Summer festivals in Nottingham

Summer Festivals in Nottingham By Pa Modou Faal

2020 just like 1918 would be a year that will go down in the annals of specific history of humanity. Since its declaration into a pandemic by WHO, COVID-19 has been ravaging the entire world with high death tolls, mass infections, over stretched medical facilities, economic degradation and widespread fear factor. Another hard-hit important part of life by the pandemic has been our social activities. Annually, this time of the year, the City of Nottingham joins thousands of cities globally to appease its residents with wonderful activities and outdoor festivals; but this year has been turned out to be different. This highlight features how the City of Nottingham would have presented herself to residents and visitors alike during the summer.

Sadly, the Nottingham Beach and Riverside Festival have been called off by the City Council based on rules and regulations geared towards curbing the spread of the maiden Corona Virus pandemic. Evidently, the maintenance and observance of social distancing during such festivals, will be practically impossible hence the cancellation for this year’s commemorations. The Riverside Festival which attracts more than 200,000 people over a three-day period annually, would have celebrated its 40th anniversary this year. Also, the Old Market Square which used to play host to the Nottingham Beach Festival, has been transformed into a place of relaxation and rendezvous. Both activities have been deferred to 2021.

The Robin Hood Festival would have attracted hundreds of thousands of people all over Nottinghamshire which usually provides a famous week-long fun for families. The Festival offers numerous activities for children to wonder around in the nature as well as discover the forest. To entertain people above the age of 15, the organisers offer storytelling, archery, sword-fighting, comedy, magic trick and other adventures to make the week extraordinary. would have been a very busy place during the summer but specifically on the day of the carnival where people from different walks of life would have converged around the beautiful scenery of the area. The daylong live carnival which usually starts and ends with live performances, has been held in a rather unusual way; through online with people attending via Facebook live, YouTube live and Zoom. The organisers prepared with live DJs, online performances, video clips of past carnivals, Virtual Parade with over 100 costumes and dancers and with many more.

The famous Splendour Festival is one of those activities which should never be missed for any reason because of its’ line up. This family festival offers amazing performances, activities and culinary experiences in the beautiful setting of Wollaton Hall and Deer Park. This year, The Vamps, Sleeper, Becky Hill, Supergrass and many other would have turned up to entertain the Nottingham people, sadly not anymore in 2020.

Patching Festival of Art, Craft and Photography 2020 is a special Nottingham event where artists, photographers and makers spend one day in celebration to Art and Design. This Festival was meant to take place in Nottinghamshire Countryside with more than 250 artists and craft makers with a view to helping them sell or simply demonstrate their works. The cherry on top is the hands-on-workshops organised by the artists to showcase their methods and tactics to be used during the creation of their work.

Lastly, The Belvoir Flower and Garden Festival cannot be missed from this list as this inspirational event compounds picnic with some music, strawberries and cream. The set lies in the beautiful Belvoir Castle Garden with a lake and many parks. This festival is perfect for gardening lovers as anything related to improving garden, garden furniture and sculpture could be found there; with guest speakers present to answer questions.

‘Why are you breathing in Europe?’ By Amindeh Blaise Atabong

In the European Union and in the Schengen countries the majority of the people have not encountered the difficulty of obtaining a passport and to travel freely. For Cameroonians it is a different story. Amindeh Blaise Atabong tells his story of how draining it is to obtain and to hold a passport from this African country.

He starts his story by explaining that he wanted to renew his passport hoping that this time it would be easier, as the previous contract holder, the Thales Security was replaced by Gamelto. Atabong hoped that there would be no more fraud and that the whole process would be easier too. He was wrong, very wrong. The staff at the application centre in Yaoundé was arrogant with him telling him to come back later. The next day when he did go back, they still said that it is not possible to obtain a new passport, but by paying the staff 420 dollars, the process has started and he could get his passport the next day.

According to the 2020 Henley Passport Index, which ranks countries by the strength of their passports, Cameroon is the 93rd. Despite the neighbouring country, Nigeria ranks below Cameroon, many Cameroonian choose to acquire their passport rather in Nigeria as it is easier to obtain it and to travel with it. Atabong continues his story by mentioning that when he wanted to enter Switzerland to attend an award ceremony, despite having all the supporting documents, he was denied. Only after he appealed to the State Secretary for Migration could he receive the short stay visa, with the entry and exit dates he had mentioned in his application.

This difficulty was not the last one that he had to face with during his trip to Switzerland as in Istanbul when he was waiting to board the flight to Switzerland, the Turkish Airlines staff asked for his passport and visa to make sure that he has the right to visit Switzerland. Then the staff member asked him questions like “What do you do for a living?” “Where are you going to?” “What are you going there for?” “Do you have a return ticket?” She actually asked why he was going to Switzerland when he also had a Canadian visa in his passport. To react to these questions, he then asked her flat out – “I guess your next question will be ‘why are you breathing in Europe?’” The lady immediately returned his passport and moved away. He was the only person to be questioned by the staff…

He says ‘Travelling as an African requires a lot of patience. You need to stand in long queues reserved for travellers with “Other Passports”. If luck isn’t on your side, your skin colour will betray you into being sorted out for questioning or to verify the contents of your bag, and for women, sometimes the contents of your hair. It’s as if the Cameroonian passport has a secret inscription: The bearer is a potential threat: Treat with caution.’

This passport difficulty is not only an issue in Europe but also in the African continent. Despite the African Continental Free Trade Area, Africans can only travel visa-free to 25% of other African countries. This unfair situation is worsened by the fact that people from Europe and North America can easily fly in and out into many African countries, while it is not possible for the people from Africa.

Atabong finishes by saying that ‘It is often tempting to drop the Cameroonian passport, get a locally-acquired foreign accent and pick up a more powerful passport in order to roam free across the globe, but for the time being, I’m going to hold on to mine.’

Not welcome here: Travelling while African By Nanjala Nyabola

Traveling has changed a lot in the last decades. It is easier, cheaper and more comfortable now to go to one place to another. Still there are some countries where this situation has not yet changed.

During the early 2000s it was still possible for family members and friends to walk travellers all the way to the gate. Gen Z travellers need to learn that now you have to take off your shoes and even belt going through security and that now you cannot take a full tube of toothpaste in your carry-on luggage.

The main changes in the global travel experience are attributed to the threat of terrorism and the need to make global travel more secure. But there are things that some people experience through the process that are deeper than that: ritual humiliations that have been introduced to the process of travel that are designed to remind people from Africa that they are outsiders and unwelcome.

They are the ones who need certified bank statements covering a three-month period and proof of home ownership just to set foot on the embassy grounds. They are the ones who get pulled aside for “random searches” every time they enter certain airports. They are the ones who need a letter from their fathers or suitable male relatives to apply for tourist visas. They come from the countries where global airlines send old planes that rock and rattle through take off before their dinner service featuring dry bread and off brand cola. They are ones who get yelled at by the cabin crew instead of spoken to kindly. They are the ones who lose entire days at the visa application centre scrambling to prove that they are not trying to run away.

It is not easy and free to travel abroad as an African. A Kenyan passport holder needs 6 weeks to apply for a visa for Ecuador; Thailand does not allow Nigerian women to travel as tourists without proof of permission from their husbands and fathers. Yet the reciprocal has never been true. What’s going to happen now during and after the coronavirus? What new procedures will travellers have to endure? What will these new fears do to the decades of suspicion and profiling that black and brown bodies already endure when trying to travel? If African governments fail to control the disease, will African travellers be subjected to even more racialised scrutiny? What will travel look like, but more importantly, what will it feel like?

Often when we talk about the politics of international systems and organisations, we forget to stop and test the weight of human experience that even the most technically efficient process on paper can still be violent and inhumane based on how human beings experience it. Now the best that can be done is talking to people and asking them to share their experiences as we can have endless number of experts arguing about statistics but if we want to solve the discrimination and stigma, we need to work together with the people who experience them. These personal narratives are just as important as any systemic analysis.

FATWA FLU VACCINE

Question

In certain areas of Midlands, we are experiencing issues with Muslim communities refusing to have their children vaccinated with the influenza nasal spray due to it containing porcine as a stabiliser. This vaccine is used for children and vulnerable elderly at serious risk of catch flu. It saves lot of pain and sicknesses in the community affecting thousands of people.

The children’s flu programme is an extremely important since it not only protects the child itself but also protects vulnerable family members and the wider community. This then has huge benefits on the local health system, 94% lower flue like illnesses in primary age children and 74% less visits to A &E. So, in the bigger interest of the society's health can this vaccine be given to children? What do the scholars say about the permissibility of in flu vaccine that contains pork gelatine, is this allowed?

A concerned Muslim Nurse

Fatwa on Flu vaccine containing Porcine gelatine

I begin with the name of Allah, the Kind the Caring

The flu vaccine that contains porcine gelatine is a simple nasal spray that is particularly useful and easy to administer to children. It is administered to children who are susceptible to flu and have other problems like asthma which is exacerbated by the flu. It has been shown to reduce A &E admissions and other complications considerably. same as the cow gelatine, goat or any other animals’ gelatine. It has same protein structure, same properties and same colour, texture and taste. You would not be able to distinguish the porcine gelatine from the others. Considering this fact it is argued that it doesn’t matter what its origin is. A similar fatwa was issued by Mufti Ali Jumma the Grand Mufti of Egypt about Pig products including insulin.

Secondly, this is for a medical purpose, it’s not consumption or eating. The nasal vaccine is important preventative measure that has been shown empirically to reduce lot of suffering in vulnerable children. This then falls under the well-known category of ‘darurah’ necessity, required and needed. The Quran teaches: “He has made unlawful for you the carcass, the blood, pork and animals over which any name other than Allah’s has been invoked. However, if one is dying of hunger then a small amount can be eaten in order to survive, Allah is Forgiver and Kind.” (Al Baqara:173) From this jurist have reasoned that when something that is forbidden is necessary for survival then it becomes permissible. So, if porcine gelatine was forbidden in this situation, it becomes permissible. The other rule from this is: "What is permissible for a particular need can be used according to the amount required.” Thirdly, my

fatwa is based on this powerful principle Istihala found in books of Fiqh: “Istihala means the change of a substance as a result of its purification and the removal of all the impurities around it. Scholars are agreed that when alcohol changes into vinegar it is considered pure. The majority of Hanafi, Maliki scholars and Imam Ahmed said that istihala renders impure substance pure. As mentioned above, there is no scholarly contention on the purity of an alcohol that has turned into vinegar. Another example the scholars give is the blood of deer, when it is converted into musk it becomes an expensive fragrance. (p1738 Encyclopaedia of Fatwa published by Dar la Ifta AlMisriyya)

Considering this evidence, we conclude the nasal flu vaccine containing porcine gelatine is permissible for use.

On behalf of the British Fatwa Council

Mufti Dr Hafiz M Munir Al-Azhari

Mufti Yar Muhammed Khan Qadri

HOW TO BOOST YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM By Cool Springs Chiropractic Staff

Boosting your immune system is easier said than done. While it may take some time – remember, Rome was not built overnight – taking the steps necessary to bolster your immune system will go a long way in maintaining your overall health. Our team here at Cool Springs Family Chiropractic has compiled a list of things you can do to improve your immunity.

TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR SLEEP SCHEDULE: Sleeping is one of the most important things we do daily. It helps our body and brain rest, it helps the body recover from fatigue, and it keeps your heart healthy. Healthy sleeping patterns also helps our body build up its immunity.

Most experts recommend that adults get at least seven hours of sleep a night. Studies have shown that individuals who sleep fewer than six hours each night are at a much higher risk of illness than those who sleep six hours or more. If you are having trouble falling to sleep every night, try sleeping in a completely dark room or with a mask on.

EAT MORE ORGANIC FOODS: Whole plant foods help our bodies build up the immunity they need to fight off illnesses. Foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and legumes are rich in nutrients and antioxidants that give your body the upper hand it needs. That is because the antioxidants in these foods help decrease inflammation.

Chronic inflammation is linked to health conditions such as heart disease, Alzheimer’s, and certain cancers. Certain fruits and vegetables are rich in nutrients like vitamin C, which may reduce the duration of the common cold. The more vitamin C you eat the better! EAT MORE HEALTHY FATS: Healthy fats help boost your body’s immune response to pathogens by decreasing inflammation. These fats can be found in food like olive oil and salmon. Chronic inflammation can suppress your immune system, so taking the steps necessary to reduce inflammation is key to your overall wellbeing.

Olive oil, for example, is linked to a decreased risk of chronic diseases including heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Olive oil also has anti-inflammatory properties which may help your body fight off harmful disease-causing bacteria and viruses.

FERMENTED FOODS OR PROBIOTIC SUPPLEMENTS:

You should try to implement fermented foods into your diet as much as possible. These foods are rich in beneficial bacteria called probiotics, which populate your digestive tract. Fermented foods include yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, and natto.

Studies have found that those who consume fermented foods or take probiotic supplements have stronger immune responses to viruses. If you do not regularly eat fermented foods, probiotic supplements are a great alternative. Both of these options greatly increase your gut health which is deeply interconnected with your immunity.

LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF SUGAR YOU EAT: Sugar and carbs are one of the biggest contributors to obesity. Obesity greatly increases your risk of getting sick while also amplifying the symptoms. Studies have found that people with obesity who were administered the flu vaccine were twice as likely to still get the flu than those without obesity.

Limiting the amount of added sugar, you put into your body can decrease inflammation and aid weight loss. Your sugar intake should be less than 5% of your daily calories. This equates to about two tablespoons of sugar for the average 2,000-calorie diet.

EXERCISE: It feels as though it does not need to be stated how effective exercise is when it comes to improving your overall wellbeing. However, prolonged intense exercises can suppress your immune system. Moderate exercises give your immune system the boost that it needs.

Moderate exercising can reduce inflammation and promote the healthy turnover of immune cells. These exercises include jogging, biking, walking, swimming, and hiking. Try to get it 150-minutes’ worth of moderate exercising per week.

DRINK PLENTY OF WATER: While drinking water does not grant you immunity, it does prevent dehydration. Dehydration can cause headaches, hindering your physical performance, focus, mood, digestion, and heart function. All these complications amplify your risk of illness.

Water is the recommended form of hydration as it is free of calories, additives, and sugar. Other forms of hydration such as tea and juice also work but be careful of their high sugar content. Keep in mind that the older you get the harder it is to keep track of your thirst. Older adults need to drink regularly even if they do not feel thirsty. MANAGE YOUR STRESS LEVELS: Long-term stress promotes inflammation, which as mentioned earlier, goes a long way in distorting your immune system’s ability to fight off illness. This is even more apparent in children. Relieving stress and anxiety is crucial to maintaining your body’s being.

You can lower your stress levels in a myriad of different ways. You can meditate, keep a journal, practice yoga, receive chiropractic care, or seek a therapist. The best way to relieve stress is always dependent on personal preference.

AVOID UNHEALTHY HABITS: Some of the main reasons our immune systems struggle have to do with the way we take care of our bodies. Our body is a delicate machine that requires constant care and attention. Poor habits can almost make our bodies turn against us.

Habits such as smoking, excessive drinking, binge eating, and drug use all hamper our body’s ability to fight off unwanted diseases. We get that quitting these habits is not easy but doing so could save your life. Try replacing unhealthy habits with healthier ones such as exercising and meditating.

CHIROPRACTIC CARE HELPS: Chiropractic care is another great way to help boost your body’s immune system. Are you suffering from back pain, sports injury, or an accident? Did you know Chiropractic can possibly help treat these injuries? Get in touch with Dr. Pete Hinz at info@coolspringschiropractic.com for a FREE consultation.