiotics and instead can be treated with one- or three-course vaginal anti-fungal treatments. Treatment for yeast infections has become very simple and can even be purchased over-the-counter. Most of these treatments tend to get messy, so it’s better to use them overnight.

SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES
Some STD’s can cause feminine odor, the most common are chlamydia and gonorrhea. Both diseases are common and easy to treat, but can cause serious complications if they go untreated. Unfortunately, both are also often not quickly diagnosed because they may or may not produce symptoms. The most common symptoms of chlamydia and gonorrhea include painful urination and pus-like discharge, although an unpleasant odor is often present as well. See your doctor immediately if you are experiencing any of these symptoms and avoid risk by abstaining or using protection during s*x.
PELVIC INFLAMMATORY DISEASE
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) occurs when bacteria travel through the v**ina into the uterus. It is often a late-stage result of an STD not diagnosed, such as chlamydia. PID usually is not diagnosed until you experience chronic pain or have trouble getting pregnant because often,it does not present symptoms. If symptoms of PID are present, they may include pelvic pains, odor, heavy discharge, fever, fatigue, painful intercourse or painful urination. PID can be treated with antibiotics, though it may leave behind scar tissue that has lasting effects..
If you are experiencing any of these, the best bet is too see a medical doctor for proper treatment.

Female UNILAG Graduate, Chioma, Caught Leading Robbery Operation In Lagos

 

Cases of ladies leading deadly robbery gang is fast becoming a trend in Nigeria, with Lagos taking the lead. It seems prostitution is no longer paying some wayward ladies as much as they expect, hence the decision to take to the dangerous trade of armed robbery.
This is the case of Chioma Ezekwesiri, a Law graduate from the University of Lagos.
Chioma, who leads a 7-man robbery gang, was arrested with her gang members during an operation by SARS operatives after they received a distressed call from Bolatito Hotel in the Ijaiye area of Lagos.

According to police report, Chioma and her boys stormed the hotel after receiving tips that a customer who just sold 8 million naira worth of fertilizer was staying at the hotel.
The Special Anti-Robbery Squad team immediately surrounded the hotel and searched all its occupants. In the process, 2 guns and 12 live ammunition were found on the robbery suspects.
35yrs old Chioma and her gang members have been remanded in prison. The are: Amadi Igwe, 41;
Raymond Chukwuka, 24; Ignatius Okeredi, 27; Michael Madu, 52; Okechukwu Jerome, 28

One-Legged Robber Who r*pes & Kills His Female Victims Arrested

The delta state police has arrested a 21-year-old disabled robbery suspect, John Okue in a hair salon in Okwashi-Uku, following a tip off.

 

The one-legged robber, who lost his leg to a virus, led the gang of other armed robbers whose ages ranged from about 17 to 25 years.
They were said to have robbed, killed and defiled their female victims with impunity.
Apparently the gang was said to be highly connected to top police officers in the state so when any member of the gang was arrested and detained, his freedom was often obtained.
It was reliably gathered that at a point when the police wanted to apprehend him in his home in Kwale, he escaped while he disguised as a beggar. The police officers detailed to track him down saw him but never knew he was the suspect they were looking for.

This hide and seek game between the police and the armed robbery suspect continued for several weeks as he became elusive until recently when the gang leader was apprehended in a barbing saloon at Ogwashi-Uku following a tip-off.
Police sources said confessional statement by the gang leader led to the arrest of other members at different locations.
They are being detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) Asaba.
Among dangerous weapons recovered from the gang were battle axe, pump action, rifles, shot guns and AK 47 rifles.

Two Choristers Cut Younger Member’s Face With Blade Over Affair With Choir Master

 

Two women, Temitope Abigeal and Temitope Remi, have been arraigned before a Chief Magistrate’s Court in Ebute Meta on a three count of conspiracy, assault and grievous harm.
Abigeal (26) and Remi (28), choristers at a Cherubim and Seraphim church at Ebute Meta, were alleged to have assaulted Hannah Okurabe (18) with razor blades at Abule Nla junction, a few metres away from the church.

The incident was said to be the result of an earlier fight over the church’s choirmaster, Joseph Unuigbe, a father of two. Joseph Unuigbe is married to a lady who is also a member of the same church.

Hannah is presently receiving treatment at the Lagos Island General Hospital, while Abigeal and Remi have been remanded in Kirikiri until they meet their bail terms

Two women, Temitope Abigeal and Temitope Remi, have been arraigned before a Chief Magistrate’s Court in Ebute Meta on a three count of conspiracy, assault and grievous harm.
Abigeal (26) and Remi (28), choristers at a Cherubim and Seraphim church at Ebute Meta, were alleged to have assaulted Hannah Okurabe (18) with razor blades at Abule Nla junction, a few metres away from the church.The incident was said to be the result of an earlier fight over the church’s choirmaster, Joseph Unuigbe, a father of two. Joseph Unuigbe is married to a lady who is also a member of the same church.

Hannah is presently receiving treatment at the Lagos Island General Hospital, while Abigeal and Remi have been remanded in Kirikiri until they meet their bail terms -

Yobe Massacre: We’re Ready To Assist FG Bring Boko Haram Scourge To An End, Says Tinubu

 
 Former Lagos State governor and frontline opposition figure, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu yesterday decried the deadly attacks on hapless Nigerians following the gruesome murder of over 60 students of the College of Agriculture, Gujba, in Yobe State by suspected Boko Haram elements on Sunday.
 In a statement from his media office, the All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain lamented that “Nigeria is under attack.”

The statement, which is a sequel to a letter he personally wrote to Yobe State Governor, Ibrahim Gaidam, said:

“As a father and leader, I am deeply saddened by the senseless killings of innocent students. It is unacceptable and indefensible under any guise. It is an act that must be punished.
“The recent carnage in Borno State and now at the College of Agriculture in Yobe reminds us of the sinister nature of the enemy our nation now faces.
“There should be no mistake at this sombre moment. Those who launched these attacks did not launch them at the people they killed.  They knew not the names of their victims or who they were.
“The dead were just unfortunate souls who happened to be close enough to murder. The real targets of these massacres were our nation, society and any semblance of civilized, modern life.  Nigeria is under attack and the earlier those in charge realised this, the quicker the situation can be arrested. In terms of security, the present is not safe, neither is the future secured.
“The killings at the College of Agriculture were particularly jarring. Under cover of darkness, evil crept unto a campus of higher learning, turning it into a place of slaughter.
“These murderers snatched the lives of young people who were just entering the fullness of life. The attackers fell upon them so early that many of the students were still in bed.
“These young people only wanted an education to improve their future and that of the nation. They were armed only with this desire and with the tools of students. They had done no one any harm.
“Yet, their attackers executed them in the cruelest fashion.  This is terror in its basest form.  By this act, the crazed and armed menace we face tells us that attending school, attempting to get an education, is now a capital offence. Those guilty of seeking to learn are to be executed.
“This is a dire affront to fundamental humanity. It is also a frontal attack on our quest for economic development and social progress. Those that did this seek to cast a veil of fear and ignorance over Nigeria. We must remain steadfast in the belief that enlightenment and progress is best for our people.
“These killers want us to hide in the shadow of fear and live in the cave of ignorance. We must be brave enough to tell them “no.”  No matter how they try to frighten us, we shall walk in the light of learning, justice, hope and tolerance, unity and progress.
“What we face is nothing less than a contest for the soul of the nation.  We dare not lose the contest. These young people died just because they wanted to learn and live better.  We can’t allow their deaths to be in vain.

“Thus, we must rededicate ourselves that all of our children shall learn and live better because of the education they shall receive.
“We must look beyond the deaths and spilled blood of these innocent children.  In times like these, it is easy to give up and recede into our fears. Yet, we must be of good courage. We must not give way to sorrow or despair.  We must forge ahead with our best plans and preparations for the people.”
Tinubu, who called on the FG to focus on making society better, said the advice was not to score political points, adding that the attackers ultimate aim is to cripple the educational system in the north and if they are not stopped they will succeed.
“They intend to make Nigeria desolate” he said, noting that “In their warped minds, this will be paradise. Paradise for them will be purgatory for the rest of us.”
Brimming with optimism that the country will overcome what he termed as “this pestilence”, Tinubu added that justice shall prevail just as every Nigerian must put hands on deck to build the nation.
“We must be of good courage. We cannot allow their violence to dictate the path that we must go.
They see a nation they want to destroy. I see a nation we should build. We shall win.
“They may have guns and terror. But they lack the moral force to stop us from building the nation we seek.  We have justice and right.  We shall win”, he maintained.
Wondering how long the senseless killings will last and how many lives would have been lost before this evil is halted, Tinubu challenged the federal government to become more proactive in developing a comprehensive law enforcement, intelligence-gathering and economic incentives strategy to checkmate the plague.
“On such a grave matter of national security, there is no partisanship.  We are all Nigerians.  We stand ready to help in this fight. We await the call of the Federal Government to do so,” the former governor said.
He extended his condolences to the government and people of Yobe State especially families, who lost loved ones in the attack.
“Your grief is heavy and thick because of the senselessness of this tragedy.  But you don’t carry this grief alone. All Nigeria grieves with you. Those were our children, too” Tinubu said.

3 Suspected Cultists Nabbed Over Murder

Police in Lagos State have arrested three suspected members of Eye and Aiye confraternities in connection with the murder of some rival cultists in Epe area of the state.

The suspects, it was learnt, were arrested following investigation into the incessant clashes between rival cultists by members of a vigilante.
Among the suspected cultists is a 200 level Business Administration student of the Lagos State Polytechnic.
Their identities were given as Olawale Olushote 20; Idowu Gborokini 29 and Seyi
Adewunmi, 26.
According to Olushote, “I was forced into cultism by some of my course mates because of my built and intimidating looks. I was told I could one day become the Capone. But I have never killed anyone.

from left: Seyi Adewunmi, Idowu Gborokini and Olawale Olushote

“Rather, I was attacked by members of Eiye confraternity, where I had gone to charge my phone. I did not know some members lived in the area.
“They stabbed me with a knife and broken bottle on the head. They even put some cartridges in my pocket, which the police found on me when I was handed over to them. I don’t own a gun let alone cartridges.”
The two other suspects, Idowu Gborokini and Seyi Adewunmi, however denied being cultists. They claimed to be a musician and a bricklayer, respectively. They said they were arrested during a raid by policemen.
Confirming the arrest, Lagos State Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, Damasus Ozoani, said the suspects have been transferred to the Special Anti Robbery Squad, SARS, from where they would be charged to court at the end of investigation.

HOW NOT TO LOSE YOUR MARRIAGE TO HOUSEMAIDS..

Rule#1: Never employ an housemaid if you cannot really trust your husband with opposite sex or if he has history of sexual infidelity.

Rule#2: Never employ a housemaid that is more beautiful than you, she may turn out to be your nemesis and take your husband from you.

Rule#3: Never employ housemaid you cannot control.

Rule#4: Don't go for a housemaid if you do not really need one.

Rule#5: If your housemaid suddenly become uncontrollable, stubborn and disobedient to you, while your husband see nothing wrong in it, be very observant, there is something fishy under your roof.

Rule#6: Don't ever permit your maid to be tying towel for hours just because she wants to take her bath.

Rule#7: Never employ a maid if you don't have a separate room where you are going to put her.

Rule#8: Don't ever employ a house boy if you have only girls as children.

Rule#9: Don't give your old dresses that your husband likes on you to your maid.

Rule#10: Avoid constant travelling

Rule#11: Never allow your children disrespect her, let them respect her, she is older than them. Don't tell them she is just an house girl.

Rule#12: Don't surrender your kitchen to your maid.

Rule#13: Be good to your maid, be a mother to her. Be smart, be observant , take total control of your home in order to avoid stories that touch the heart.

by Temilola Kofoworola Babarinde.

Breaking News: Aircraft Reportedly Carrying The Corpse Of Agagu Crashes In Lagos.

 
An Associated Airline plane carrying the body of late former governor of Ondo State, Olusegun Agagu, has crashed in Lagos, according to reports.
Eyewitnesses said the scene of the crash was close to the section where JET-A1, plane fuel is stored at the local wing of the airport.
Fire service officials have arrived the scene, evacuating the occupants of the plane. No confirmation yet, on if there was any loss of life in the crash.
When contacted, General Manager, Corporate Communications, of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, Yakubu Dati, asked to be given time to get details of the incident.
Unconfirmed reports however put the death toll at 20.
UPDATE: Lagos State Emergency Agency, LASEMA, has confirmed that 11 persons died in the crash, while four who sustained injuries have been hospitalised.

Man With An Erection Walks Around Naked In Public Asking Women For Their Numbers

Apparently, this seems to be a new internet craze.

Quite a number of shocking videos of men pretending to ask out women in funny and bizzare ways have been appearing on YouTube lately.
One of the most brazen ones is this young man who took of his clothes, sporting an erection and begins approaching women to ask for their number.
The video, aptly titled unclad Guy Picking Up Girls shows the man who calls himself Freddie Fairhair as he attempts to pick up women in the park.
As expected, a lot of the women he approached seem completely shocked and disgusted while others just laughed it off.
See photos:

How To Tell When A Woman Just Had Sex

Did you know that just by walking down the street, or across the office, people may be able to figure out that you’ve gotten laid?

Because having a vaginal climax does more than just put a little pep in your step. It actually causes you to walk differently, with a longer stride and a greater pelvic rotation.
In a European study, trained sexologists (nice job title) were able to pick out, with an 81 percent accuracy, which women had an climax just by watching them walk.
But that’s not the only way someone can tell if a woman has had s*x. Here are a few others:
The Glow: There’s a scientific reason for us getting the flushed in the cheeks look after s*x — more blood flow — but what about that aura of calm that seems to float around us after the fact? It happens. Recently, my husband and I went on a post-coital grocery store trip and ran in to some friends. The wife remarked to me, “You’re glowing,” with a little wink and a nod.

The Cat Who Ate The Canary Grin: This is also known as the Smirking Smile and if you see a woman looking sideways with this look on her face, you’ll know, yep, she just got laid. She has a secret that’s making her go through her day with a sense of fulfillment. Because, seriously, nobody is that happy unless they just had s*x with a happy ending.
The Wet Spot: I know this is gross but getting seminal moisture leaking through to your pants can be an unfortunate byproduct of having s*x, at least if you don’t use a condom or your partner doesn’t pull out. And it’s not one of the good ways you would want someone to be able to tell that you recently had s*x. Wearing a pad post-intercourse can help prevent this — just sayin’.
The Unflappably Buoyant Mood: A post-intercourse rise in endorphins can give you a fresh perspective on the annoyances of every day life: Go ahead, honk at me because I’m going too slow. Cut in front of me in the check-out line at the store. And let my kids scream at each other while they argue over who gets to sit in the front seat on the way to school. I. Don’t. Care. Thanks to a little early morning sunrise surprise, nothing is going to put me in a bad mood.
Source: Thestir.com

The black double agents among us

“You speak English so well, where did you go to school?” That could easily rank in the top five annoying questions asked to products of the “Model C” system. And when I answer “Hillview High” (a name that has never and will never feature in any Easter Rugby tournament) a dense cloud of awkwardness and confusion invariably descends on the conversation.
The thought that someone could find a black person’s more-than-decent grasp of the Queen’s language perplexing, leaves me rather perplexed. It’s as if the result of this decades-long move towards integration was supposed to be something other than what it turned out to be. What I also find curious is the privilege that draping my words in a “Model C accent” affords me. It grants me audiences with people of influence when I know, for a fact, that the people who most deserve such opportunities, are those who enunciate with a little more fervour than is comfortable and whose English doesn’t come out of their nose. It also serves as incontrovertible indication that I’m well-versed in the nuanced grammar of “whiteness”, that I’m safe to be around, that I’m not about to pull a red beret out of my back pocket any time soon.
However, should I require anything from a sales assistant/cashier/official with a skin tone of similar hue to mine, I’d do well to put that accent away if I’m to progress in my endeavour without evoking derision. My recent move to the republic of the Western Cape has made this a rather challenging feat, as my handle on the isiXhosa language can only be likened to Miley Cyrus’s handle on the concept (and mechanics) of twerking: comical at best, cringeworthy at worst. So I’ll usually open an exchange in Setswana and they respond in isiXhosa, which sometimes backfires because I’ll be called out for being too hard-headed to learn the language.
The ability to emulate a duality of cultures, as and when convenient, is as beneficial as it is crippling. I was recently reminded of this on the day of the commemoration of Steve Biko’s death, simply because of my glaring lack of knowledge on the subject of Black Consciousness. I’ve spent the majority of my life choosing to camouflage my blackness because I was very aware of how well I blended in and how far I got when I did so. It wasn’t until I was in the middle of a discussion about the significance of the #KnowYourDA campaign that I realised that not only my speech but also my reasoning mirrored that of middle-class white people. Perhaps it’s because we realise how precarious our social standing is, or how volatile the social currency of speaking whiteness when you’re not white, but me and those like me have, for the longest time, ignored the warnings of our peers to “emancipate [ourselves] from mental slavery”.
The fact that only black people can create the space required to self-define, means we (both black and non-black people) need to get comfortable with the idea of being uncomfortable, it means privileged, middle-class black folk will have to confront and interrogate their thinking and ultimately, it means non-black people need to listen. Not justify, not think of comebacks, just listen.
Anybody who’s not black would, in all likelihood, be baffled at the need to disguise one’s blackness, as they’ve never had to appropriate a culture that isn’t their own. Just think of one black person you know who speaks “really well” and ask yourself how your relationship with them would have been different if they didn’t.

Muslims no longer ‘own’ their Islam

*Name withheld

It’s 10am on a Tuesday morning, and routinely, I browse through the web for the morning news. I know that I will come across the article soon, because my partner texted me late the night before saying: “Have you heard about Mars1? They’re making a reality show … and after eight years, whoever is left will fly to Mars one way [ticket] to live there. Bloody madness!” My partner hardly reads or watches the news, which means it was definitely a breaking story.
While reading the article, I shook my head dismally. There are allegedly 10 000 people that have already applied to be on this show. What makes someone want to up and leave EARTH? Let alone your job, home, town, city or country. Earth!? Forever!?
Some things are better left unexplained, I thought. But by the end of the day I was thinking that moving to Mars wouldn’t be such a bad idea after all. It began (as it usually does when you’re directed to YouTube via a news article to see “actual footage”) when I came across videos on the Boston marathon bombing suspects; brothers Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. I had not kept myself updated about the story since the Friday before, but was eager to pick up on the latest about the younger sibling, Dzhokhar, and whether he had recovered from his gunshot wound to the throat.
One video after the other led me deeper into the rabbit hole: From analysis on the photographs taken at the marathon showing government agents with backpacks and ear pieces, family members of the suspects claiming the brothers were framed, group discussions on the unlikelihood that the two could be involved in such terrible acts, Facebook groups opened in support of Dzhokhar and his innocence, to Boston police ignoring questions at a press briefing about why people were told to stay calm before the bombs went off, and so much more.
Now, I do not consider myself to be a conspiracy theorist, advocate for it or an avid reader of it. But I do believe that all opinions must be listened to and given a chance to present their rationale. But commenting on feelings about incidents like the one above is always tricky, especially when you are a Muslim; wait let me rephrase that, when you are human being, but a “Muslim human being”. There is always a concern about how your comments will be received by other people, particularly when it comes to issues of religion or anything that goes “boom”. Because let’s face it, from the maniacs out there who use the Quran as a justification to kill innocent people, to the mainstream media that report mostly biased news against anything that remotely resembles Arab-brown, head-geared, mosque-going people, you have got to be careful not to say anything that would label you a “boomer” or on the other extreme, “blasphemous”. It is for this reason that I have decided to remain anonymous.
I have always been intensely angered at the horrific acts of the few Muslims around the world who have claimed responsibility for the atrocious acts of violence that have left thousands dead in the past 10 or more years all around the world — and I know many others who are too. Have they been so selfish, so brainwashed to not consider the effects their actions would have on the families of those innocent people? Have they never thought about the consequences of their actions on the rest of the Muslims in the world? The fear, marginalisation, victimisation, torture, blackmail — the list goes on — of peaceful Muslims living in the west.
Of course they have not.
On the other hand, but equally disturbing, is all the news reports about the bombings, compared with the many videos and articles that showed other damning evidence, which the media failed to report on. I cannot help but see a resemblance in the way the attack on the twin towers was reported on. News agencies report in, what seems to be, parrot-fashion from US government statements, mostly ignore the citizen journalists, small news agencies, freelancers (and even sometimes conspiracy theorists) when they show evidence of cover-ups, government blackmail etc. Months later when outrage pours onto the streets everywhere in the world, they then decide to report, sympathetically of course, on the very same people that they had initially ignored to give coverage to. By then, thousands have died and their deaths have long been covered up: Iraq invasion 2003.
But this is not about western governments, their hidden agendas and their lack of respect for sovereignty and human rights. And it would be unreasonable to blame anyone for the perpetual killing of innocent people all over the world, whether they are Muslim, Christian, Jew, governments, vigilante groups, patriots or even the odd lone wolf. But if you’re a Muslim reading this, chances are that you are blaming the western world, their governments, their laws, and even their people.
But how can we blame them? By “we”, I mean the Muslim community of the world. We sit back and do very little when innocent people in western countries are killed by bombings linked to Muslim fundamentalists — who later claim responsibility for it — contrary to the response we give when Muslims are killed at the hands of western soldiers.
This is no longer about numbers. No buts. No more “but more Muslims die every day”, “but they asked for it”, “but why did they have to break international laws”.
Stop.
This is all true.
But, stop.
The fact that the US government is the biggest terrorist organisation in the world is true, but really old news. The fact that they detain innocent Muslims in Guantanamo Bay every month is true, but old news. The fact that some western countries are racist towards Arab people is true, but old news, that they steal the wealth and land of Arab people … true, but still old news.
These are harsh, inhuman and despicable realities, but that’s the US government. They will not stop.
But, dear Muslims, neither will suicide bombings, or religious fundamentalism, or beheadings of “Muslim human beings” with no trial or justice. And that is exactly what they want.
What excuses will they have then when they want to invade another Arab country? Who will they target then when the CIA and FBI hunt down innocent people, make mistakes or didn’t kill the “right” target? We have been the scapegoat for western terrorism for so long, blinded by our fears to speak out and condemn, but we dare not think this. We dare not mock the next Muslim, despite the despair that kills us in our hearts for those innocent people who lost their lives in a suicide bombing, despite the imams choosing to speak about the “American cowards” invading Arab countries instead of the women of Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan that are raped every day by their husbands.
When did we become a people that turn a blind eye to rape, murder and suicide and then have our beautiful Quran cited to defend these acts?
When did we become as atrocious as the US government?
Save for those who take the time to learn about Islam — not many — it is a “violent religion”. They have a bible, they say, in which “their” God commands them to kill “Christians and Jews”. Is this true? Of course not.
But the chances that you are South African and understand the Arabic language are very slim. You read the Quran in Arabic and automatically assume that you know what God is saying, asking of you, blessing you with. We hear people reciting hadith (sayings of the Prophet Muhammad) — but never look up where it came from. We read about the mockery of Islam and are quick to shout “blasphemy”; we read about a US government atrocity and in an instant, can list numbers, places, names and theories.
So the next time another young “Muslim human being” is accused of a suicide bombing or a bomb attack, let’s go to the streets and demand a fair trial. And if he is guilty, let’s go to the streets again and demand that he be sentenced and punished for his actions. When we go to the streets on a Monday because innocent Muslims are being killed in Pakistan, let’s go to the streets on Tuesday because Christian children in American schools are being killed, and Wednesday we take to the streets too in support of justice for an Israeli girl who got caught in the crossfire. When we are mocked about being a violent religion and that we are commanded by God to kill innocent people, then get your Quran out, open that laptop, find the English translation of every Arabic word in that verse that says the contrary, and bring that mocker over to your home for a nice curry to discuss the truth with them.
When will we begin to prove to the world that their perceptions of Islam supporting terrorism are wrong? And if you feel that “Muslims have nothing to prove” then you dare not complain when the generations of Muslims that come after you have lost their faith in fear of persecution or have no leaders to turn to when they must defend their beliefs.
Do we expect the world to open the Quran and learn OUR religion when we do not properly know it ourselves? Do we expect to be protected by our countries when extremist insurgents find excuses to enter our sovereign states and bomb up buildings, with the result that we find unwelcome US military in our peaceful lands? We dare not, dear Muslims. How many more brothers, like the Tsarnaevs, must there be before Muslims can walk through streets in western countries and feel safe, proud and happy about who they are and what their people stand for?
This is our Islam. Let’s own it and not let it be owned. For if we demand that Muslims be protected by global human-rights laws, constitutions, law enforcements, and the Christians and Jews that we live among, then those are the very things that we need to publicly uphold and advocate for, across all races, religions and cultures. For if we dream of a world society that no longer tolerates or fears the systematic torture, lies and manipulation of western governments, then we must refuse to be the scapegoats.
And if our denial will persist, if we will not take responsibility for fixing our own Islam, then I am applicant number ten thousand and one for a no-return ticket to Mars!

* The writer wishes to remain anonymous.

The politics of the white male penis

I recently watched Lawrence Barraclough’s two interesting documentaries on white men and penis size. The first one “My Penis and I” chronicles Barraclough and his personal struggle with a tiny three inch (erect) penis and follows his journey as he considers having penis enlargement surgery. The second documentary, “My Penis and Everyone Else’s”, follows up on the first documentary but also includes other white men and their relationship with their penis. Although not the intention of the documentaries, the most fascinating thing for me in watching these documentaries is the extent to which the documentaries clearly demonstrate the harmful nature of certain hegemonic white masculinities. Like racism, the type of hegemonic white masculinity presented in these documentaries clearly shows the ways in which certain harmful practices of white masculinities not only demean the people on the receiving end, but also rob the perpetrator of their humanity.
In My Penis and I, Barraclough, who narrates the documentary, tells us the documentary is about him having “a small dick”. He says the size of his penis has been an issue for him from when he was young, into his teenage years, and up to now in his adulthood. He says that he thus wants to find out why it is a problem for him, and whether other men also experience his penis size anxiety.
The narrator claims that the first time that anyone saw his penis beyond his parents was in high school, which was humiliating for him for he was teased heavily because of it. As a result of his school mates torments he states that most of what they said to him back then, still affects him today, especially his relationship with his girlfriend. The girlfriend who has been with him for eight years also wishes that he had a bigger penis but not for her pleasure, for him. When he asks her she says “you would feel much better about yourself, you’d be more content”. Even though she has been with him eight years and has never gone off with another man, he is still insecure about the size of his penis and is considering enlargement surgery (which he eventually decides against).
The second documentary, My Penis and Everyone Else’s, follows on My Penis and I, but includes the stories of more than just the narrator. The narrator says after the first documentary he received hundreds of emails from other men sharing their stories about their struggles with penis size. The documentary follows him going to various places trying to get men to talk about their penises.
I finished watching both documentaries with the thought that the narrator who is also the dominant subject in both documentaries is not really cognisant of the role of a certain type of hegemonic white male masculinity that allows him to be so insecure about his penis. At the end of both documentaries, while he does lean more towards self-acceptance of the type of penis he has, he still does not answer his primary questions; which is why do (white) men (often) have such trouble accepting the size of their penis?
To understand why he cannot accept his penis as sufficient, one cannot separate the larger systems of cultural production that have led him to have such a negative self-image. Patricia Allen, a urologist interviewed for the documentary says something really profound, she says: “I haven’t really met a man ever that has been happy with his penis size … it’s not a problem that the women have got, it’s the men, and it’s not so much what his wife thinks, or what his partner thinks, it’s what he thinks, or what the [other] men are thinking.”
All of the white men interviewed in both documentaries, stated that the first time they saw someone else’s penis beyond theirs was mainly through pornography. This is an important entry point because as the former editor of The Erotic Review Rowan Pelling notes, pornography has played an important role in culture — its saturated nature has led to many men seeing sex and constructing a body image on what is largely a distorted lens. This is further supported by Phillip Hodson, a sex therapist, who says pornography has had a wholly negative effect on men’s perception of their penises because the producers of porn for the most part look for male participants who are “abnormally large, genetically speaking”.
Consumption of such pornographic material leads to men like Barraclough feeling completely inadequate and unable to measure up to this idealised manhood presented to them in porn, and reinforced in changing rooms by peers who are happy to point out those who do not “measure up”. This has led to a multibillion-dollar industry that capitalises on men’s insecurities by making promises of products that will enlarge these men’s penises. These men are willing to go to extremely dangerous strides to achieve this idealised penis. They are injecting oils, Vaseline and silicon into their penis risking mutilation and deformation.
In “White Men: An Exploration of Intersections of Masculinity, Whiteness and Colonialism and the Engagement of Counter-Hegemonic Projects” Claire Kelly reminds us that there are “multiple masculinities and whitenesses”. This means there is more than one way to be white, and a white man. Such an understanding allows us to see that even though we can have a hegemonic type of white male masculinity, there are also other “multiple identities” and masculinities white men can take up outside the hegemony.
To me, the documentaries show not only the construction of a certain type of white male masculinity, but also the way in which some white men have surrendered completely to the dominant master script of perceived white male manhood. In the documentary, there is no discussion of white men who are not consumed by small penis size insecurity and go against this idealised white male manhood. The real concern is that none of the men presented in the documentaries seem to understand the ways in which they have surrendered not only to the master script, but also the ways in which their surrender is harmful to them and their relationships. While most are in long-term relationships, with partners who say they are happy with their penises, they are still profoundly unhappy.

On sexuality and freedom

“It is not enough to inquire into how women might become more fully represented in language and politics. Feminist critique ought also to understand how the category of ‘women’, the subject of feminism, is produced and restrained by the very structures of power through which emancipation is sought.” Judith Butler: Gender Trouble.
At first read, one might assert that it’s rather simplistic to read the quest for freedom and equality as an attack on society and social structure as we know it. A more moderate view suggests that negotiating an egalitarian society requires carving a space for mutual co-existence, opportunity and equal visibility of all genders.
But it begs the question: Is a notion of gender emancipation in particular to be seen as an attack on religious structures and capitalism? It is on the unfair balance that patriarchy presupposes, and on any such readings of structures that order behaviour in a primarily gendered way. Further, one may ask if the structure of society and the construction of the state is in any way threatened by the equal defining of women’s place in the economic and political sphere. Historic presupposition affirms that both in exclusion and bondage to the forces of production is to be found the basis of all forms of oppression.
Let us begin by taking into consideration that contemporary readings of gender identity might be a self-ascribed label. Notions of masculinity and femininity are regarded with far more fluidity in the postmodern social sphere. Gender in its traditional sense is a reflection of a cultural explication of sexuality and what it is deemed to mean within a given context. Simone de Beavoir in The Second Sex, suggests that gender is constructed, albeit within the conditions set out by a culture ie a compulsion to culture. It is significant to take note that the identification with particular modes of thought regarding how we construct gender and take meaning from this construction, and how this might define a sense of abject difference in the overlapping versions of its cultural construction makes for what can be seen as the basis of exclusivism that easily borders on social intolerance.
Global laments ala Sarkozy on the headscarf brought about debate regarding the choice to express religion by way of a particular dress code, and the structures that may or may not enforce or restrict such behavioural codes and fashions. But whether or not this is a stylistic statement or an act of legality, what emerges from these dialogues is an increased display of gross social resentment and hostility between the amalgamation of cultures that exist in the postmodern social landscape. We are made to ask whether it is the imposition of a code or the banning of it, that is in fact two sides of the same coin of patriarchal domination and a toppling of anything that might even remotely suggest women’s autonomy in the decision-making process, and in the forms of expression that they may engage with.
These contemporary challenges raise important questions about the underpinnings of a progressive demarcation of women’s place in society. The post-World War II sociopolitical landscape is riddled with indiscriminate labour security of women who were newly displaced on the factory floor, being paid less than male counterparts and enticed to once again remain at home where they belonged. Adding to that, against capitalist forces, Marxism saw the notion of a feminist position as reactionary and a way of separating male and female labour forces. On average, women around the world are still being paid less than their male counterparts. This is a central and pressing issue. Domestic labour in SA continues to be low bargaining — a primary example of the exploitation of women in low-paid jobs. The feminisation of poverty is compounded by the increase of HIV/Aids orphans relying on older generation caregivers who are women on below the breadline subsidiary grants. The rhetoric of a gender bias in structural poverty occurs as ample evidence to suggest that our readings of the gender dynamic are impoverished and leave much work to be done.
The battle for equality has a long history and is likely to rage on, especially in the developing world where resource and other structural inequalities already present a dynamic that challenges the articulation of pendulums of change.
At the roots of inequality are still to be found the insistence on affirmative regard that resorts to nothing more than ways of overlooking the underlying features of discrimination, be it racial or gender or any other.
For example, establishing quotas serves as a form of eventual tokenism rather than digging at the roots of the problem. All it serves is a show of effort, but it doesn’t solve anything.
A resounding question remains as to whether representation of women in the body politic is in fact a holistic one that is both empowering and sustainable in its momentum to further encourage the demand for skilled women professionals, academics in all walks of sociopolitical and economic life as we know it.

Who is black and who is not?

There has not been a time in the history of racial identity in this country when the number of people who describe or define themselves in terms of their race or language group or tribe has been so low.
Far too few people continue to see themselves as black (or white even) (8.8%) compared to those who simply define themselves as South African citizens (52%).
Thus the question of so-called blackness is, largely, based on assumptions. There is an urgent need for a critical re-examination of what it means to be black, if anything.
Just like the question of whiteness, black identity is based on phrenology, that is, physical features like skin colour, hair texture, lip size or nose shape. This is what makes it a myth. In reality, people do not identify with one another, like or dislike each other because of race or what they look like. Human relations are more about interpersonal chemistry or shared values.
A serious examination of the tendency to perpetuate the definition of black or white identity based on what people look like needs to be undertaken.
The last 20 years has seen many classes or groups of black identity, for instance, based on language, religion, regionalism, origin, class, educational status, material accumulation, geographical location and many other attributes.
What we need to acknowledge and recognise is that we have always had a variety of different black identities. This blackness, if it exists, is different, diverse and multiple.
The existing forms or identities of blackness are not exhaustive. But they are an example of the diversity and complexity of blackness. There is not one but many black identities.
In the last two decades, this diversity has multiplied and become more complex because of challenges and shortcomings of putting blacks into a single box.
The present day definition of black is not simply the general and blanket definition of what the founder of Black Consciousness, Steve Bantu Biko, said it was: “A reflection of a mental attitude.” It is different, diversified, multiple and more complicated than what was happening in the 1960s where the disadvantaged had a common enemy in the political system.
To put it more strongly, there is no single individual who can tell us what blackness is or how it is to be represented. In fact, blackness has ceased to exist. Or, at least, it has splintered into diverse categories that do not necessarily meet.
For the most part, the last two decades have witnessed the integration of so-called blacks into the establishment where they have adopted what could be perceived or mistaken for global lifestyles, outlooks and values that discourage the determination of blackness based on race or skin colour.
Needless to say, in a non-racial country it is backward and primitive to hold on to and promote identity based on race or ethnicity. Yet much of the inability of blacks to take their rightful place in a non-racial society, that which prevents them from cultivating and promoting human identity is this misguided importance place on racial or ethnic identity.
Significantly, the 2012 Development Indicators of The Presidency have revealed that a mere 8.8% of South Africans describe themselves by race group while only 4.1% describe themselves by language group or tribe. Over the years there has been a fluctuation in the number of people who hold onto their identity based on race or tribe. Instead, at 52%, more and more people consistently see themselves as South African citizens, first. In fact, race and tribe are not part of the South African identity.
The development indicators have revealed that people are less inclined to make a big deal about their race or tribe. Thus it is important to note that obsession with blackness or whiteness, for that matter, will soon be a thing of the past. After all, holding on to racial or ethnic identities tends to be a stumbling block towards efforts to build a solid and united nation with a common identity.
The last two decades have opened opportunities and choices for blacks to be anything that they want to be. And for the most part, it is increasingly difficult for anyone to assume, based on skin colour that someone speaks your language, is from the same region or background and subscribes to the same values.
Like in any other country, achieving democracy and freedom simply means that no one individual or specific group has the right to determine what blackness means or is. For example, blacks who do not speak any of the indigenous languages or have no connections with the rural areas are neither incomplete nor deficient.
It is time we acknowledge, recognise and reassert that blacks — just like whites — are not and have never been a homogeneous group. This was merely Biko’s convenient political strategy to organise the disadvantaged against a common enemy that deprived them of their political and economic rights.
Presently, blacks have splintered into diverse and multiple groups that do not necessarily have a common cause or vision. In this way, the use of skin colour to determine black identity, solidarity or allegiance has been thrown into turmoil or existential meaninglessness.
In fact, who gives anyone the right and authority to determine who is black and who is not?
Blacks — just like whites — are now free to choose to be black or not and anything else they want to be.
But they will always be human beings, first.