Feb 2015

FREE Iss ue 25 February 2015 From The Devious and Insidious Methods Used by Takfiris to Entrap Muslim Youth

The Politics of Media Censorship and the Slipping of State Sovereignty

Danger And Misconceptions Of Smoking Sisha

Gutierrez’s Emotional Return

My love Affair With A Poisoned Industry

How the media portrays women of entertainment in the 21st Century

Active Change Foundation’s Monthly Magazine

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What colour is this dress?’ This question generated one of the biggest social media conversations ever a few weeks ago. Bizarre though the science of our sight is, millions of people became vigorously animated over a dress.

An electronic copy of this magazine can be found on our website.

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Chief Excecutive Hanif Qadir: hanif@activechangefoundation.org

It just shows how social media can make things, anything, go viral. The media speaks to a global audience now more than ever before. Technology makes instantaneous global communication possible. It’s a wonderfully terrifying phenomenon that makes us question the consequences of such an unpredictable superpower on our future? But at least it’s fun to pass the time arguing over a dress. This issue of NewGen reflects on its home field of the modern media, hosting a range of articles from our young people about the poisonous industry pages 6-7, the politics of media censorship pages 8-9, and the media’s portrayal of women on pages 11-12. As ever we are proud to promote our events here at ACF, talking about our Young Leader’s residential trip and showing you all of our events in this edition. Flick through this issue to find out more about the tricks used to entrap young Muslims, to read about one man’s relationship with fast food, and understand all about our women’s coffee mornings. We hope you enjoy reading!

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Chief Editor Fatima Lahnait: fatima@activechangefoundation.org

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Guest Editor: Alice Roder

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Writers: Maxwell Adjei, Safraz Ali, Maria Karim, Abdul-Ghaffar Mahdi, Owais Masood, Phoebe Morakinyo, Alice Roder, Mowlana Said, Esther Trienekens

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Head of Communication and Media Shafiul Islam: shaf@activechangefoundation.org

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Pictures: Outreach Team /Shafiul Islam

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Printed by: FOZ Designs Ltd, hello@fozdesigns.com

The New Gen Magazine is printed in Great Britain for the Active Change Foundation, by FOZ Designs Ltd. All rights of translation and reproduction reserved. All articles and images in this magazine are under the exclusive copyright of the Active Change Foundation.

CONTENTS 5.

From The Devious and Insidious Methods Used by Takfiris to Entrap Muslim Youth

6.

My love Affair With A Poisoned Industry

8.

14.

11.

How the media portrays women of entertainment in the 21st Century

12.

Events At ACF

16.

Fast Food And Me

17.

Ladies Initiative:

Women Coffee Morning

18.

19.

On The Ball

20.

Business of the Month

21.

22.

Coffee Break

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The Politics of Media Censorship and the Slipping of State Sovereignty

An Ebullient East Anglia Visit: How The

Young Leaders Program has Changed My Life

Health and Well-Being: Danger And Misconceptions Of Smoking Sisha

Youth of the Month

plus solutions last month

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February 2015

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February 2015

From The Devious and Insidious Methods Used by Takfiris to Entrap Muslim Youth nature of contemporary Takfiri activities where the most basic fundamental and lofty human characteristics, such as truthfulness and honesty are cast aside with deception and fraud.

Imaam al-Aajurree (d. 360H / 970CE), a Muslim Scholar from the past wrote in his book called “ash-Sharee’ah” (1/325) regarding the orthodox Muslim position on such individuals who harbour the Takfiri methodology:

[…] In a program focusing on takfir and extremism aired on the Saudi TV channel “ar-Riyaadiyyah”, broadcast in the Emirates over this past month of Ramadan (September 2008), Saudi Arabian youth who had been deceived by the Takfiris gave accounts of the methods they witnessed and used by the Takfiris to entrap potential recruits. The show also featured Shaikh Muhammad al-Faifee - from the Faculty of Teaching, University of Muhammad bin Saud, Riyaadh who addressed the problem of extremism in Takfir and how to tackle it.

‘The scholars, past and present, have not differed over the fact that the Khawarij are a despicable people, and disobedient to Allah and His Messenger, regardless of their praying, fasting and that they exert great effort in worship, as this doesn’t benefit them in the slightest.

Though we missed most of the program, from the interviews that we managed to catch towards the end was one in which the youth, who looked no older than 20 years of age, explained how the Takfiri deviants would make promises of social security to potential recruits. They would make promises of providing for their families after their “martyrdom” through suicide bombings or suicide operations. A regular monthly payment for life was promised for their families as a means of alleviating any concerns or fears that the potential recruit may have.

Allah, the Most High, warned against them, the Prophet (sallaahu alayhi was sallam) warned against them, the rightly guided Caliphs who succeeded him warned us against them, the Companions warned us against them, and similarly those who followed them in goodness.

To incite and goad these youth, the individual being interviewed explained that the Takfiris would show them before and after photos of youth who had already engaged in such operations. However, using graphics software, the after photos would be altered in order to make the individuals faces look brighter. This method was used to encourage and convince the youth to give up their lives for a greater cause in Iraq. The interviewee explained that these tactics were commonly used, and he expressed remorse and regret for wasting a fair portion of his youth in being involved with such people.

They feign to enjoin the good and forbid the evil, but this didn’t benefit them, because they misinterpret the Quran in accordance to their desires, and they try to camouflage their falsehood before the believers.

The Khawaarij are the Shuraat (those who claim that they sold themselves seeking the pleasure of Allah), filthy and foul.

All who traverse upon their way, past and present, from the rest of the Khawaarij, inherit their belief. [They] rebel against the Muslim rulers and leaders, and declare the blood of the Muslims to be lawful’. […]

Source: Islam Against Extremism

There were interviews with quite a number of youth in that program that revealed the highly corrupt and insidious NewGen 5

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February 2015

My love affair with a poisoned industry

By Safraz Ali many of you) to grow in a multicultural society, The Sun is bought by many who know not of that gift, they therefore leave their malleable minds to be bent buy a paper who tells them what they want to hear and points the finger at whatever the popular public enemy may happen to be at the time.

The Media is just like marmite, you either love it or you hate it. Truth be told, it’ll always be there whatever your answer to that question may be. I study Journalism so it’s only natural for me to love the media because it’s the industry I yearn to enter, nonetheless despite all the love I behold for it… I also hate it. It’s a money fuelled institution, hate mongering, conglomerate operated by a select few who write off all the checks. This article may impede in my hopes of landing a job in the near future but I for one always let the passion speak for me, I don’t plan on stopping that ideology now.

It is wide ranging, the media. There are so many aspects to talk about and it is so diverse. Perhaps more than you & I could possibly imagine. We’ll start off with print industry. As of now, the most popular daily newspaper in circulation is The Sun: a right wing, trivial tabloid with an outright agenda that sells 2m daily. Isn’t that worrying? The nation opts for boobs, poorly written sports columns, manipulative headlines and celeb nonsense over the more serious affairs. The influence of newspapers is heavily understated, 71% of the populous when surveyed feel it is good value for money and I’ll be darned if not more believe it is a trusted source of information. I’m a Muslim, and by all accounts according to the picture painted by the Sun I should be wearing traditional clothing, screaming god’s name on the streets, and forcing my neighbours to eat halal. The last time I checked, I dress just like the everyday westerner, I buy into their values, and I identify with British values (if that’s even a thing) over my own cultural instincts. I’ve had the pleasure (like NewGen 6

It isn’t any better in regards to online news. Mail Online control the web traffic not only in the UK but quite possibly worldwide in respect to an English news site. Their readership stretches vastly into the tens of millions and to me at times, can be compared to The Sun on crack cocaine. The headlines always state something along the lines of ‘MUSLIM MAN MURDERS INNOCENT PENSIONER IN HER OWN HOME’. But when a white man seems to do the exact same act it reads ‘MENTALLY UNSTABLE CITIZEN MISTAKENLY KNIFES ELDERLY WOMEN IN MOMENT OF RAGE’. See the difference? Now I for one am by no means condoning any sort of murder: it is wrong full stop! But if you could tell apart your Quran’s from your Koran’s then you’ll realise murder is not permissible in our religion therefore the ‘’Muslim’’ man who murder the pensioner isn’t even one of us.

So please British Media, stop inciting hatred in the comments, perpetuating an agenda of Islamophobia, and think ethically… Oh wait, that’s dead in journalism is it not?

Let’s swiftly move onto the broadcast industry which surprisingly isn’t that all too bad. Sky News

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February 2015

I applaud for their coverage of the Charlie Hebdo fiasco where they refused to show the images drawn of the beloved Prophet Muhammed. This was met with fierce resistance by the French Media (as it would do) but they stood their guard out of respect for their minority Muslim viewership; even though the scene is extremely different worldwide. Take Fox News, for example, who tore every last shred of integrity they possessed in their coverage of Islam in Britain. They openly said that Birmingham was Britain’s first Islamic state, where every shop is halal, and non-Muslims are not welcome at all, amongst other things. I happened to visit Birmingham not so long ago and I enjoyed my Five Guys as well as talking to a lot of non-Muslim people. And, I wasn’t decapitated for listening to music or beheaded for looking more than once at females. It was a jolly time. Why we allow such things to go on air befuddles me, and it scares me that those controlling these corporations have this agenda on their minds. It’s the red scare continued but this time Muslims are the scapegoats.

However, let this not be an article simply complaining about the ignorance of the mainstream media. Let’s look at the challenges facing the Media in a new technological age. The print industry is in rapid decline, less people are purchasing newspapers as they now access the news on their devices such as smartphones, tablets & PC’s. What this means is the corporations are adopting different ways to finance the future. Some companies such as The Times are adopting digital paywalls, which require readers to pay a monthly subscription fee in order to read the online content whilst others such as The Guardian are depending upon digital ad revenues to survive. All the signs tell me to avoid journalism, there isn’t money to be made, minds get poisoned, and you’re warped into a journalistic frenzy. Truth be told, if I was doing this for the money this article wouldn’t be published and I’d be reading a law textbook. That’s not my thing. If it’s yours, own it and all credit to you.

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The future of the Media is uncertain but what remains certain is just how much citizens depend on it for sources of information, our skewers of opinions and more. Thanks to Social Media, this can be done easier than ever before, and interaction is beyond another level. Not only that, but a new technological age could put a lot of people out of work as job cuts are happening real time as we speak. Just recently the New York Times fired 100 employees, my dream workplace guys… Pray for me.

As with all things, there are two parallels in the industry. There are media outlets, which report the truth and the facts the way it should be done. There is no bias behind it, the bad people are clear to see and the heroes need not be named. Freedom of speech is a beautiful poison and it shows no signs of being cured anytime soon. Many of us take it for granted just as I take this outlet for granted but we must remember that the media is irrevocably ours for the taking. We, as people, determine the news flow: what’s hot, what’s not, and what not. We only have ourselves to blame that society has altered in the way it has, and I do fear for the future of reporting and journalistic standards as a whole. If you’re fortunate enough to know what’s what, educate those misinformed. Often I see hatred in comment section that simply isn’t the way to go about it, love thy neighbour. For example, in the London Evening Standard Facebook column, I saw a number of racial posts directed at Pakistanis, following the reveal of Chick Inn’s facilities to which I replied, ‘’it isn’t that deep bruh bruh, smile’’, to every single individual. They automatically assumed I’m Muslim, if they smiled or not? I have no idea. What I do have an idea of is the necessary poison entering the media at the bloodstream currently. It’s a never ending love affair which can only go one way, I’ll be sure to fill you in when I find out what way that may be for myself.

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February 2015

How the media portrays women of entertainment in the 21st Century

By Owais Masood

Women have come a long way since the sixteenth century, especially in the entertainment business where women characters used to be played by men. Gone are the days when women had no voice and no influence in the western world.

Today, females are allowed to sing about what they want and are allowed to dress how they like. This is a far cry from the 16th century and earlier, where women had to fit a certain mould. We’ve had female TV hosts, comediennes, and athletes. Women proved they could do whatever men could do, and sometimes even better.

Although women have broken the mould, how does the media portray these women of the 21st century?

It’s easy to see that these women were role models, the question begs to differ which kind of role models are we referring to? The days of the cute and perky princesses of entertainment are over, however many people would say that in the 21st century women have taken a different path.

So have enough power or rights been afforded to these women that they are now content with who they are?

We hear more about “sex sells” and “less is more”, we see their talent fade to the background but was this the choice of the women themselves, or was this how the media wanted to present their women.

The Music Industry The music industry’s obsession with the shock value has seen some of our favourite female artists do some of the most scandalous things, such as; appearing in music videos naked, “twerking”, and miming on stage.

Somehow this has led to these women having major success, and flocks of teens follow their twerking ways.

Women such as Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus, and Lady Gaga push their sexuality and their antics, instead of NewGen 8

relying on their talent and most of the time it works.

They certainly get more media coverage than they normally would. If the media stopped praising women for “shocking” the audience, would we see these females continue doing this? Would young people adopt these trends? If the media would pay more attention to those female singers who sing instead of “perform”, would we see a change in the type of role models and our generation?

It can be said that not all female singers out there right now rely on the motto “sex sells”. We have such artists as Adele, Taylor Swift, and Lorde who care about the message their music sends out to young people because they want to be the right type of role models for their fans. However, both Taylor Swift and Adele have been criticised for writing songs about their former flames and this is something the media likes to bring up repeatedly. In the last year alone it can be said that there was just as many articles out there about Taylor’s personal life as there was about her professional career. Even at the Grammy’s this year we were reminded about Taylor’s love life when an interviewer said to her that she’s sees Taylor leaving the Grammy’s with more than just trophies, she sees her “leaving with men too.” Lorde also receives her fair share of criticisms, being referred to as “uptight” and “too serious”. As of late, the media has been concentrating more on undermining Lorde’s criticism of other female singers who she believes don’t send the right message in their music. This suggest the media likes to portray female singers as either sex symbols or someone who is jealous of sex symbols. This sends the message to young people, saying that if they don’t fit the mould they’ll always be the outsiders looking in.

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February 2015

It’s also noteworthy to say that many claim the music industry is at its lowest point. Buying music is on the decline and downloading music (illegally) is on the rise, this could be due to the media’s portrayal of women.

With that said Taylor Swift earned the largest first week sales of an album, since 2002, with her 2014 album “1989”. The shake it off hit maker shows that true talent trumps the shock factor when it comes to the young buying public.

Movies and Hollywood Movies have been apart of pop culture since its inception. Nothing beats coming home from a hard day of school/work and watching a movie. It makes all your worries drift away. But just like the music industry, the movie business followed a different path.

All of a sudden there were more sex scenes, the women got sexier, their acting ability took a back seat, and their looks were on full show. Actresses such as Megan Fox and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley were getting more acting jobs: not because they were the best actresses but because they were the prettiest actresses. These girls continue landing big blockbuster movie roles just to bring that extra sex appeal and it looks like it paid off. Megan Fox’s last three movies have all grossed over 50 million dollars and all her movies combined have grossed 1.01 billion dollars. This sends out the negative message to teenagers that the shorter the skirt the more success you’ll have (which is not always the case).

My thoughts The way the media portrays women as entertainers in the 21st Century is definitely different to how women have been portrayed in the past. The first way women of the entertainment business are portrayed differently to past centuries is no matter what you say about these women you have to agree that these women are strong, independent, and successful women, which are qualities that all young people should aspire for. It’s not that women from past centuries weren’t strong, independent, and successful but they haven’t achieved as much as the women of the 21st century. Modern day women are equal to men and sometimes better, that’s why the women of today are unmatched. A lot has been said about how sexual they can be but sometimes it can be a good thing. If it wasn’t for them, who would we be talking about the next day? If all these actresses and female singers were the same, especially the female singers, it would be boring. This way they all bring something exciting to the table and all are different to one another. It’d get kind of odd if all female singers were like Taylor Swift. We need the Miley Cyruses and Lady Gagas to add a different spice, to give us variety and that’s what the media portrays of 21st century women of entertainment as individuals.

However, unlike the music industry the movie industry/ Hollywood has kept its popularity. Yes, there is a lot of piracy and illegal downloading of movies but it still fails to match the legal buys of movies. Hollywood has found the balance between sex appeal and female actresses who can ACT and this plays a part in the continuous success of movies. The media does portray actresses as sexy rather beautifully, however, when they appear on the silver screen you can’t deny that most of these women are talented actresses, and that’s the big difference between media’s portrayal of actresses and female singers.

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February 2015

The Politics of Media Censorship and the Slipping of State Sovereignty

By Alice Roder

The mass media is the public’s most powerful tool, perhaps an agent of a growing ‘global civil society’.

Sure, pointless paraphernalia about Miley Cyrus or vicious incitement against minority groups often finds its way to the surface and does damage. Big newspapers and TV channels inspire fears of mass brainwashing from corporate giants like Rupert Murdoch (who don’t always project the most savoury views). But all of this only really represents a part of our society, our society which is represented in the media; represented in all its majesty, misery, and desire for change.

If our mass media is global though, and if it is free to churn out whatever gripes its majority audience at the time, then surely this new social media/smartphone/ selfie age rings alarm bells to the nation state. Freedom of speech is a human right we love to go on about as essential but when politicians try to contextualise a conversation about: violent extremism, top secret documents, and the secretary they keep in the Premiere Inn, human rights naturally become a bit of a headache.

It’s because there’s no real control over the mass media.

We think there’s an authority, we’re told it’s there, but let’s face it, the mass media is a 21st Century beast ‘gone wild’. Fashions fly and fade, campaigns spring up from nowhere, and people forget ‘their place’ in the frenzy. This poses a difficulty to all nations but specifically those undergoing rapid social change.

With pressures from the UK and the USA to open up freedoms of speech and trade, African and Asian states NewGen 10

are clinging on to cultural customs (and in some cases, holding back social unrest). Whatever your opinion on censorship, you can’t deny that governments do have a vested interest in keeping the peace. Rightly or wrongly, censorship is sometimes an answer to this.

So what happens when states try to claim back the mass media? The most recent news surrounding censorship is Narendra Modi’s ban on the harrowing documentary, India’s Daughter. Modi argues that the documentary is a political attack on India’s integrity, perhaps touchy about: its production in the UK (bringing back painful memories of the British Empire), and any suggestions of India as ‘backward’ that the film may inspire amongst its audiences. Really, Modi’s political objections are only a smokescreen, covering a more immediate issue of social unrest amongst the Indian people. The 2012 rape and murder inspired tens of thousands of people to protest against a patriarchal social system in Delhi.

Were the government to now reveal the shocking details of this system with showings of India’s Daughter, more uprisings would pose a social threat to the state.

It’s therefore not so surprising that Modi would supress the issue, to do so is firmly in his interests.

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February 2015

But before we slump back in disillusionment, believing that the fight for gender equality is a lost battle, stomped out by ‘the man’, we must reflect that attempts at censorship are becoming less and less successful. Even in North Korea (the heaviest state censored country in the world), internet bans are escapable near the border as South Korean signal fields extend into the country.

Little tangible hope for streaming an episode of friends, I know, but that’s not all. India’s request for YouTube to remove India’s Daughter was unsuccessful as it has already been downloaded and reposted so many times.

The site essentially says sorry to sovereignty but content control is the work of the people, and the people want India’s Daughter. In fact, attempts at censorship may unfold to anger protesters more.

So, whatever material you think the souls of journalists are made of, whatever you believe about free speech, censorship, or the government, the media can be a force for good. It’s time to celebrate the media for the multi-faceted diamond it is. Good media drives social change, bad media drives a reaction of good media, and superficial celeb media is at least some light reading after a long day. The media is a conversation and if you have access to it, you have a voice within it.

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February 2015

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EVENTS AT ACF EVENTS AT ACF

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February 2015

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EVENTS AT ACF EVENTS AT ACF

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February 2015

An Ebullient East Anglia Visit: How The Young Leaders Program has Changed My Life

The 2nd to the 4th of February featured a visit by the Young Leaders of the recent ACF ‘Young Leaders Program’ to a cosy community within the University of East Anglia. The Young Leaders Program is a recent (being only a few years old) initiative by the Active Change Foundation. Aimed at news aware teenagers in Year 11 and Year 12, it targets a vulnerable, yet prominent, group in society. The program benefits, as well as develops, leadership and communication skills within individuals who could make a real impact in our society’s future. The Young Leaders residential trip was impactful for those involved, including me.

Hosting a myriad of guest speakers from various roles within society, as well as a chance to role play as a worker within ACF, it was a life changing experience and shared some truths that the entire world needs to hear.

Day 1 of the residential—after a few hours coach drive and a night in private hotel rooms—began with a tour of the University, allowing us to visit museums, accommodation and libraries. Eventually, we were guided to a private upstairs room in an expansive sport centre, which would later host the speeches from notable guest speakers.

Civic Responsibility. After lunch, we returned to the conference room for a speech on Rights, Tolerance, and Respect. This was followed by a visit from a Home Office representative. She informed us about CONTEST: the UK’s Response to Counter Terrorism, before benevolently reaching out to us and allowing us to suggest techniques to raise awareness about terrorism and preventing it. Many people mentioned the prevention of teen radicalization through the introduction of PSHE classes, teaching all teenagers (who are in a vulnerable and susceptible state to negative influences) about the techniques used by terrorists to persuade them that criminal actions are justified. The issue is that many of these techniques appear peaceful, using persistent speech to induce a false sense of guilt within the hapless victim. The conferences of the day ended with one of the founders of ACF, Hanif Qadir concluding with ‘The Reality of the Threat.’

Our second day at the residential was definitely an adventure. With the tasks for the day dubbed with the mysterious and beguiling title, ‘Operation X,’ the young leaders’ interests were piqued. We were not disappointed. We all played roles within anti-terrorist groups, some working for the local authority while others worked for organizations such as ACF. We were all provided with tasks in which we had to discuss and deal with terrorist or discriminatory actions.

Each provided with a scenario, we were required to take ‘phone calls’ from the ‘criminal’, as well as from the police. This was followed by a debate in which we decided what to do with the individual. By far this was one of the most eye opening sessions of the entire residential and allowed me, and my colleagues, to better understand the phenomenon in which someone we define as a ‘criminal’ could also be a victim of circumstances, and can be changed.

Dr Celia Szusterman, from the Institute for Statecraft, started us off by discussing the controversial topic of what politics really is, and whether or not it is the solution to the world’s problems. This was followed by ex-policeman Mr David Gilbertson’s discussion on NewGen 14

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February 2015

Day 2 ended with a fancy guest dinner where we were thrown into a networking situation. Followed by speeches from the young leaders and our guests, the night ended fantastically. After this, the young leaders had a night of karaoke and also recorded a short video for ACF’s social media campaign: #AllStandTogether.

This social media initiative follows shortly after ACF’s twitter campaign: #NotInMyName which was so successful that it went viral worldwide and was even mentioned by Barack Obama in his speech to the General Assembly at the United Nations. ACF’s involvement in social media is something to watch for future leaps in anti-terrorism awareness.

This experience was truly enlightening and has gifted the young leaders with more than just information about politics, terrorism, and leadership, it has also taught us how to deal with and pass judgement on real life situations. I don’t only speak for myself when I say that this 3-day residential has given me an objective view on world problems. It has mentored me in the differences we can make through peace, not violence, and has, overall, changed my life.

The final day of the residential featured a visit from Major Nana Twumasi-Ankrah. The major was the first black soldier appointed to the ‘Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment.’ He was also appointed to the role of Sovereign’s Escort Commander, commanding the Blues and Royals Mounted Squadron, at the royal wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. We then heard from previous Royal Marine Chris Nel. After this, we received a speech from Mike Jervis, who again addressed the problem of terrorism and what we could do to stop it. This was a very interactive presentation, requesting us to generate ideas about how we could deal with suspected terrorists within the country when law enforcement had no grounds to imprison them. This evoked very interesting ideas, particularly around the issue of interrogation, followed by tracking and monitoring. Subsequently, we heard from Chris Donnelly (Institute of Statecraft) who discussed ‘Threats to Security: Past, Present & Future.’

A conclusive speech was given by Mike Jervis and we all received certificates for our participation in, and graduation from the residential program.

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February 2015

Fast Food And Me Safraz Ali Where did you see any healthy options on that list? The canteen? It is more expensive than any of those outlets and in all honestly, it’s never really filling. I can recall the time I purchased a Tuna Salad from Pret: it wasn’t filling, I paid way too much for it, and the majority of it ended up in the trash.

There’s an epidemic apparently. We are too obese, we eat too much fast food and if we don’t all stop anytime soon, we shall all die.

To some extent, that is true. However, whilst the health minister complains about the current “crisis”, I see no alternatives to the options we currently have on offer.

Fast food is cheap, convenient, and easily accessible.

This is why I play the fast food lottery.

I do not enjoy fast food (contrary to popular belief): it is vulgar, fattening, and truth be told, I’d be a lot better off without it. But ever since I was a kid, I can’t help getting my hands on £1 chicken & chips from my local takeaway. It was all I yearned for, it took a mere matter of minutes to purchase, and it filled me up. It’s been a constant love affair ever since: my mistress being the gym, salads, and grilled chicken. Nonetheless, like a loyal partner I always go back to my wife: fast food.

And why? Well, let’s take a look at the options I had for lunch today: the canteen (£5 for an average meal, kind of healthy and nothing out of the ordinary), Five Guys, Chipotle, McDonalds, Subway, KFC, Krunchy’s, the local café, and tinsel town.

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Why not make healthier meals more convenient, filling, affordable and just more appealing? I’d rather consume a burger than a salad. A salad will never fill me up.

It’s a vicious cycle I can’t escape. It’s hard to make the right choices when your stomach craves the usual and money is tight.

This is the story, not just for me, but I assume a lot of teenagers who do not have the time nor the money to purchase a healthy meal worth £7.95 over a £2.50 chicken burger meal. Once you grow up your whole life around fast food it’s hard to turn back on those select habits you’ve inhibited.

It’s a lottery. You pick a shop and place your bets to cure your hunger. The great thing is you always win, and as long as you win you’ll consistently go back to those same bets. You will place them one more time, and one more time after that. Can’t we have more grilled burgers on the menu that don’t take 25 minutes to make? Low fat options are needed, wholesome, fulfilling, warm, healthy and nutritious meals which are actually tasty.

We don’t want a salad, a stale sandwich, a pasta pot, a grilled panini, and your local tesco meal deal.

If we want to really fight obesity, let’s fight the battle that’s on the streets of the UK & boost the amount of healthy dishes. Let us not license another fast food shop to open in a vicinity which has dozens already.

One day all these burgers will add up, but by that point I’ll be too fat and busy earning my benefits to really care. Irony is beautiful.

www.activechangefoundation.org

February 2015

Ladies Initiative Women’s Coffee Morning Thursday 26th February was the first time for me to run the Women’s Coffee Morning. I was really excited to organize this event as I think it is a great way for women to discuss their daily life with other women and exchange on the issues and problems they face. The coffee morning offers this opportunity. Besides that, it’s a good moment to take a break from our busy schedules.

This month’s topic was ‘The importance of family life’. It was very interesting to hear everyone’s stories about their families: the proverb ‘we can only choose our friends not our families’ is indeed very true! Despite being from diverse background, we face similar problems and issues.

Furthermore, most of us have family members abroad, we all try to keep in touch with. We discussed how everyone copes with having family not living close to us and how we keep the bond with them strong. Technology helps us a lot in that matter (thank you skype!).

We feel the absence of relatives when they live elsewhere but also when a family member passes away. We address that kind of situation differently but we all make sure to keep some stability in our lives.

In these times of struggle it is extremely important to have family by our side. It was really comforting to be able to discuss this with the other women. Sometimes when family is not around, we can find support in our friends or our neighbours.

What is it about?

Our Women Coffee Morning is a free event that takes place, once a month, at the ACF Youth Centre. It is a great opportunity to meet new women and get to know each other in a friendly and safe environment.

While drinking coffee and eating some biscuits, we discuss and exchange information on important topics. We give women a voice to speak about what is on their mind (open discussion). Next month’s topic will be health and illnesses. It will be held on 26 March.

As most of the women attending the coffee morning are mothers, we also discussed how it is to be a mother, how it can be worrying at times, hectic, difficult but also beautiful. We emphasised on the importance of good communication to create a good environment for the children in order to encourage them to speak their mind. When we get caught up in our busy work life and social life, it might get more difficult to give enough time to children, but during the time that we do get with them it is important to talk and listen to them.

Although we had different viewpoints on some topics, we definitely agreed that family is a cornerstone of our lives.

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www.activechangefoundation.org

February 2015

Danger And Misconceptions Of Smoking Shisha

By Abdul-Ghaffar Mahdi Today an increased number of young people, and adults as well, have discovered shisha, which has been around for a long time in most Middle Eastern countries and North Africa.

In the past few years the number of people smoking shisha has increased dramatically.

Those who participate in smoking shisha are unaware of the risks it carries.

What is shisha?

Shisha is a blend of tobacco, sugars and fruit flavourings, which is generally smoked through a pipe. http://www.freep.com/story/news/health/2014/12/16/hookah-dangers-dearborn-teens/20467275/

Health risks of smoking shisha Did you know that smoking shisha for an hour has the equivalent intake amount of nicotine as 100 cigarettes?

Shisha has become one of the leading causes of illnesses and in some occasions can lead to death. This is because shisha contains many chemicals which can lead to respiratory problems, lung and throat cancer and other diseases which can be transmitted orally such as tuberculosis, hepatitis and even herpes just by sharing of the mouth piece.

DNA. Damaged cells can multiply at a very quick pace resulting in tumors, this is generally how lung cancer starts out.

All chemicals found in shisha have negative effects on human body from respiratory illnesses, heart conditions, cancers, clogged arteries and even infertility. What many people don’t know is that shisha smokers are at a higher risk of contracting oral diseases and infections than non-smokers. Some oral infections can even cause you to lose your teeth and have stained teeth and bad breath.

The age of people smoking shisha seem to be getting younger and younger because it seems many have been misguided on the effects of shisha. You may not feel like shisha is affecting your health but just remember Rome wasn’t built in a day. Shisha is addictive but quitting will be better for your health.

Shisha uses charcoal in order to heat the tobacco. Once the tobacco is heated, it passes through the water jar where it is cooled down before it is inhaled. The smoke produced releases toxicants and carcinogens known for causing cell damage within the NewGen 18

www.activechangefoundation.org

February 2015

On The Ball Jonas Gutierrez

By Maxwell Adjei

Jonas Gutierrez was given a rapturous reception as he returned to action for Newcastle United on Wednesday night.

“When I first saw him I was really concerned, but I suppose that’s natural because he has come back from a serious illness.

The winger had not featured for the Magpies since October 2013, when he was diagnosed with testicular cancer.

“Over the weeks, he has got fitter and stronger.

Today, more than any other, I have seen the old Jonas Gutierrez. Today was the first time I’ve seen that.

He’s been fighting his illness and also fighting for his career. In those terms it’s an important time for him.

“Every opportunity he gets, he’ll want to prove a point - whether that is to us about getting a new contract, or whether it’s to go somewhere else.

Gutierrez started the season desperately ill, before having an operation and chemotherapy which caused his hair to fall out.

He had been named on the bench for the Aston Villa game at the weekend but had to bide his time until the midweek round, when he got a run-out in the second half of the game against Manchester United.

Before the Villa game, Carver said: “First of all, to actually come back and play in the Premier League again would be magnificent. He’s had a hard fight.

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“That determination could be what drives him forward. It could also help us.

“I talk to all of my senior players and I’d be mad not to tap into his expertise and his personality, because he is a character. I’d be daft not to use that.”

www.activechangefoundation.org

February 2015

Business Of The Month

By Abdul-Ghaffar Mahdi

A & A Minimarket is a convenience store located in 144 Boundary Road, in Walthamstow and owned by Waltham Forest resident Hayal Toguz. The shop is attractively presented throughout with a full refurbishment having been undertaken in the last year, including new shelving and new fridges.

“We value quality with our products and hygiene on our shop floor. The shop sells a wide variety of goods which you would expect from a small convenience store including newspaper/magazines, general groceries, confectionary, greeting cards, essential household items, soft drinks.

We also provide phone top-up, oyster cards and lottery tickets”, Hayal tells us, adding “We offer great customer service and flexible opening hours, Monday to Saturday from 7:00am to 10:00pm, and on Sunday from 8:00am to 10:00pm. We do our best to suit customer needs”.

A&A Minimarket

With children of his own, Hayal fully supports the ACF Youth Centre, telling us “It is so good to have a place for young people to go to as well as being able to develop themselves. There needs to be an ACF in every borough, not just in Waltham Forest.”

A & A Minimarket regularly runs sales and campaign on the extensive range of products and invites all of our readers to visit and explore the various deals for themselves.

Visit them at 144 Boundary Road, E17 8LA or contact Hayal on 0208 509 2524 for more details.

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www.activechangefoundation.org

February 2015

med a h o M

Ali

Here at the Active Change Foundation we centre our work on the recognition of youth talent and potential. Each month, a member of our Youth Centre is chosen by ACF Outreach Team /member Mowlana Said to recognise their outstanding contribution. This month we are happy to announce Mohamed Ali as youth of the month!

Mohamed is 18 years old. He is an enthusiastic member of ACF since he joined a couple of years ago. He currently studies at Leyton Sixth Form College maths, English language and law. He comes to the centre with his friends to socialise and relax.

“To me, ACF is a place for fun and joy, where I can socialise and meet new people. I also go there for educational purposes. There are pool tables, table tennis tables, consoles and snacks, but that’s just to name a few. There is also an internet cafe where you can sit down, do research and work on school projects.”

Mohamed Ali

Mohamed makes the most out of the opportunities available at ACF. “Staff members at ACF are really friendly and helpful. They aren’t just there for the purpose of maintaining order in the centre.

They change lives and help connect youth from different background. They talk to us, they play with us, and they are there if we ever may need them. They also help us with our homework. In return, I volunteer to set up outdoor activities such as trips and sport competitions”. Mohamed Ali In addition, Mohamed appreciates how important the workshops organised by the Outreach Team are for the young people’s understanding of current issues.

“The talks held at the centre are very helpful and educational. They explain us events/ issues that are going on at a national and international level, and that may affect us as individuals. So for all those reasons and much more, the Youth Centre is ‘the’ place to go!”

YOUTH

of the Month NewGen 21

www.activechangefoundation.org

February 2015

Solution fo r last issu e

Across

1. Act as a servant (5) 3. Auctions (5) 6. Traded (4) 7. Coiffure (6) 9. Strange and mysterious (5) 10. Speech defect (4) 11. Falsehood (3) 13. Cease (4) 15. Pacific country (5) 18. Weights (6) 19. Charts (4) 20. Foot-wear (5) 21. Unit of capacity (5)

COFFEE BREAK

Down

1. Former county in SE England (6) 2. Sovereign (5) 3. Having no seams (8) 4. Songbirds (5) 5. Retail store (4) 8. Powerless (8) 12. Bother (6) 14. Latin-American dance (5) 16. Intended (5) 17. Canines (4)

TWO THREE FOUR FIVE SIX SEVEN

EIGHT NINE TEN JACK QUEEN KING

ACE JOKER HEARTS DIAMONDS CLUBS SPADES Puzzle: Deck of cards

sue Solution for last is

Puzzle: UK Murcury 1

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www.activechangefoundation.org

February 2015

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www.activechangefoundation.org

February 2015