Edition 5 by The SOAS Spirit

FREE STUDENT PUBLICATION OF THE SCHOOL OF ORIENTAL AND AFRICAN STUDIES

SOAS

SPIRIT

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SOAS SPIRIT

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SUBMISSION DEADLINE FOR EDITION 6: DECEMBER 6TH THIS PAPER COULD NOT HAVE BEEN MADE WITHOUT THE HELP OF THE FOLLOWING: Dougal Wallace Jefferson Regan www.commentmideast.com Nicholas Rodrigo Michael Pope Peter Baran Amit Singh The 99%? + Occupy FC........................... 3 Keeping Your Union Accountable.............4 November 9th Protests.............................5 SOAS Societies Advertising Space...........6 Correspondence + Corrections..................7 London Life...............................................8 OVERHEAD AT SOAS...............................9 Middle East.............................................11 Africa.......................................................13 Asia.........................................................14 The Americas..........................................15 Sports.....................................................16

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THE SOAS SPIRIT EDITORIAL TEAM

Editor Saquib Malik

Middle East Gloria de Waal - Montgomery

Deputy Editor Peter Moore

Asia Vidya Venkat

Sub Editor Billy Mason

Sports Pravin Wadhwani

Africa Julian Boys

To get in touch, editorial staff should be contacted at spirit@soas.ac.uk

The Americas Joseph Buckley

WANT TO BE IN THE TEAM? SOME EDITORIAL POSITIONS ARE STILL CURRENTLY UP FOR GRABS! SEND AN EMAIL OR JOIN OUR FACEBOOK PAGE AND GET INVOLVED!

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FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @SOAS_SPIRIT Ladies and Gentlemen, We in the entertainments committee are beginning to start to plan the END OF TERM CHRISTMAS PARTY. We need your input. If you or anyone in your society has any ideas about what we can do in the event, please send them to me and we can see what we can start getting together. We will also try and make the whole week Christmas themed so if you have any ideas for things to do during the week that would be great. Either e-mail your proposals to this address or to entertainment@soas.ac.uk. We look forward to hearing from you!

SOAS Societies advertise for free with The SOAS SPIRIT

Damian Burns Entertainment officer

INTERESTED IN RADIO? GET INVOLVED WITH THE RUSTLE! If you have any interest in Radio or just talking your mouth off! Get involved with the flagship radio program ‘The Rustle’. Headed up last year by Joe Buckley, SOAS radio last year won the award for most prestigious media outlet and this year has been continued by Austin Cooper. Have look at their website and get involved! www.soasradio.org/soas-rustle

Pictured supplied by SOAS RADIO

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NOVEMBER 2011

REVOLUTIONARIES OR JUST HIPPIES? John Pillay 233871@soas.ac.uk The recent occupations in 900 cities in 80 countries over the past six months (starting in Spain in May) has been the growth of a global movement. Triggered by the global financial turmoil that is still unravelling, it has brought together an array of people who feel that the response by our Governments has been to uphold a financial system that is not only broken but also corrupt, instead of putting the needs of the people first.The occupation at St-Pauls, and now Finsbury Square by Morgate, has drawn attention from the media and the country. But who are these people, what are their demands and how do they work? The internal structure of the occupation in London has been that of a general assembly, with working groups forming open discussions on logistical matters. Decisions/options are then fed back to the entire general assembly and voted upon. Horizontal power instead of vertical power is a term voiced by many, and it has worked. Generators have been brought in, working kitchens, university tents and toilets have been set up. A strong feeling of an open community is prevalent, with film screenings, lectures and spontaneous discussions forming. Some of the younger crowd who we spoke to expressed excitement about living in a community so different from their everyday lives, even if the communitarian spirit is being made possible by a false economy of donations. Anti-capitalists is a term

that the mainstream media seem to have settled on in their description of the movement, but this is an oversimplification of the issues and multitude of opinions present. Mothers, hackers and green movement groups have helped to mobilise people, as well as groups that could be termed as anti-capitalist; there are also a large proportion of people who have no affiliation with activists networks. In the leaderless environment people have been reluctant to give a definitive opinion, not wanting to speak for the entire movement. There are many answers from every extreme, but “evolution not revolution” was heard more than once. The feeling is common amongst all that a stand must be taken to say “no” even if a definitive answer is not offered. A young visitor from HongKong said that the camp acted as an “alarm clock” for “the people to wake up”, and as with all protests it has the ability to stimulate debate within wider society. After first trying to evict the protesters, the Church has now decided to drop its initial legal move against them and instead declare its support for the movement, after two resignations. The support base is also growing, with sympathy being voiced from all sections of society and the news of fifteen Veterans joining the protests after Remembrance Day over the treatment of ex servicemen by the government is illustrating how wide the issues are. The occupation looks like it will last and it seems far too early to speculate on how it will develop.

OCCUPY FC The Occupation Football Team With a group as diverse as the Occupy London Stock Exchange, you always had to expect the unexpected, as we found with the formation of the Occupation’s newly formed football team Occupy FC. Founded by recent SOAS Masters graduate Tom Rodriguez Perez , he tells us the team looks to use football to engage with the local community. “Basically after the recent football tour with the SOAS lads to the Middle East I thought how can I use what I learnt there and apply it here? “ This led to the creation of Occupy FC which had daily ‘kick-a-bouts’ during the peak of the occupation and even had led to it being reported in The Guardian and BBC. “I thought it was important to show

that football can be used both as a tool for entertainment and resistance, as well as for communication with police, bankers and the general public. So we sometimes have a little kick-a-bout with sympathetic police and bankers on their lunch break” Whether Tom’s vision is shared by all is certainly debatable. However it is undeniable that the positive and inclusive attitude shown by Occupy FC has helped to create and maintain the jovial atmosphere in St. Pauls that has seen public support for the movement remain firm. You can get involved with Occupy FC on Facebook at www.facebook.com/occupyfc and on Twitter @OccupyFC. If you hurry, you may make in time for the match that’s currentely being arranged; Police V Protesters.

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KEEPING YOUR UNION ACCOUNTABLE

FINANCE & COMMUNICATION OFFICER : ALI KHAN It’s a very different union and it’s been quite amazing riding that learning curve. I’m sitting here thinking that, three or four months back, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. Now things seem to have settled. 2) Since becoming co-president, what have you accomplished and how does it relate to the objectives stated in your manifesto?

1) In a few words, describe your time in office so far. In a few words I can say that, so far, it’s been exciting. But it’s been different to how I imagined. You run for office with a particular union in mind. Of course, every year is going to be different, because half of the university are post-graduates, who are mostly here for just a year, and about a third of the undergraduates leave every year.

Firstly, the smaller things. Right by my desk, I keep the t-shirt I wore when I was running for election, covered with ideas people wrote on it. One request was for a cashpoint at Vernon Square. Sadly, we haven’t been able to do that, because the banks have said no. I’ve been asked about installing a Jacuzzi and sunroof in the JCR. Unfortunately, that’s not going to happen, but maybe in the future. We came into office to try to repair the relationship with the school. So far, that is going extremely well. We’ve been able to improve our relationship with the Estates Department and security, who have allowed us to get away with a lot more than we might have done in the past. On top of that, we’ve created the post of Accommodation Officer, the election for which will happen in March. I also meet regularly with Sanctuary Housing. These meetings were always meant to happen, but never did. Finally, I send out a FinCom message every Friday, something that I think is really important. We’ve managed to streamline a few processes in the union. It’s very difficult, like juggling whilst treading quicksand. We’re still running off the momentum of an incredibly successful Fresher’s Fortnight. The student survey we sent out returned a very positive result. Ninety-three per cent of students think that the Student Union is doing a good job. Regarding the manifesto, of course there are lots of things you realise that you can

and can’t do. Having said that, we are getting the bigger things done. They take a bit of time, but I’m pleased to say that TEDx SOAS will be happening in the third week of March. We’ve had several discussions about UGM reform within the exec and we’re looking to revamp it. For example, we want to replace the co-presidents’ speeches at the beginning with a written summary, followed by a Q&A. 2i) Are you satisfied with what you have accomplished so far? No, quite frankly. I don’t think you ever can be. It’s a constant push. You only have a certain amount of time to get what you are passionate about done. It can be incredibly soul destroying. But it’s all about keeping up the momentum. 2ii) What will you do differently in the coming months to ensure that you fulfill election promises? Firstly, what we’re working out is a ‘you said, we did’ programme. That’s important in terms of communication. Secondly, what needs to be done is the finances. What I’ve realised recently is that there is such a quagmire regarding how the finances are run. I promised that our current accounts will be published, as will our budget, once it’s been reevaluated. Honestly speaking, the finances are a really tough thing to go through. But I think that it’s important that we’re open about it. In our constitution, it says that the Co-President for Finance and Communication has to present the finances of the union at least once a term; that’s happening. At the next UGM, there will be a presentation on the finances of the union, however boring it might be.

WELFARE & EDUCATION OFFICER: ARIANNA TASSINARI

1) In a few words, describe your time in office so far. Really positive. There are lots of plans in motion. The response from the school and students has been positive. It is also slightly overwhelming because of the amount of responsibility and sheer volume of problems we need to address. You can never get on top of everything. 2)Since the last edition of The SOAS Spirit, which points on your manifesto have you completed or have you made progress on?

There has been lots of work around mobilising around the demonstration on the 9th November. SOAS has committed not to raise fees for masters - this issue was raised at a meetings with man-

agement. They confirmed that they are not planning for this year and next to raise tuition fees above the annual 10%. Academic restructuring of SOAS: The faculties are no longer going to merge, although this was decided before I arrived in office. Also protecting minority languages: we successfully managed to get the school to start ‘language entitlement programme’ as there fears that this would be discontinued. We are also working with the language and cultures faculty to make sure as many of the languages as possible are taught. So far they have promised not to discontinue any although some may be postponed one year and taught the next . Continuing the Saturday school - works with many secondary schools and gets kids from year 9 and 10. This encourages kids from disadvantaged backgrounds to consider going to university. We have also got a system of personal advisers implemented across the board. Now all students of all years all have a personal adviser allocated. We hope this will improve academic support and guidance. There is also now a very strict rule of essay turn-around - now essays must be returned in three working weeks. We have also gained access to use the Russell restaurant for societies. Have presented the Student Union educational priorities paper (it’s on SU website) and lots of progress has been made in terms of getting online coursework submission for next year and some form of exam feedback for first years. Managed to get the school to start reconsidering its policy on the payment of master fees instalments. it is not finalised yet but in progress. We pushed them to look into the possibility and look at it in the next round of school committees. Then we started a student-parent peer support group (students with kids) who face particular

challenges and have also started a work with the a mental health charity called Mindapples to raise awareness. We have had two successful student rep meetings and managed to elect 170 reps across the school. Then we started the process to get official NUS accreditation as a zero tolerance for sexual harassment student unions. We put in place policies to make sure and reviewing all the guidelines in place to see if there is sexual harassment and to make sure all members of staff are trained to deal with this and appropriate channels to deal with those experiencing this. On welfare and education in last month, we talked to school registry and secretary about problems with students accommodation and lack thereof, then build agreements with other residents to guarantee places for students at other places. Also we’re in discussion with extending open hours at weekends, it’s definitely not possible in the first term but could be for 2nd or 3rd term. We are going to collect date on how many students actually use the library at the weekends because if its not many then there can’t really be a justification for keeping it open. 2i) If Yes, are you happy with the number that you have accomplished?

It’s always frustrating that SOAS moves quite slowly but a clear plan of action can definitely help it develop. To be honest the second term is where the results will really be seen, at the moment its all rather preliminary. 3)What will you do differently this coming month to ensure that you fulfill election promises?

Well, we’ll need to gather more hard evidence to give more grounding to our demands and to clarify better what would be the best practical way to satisfy as many students as possible on what they think about the situation with languages for example. I think that’s definitely something we should do next time.

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NOVEMBER 2011

KEEPING YOUR UNION ACCOUNTABLE SPORTS & SOCIETIES OFFICER: CHUCK MADEKWE

FAILED TO GIVE INTERVIEW

After several attempts were made by The SOAS Spirit, Chuck Madekwe failed to give an interview within the time frame we asked.

Students to protest privatisation of higher education The 9th November protest was a national protest and it attracted thousands of students Vidya Venkat 265504@soas.ac.uk On November 9, students of the constituent colleges of the University of London, including SOAS, participated in a massive public rally protesting against the move to privatise higher education in the UK. The demonstration began from the University of London Union (ULU) office in Malet Street and went into the City of London, Bank and Monument sites. The protest this year was expected to be bigger than last year’s protest when students had Michael Chessum of the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts say that while last year’s protest was triggered by the announcement of planned spending cuts to further education and an increase of the cap on tuition fees, this year’s protest further opposes the move to privatise education in the UK, as revealed in the White Paper released by the government in June. “Through the protest we seek to put education back on the political agenda,” he said. What the White Paper says: The government White Paper released by the Department of Business Innovation and Skills in June 2011 sets out the new higher education reform as aiming towards sustainability in a time of budget deficits. It talks about making a shift from public spending on teaching grants towards repayable loans. The main thrust of the Browne report released during the previous government has been upheld by the new White Paper which says that “the beneficiaries of higher education would need to make a larger contribution towards its cost.” It also talks about allowing degree awarding powers to nonteaching institutions. However, critics of the White Paper point out that the government by establishing a level playing field for private providers, is causing irreversible

damage to public higher education through the deletion of virtually all public funding for higher education, potentially easier access to the university title and access to publically funded loans. Other criticisms of the White Paper question the very logic of the Paper that aims to convert higher education into a commodity up for a high price tag. The larger context: Commenting on the ideological roots of the move, embedded as they are in market-oriented, neoliberal thinking, Thomas Marois, lecturer in Develop-

ment Studies at SOAS says the financial crisis that has led to the need to cut public funding for education, is imposing an unfair cost on the shoulders of the country’s taxpayers and workers through austerity, cuts, and job losses. “This practice is constitutive of the current system, and austerity is inevitable ‘without’ collective organized resistance,” he says. In keeping with the larger context within which the government is ‘reforming’ education, he says that any resistance to such measures should press for alternatives for financial institutions to be re-oriented and subordinated to collectively determined social economic goals and treated not as profit-maximizers but as social utilities.

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LETTERS & EMAILS ‘SOASians Abroad’ Edition 4, Page 7 by Amit Singh generated a heated response on our email this past month

Hi Amit, I have to say I found your article about ‘SOASians Abroad’ to be completely unfounded and very offensive. At the end of the day who are you to lecture us about how we should behave when we are abroad? Have you even been to these places that you are criticising? There’s nothing wrong with sitting cross legged at the Ganges, in fact some people simply find it comfortable, we’re not trying to ‘fit in’. Also in regards to holding up Martin Luther King quotes at Hi there, Palestinian rallys, so what if the locals don’t understand, maybe I have to say I found your piece immensely judgemental, the person just wanted a nice picture, why do you have to be so pessimistic and to be frank, lacking in depth. It read as though you judgmental? were spouting an opinion without much thought. In short I found your sweeping and quite damning stateAnonymous ments inaccurate and offensive. It also sounded very personal. I particularly find your bitter judgements of the ‘middle Can ‘SOASians abroad’ become a regular feature? It’s bloody class’ travellers very outdated and pretty unpleasant. I think you hilarious need to meet more SOAS travellers and talk with people more if this is really your viewpoint. Sorry for ranting, but it really pissed me off. I could go on, Joe Buckley but I won’t. I’m sure you’re a nice guy and if we had a beer we’d Could your article about the Yurt have been any probably get on, but I think you made a mistake in the tone of your more bias? It’s an ugly structure and most people piece, it was not at all lighthearted and made you sound like a very didn’t want it, so the Union shouldn’t have dished big snob. out all that money for it. It’s that simple. Hope you can appreciate our ranty words, Mikaela Parrack and Imran Khan

Syed Taqvi

Mystery of Basketball Beyond Borders Continues, Edition 4, Pg 7 caused controversy Hi, I don’t know who conducted the interview with Basketball team last edition but it seems an old boys club is developing at The Spirit. The interviewer was a joke. The team claim they are going to go on tour but not say when only telling us ‘a few months’.

I don’t know if you guys are friends or something but don’t you think given they raised that money in the name of CHARITY you should’ve pressed him abit harder to find out when they’re actually going to go instead of settling for ‘a few

months’. I’m glad to see you say you’re going to ask in a few months time again hopefully you can actually press him for real answers. They need to be held accountable. Alexander Mark Skinner

SOAS SPIRIT LEFT RED-FACED AFTER GRADUATION BLUNDER The SOAS Spirit was left redfaced itself last month when when we erroneously printed that the reason why people were squeezing into the Logan Hall for Graduation 2011 was because SOAS management had in fact booked a smaller room this year. This was factually incorrect

and we apologise. SOAS Management booked the same suit they always book for graduation however demand reached unprecedented levels this year which resulted in some graduates parents confused as to where they may be seated. In the end a compromise

was reached when extra seating was made available on stage for the surplus attendees. Again, for this mistake we apologise, SOAS Management please forgive us, we’re not out to get you, we’re just incompetant.

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NOVEMBER 2011

PETER MOORE’S REVIEW OF PUBS AND EVENTS IN LONDON

Good beer can be hard to find in London, or at

least that is what I have been told. Unlike the US, we have no widespread culture of microbreweries. Instead we have Kronenbourg and, if we want to be classy, a Carlsberg Import. This is fine with me, I'm a lager swilling lout, but for those of you who are finding yourself numbed (and not in the intended way) by beer in London, I suggest you head to the Southampton Arms. This pub is up from Kentish Town on Highgate Road. Unlike some of the other new, 'craft beer' pubs around London this pub still feels relaxed. Though the choice is as daunting as any other pub, it has none of the yuppie vibe of the Euston Tap or the Wetherspoon-esque bright lights of the Bree Louise. It's often badly done in other pubs, but the simple wooden décor and long tables with benches work in this narrow, frankly overcrowded, pub. The odd variety of beers on offer is another issue. As in many of these types of pubs, novices such as I can't tell whether the 'Yellow Toe Crust' is a heavy porter or a light ale, let alone whether it's any good or not. While it's hard to have a truly terrible beer, the lack of information available makes an

informed choice difficult without asking the barman. They'll be more than happy to help – and give you a taster – but the fuss can be a bit excessive. For some it's a part of the experience, finding out new beers and tasting a head-achingly large number of ales and ciders each visit, but I'd rather find one nice drink and stick to it. It's the atmosphere which pushes that to the back of my mind, however. There aren't many pubs where I've been to where a trumpet player and a piano man didn't irritate me. Instead, it fit the vibe perfectly, trodding past them to the courtyard with a couple of drinks and a tasty pork pie. The Southampton Arms is one of the few places where I've had a funny chat with the resident local drunk and where the outside seating area doesn't feel like a penal colony for smokers. In short, go there, have a few drinks which have ridiculous names and a good chance of tasting terrible but also go there and have a good laugh in a place everyone else is also having a good, unpretentious, laugh.

THE

SOUTHAMPTON ARMS

LOOKING FOR THE PERFECT SHOREDITCH, ANGSTY ELECTRO NIGHT? Look no further than The Old Blue Last on

Great Eastern Street. Up and coming East London band, Replicas (replicasreplicas.co.uk), has managed to secure a steady job running the ‘Motorik’ night at the Vice-owned hipster haven. The night is billed as ‘electronic / experimental / krautrock’ and is certain to make even the sunniest among us ponder the tough urban life we’re condemned to lead. Taking place on the fourth Friday of every month, the female art school duo will be playing a range of music, including some of their own if you are lucky enough. The venue has become something of a Shoreditch fixture, attracting more strange moustaches and facial hair styles than General Kitchener’s dining table. Whether or not this

vibe appeals to you or not, the place has moved up market since it was redone in the past year. Downstairs from the live music area, there are even leather sofas, the sure sign of a place which was re-done in 2010 and may have clean toilets at the beginning of the evening. The venue has a definite sense of fun to it, however, which counterbalances some of the pretensions which are left to run riot by many of your fellow attendees. The presence of other attractions – such as pool tables – mean that even if the gig isn’t to your liking, you can easily while away the night drinking, playing and chatting. Drinks at the Old Blue Last hover between £3 and £4, with gin and tonics at £3.50. It can be accessed by walking from Old Street tube or Shoreditch High Street station. Open til 1.30am, Friday & Saturday. 38 Great Eastern Street EC2A 3ES.

(The Southampton Arms is at 139 Highgate Road, open 12am12pm. Debit/credit cards are not accepted.)

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SOAS SPIRIT

The Dutch were shit colonialists

1 ec ould invite :aW l l t h e Londo homele s n s t o a SOAS homele ss party ... 2: ... Pe ter B go craazran would y

Hattie Gemmill

Zachary Chambers

Deadlines at SOAS are just a suggestion

Joe Buckley

Just because when something lo oks funny we think it cant d o when actually any harm, it can do alot of harm. Like Boris Johnson

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

Siobhan Doherty

tha what I don or h t gu it is t e ju y, ei abo st d ther ut gamoesn he’s g e ’t hav ay e

Arnold Oshenye

FACEBO

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NOVEMBER 2011

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been r e v e I’ve n frica but I to A live in do ney Hack Ella Bella

If SOAS give me one more Chinese lecturer I’m going to start requesting subtitles. Jocelyn Ames

Can jus t lo someo insu ok u ne con ranc p yur fuse e o t d.co n m?

Kunaal Soni

Jonathan De Vecchi Freeman

9/11 was a controversial event. Most people say it was the Muslims, some people swear it was the Jews... ... I’m one of the few that thinks it was the Blacks

Vidya Krishnan

ntedbs, a w u jo if yopaying d’ve l well u shou LSE yo ne to go Aydan Stuart

so what can you actually do with your degree?

Rosa Shah

di tr is rectue t Is i a or ha t Khguy of t th ale c SO e d? alle AS d

Tiru Valluvar

W oil Saud ell, if p bu ricesi wen Iran it wt apa wo t to & ou rt f uld war ld rom go , go be p th up, od re at ! tty

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A CANDID DISCUSSIION OF WHAT IRAN HAS ALWAYS SAID, RATHER THAN A REITERATION OF THE ILL-INFORMED POINT OF VIEW. Milaad Rajai 205033@soas.ac.uk In recent weeks, from St. Paul’s to Wall Street, the critique of capitalism has been seen and heard. In other news, the U.S has cut funding to UNESCO after the majority of the ‘free world’ opted to use it’s freedom of choice to grant Palestine the educational, scientific and cultural opportunity to form relationships with the rest of the world. Now, the front pages have returned to a story we only know too well: Iran. The Brits are following the Yanks on another kamikaze mission, reads the front paper. If only. The Islamic Republic of Iran, the biggest enemy of Saddam Hosayn, the Taliban and, less we forget, “Al- Qaeda”, or as I like to term it, “militants hell-bent on killing Shi’ites,” is now being taunted once again by the unipolar hegemon. Commentators and policy-makers alike use key words such as “nuclear weapons”, “breach” and “violation” to instill a culture of fear on those trying to catch up with current affairs. The pictures of Arabs & Persians on the street striving for ‘freedom’ in a manner of speaking, has been repeated by the media, so looking for answers from Al Jazeera, BBC or Press TV could leave you more confused than when you switched on. It is important to clear a mess that could snowball into purported truth. A mess that could wash the streets of Tehran, Mashad, Shiraz Iran is not pursuing nuclear weapons. If it is, Iran would breach a fatwa (Islamic decree) declared by THE supreme leader, the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. If you’ve seen pictures on the media outlets of nuclear reactors and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the new thorn in the side of the present supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, this can be readily explained by the IAEA during the time of former head and Egyptian revolutionary, Mohammed el-Baradei (replaced by a Korean technocrat). Iran is pursuing, legally, “peaceful nuclear energy” for civilian purposes. This means it cannot and will not be a Nuclear Weapon State as it would be violating International Law, destroying any strain of legitimacy present in the republic, and furthermore, it would be the greatest disrespect to the founder of the Islamic republic: A no-go area if there ever was one. The field of nuclear proliferation has been an area I focused on in my time at the Great British institution that is SOAS, and in my time as the President of the Iranian society, and later as the President of the Student’s Union. I have travelled far and wide to explain that which is not readily accessible to the families of loved ones. Iran is a friend to the West, a worried friend who believes that the smokescreen created by those hungry for oil and gas, the capitalists, and those looking to eradicate the Palestinians, share an agenda that is desensitising communities far and wide. In the position I held as an activist and elected representative for a University in the UK, I was thoroughly impressed that other student activists across England and Scotland were aware of the one great truth: That the U.S is violating on a sacred document of international law which is not going to go away. From Hiroshima to the genocide against the people of the Palestinian lands, from stockpiling of nuclear weapons to the appeasement of Israel and India’s nuclear ambitions, a ‘double-standard’ emanates from the very core of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). This cannot be ignored and there is evidence to corroborate the fact. The question to ask is: How does one sleep at night pointing the finger at another when all fingers point to them? Point 1: Iran is a signatory of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). This document has been signed by Iran and many other nations. It is clear that the world is made up of Nuclear and non- Nuclear Weapon States. The benefit of this treaty is to form a sense of compliance around the world. Unlike much that the hand of the UN touches, the NPT has been relatively successful. South America is a Weapon Free Zone, and were the signatories of the NPT in a position where they could benefit from a peaceful civilian nuclear programme, the onus to do so falls on Weapon States. Such states must do whatever they can to aid the process to countries who have supported the initiative since it’s inception. Point 2: The role of the Nuclear Weapon State is one of responsibility. The laws of the NPT do not allow for a Weaponized- State to expand it’s circle of trust with a non-signatory, as this could in essence exacerbate the relationship with those signatory to the document. The single most destructive weapon created by humanity has been handed over to two non-signatories by the same country that has started the finger-wagging procedures against Iran, and, but

of course, berated UNESCO for practicing open democratic procedure. The United States has taken a policy which creates resentment. The first rule of International Practice should be: do not act in a manner that creates resentment, because it will make others think lesser of you than should. Again, having spent a great deal of time in the US, it is clear that the government have not listened to the masses for a very long time (Send your letters of grievance to K-street, home of the lobbyists!). In essence, whilst Israel and India looked to ‘Man City’ dominance, either through the intense lobbying of AIPAC for the Israelis, or the sacrifice of labour law and land, as in the case of India, doors have opened which, in truth, is nothing short of a breach of law. Iran, as a signatory of the NPT, has the right to civilian nuclear energy. Israel and India have not signed the accord which would allow for them to have peaceful nuclear energy. From this equation, we can deduce that Iran, Israel and India DO NOT have a right to Nuclear Weapons. As it stands, the latter two HAVE Nuclear Weapons, in disregard for any attempt at ‘effective global governance’. The former is threatened with attack for clearly stipulating that which should be permissible via the international declaration of nuclear non-proliferation. The wheels of rhetoric have once again been stepped up on Iran, a country which is at the moment having many a serious debate. Perfect timing with elections in the US, and an international community growing in it’s sympathy for the Palestinians and their attempt to breathe the same air as other humans. With the shifting face of the region and revolution in the air, the big player of the Middle East, with it’s phenomenal oil and gas reserves, less we forget, is being called out. A point to mention: Iran is a monotheistic country home to Christians and Muslims, of which I am proud to be of both faiths in my blood lineage, with indigenous Jews and Arab-speakers, Kurds, Azeris, and all in all a nation of proud Persians who live knowing their society is not perfect, but that the rest of the world does not have a leg to stand on in comparison. The largest country in the Middle East has attempted, regardless of the anti-imperialist rhetoric which surrounds a country which has been terrorized since 1953 (When MI5 and the CIA deposed the democraticallyelected leader), to come to Britain and America’s aid over Afghanistan and Iraq, two strenuous and tiresome wars which will end in failure. Since freeing itself from the chains of imperialism, Iran has come under sanctions, which in the present-day context, affects everyone from the policy-makers and their frozen bank accounts up top, to the Iranian child who boards an Iranian civilian airplane, unaware that the same sanctions block any chance for repairs, increasing the risk of that very plane dropping out the sky. A human right’s violation as recognized by this disturbing video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0m0ujn8FeE&feat ure=player_embedded). It is with a heavy heart that one must be weary of which violations of international law one must focus on in search for the truth. If Iran, one of oldest civilizations, has something to say, it might be an idea to stop and listen. If we stop to listen, it may arise that the political motivation for truth in an otherwise perplexed society is no different to that of St. Pauls, Wall Street, Tahrir and beyond.

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WHY THE SILENCE OVER BAHRAIN? It’s time the West stopped turning a blind eye to the barbarism, and started establishing some credible moral standards. Nazneen Jivraj 294225@soas.ac.uk Over the past few months, we’ve seen the situation in Bahrain progress from what William Hague would call ‘mere concern’ to harrowing outbreaks of violence and bogus military trials. In the wake of £53m of US arms being sold to the Bahraini Kingdom, my heart sinks to know that one day, these goods will most likely be used to the detriment of mankind. Why have self-interests prevailed where the value of freedom has died in the hands of dictators and greedy Sheikhs? It’s ironic to think that western adulation for the principle of democracy exists alongside their endorsement of governance in Bahrain. The phrase ‘liberté, egalité, fraternité’ echoes through revolutions old and new - freedom is the foundation for equality as well as a community devoid of conflict and opposed to egoism. So when the people of Egypt, Libya, Tunisia pleaded for help to be released from the claws of their despots, the West dropped it’s age-old relations and denounced the use of government force. But when Saudi Arabia sent their army to the Bahraini borders to monitor and (possibly) quash the developing protests, where was democracy then? Are these people not entitled to the same legitimate aspirations of social freedom and independence? Instead of protecting its own fickle relationship with Saudi Arabia and its masses of oil, the West must drop the double standards and start giving a voice to Bahrain and it’s people. Slightly up north, the ruling Alawite regime in Syria has come heavily under criticism for quelling protests by the largely disillusioned Sunni majority; Hilary Clinton has gone as far as to call all countries to boycott Assad and his antics. It remains a curious fact as to why an Iranian backed Syria is not approved by the West, yet what can only be described as an informal Saudi occupation is justifiable in Bahrain. With doctors being subjected to ignominious military trials for supposedly manipulating protests for their own political agenda, the West stands by to watch the sham that is Khalifa and his kingdom. And of course, we cannot forget that timeworn Sunni - Shiite issue. Drawing parallels to Syria, it is wholly unfair that an elitist minority should govern a majority as this type of undisputed rule only serves to exacerbate sectarian divides. The West should no longer be allowed to manipulate the religion card. If ignored, this silent but explosive issue could lead to a deadly religious conflict, claiming the lives of thousands as we’ve witnessed in Iraq. Thus, it has become more than apparent that Bahrain has surpassed

the check-point of mere ‘public disruption’. Now more than ever, the West should cut their loose and meaningless nature of criticism and choose harsher words, but this is not to say that they should interfere with direct action. As a long standing tradition, Western powers rush to send their planes and missiles into foreign lands to establish to the world that they are true icons of liberalism. Their scepticism in the power of public condemnation on an international platform does little to aid the oppressed, but their voice has the potential to kindle revolutions like we’ve seen across the globe - where the oppressed learn to shape their future and value their freedoms. So what next? Why can the fervor of the arab spring not be breathed into Bahrain? As ever, the youth must stand united to denounce the lack of Western judgement. They must forget their backgrounds, their religions and revoke Khalifa’s licence to kill their spirit, their freedom and their voice - because a drop of blood is always worth more than a drop of oil.

Forbidden-Road Policy Challenged by Non-Violent Resistance in Palestine. Gloria de Waal-Montgomery - 249014@soas.ac.uk

6 Palestinians were arrested on the 15th of November while attempting to enter Jerusalem on an Israeli bus. These Palestinians are committed to drawing attention to the racist policies of the Israeli state which prohibits Palestinians from using buses and roads reserved for nonarabs. This is based on the assumption that every Palestinian is a security threat and renders a persons right to freedom of movement a matter of ethnicity. How is this possible, you may ask? Well, although not a law as such, this policy is based on

‘verbal orders’ given to soldiers - according to the IDF Spokesperson’s Office. Palestinian vehicles are prohibited from traveling on 105 kilometers of West bank roads and permission is required to travel on another 180 kilometers of roads in this area. As you might expect, permits are hard to obtain and rarely granted, with security concerns the most frequent justification articulated by Israeli leaders in defense of their policies. This act of civil-disobedience was inspired by the Rosa Parks refusal to move seats for a white person on a segregated bus in the US. Whereas in the US, African-Americans were forced to sit at different places on buses, Palestinians are simply not allowed to board the bus. This ruthless attack on Arabs in Israel is nothing new but must be addressed if Israelis and Palestinians are to live side by side in dignity and integrity. It is high time that acts of non-violent resistance are given their place in the international media in reshaping the public’s perception of the conflict and demanding a political solution. Employing such strategies in the every-day struggle for basic human rights and non-discriminatory practices is essential if we are to dispel many of the myths about tic-for-tac violence that Israel uses to impose these draconian, word-of-mouth policies.

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The Malema Dilemma

Have an article for the Africa section? Email 546431@soas.ac.uk

Jared McDonald “What do you do with a problem like Malema?” For South Africa’s president, Jacob Zuma, there is little doubt that the way he answers this question will either win him or lose him re-election as president of the ANC at the party’s elective conference next year. Julius Malema, president of the ANC’s Youth League, used to be a staunch supporter of Zuma. Now he is an outspoken critic. While not in the running for party president himself, Malema could be king-maker at the elective conference. Zuma’s biggest challenge will be maintaining enough support within the ranks of his party, while being seen to tackle the rampant corruption which seems to pervade national, provincial and local government. His other challenge will be to win back the support of his traditional support base: the poor and unemployed. After all, Zuma was supposed to be the “grassroots president”. Rather, he’s been one big disappointment. Enter Julius Malema. He’s the most influential politician, albeit unelected, in South Africa today, thanks largely to Zuma’s lack of leadership. Malema’s political strategy is simple: target those members of the electorate who are still loyal to the ANC, but who are displeased with the government’s performance. While Zuma appears unable to address the grievances of the millions of poor, homeless and unemployed, Malema has been pushing for radical policy shifts, including the nationalisation of mines and commercial banks. He also

“How is he affording to pay for a £1.6 million house on a Youth League salary of £2500 per month?”

wants the constitution changed in order to allow the state to expropriate white-owned land without compensation. A vocal defender of Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe, Malema enjoys growing support among South Africa’s poor and marginalised. Essentially, he’s the new Zuma, of years past, although in a far more radical guise. The two do actually have a lot more in common than they would like to admit. In a country in which 20% of the state budget is lost to corruption each year, Zuma and Malema both have dubious track records. Zuma managed to dodge allegations of corruption over arms procurement for ten years, having the charges dropped two weeks before being sworn in as president of the country. Malema is partial to Breitling watches, Moët & Chandon champagne and luxury sports cars, and his lavish lifestyle has led to accusations of fraud and money laundering. How is he affording to pay for the construction of a £1.6 million house in Johannesburg’s most exclusive suburb on a Youth League salary of £2500 per month? Malema’s growing popularity signifies a rejection of Zuma’s government, but not the ANC, by those yet to see any tangible rewards after seventeen years of democracy. Zuma and Malema represent different visions for the future of the ANC: incompetence and a lack of service delivery, or nationalisation, land grabs and a freefor-all for those in the political clique respectively. Is it that bleak? Perhaps not. Zuma’s recent dismissal of two cabinet ministers and the national police commissioner, all for corruption, is a welcome move. Still, the ANC is suffering from a serious lack of progressive leadership.

Film review: When China Met Africa

Julian Boys

Mr Liu surveys his acres of land stretching out into the distance, currently smouldering in the wake of fires to clear the bush for agriculture. Gazing through the plumes of smoke, he shares his dream that one day his children will take over his farms. More immediate concerns draw him back to the present. As he’s paying his Zambian workers, they ask for their full salary. They’ll get it next week, he says. “They shouldn’t complain. I’ve spent millions here. Before there was nothing”. Mr Liu left his office job in China to become an entrepreneur in Africa, buying land and settling with his family to farm it. His story

is one of several related in the documentary film When China Met Africa, which paints a nuanced picture of the encounter. Over-simplistic characterisations of neo-colonialism or a ‘win-win’ partnership are spurned; instead the complexities are brought to the fore through the stories of those on the frontline of the relationship - from the Zambian minister of commerce shaking hands with Chinese businessmen on deals for copper and land, to the Zambian road construction workers complaining about their Chinese bosses: “they don’t treat us like people”. The power imbalances between the Chinese supervisors and Zambian workers make for uncomfortable viewing at times. But there are also scenes of camaraderie as Mr Liu’s sister-in-law jokes with farm workers (left). The jobs created by Chinese investment are gratefully received, even if the pay is low and the conditions poor. The roads being built will bring wider benefits to the economy, and the tax revenues from intensified copper mining should enable higher social spending, even if most of the gains are made by Chinese investors. Although China is eager to paint itself as another developing country rather than a new colonial power come to exploit Africa’s natural resource wealth, comparisons with colonialism are inevitable. On the whole, natural

resources are exported and finished products imported back into Africa. ‘If we go on like this, African resources will be used for Chinese development like they were for European development before,’ warns JH Mensah, a former minister in Ghana. But at least, chorus African leaders, they don’t patronise us like western donors do, with political and human rights conditions attached to aid. The Chinese come in and get the job done. In 20092010 two Chinese state-controlled banks alone lent more to developing countries than the World Bank. After the IMF had spent two years negotiating a transparency agreement with Angola, Luanda turned its back two hours before the deal was due to be signed after securing a $2 billion soft loan from China. Whether ordinary Africans gain as much benefit from China’s involvement in Africa as political and business elites on both sides remains to be seen, but seems unlikely from the film. One indicator will be if Mr Liu’s descendants are still farming his land in one hundred years, or if they’re chased off by angry locals as white settlers were in neighbouring Zimbabwe.

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RELIGION CONTINUES TO ENJOY ITS PRIVILEGED POSITION IN U.S. POLITICS Saquib Malik 211225@soas.ac.uk Primaries to decide the Republican nomination for next year’s presidential election were never going to be straight forward, however this year, for the first time a Mormon is running to gain the bid and strangely it’s been a fairly uncontroversial attempt so far. Willard Mitt Romney, better known as simply Mitt Romney has been largely leading the majority of polls in the race to become the Republican frontrunner. Being the more centrist candidate in comparison to the likes of Rick Perry, Herman Cain and Michelle Bachman, Romney has managed to attract moderates in the party at the expense of the base. However one question that he has successfully evaded has been on his faith. The current governor of Massachusetts has been a life long member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, more colloquially known as the ‘Mormon Church’. A poll by The Public Religion Research Institute poll found that almost 60% of people surveyed did not

know that he belonged to this religious group. A fact that may trouble a lot of Americans would be that the Mormon Church did not allow African-Americans into their Church till around 1979. This was 14 years after the civil rights act. This meant that for 14 years the Mormon Church was officially declared a racist organisation in America. Mitt Romney was 31 when this change took place.

It was claimed that the allowance of African-Americans into the Mormon Church was as result of a revelation that an‘elder’ of the Church had in private from God. When previously asked about his Churches policy, Romney stated he was ‘very proud’ of his faith and would ‘not apologise in any way’ for it. However did claim his father attended a Civil

RAISE OUR TAXES! In a move that may come as a surprise to some, a wealthy group of millionaires has been moved to demand the United States Congress to raise their taxes in a bid to stimulate the economy. The group known as ‘Patriotic Millionaires’ formed about 12 months ago to ‘correct’ the mistake made 10 years ago, referring to the tax cuts made in the early years of the Bush administration. The list of millionaires has grown now to around 140. It also includes names such as Ben Cohen, the founder of Ben & Jerrys Ice Cream. The total number of millionaires in the US is 3.1 million. There are also 400 billionaires, more than any other country in the world. The seemingly virtuous move by

these people has not however been met with universal welcome. Michelle Fields of the Daily Caller denounced the group as ‘disingenuous [and] hypocritical’ on Fox News. This was after she interviewed some members of the group and they were unwilling to make one-off donations to the treasury. Fields claimed, ‘if you really believe in something then you should lead by example.’ The group claimed one off payments would not result in the fundamental structural changes that are required to the US tax system to avoid a repeat of the 2008 financial collaspe. As the Occupy movements continue, gestures such as this will most certainly be welcomed.

Rights March along side Martin Luther King. This has never been proven. As the race for the Republican nomination continues Mitt Romney may be hoping these awkward questions do not gather speed as they could prove to stifle his campaign. For the time being however, faith seems to be firmly out of the question when discussing future presidents in America.

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EARLY PARSI THEATRE: A Talk by Kathryn Hansen

Kriti Bajaj 478296@soas.ac.uk

The India Media Centre at the University of Westminster played host to an engaging talk by leading scholar of South Asian theatre history, Kathryn Hansen (pictured below right), as a part of the DSC South Asia Literature Festival on 14th October 2011. A professor at the University of Texas at Austin, Hansen’s theme was the forgotten era of Parsi theatre and its influence on early Indian cinema before the advent of the phenomenon that was Bollywood. Her latest book, released in October 2011 and titled Stages of Life: Indian Theatre Autobiographies, focuses on four actors whose lives provide insights into not only the shaping of Parsi theatre and Indian cinema, but also into the nationalist atmosphere that pervaded India in the 1920s. The talk was followed by a short discussion with Dr. Francesca Orsini (SOAS) and Ravi Vasudevan (Senior Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, Delhi), moderated by Rosie Thomas (University of Westminster). Hansen compared the London of 2011 to the Bombay of 1911 – the hustle bustle, liveliness and “perpetual need for entertainment” being the hallmarks of these times. In the Bombay of yore, Parsi theatre created a new visual biography that preceded and affected cinema. Interestingly, “Parsi” theatre was really a hybrid of many traditions – the actors, audience and themes were not always specific to this small community. The nomenclature probably arose from the investment of Parsi businessmen in this form of entertainment. The earliest theatres were simply courtyards, and audiences were

attracted to a performance by the beating of a drum. But soon, Western style playhouses caught their eye and their fancy, morphing this art form into something completely different – the simplicity was replaced by a high arch, lighting, elaborate costumes, machinery, enormous painted curtains and large stages. Later, there were also seating classes, boxes, orchestra stalls, a dress circle and a gallery. The audience was heterogeneous, often non-Parsis outnumbered the Parsis, and this upmarket promotion and external grandeur aroused interest amongst the elite Indians and Europeans, making Parsi theatre seem superior to other styles. Using maps and photographs, Hansen pointed out the most famous and influential playhouses like the Victoria playhouse and the most recent - the Royal Opera House which still exists but is no longer used for theatrical performances. The earliest plays were adaptations of Shakespeare, as well as enactments from the Iranian epic, Shahnameh. By 1868, companies vied for attention and started running profit-making ventures, selling not only tickets but also song books, play scripts and published dramas, which, as Dr. Orsini later discussed, helped the publishing boom and the spread of literacy in North India – the song lyrics especially were marketed as essential prerequisites to enjoy a play. With the growth of rival businesses, companies began to tour, visiting and performing in Hyderabad, Delhi, Calcutta, Rangoon, Singapore, and Mandalay. Although the plays were adapted from the European tradition, their sound was very Indian, with dance, songs, ghazals, ragas, and the use of Urdu

An Epic Controversy

linking it to the fading Islamic tradition. The styles of this theatre influenced the vernacular, and introduced a variety of people to theatre in Indian languages including Hindi. Themes also changed and became more “nationalised” with the national political awakening in the period, with the mythical genre becoming an allegory for anti-colonial resistance. Hansen claimed that this use of mythology in Parsi theatre – Betab’s Mahabhrata in 1913 being a turning point - played an important role in early cinema, which borrowed many themes and actors from the playhouse. In the comments that followed, Ravi Vasudevan put forth the idea of the theatre as the progenitor of cinema, which set the mis-en-scene for films. He felt that there are still many questions about this era that are unanswered, referring to the relationship between this form of theatre and Indian cinema as an “archaeology” to be worked out and uncovered. Hansen’s book thus tells us about an unexplored world where there is still much to be discovered.

objections raised by a section of the academic staff that the essay “could not be properly taught by college teachers who aren’t Hindu”. Ridiculous as it may sound, the truth is that the University has been Vidya Venkat - 265504@soas.ac.uk under tremendous pressure from right wing student groups since 2008 to remove this essay from the If India, as ancient syllabus though three out of four members of an civilisation and modern expert committee appointed by the Supreme Court nation, has retained had endorsed Ramanujan’s essay without reservasomething of its chartion. acter throughout, it is In 2008, students of the Akhil Bharatiya its plurality of culture. Vidyarthi Parishad, a right wing student organisaIndologist A.K. Ration, had vandalised the office of the then Head manujan’s essay ‘Three of the Department in an effort to get the essay Hundred Ramayanas’ removed from the syllabus. They said that the esis a celebration of this say hurt the sentiments of Hindus because of its plurality. By describing portrayal of Rama, the epic hero, as the brother of the numerous retellings Sita in some versions though she is his wife in the of the Sanskrit version Sanskrit version. They have also raised objections of the Ramayana written by Valmiki, this essay shows how an anto some ‘pornographic references’ in the essay, cient story has been retold in different ways that enrich the narrative perhaps a reaction to the use of the word ‘vagina’ tradition in Indian literature. in the story of Ahalya as treated in Kampa’s version Ramanujan’s essay is in news, however, for the wrong of Ramayana. reasons now. The essay which was part of the undergraduate his A close reading of the text shows that most tory syllabus of the Delhi University for the course ‘Ancient Indian of the objections raised are dubious. Ramanujan’s Culture’ was recently removed by the Academic Council due to essay does overturn the assumption of a fixed,

normative original form to be found in the traditional Sanskrit version of Valmiki, though he acknowledges it to be the “earliest and the most prestigious of all”. In fact, the Jain version ‘Paumacarya’ portrays Ravana as a tragic hero and challenges that the Hindu version has unfairly treated Ravana as a villain. This feeling surprisingly, found a resonance even in the Mani Ratnam directed movie Ravana. The essence of the controversy therefore is whether students in university can be taught to challenge normative narratives of Indian history and culture or not. The proponents of Hindutva ideology have for long tried to construct the idea of a Hindu nation drawing from epics such as Ramayana to claim glory for the ancient Hindu tradition. This homogenising view of culture is at the core of the Hindutva project. It is in times such as these that one needs to go back and Ramanujan’s essay that celebrates the diversity of Indian culture and it is unfortunate that the University has succumbed to right wing forces. It raises disturbing questions about the space for intellectual freedom within the Indian university system.

NOVEMBER 2011

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Four SOASians Cheer on Thailand National Football Team Joe Buckley 248261@soas.ac.uk On Tuesday 6th September 2011, Patrick Tibke, Aydan Stuart, Tobias Foreman and I – four SOASians who know next to nothing about football – shambled into Bangkok’s Rajamangala National Stadium. With armfuls of Coca Cola, sticky rice, and chicken’s feet (which had to be snuck in, as food supposedly wasn’t allowed), we sat down to watch Thailand vs. Oman, a qualifying match for the 2014 World Cup. The first thing we noticed was that the balance of support seemed a bit unfair. While our side – the Thai side – was pretty much full, there were about 100 people sitting in the Oman-supporting area. They all sat together to try and sound a bit louder, but it didn’t work. Besides, they could never compete with the massive Thai flag that kept awkwardly appearing all tangled up; for a good 5 minutes, somebody would faff about with it, trying to straighten it out, and then spread it over vast swathes of the crowd. Once this had been achieved, whoever was organising the inappropriately sized flag seemed to realise that it was impractical to do anything with it, so collected it back up again. This ritual took place every 10 minutes for the entire duration of the match. After a few rounds of the flag ritual, the royalty-praising Thai national anthem started booming across the stadium. I didn’t know it was compulsory for everyone to stand and sing along. My cultural shortcomings led me to initially retreat from joining in, however a few seconds in, my Thai friend set me straight and I eventually conformed. Anyway, the awkwardness soon passed because the song ended, and, after a brief period of time when a load of McDonalds’ employees appeared and ran around

(Above) SOASians enjoy the game

(Below) The Bangkok Rajamangala Stadium

the place trying to sell McFlurrys, the match began. It was all very exciting. As I said, I know almost nothing about football, but it seemed that the only tactics either team had were, “If you get the ball, boot it, or run with it.” This led to numerous times when someone made a brilliant run down the wing, then crossed the ball, only to find that every other member of their team was just chilling back in their own half of the pitch. Luckily, however, both Thailand and Oman shared these tactics, so it was a pretty evenly balanced match. Except for the fact that Oman couldn’t score, and Thailand won 3-0.

EXCLUSIVE SPIRIT INTERVIEW WITH SOAS WOMENS FOOTBALL TEAM COACH SEPARATED AT BIRTH?

(Above) The Gaffer of the Women’s Football team at SOAS (Left) Legendary Real Madrid Manager Jose Mourinho

We recently sat down with SOAS’s very own Jose Mouhrino, Syed Taqvi 212636@soas.ac.uk, a 3rd Year Economics student, as well as the new SOAS Womens Football Team Coach. A man known for his passion for football, especially coaching, has taken on the role with real enthusiasm and his work has begun to show dividends, after his team hammered RUMS 9-0 recently. However Syed remains humble in his position and expressed that “When we win, it’s down to the girls’ performance, when we lose I will take the heat.” Syed took on this challenge with the intention of winning the ULU League. The team is in the second tier and has the ability to bring home the success in March. They’re a fairly new-look team with a diverse make-up, with players from Freshers to 2nd Years to 3rd Years and a few Postgraduate students. Furthermore, the team also consists of some students who have never played football before, but Syed tells me that it seems like they have “been playing for years.” Their new captain Joely Thomas, is not only a talented footballer, but is also extremely com-

mitted both on and off the pitch. According to Mr Taqvi, “It’s not just about winning. It’s about improving as footballers. The wins will come naturally as a result of improving footballing ability in training sessions.” Nonetheless, the team have got off to a flying start this season, winning both of their matches, 1-0 and 9-0 respectively and in both games the opposition has not had a single shot on goal. In the emphatic 9-0 victory, two of their players scored four each and the team created about 25-30 chances. These statistics prove that there is a mix of individual talent and dogged teamwork and that it something that we should laud them for. The team possess a great work ethic, inspiring camaraderie, both on and off the pitch. We are now just three weeks into the new season and already the team have formed close ties with each other. Syed, along with this assistant coach Nicolas Ansaladi 258497@soas.ac.uk are proud of their team and urge you to come support them in their quest for glory. So, head down to Regents Park on a Sunday afternoon to cheer on one of the most up-and coming sports teams at SOAS.

NOVEMBER 2011

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SPORTS EDITOR PRAV’S MONTHLY REVIEW The new season recently kicked off, and so far, it’s mostly good news for SOAS Sports. Last season’s Team of the Year, Mens Football 2nds, got off to a winning start, beating a very strong Imperial College team 2-1 in a very tight encounter. Their new captain, Fillipo Macchi Di Cellere hopes to build on their success after winning the League last year. One of the other success stories from last year, the Mens Squash Team has picked up exactly where they left off. They’re unbeaten run now stretches to 14 matches, dating back to early 2010. They are currently looking to attain a double promotion this season, both in the BUCS and ULU Leagues. The SOAS Rugby Club, also known as the ‘SOAS Warriors’ have started their revival on a high, after an unlucky season in 2010-11. After narrowly losing to Imperial Medics, they showed great courage and mental performance to convinc-

ingly beat their next two opponents 31-0 and 19-5 against University of Creative Arts and University of West London, respectively. Rich Sears and Cheyne Sun have been putting in outstanding performances. There is no doubt that they will bounce back and get promoted to the division in which they belong. Former ULU Champions,

lenge at the start of the season due to the fact that eight of their key players from the previous seasons graduated in July. Thus, they face the difficult task that is starting a new team from scratch. They’ve only played four matches so far, a win, a draw and two defeats. Their victory against St. Barts was a 12-goal thriller with

bold leadership of their new captain Timothy Omacar they will able to bring back the glory days. Last season, the team reached the semi-final of the ULU Cup and winning this tournament will be on the top of the agenda for the skipper. As far as the Womens Teams are concerned, it’s all smiles so far, with victories being churned out from everywhere. The Netball Team are currently unbeaten, convincingly winning both of their matches, one of which against a very tough LSE team. The SOAS Netball Team very unluckily missed out on promotion last year and there is no doubt in anybody’s mind that they have the ability to win the league this season. The newly established SOAS Womens Hockey Team also got off to a winning start beating St Georges 5-4 in an exhilarating match, despite playing with only 9 players. The SOAS Womens Football Team also has an unbeaten start to the season to brag about, scoring ten goals in two matches. The story so far seems promising and we hope that our teams will keep up the hard work and that new trophy cabinet in the JCR will be full in the summer.

“Their victory against St. Barts was a 12-goal thriller with SOAS coming out on top beating their opponents 7-5. Sure, this was a vital win, however conceding 13 goals in four matches is not a good sign. These defensive problems need to be addressed” SOAS Mens Basketball Team have unfortunately had two of their matches postponed however the one that went ahead as planned was a solid victory against the University of Arts, so they along with most SOAS Sports teams, have had a promising start to the new year. The SOAS Mens Football 1st Team faced a very tough chal-

SOAS coming out on top beating their opponents 7-5. Sure, this was a vital win, however conceding 13 goals in four matches is not a good sign. These defensive problems need to be addressed. Some of the new players, especially Nkosi Aberdeen 299290@soas. ac.uk possess impressive talent and skill and I am sure, under the

THE LATEST SOAS SPORTS RESULTS Mens Football 2nds: SOAS 2 - 1 Imperial College Following 2 games have been postponed

Womens Football Team:

Mens Football 1 : sts

SOAS SOAS SOAS SOAS SOAS SOAS

1 1 2 7 2 0

2 2 2 5 1 4

Imperial LSE Queen Mary St Barts St Georges St Georges

SOAS SOAS SOAS SOAS SOAS

1- 3 St. Georges 1 - 0 KCL Medics 9 - 0 RUMS 4 - 1 RHUL 11 -0 RVC

Mens Basketball: SOAS 71 - 61 University of the Arts

Netball Team: SOAS 31 – 26 St Georges SOAS 46 – 28 LSE SOAS 30 – 31 Queen Mary

Mens Squash Team:

SOAS SOAS Rugby: SOAS SOAS SOAS 21- 10 Imperial Medics SOAS 31 - 0 University of Creative Arts SOAS SOAS 19 – 5 University of West London SOAS

Hockey Team: SOAS 5 – 4 St. Georges

5 3 3 3 3 2

– – – – – –

0 2 2 0 0 1

Imperial KCL Queen Mary Essex Imperial Queen Mary

Womens Tennis Team: SOAS 4 – 2 Royal Vets

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NOVEMBER 2011

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WOMENS SPORTS AT SOAS TEAMS SETTING THE STANDARD Pravin Wadhwani 249197@soas.ac.uk There unfortunately has been a misconception that women cannot play sport, but here at SOAS, that is definitely not the case. In recent years, there has been an influx of womens sports teams, as well as a growing enthusiasm and passion for womens sports at SOAS. Co-President of the Women’s Society, Aurora Fairtlough Reid 231868@soas.ac.uk is pleased with this progress and profoundly noted that, “In 1990 Iris Young postulated a theory that women and girls in Western culture are socialised into adopting a third person perspective towards their bodies. She argued that this self-objectification led to constrained and ineffective motor performances, what is often described as ‘throwing like a girl’. At times this can feel too true, so it’s fantastic to see this years influx of women’s teams at SOAS breaking the mould.” Nonetheless, there has been success in the past. The Womens Basketball Team won the Treble back in 2009 and still remain at the core of SOAS Sports. As far as new teams are concerned, one of them being the Womens Badminton Team are yet to play a match this season and we wish them the best of luck in their attempt for success in their inaugural term. Likewise, the SOAS Womens Football Team is also a young society but are rapidly shaping into an extremely impressive group of players. They have now played two matches and won them both, one of which was a 9-0 thumping against Kings College Medics last weekend. Another team to be proud of is the SOAS Netball Team. Their achievements are seen both on, and off the court. They are becoming very active within the union, organizing weekly socials and turning out in huge numbers for the weekly ‘SOAS Sports Night’ in the bar every Wednesday. Last week they won the pub quiz! The quiz is by no means the only thing they’ve won. After

The SOAS Womens Football pose in Navy blue after a game having narrowly missed out on promotion in the League last year, they got off to a great start winning both their matches comfortably against LSE and St. Georges. These success stories have come as a result of solid commitment and effort from the girls. Their society had 150 sign-ups at Freshers Fayre. This year’s Captain, Kathryn-Randall Curtis 227649@soas.ac.uk has high hopes for the season and I’m sure they will deliver. SOAS Womens Cricket was set up last year and has also developed into an active society, for example organizing events in the JCR through the integration with other societies which is something we encourage at SOAS. This article will end on an anecdotal note. You wouldn’t meet anyone as passionate about Hockey than Alexandra San Miguel-Brathwaite 252670@soas.

ac.uk and when she came to SOAS she was upset, as well as shocked to hear that there wasn’t a hockey team. She thus took the initiative and through her efforts we now have SOAS Womens Hockey Team, which played its first ever match last week against St Georges and it was a cracker! SOAS came out on top winning 5-4 with outstanding performances being put in by Samara Lawrence, Bianca Rangecroft and George Mrakadeh-Keane. I am told this team emulate themselves on the ‘Mighty Ducks,’ except better. I am sure more victories will follow. It’s very good to see this sense of dogged commitment to make SOAS Sports not exclusive to Men. To, some extent, Womens Sport has not been given enough respect as Mens teams, but here at SOAS we break those barriers.

SQUASH EXTEND ULU WINNING STREAK TO 14 IN-A-ROW Amit Singh

231158@soas.ac.uk

After recording a comprehensive 5-0 win over rivals Royal Holloway 1sts on Monday 7th November, SOAS squash have stretched their winning streak in ULU leagues to 14 games stretching back to early 2010. This winning streak saw the side win all 8 of their ULU division 3 games last season to gain promotion to division 2 only two years after the founding of the team. The emphatic style in which they were promoted was largely down to the roll of JYA student Parth Jindal as well as the now departed Alex Jaatma and Dan Spalding. The team have carried on where they left off winning all four of their ULU games so far this season as well as recording four straight victories in the BUCS league. Captain Jan Fox said of the side’s recent form

‘we’re continuing out fine form from last year despite losing some key players especially Alex Jaatma and Dan Spalding. There has been a great influx of talent this year with Elliot being a stand out player... initially we were focused on staying in the division but now promotion in ULU as well as in BUCS is a very realistic target for us and anything else would seem like a missed opportunity with the start to the season we’ve had.’ Other notable performers have come from Keshav Hingorani who is experiencing a squash playing renaissance this season as well as the good form of Thomas Reid. Highlights of this epic winning streak include a tight 3-2 victory over local rivals Kings as well as the aforementioned 5-0 romp against Royal Holloway’s first team. If the side do manage a double promotion this year it would be an incredible achievement considering the The Squash team posing like a B-class boy band sides aforementioned youth.