Radicilisation in Britain: The Problem

With the proverbial unmasking of “Jihadi John” – now being reported as Mohammed Emwazi, together with the disappearance of three young girls from England to Syria, England, the UK and the world in general continues to become more and more at risk of radicalisation.

The advancement of ISIL would have been near-impossible without the influx of foreign fighters into Syria and Iraq. It has been estimated that 30,000 foreigners have travelled to the war-torn areas to join the so-called caliphate. A few days ago, three schoolgirls based in England fled to Syria. For the families it is horrible, yet you would have to question the motive for anyone who is radicalised. First, to leave a successful life in England for a war-ravaged area would be near unheard of, this suggests that anyone who has done this is leaving little behind. While you could also suggest that there is always a choice in terms of choosing the radical ways of ISIL or staying with Western Values – this suggests people that are radicalised are weak.

As if three schoolgirls fleeing the country wasn’t bad enough, it has been reported that “Jihadi John” is the pseudonym for a man named Mohammed Emwazi. Emwazi was born in Kuwait, though spent many years in the UK, even graduating from the University of Westminster with a degree. It is such a shame, what could have been a highly successful life has turned into a horrible one, with the blood of so many innocent people on his shoulders. Though the real issue is how he became radicalised.

It could be argued that more needs to be done to help people that feel withdrawn from society. The more withdrawn they are, the more likely they are to be swayed by radical messages. However a bridge to that stage would be to shut down public speaking’s from known Jihadists. Incredibly, the University of Westminster were due a talk the very same day as the unmasking of Emwazi from an infamous Islamic preacher. Some would suggest you are just asking for trouble with events like this being held.

Overall, the fact is that radicalisation is not going to stop anytime soon. It is a shame, as in some instances people leave good lives behind to go and fight against freedom. What has happened to Emwazi is a shame, there have been many before him and many after him. Britain and the rest of the world needs to do something to stop radicalization, or things will only get worse.

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“What colour is this dress?” (White, Gold, Blue, Black): Explained

INTRODUCTION
An Internet phenomenon doing the rounds at the moment is a picture of a dress. While some say the colours are white and gold, others say blue and black. The fierce debate has led to vast amounts speculating on the colour, while celebrities too have become involved in the discussion.

THE PICTURE

DEBATE
As already mentioned, the Internet has been awash with intense debate, with many disagreeing on the combinations. While some say “blue and black”, others suggest “gold and white.” The debate has received heightened media interest, leading to an experts’ opinion being canvassed.

THE CAUSE
The cause is that the colour differs due to the way our brains process what we see. Ashley Wood, lecturer at Cardiff University, suggests:

“The phenomenon of colour constancy means your brain will adjust the colour of an object depending on its surroundings or illumination. So if there’s a lot of blue in the environment, for example, the brain will subtract blue from the image your eyes see. There’s also a process of colour adaptation, where the colour you perceive is effected by what you have previously been looking at.”

CONCLUSION
So to be explained in a succinct way – it is the brain that causes the difference in opinion, with the surrounding environment and colour adaptation playing a part. On a personal note, I only saw white and gold, but since writing this post, mysteriously now I can only see blue and black! Try staring at a red background for 30 seconds, then looking again – it may alter your perception! The Internet never ceases to amaze, while World News is generally incredibly depressing, this is something a lot more lighter.

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Millcent Meets: Solomon Akhtar

I recently had the pleasure to attend a talk given by Solomon Akhtar – contestant in the hit TV series “The Apprentice” – where Lord Alan Sugar puts some of Britain’s “brightest business minds” through their paces in a rigorous test. Solomon made it all the way to the final, eventually placing 5th. Opponents of the show suggest that all of the contestants are incredibly arrogant, with boastful comments at the fore of any episode. However, Solomon was incredibly likeable!

Picture Credit: BBC News

First of all, it is important to add that Solomon was invited to host the talk – with Solomon currently a public speaker. First of all, this is impressive. Anyone that is paid to talk has obviously done a good job! On the show, as mentioned, Solomon finished 5th. His business plan was ruthlessly torn apart by Claude Littner, leaving Lord Sugar little choice but to fire him. But he shone through throughout the process and was a favourite of many.

In the talk itself, he took us through his achievements in business. What shone through was how much of an enterprising individual he was – with several business ventures leading to success. It was both impressive, and inspirational, to listen to his wise words. We also learned some interesting facts from Solomon based on the inside of The Apprentice. Solomon has had a great deal of success in business and received a warm applause from the crowd at the end before posing for pictures, he truly was a class act.

In conclusion, this was an interesting talk. Learning a lot more than what we see on TV about someone was interesting. Although the picture painted of him in the media was of a “part-boy” nature, in reality Solomon was great fun, down-to-Earth and highly likeable. He will certainly deserve the success he is sure to have.

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Board Games: Ranking the Top 5!

Introduction
Board games – where would we be without them? Each different board game has something about them – something that sets them apart from the others. With the advancement in technology, perhaps board games aren’t such a prevalent activity as they used to be. However, board games are still, and always will be, a great source of entertainment. Everyone has a different opinion on what is the best board game – below is my personal top five.

#5 – The Game of Life
As the name would suggest, this game gives the player a range of choices they have to make, just like life. The intention is to navigate successfully through life e.g. choosing whether to go to University/College or getting a job, while trying to amass as much money as possible. The game takes around an hour to complete, with this game ensuring plenty of fun.

#4 – Scrabble
A game that not only tests strategy, but also intelligence. Finding words using letter tiles isn’t easy, yet choosing when to use certain letters is almost an art! Again, it goes down to whichever player has the most points once all tiles are used up and neither player can make a move. I have had many Scrabble contests, enjoying them all!

#3 – Risk
The game of global domination! This is a highly strategic game which requires both luck and a defined strategy. Some games are based a lot on luck, but it is near impossible to win a game of Risk without using a sensible strategy. The game takes around an hour to play, with the different versions throughout the years all working to the same idea – the player who attain “world domination” wins.

#2 – Cluedo
In the runner-up position is the murder-mystery game Cluedo. It is the sign of a classic when a game that was first released in the early 1900s is still being played to this day with little changes made. The game sees players choose between 324 possible scenarios, looking to find out the classic, Who, What, Where of the murder of Dr. Black. Again, this game requires a lot of focus and strategy – something any good board game should include!

#1 – Monopoly
Without doubt in my opinion – the greatest board game of all time is Monopoly. Monopoly is the ultimate test of strategy, luck, skill and tactics. This is what makes it a classic – it is one of the most popular games in the world, with sales always high! I have had many memorable games of Monopoly, there is quite simply nothing like it! Everyone you seem to play against has a different strategy, making each game a classic.

Conclusion
I will leave you with an image to do with board games in general. Whether or not you should take this too literally is open to opinion, though the message is clear!

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Woeful British Justice System summed up: Imran Khawaja Sentenced

A growing problem at the moment is the conflict in the Middle East, where the so-called Islamic State have been claiming large swathes of territory. Thousands of foreign fighters have joined them, many coming from Western countries like England and France among others. A related problem is those very same fighters attempting to return to these countries after spending time in Iraq or Syria. Imran Khawaja is an example of someone who faked his own death before trying to return to England. He was caught – however he has received a shambolic sentence of just twelve years (or 6 as it is England).

Footage of Imran Khawaja holding up severed heads were shown in front of court, with his disgusting acts clear to see for all. The problem with the Islamic State is going to only get worse if there is no deterrent. By handing a twelve-year sentence – what message does this hand out? It means first of all, provided he has good behaviour, he will be released early in 2021. 6 years, how would you feel if you were family of one of the many people shown in the footage, only then to see someone toying, disrespecting the memory, to only receive a short sentence.

While Jordan reacted to the death of their hostage by the Islamic State with their own executions, compare that to England and again, problems exist. A simple “strongly condemn” message does little to harm the Islamic State. This is one of just many gaping holes in the British Justice System – paedophiles, perverts and sometimes even murderers, get highly-lenient sentences, before being released, often re-offending. One would imagine that the Justice System has a duty to its citizens to protect them, but when you see sentences like this handed out, it makes you question the system.

As mentioned there is a danger to the UK, brought on by the radicalisation of many youngsters. However, nothing will help stop this until tougher sentences are handed out. While in other countries Treason is met with the death penalty, in England a menial sentence of six years is handed out, it simply doesn’t work.

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Lindsay Sandiford: What does she deserve?

A high-profile case doing the rounds once again in the British media today is that of Lindsay Sandiford – a former legal secretary who is currently on death row in Indonesia. Her crime was trying to smuggle £1.6M worth of cocaine into Indonesia – a country renowned for its tough stance on drugs. The crime of drug trafficking is a serious one in any country, however when the judge settled on execution by firing squad, the decision was generally met by surprise. Now with time running out for Sandiford – it is a case which causes much debate.

Picture Credit: The Sun

In May 2012, Sandiford was found attempting to smuggle £1.6M worth of cocaine into Indonesia. In 2013 she was then sentenced to death by firing squad. One of the first things to raise is the stupidity of attempting to smuggle drugs into Indonesia. There seems to be an overall lack of sympathy against Sandiford in the UK – with many suggesting she is getting what she deserved for her act. She is not the first foreigner to be on death row for drug-related offences, in March 2014 a man from Malawi was also executed for drug offences.

It is also worth considering the damage the drugs would have done to the people of Indonesia. Everyone is aware that drugs have a detrimental effect – they can even sometimes lead to death. Many have zero sympathy with Sandiford – it is hard to when you are the master of your own downfall. After numerous appeals were rejected, time appears to be running out for Sandiford.

But of course it is only fair to review the other side of the story. Sandiford claims she was coerced into smuggling the drugs, with her family threatened if she didn’t co-operate. Met with original scepticism, she received a boost when in court a lecturer from the University of Kent revealed that she would be the ideal target for drug smugglers given her age and mental issues. Sandiford also co-operated with the Indonesia authorities – leading to other arrests being made in connection. It is also apparent that the death sentence is the maximum punishment for the act. It could be argued it is far more reasonable for her to be given a lengthy sentence, as opposed to the death penalty.

Overall, this case is a difficult one to analyse. Of course everyone is aware of the harsh drug laws in place in Indonesia – Sandiford must have been aware of this when she attempted to smuggle the drugs. But the question is over whether she meant it, or if she was indeed coerced, manipulated if you will, into doing it. However this seems highly doubtful. That is the standard defence of any criminal caught trying to smuggle drugs. Time is running out for Sandiford – but she only has herself to blame.

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