This is Northumberland Calling 29.03.24
The Easter? Easter? Oh did you mean That Easter says Westminster City Council edition
Hello America (particularly Central Ohio), this is Northumberland calling
Westminster City Council have put up privately funded lights for Ramadan but until the leader of the Tories on the Council mentioned Easter displays on the morning of Maundy Thursday (he didn’t have a problem with the lights but was merely noting the difference), there wasn’t one. At 2 pm, there was still no display. At 5 pm a hastily arranged display of several Easter eggs appeared in the Council windows which before had reflected Ramadan. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/03/28/westminster-council-celebrates-ramadan-not-easter/ or https://archive.is/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/03/28/westminster-council-celebrates-ramadan-not-easter/
Without Easter and indeed Good Friday, there is no such thing as Christianity btw. The birth of Jesus (aka Christmas) is only important because of the manner of his death and subsequent resurrection. Christians are Easter people, far more than Christmas people. The cross however is not easy to secularize. Easter eggs and bunny come from the Saxon goddess of Spring Eostre (mentioned by Bede and may in fact be an invention of Bede’s). Early Christianity was good at co-opting pagan symbols as long as they didn’t directly contradict the central message.
At the beginning of the week, a report on freedom restricting harassment (which is on the increase…) was released and promptly ignored. It is actually quite sensible and practical. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-khan-review-threats-to-social-cohesion-and-democratic-resilience Dame Sara Khan is used to such things. As a moderate Muslim, she has been fighting Islamist extremism since 2005 when she was so appalled by the London 7.7 bombings. The uptick in extremism is a foreseeable consequence of the government now taking a firm line earlier. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/03/28/dame-sara-khan-radicalisation-post-october-7-hizb-ut-tahrir/ or https://archive.is/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/03/28/dame-sara-khan-radicalisation-post-october-7-hizb-ut-tahrir/
This excellent 2015 interview with the historian Benny Morris explains a lot about the current Israel-Hamas war and the wider conflict. Especially interesting considering my learning about takfiri last week and how it obviously started as a reaction to the secularization imposed by Ataturk. To understand, sometimes you have to find the point where things were altering and see how they were altering. Morris was the first historian (happened to be Jewish) to really examine the Palestinian refugee situation and its causes. Answer – it was a mixed picture. https://fathomjournal.org/there-is-a-clash-of-civilisations-an-interview-with-benny-morris/
This is good from Gerald Baker about how Biden’s 2021 boast about ‘over the horizon’ counter-terrorism capabilities may prove hollow after the ISKP attack in Moscow. The ISKP have attacked in Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan as well. (If you read the daily update from the Institute for the Study of War, you will know one of the reasons the Iranian backed Iraqi politicians were giving for expelling the US was that ISKP was not a threat to anyone…) If you understand about takfiri and how that drives Islamist extremism (as well the problems the Ottomans had with an earlier version) things start to make more sense. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/new-islamist-group-is-political-peril-for-biden-dwnchcvhz or https://archive.is/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/new-islamist-group-is-political-peril-for-biden-dwnchcvhz
The British Army has ended its100 year old ban on beards. The RAF and Navy had already allowed beards… https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/03/28/soldiers-beards-allowed-100-year-ban-overturned/ or https://archive.is/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/03/28/soldiers-beards-allowed-100-year-ban-overturned/
The Scottish Hate Crime law comes into effect on 1 April and is causing consternation as certain sections of the population who have engaged in freedom restricting harassment are determined to use this new law as a cudgel. The law bizarrely protects gender identification but not sex. It turns out that several Tory MSP have already had non crimes recorded against them by the Police Scotland. Even Scottish PEN have taken a principled stance against the law.
https://twitter.com/ScottishPEN/status/1773021225737973976
The Scottish ferries are going to be delayed (yet again) and the CEO of the company has been fired for telling the truth on this. His sacking may mean further delays. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/boss-of-troubled-ferguson-marine-shipyard-is-sacked-wgk2q7kj2 or https://archive.is/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/boss-of-troubled-ferguson-marine-shipyard-is-sacked-wgk2q7kj2
Some good news – the co-chair of SEEN (Civil Service) had the case against her dropped. She remains an interested party, but is no longer subject to the complaint. https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/seen-chair-sued/
Book Workers for Palestine have forced the Society of Authors to hold an Extraordinary General Meeting after the Management Committee and indeed the management declined to issue a statement in support of Gaza. In fact the Management Committee had decided that the Society of Authors should not issue political statements. The BWP hope to have a pro-Hamas resolution passed on 2 May. The MC is urging its members to vote against which is the right stance in my humble opinion. The Society of Authors should serve as a shield against compelled morality clauses, not force them on its members. There three resolutions – the first on AI and getting paid as if you are going to have an EGM, you might as well take advantage of it, the second on fossil fuels and the third on Gaza. https://www2.societyofauthors.org/event/egm-2024/
For my part, I am still working on my latest. The editors want me to fill out the Art Fact Sheet for the manuscript by 10 April which is a dual edged sword as it means they are keen to schedule it but I am still working on it. I must give a synopsis as well three detailed scenes to help the Art Dept design a cover. The first draft is not yet complete…
Paddy continues to improve at gun dog class. We did outside ‘speed dating’ conversations to ensure the dogs had to sit and be good in close proximity to other less well known dogs. The snippet of gossip was that the owner of the v well behaved lab, Goose, is determined to get another lab puppy, provided his wife agrees. Goose has participated in the shooting season this year. Paddy is in awe of Goose…Goose heels brilliantly and has this fantastic recall.
A very happy Easter to all. May this Easter season bring a renewal of life and hope to this perilously divided world.
If you like what you read on here, why not subscribe? It’s free and I don’t have any plans to put in a paywall.
Happy Easter to you and the family, Michelle!
Scotland’s anti-free speech law is terrifying. I hope we’re not heading the same way. Group think does not produce great ideas or intelligent discourse.