Jonathan Dodds

“Gaza students still waiting and losing hope”

yourmamlovesmy — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 08:58:08 +0000

Article from the International Middle East Media Centre [link]

Due to the closure of all border crossings by the Israeli authorities, hundreds of Palestinian students are still waiting for their opportunites to study abroad, including many who wish to come and study in Britain. Under international law, including the Declaration of Human Rights, every individual is guaranteed the right to an education.

As Israel has not provided an explanation for why these students are not allowed to leave Gaza, it is our role as UK students to stand up in solidarity and fight for their rights.

“France rejects Muslim woman over radical practice of Islam”

yourmamlovesmy — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 09:04:43 +0000

Guardian article to be found here.

A Moroccan woman was denied French citizenship on the grounds that her choice to wear a Burqa constitutes a “radical” practice of Islam that is contradictary to French equality laws.

This is a flash back to previous attacks on Muslims by the French government (link) and shows that hostility and islamaphobic policies haven’t (unfortunately) changed with the times.

Free education. But at what cost?

yourmamlovesmy — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 09:02:27 +0000

From http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7503807.stm

“Service personnel are to be given university education free of charge after they end their duty with the armed forces, it has been reported.”

The government has long offered to pay tuition fees of students as an incentive to keep them in the military, but now seems to be going one step further. All this when we’re still being told that it simply isn’t affordable to give free education to students in Higher Education. And which students’ is this going to be primarily targeting? How about the working class students who can’t afford the £3000 (and increasing) fees every year.

Why is it that those that can’t afford to pay for a university education are the one’s that are going abroad to fight our wars? And why is it that University campus’ are increasingly looking like military recruitment grounds? And why aren’t we seeing a free education for the victims and the families in Iraq and Afghanistan, while their money and resources is being shared out amongst the major western corporations that have sponsored these wars?

Free education should be available to all, and not just the prize for fighting for six years in an illegal and unjust war. Pressure needs to increase on the government to say no to war, and no to the practice of military recruitment in our schools and university campuses.