Rageh's Tour in UK

[N.O.R.F]

 

Rageh Omaar, who went from boy immigrant to ‘Scud stud’, is angry with pundits and politicians who claim to understand Britain’s Muslims but don’t know what they are talking about

 

Sunday 18th June: 4-6pm: Celebrating Sanctuary'. Refugee Week event at South Bank, organised by the Refugee Council. Organiser: Orlando Arnold and Maeve Sherlock, Chief Executive,

 

The Refugee Council, 240-250 Ferndale Road, London SW9 8BB.

 

Tel (direct) 020 7346 6709

 

Monday 19th June: 2pm: Event with Bristol Libraries at Bristol Central Library, College Green, Bristol. Mumawar Hussain - 0117 9037 244.

 

Tuesday 20th June: 7pm: Evening event at Stratford Circus, Theatre Square, in assoc with Newham bookshop, 745-747 Barking Road, E13 9ER. Vivien Archer - 0208 552 9993. AF to attend.

 

Saturday 24th June: 12.15pm: Camden Libraries event at Chalk Farm Library. Bob Gryspeerdt Camden Libraries, London Borough of Camden. Tel. 020 7974 6509. Fax 020 7974 6532

 

Sunday 25th June: Brighton Refugee Week event.

 

Tuesday 27th June: Event at West Bromwich Town Hall. In assoc with West Bromwich Central library and local Muslim organisations. Paul Voyce - 0121 556 0351.

 

Wednesday 28th June: 7pm: The Road to Kandahar event at the ICA. The ideal of Umma. Event with Jason Burke, Azzam Tamimi, Director of the Islamic Centre of Islamic Thought in London and Ziauddin Sardar. Organiser: James Harkin, Director of Talks, The ICA, The Mall, London SW1Y 5AH Email: jamesh@ica.org.uk . Tel: 02077661424 Bookselling by ICA bookshop. Russell on 02077660438/52

 

Thursday 29th June: Event at the Museum of Film and TV, Bradford. In association with Bradford Libraries. Paula Truman - 01274 433915.

 

Sunday 2nd July: 10am: Train from Paddington 12.30pm: Lunch with Somali leaders in Cardiff. 3pm: Event at National Museum of Cardiff in conjunction with National Festival of Muslim Cultures and Beyond the Border Lit Fest. David Ambrose, 20 Ewenny Rd, Wick, Vale of Glamorgan, WALES, CF71 7QA. 44 (0) 1656 89 02 89

 

Monday 3rd July: 6pm: Event at Grand Opening of Richmond library, Little Green, Richmond, TW9 1QL. Praveen Manghani, Acting Assistant Head of Libraries & Information Services, 1st Floor, Regal House, London Road, Twickenham, TW1 3QB. 020 8831 6100

 

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I shall certainly try and attend one of the events,,,,IA

[-Lily-]

thanks, looks like an interesting book.

[Resistance]

Looks like will be a worthwhile read. I think Iraq changed the dude big time for the better.

[Baashi]

Looking forward to buy the book. When I'm done reading I will post summary of the key points and my take on them.

 

It should be interesting book. I hope he sheds some needed light on the cons and pros of being raised in Qurboland.

[N.O.R.F]

^^So long as you dont do it before i finsh reading saxib. That may take time due to a busy schedule :rolleyes:

[Baashi]

^You bet!

[N.O.R.F]

A fascinating read indeed on a 7 hour flight.

 

The topics touched on were so relevant to today's Somalis in Britain and the wider muslim population thereof that i would recommen everyone to read. Thought provoking when one thinks of his own circumstances and similarities to other Somalis during those initial days of settling in the UK. The situation back home at the time, the misrepresentation of muslims in the media today, the platforms given to those who preach hate against muslims, the conflict in Iraq, a great read it was.

 

ps i'm not much of a book reviewer,,,,

[sheherazade]

^Back in Blighty?

 

Bro, that's what they call a synopsis, well done, thanks for the recommendation. I will get it though I seem to read little these days.

[N.O.R.F]

^^Just left blighty (couldnt stand the place) bought the book at Heathrow and got straight into it much to the annoyance of the passenger next to me when i kept the light on during the flight

 

The title of the book, only half of me which he goes into at the start of the book is so true. Its like we live double lives. When at work and when out of work we lead different lives. I hardly ever discussed my ethnicity with people at work and i certainly didnt lead their lifestyle to discuss on a monday morning.

 

Are Somalis double agents?

[sheherazade]

^u, expat, u.

 

I watch the inflight entertainment when flying, I think I did 4 movies back to back once.

 

Don't u ever get asked about your ethnicity at work? I'm usually asked- people claim they can't nail me- and that starts off a conversation. They always return for more; never worked anywhere where they didn't know of my Somaliness. One woman overheard me once on my mobile and asked if I was speaking French. One lecturer spit his food out when I told him I was Somali; I stared at the egg-spalttered table while he tried to regain his composure. He mentioned something about the violence(this is way back) in the country; no doubt he freaked out realising a blood-thirsty Somali was in his midst and not an affable Malay(I'm not even fair enough for this confusion). I don't feel like I have a double life but that's probably cause my life outside work is as Somali-free as my life at work. Work that out.

 

Anywho, should get the book; all I'll need then is somewhere to fly to(any excuse, I tell ya).

[N.O.R.F]

I was only occasionally asked about my origin whilst i was in the UK. But now nearly everyday i will say i'm soomaali at least 3-4 times a day. Usually after my arabic dries up during a conversation or to explain my sublime footy skills on the beach Then the inevitable 'but Somalis are arabs are they not' is asked. My answer is usually yes but,,,,,,,but at times i say no.

 

I remember discussing this with a Kuwaiti who was very surprised

 

ps dont expect much on Iraq war as its only briefly covered.

[sheherazade]

^All men suffer from this delusion(sublime skills) whatever language they try and articulate it in. Teehee.

 

Say you're an Englishman in the Gulf- that'll see to the Arab/non-Arab debate.

[N.O.R.F]

One woman overheard me once on my mobile and asked if I was speaking French.

What an intelligent bunch you work with

[sheherazade]

..and she was one of the more with-it ones..I could have gotten away with claiming Martian ancestry and made up diabolical Home Office experience stories(that weren't that far from the truth).

[Caano Geel]

I've read the book and i have to say taht i was glad to have read it, but i didnt like it much.

 

The intent is noble and i agree with the message. but i found the material sparse and somewhat shallow.

I didnt like the name droppings many along the line so 'my very important friends at blah' and parts of it felt like i was reading the an over steched news report, and i really didnt like the somaliland this and that crap.

Basically lots of themes, none of them given any of the depth they deserved.

 

On the good side, his analogy of Ayan Xirsi and Yasin Xassan Cumar (one of the london bombers) was inspired and painfully acute and accurate, and the cycle doesnt look like its gonna stop.

 

You could see that was he urging for some form of unity -- the 'we can rise above our differences type' but on the whole, the book felt impersonal, the 'brand new second hand' type.