World Mental Health Day 2025:Access to services - mental health in catastrophes and emergencies.

October  10th marks World Mental Health Day. It’s a day that should be every day of the year. Mental health isn’t a trend  it’s part of who we are.  One in five  of  us  have a mental health condition. You probably know and love somebody who struggles with their mental health, even if you don’t realise it.  

So why is there still  such  a stigma about discussing it?

Among the most menacing barriers to the social progress we need around mental health are the profound levels of guilt, shame and stigma that surround these issues. Mental illness scares us and shames us. Those who suffer are often, like me, ashamed to speak of it. Those who are lucky enough to be free of mental illness are terrified of it. 

When it comes to mental illness, we still don't quite get how it all works. Our treatments, while sometimes effective, often are not. And the symptoms, involving a fundamental breakdown of our perceived reality, are existentially terrifying. There is something almost random about physical illness, in how it comes upon us , a physical illness can strike anyone – and that is almost comforting. 

But  mental illness seems  to fall into that same category, the fact  it too could strike any of us, without warning should be equally recognised.

But more than simple fear, mental illness brings out a judgmental streak that would be unthinkably grotesque when applied to physical illness. Imagine telling someone with a broken leg to "snap out of it."  

Imagine that a death by cancer was accompanied by the same smug headshaking that so often greets death by suicide. Mental illness is so qualitatively different that we feel it permissible to be judgmental. We might even go so far as to blame the sufferer. Because of the  stigma involved  it often leaves us much sicker. 

Capitalist society also teaches us that we are each personally responsible for our own success.  A system of blame that somehow makes the emotional and psychological difficulties we encounter seem to be our own fault.  

This belief is such a firm part of ruling class ideology that millions of people who would never openly articulate this idea, nonetheless accept it in subtle and overt ways. People are often ashamed that they need medication, seeing this as revealing some constitutional weakness. People feel guilty about needing therapy, thinking that they should be able to solve their problems on their own.

Millions of people fail to seek any treatment, because mental health care is seen as something that only the most dramatically unstable person would turn to. An ill-informed and damaging attitude among some people exists around mental health that can make it difficult for some to seek help. It is estimated that only about a quarter of people with a mental health problem in the UK receive ongoing treatment, leaving the majority of people grappling with mental health issues on their own, seeking help or information, and dependent on the informal support of family, friends or colleagues.

A reminder it’s ok not to be ok! There’s no shame in resting, no shame in struggling, no shame in asking for help. If you’re struggling, whether it’s because of illness, grief, burnout, or just the quiet weight of the bloody  world, please don't suffer in silence, reach out and get the help you need. 

And I'll  remind you that you don’t have to be positive all the time. You don’t have to be healed to be worthy. The world needs your story, even if it’s still messy. Please don’t give up.  It’s important to be kind to yourself, to reflect for a minute that you are loved and important to others. 

Mental health  should  be  a "universal human right” but for too many, it’s still out of reach. Mental health isn’t a luxury. It’s a foundation, It’s about dignity, access, and connection. This year’s theme is 'access to services - mental health in catastrophes and emergencies'.  reminds us that support must be accessible when the world feels most unstable. In times of crisis, headlines often heighten feelings of worry and helplessness. It also  highlights the importance of people being able to protect their mental health whatever they're going through, because everyone deserves good mental health.

And  the urgent need to ensure mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) reaches people affected by conflict, disaster, and displacement. In 2025, this call is more pressing than ever as humanitarian needs continue to rise worldwide. 

In emergencies, one in three people experience a mental health condition, and one in twenty face severe conditions. Displacement and disrupted health systems make access to care even harder, particularly for migrants, who often face legal and social barriers even before crises.

Providing mental health care during emergencies isn’t just compassionate, it’s life-saving. It gives people the strength to cope, the space to heal, and the tools to rebuild,not just as individuals, but as families, communities, and societies.  

That’s why this year’s theme calls on all of us, from government leaders and healthcare providers to educators, social care workers, and community groups, to come together. Because when we act collectively, we can ensure that even in the darkest moments, no one is left behind.

So much of what’s labelled a mental health crisis is actually a systemic failure crisis. When people live in poverty, with untreated chronic illnesses, inaccessible healthcare, and constant disability discrimination, anxiety and depression aren’t disorders, they’re symptoms of survival. You can’t “therapy” your way out of medical gaslighting, financial instability, or being left behind by the systems meant to protect you. If we truly want to improve mental health, we must address the conditions that cause distress, such as poverty, chronic illness, and disability, not just the emotions that result from them. Mental health is not separate from public health, economic policy, or disability rights. It’s all connected. 

Would  like to say a big fuck  you to the Labour Government and  the DWP who are doing their utmost to minimise the struggles of people suffering with mental health issues and to regress attitudes back to a time when "pull your socks up" was an accepted response. We don’t want job coaches we want a decent mental health service. On this World Mental Health Day, together we must ensure that all people affected by crises have access to the care they need.

Would  like  though  to give a  big  thank  you  to  all  who  have  given  me kindness, listening, understanding and  laughter,  been  much  appreciated  at  times. Sending love to those who need it ,  especially  those in Gaza  in this present time 💚

Palestinian Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize

Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, Director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in Northern Gaza, known for his unwavering courage and resilience during the ongoing military operation by the Israeli Army, has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize after Doctors for Gaza from the Netherlands put his name forward.  

A Palestinian paediatrician and neonatologist, Abu Safiya was born on 21 November 1973 at Jabalia Refugee Camp in Gaza, his family having been kicked out from Hamama during the 1948 Nakba.  

With each passing month, the toll deepened. His son was killed, his hospital repeatedly struck, and his life threatened. Still, he remained at Kamal Adwan. 

His resilience was captured in a 10-second video: a lone pediatrician in a white coat walking through rubble toward Israeli forces. To  the world, it symbolized defiance. To his family and colleagues, it reflected who he always was. 

By late 2024, as Israel intensified its campaign to drive Palestinians out of northern Gaza, hospitals became both sanctuaries and targets. Kamal Adwan, a 300-bed facility already battered by shortages and bombardment, became a focal point of that campaign.  

On December 27, 2024, Israeli forces stormed the hospital, detaining 240 staff and patients, stripping them, and rendering the facility inoperable. Dr. Abu Safiya, who refused to abandon his post, was beaten and taken into custody under Israel’s “Unlawful Combatant Law,” with no charges or release date. 

The Nobel Peace Prize nomination recognises his unwavering refusal to evacuate the hospital’s neonatal and paediatric wards during israeli military raids in late 2024, when most international and UN personnel were ordered to leave. 

Under bombardment, Dr. Abu Safiya stayed beside his patients and staff, maintaining operations with dwindling oxygen, power, and medicine a decision that saved the lives of premature infants who would not have survived evacuation. 

On 27 December 2024, israeli forces stormed Kamal Adwan Hospital and arrested Dr. Abu Safiya along with several medical workers. He has remained detained without charge in israeli custody since that date. 

 Despite international appeals for his release, israel continues to hold him, accusing him of “collaboration with Hamas” a charge condemned by international legal experts as collective punishment against Gaza’s health sector. 

His arrest came just weeks after his 15-year-old son was killed by an israeli drone strike near the hospital grounds an attack that also damaged its paediatric wing. 

The Doctors for Gaza network in the Netherlands launched his Nobel nomination to highlight the courage of Gaza’s medical workers, who continued treating children and civilians under siege conditions. 

The group stated that his nomination is “a moral call to honour humanity under fire to recognise every doctor, nurse, and paramedic who chose duty over safety in the face of genocide.” 

Human rights advocates say this nomination carries global significance representing the ethical resistance of Gaza’s health professionals, many of whom have been killed, arrested, or disappeared since 2023. 

Dr. Abu Safiya’s decision to remain with his patients  and to provide medical care at Kamal Adwan when Northern Gaza was under siege has become a symbol of Gaza’s endurance and moral defiance, embodying the principle that life itself must be protected even in the ruins of war.

Since his arrest, Dr. Abu Safiya has reportedly been held under harsh and abusive conditions: Denied adequate medical care. Suffering serious health issues: heart enlargement, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat.

On August 28, a lawyer was able to visit Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, who now held in Ofer Prison along with his nephew, Hussam Zaher, in appalling conditions: Sunlight only 30 minutes a month. Suffering from severe scabies, boils, and skin infections. Forced to wear the same clothes with only infrequent two-minute baths. Each has lost a third of their body weight. They urgently need dermatologists and medicine for treatment.

Dr. Abu Safiyas, health worsened following violent interrogations at Sde Teiman prison and poor conditions in Ofer prison, where he was subjected to solitary confinement, physical abuse including beatings and other mistreatment.  

Dr. Abu Safiya’s message from prison: “I entered in the name of humanity, and I will leave in the name of humanity… We will remain on our land and continue to provide healthcare services to the people, God willing, even from a tent.”

Dr. Abu Safiya has become a symbol of Gaza’s crumbling healthcare system under dire conditions. His work and arrest have drawn international attention and concern. He served his patients under Israeli bombardment: amid hunger, deceit, and scarce medical supplies.  

Even after his son was killed in the siege meant to break him, he refused to leave and was kidnapped in his white coat. If anyone embodies peace, it’s him. A truly noble man.

Every child in every school, and every medical student around the world should be able to recognize the name and face of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, and learn some facts about his biography, and what Israel and its Western collaborators did to him, his colleagues, his patients, and his people.  Dr. Abu Safiya is a hero and a model for humanity.

Dr  Abu Safiya has  now been held in Israeli captivity for 353 days, being subjected to torture, inhumane living conditions and medical neglect. No charges have been brought against him. What is Israel holding him for? 

In  the  following,,through first hand testimony, archival footage, and on-the-ground reporting, Fault Lines investigates the assault on Kamal Adwan Hospital, the raid that led to Dr. Abu Safiya’s unlawful detention, and the broader targeting of Gaza’s healthcare system.

The Disappearance of Dr. Abu Safiya : Fault Lines Documentary

According to human rights organizations, more than 1,670 Palestinian health workers have been killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023, and at least 362 doctors, nurses, and paramedics remain in detention. 

In an open letter to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Doctors for Gaza described Abu Safiya as “a symbol of Palestinian medical resistance and compassion that survives even under fire.”  The international petition in support of his candidacy has gathered more than 34,000 signatures in less than a week.

There's been a lot of discussion about worthy people like Francesca Albanese  or Greta Thunberg winning a Nobel Peace Prize. I would like to see the prize go to a Palestinian like Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya. This is not virtue signalling. He deserves it and this would send a positive message to the world.

The Nobel Peace Prize was once the world’s most prestigious recognition of leadership in the pursuit of peace. Today, its credibility is collapsing. 

The prize has become an institution of the very Western powers complicit in the genocide in Gaza, and has a history of being awarded to war criminals like Obama and Kissinger. Furthermore, centering Western figures erases the Palestinian people themselves, who are the true faces of this struggle, their journalists, doctors, and families. 

Our solidarity should amplify Palestinian voices, not replace them. For  that reason I urge you to stand for justice and humanity by signing  the international petition in support of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya  candidancy  and sharing the petition  widely. With less than 24 hours remaining, every signature matters!.https://rightsforum.org/petitie/support-dr-abu-safiya-nobel-peace-prize/

After 733 days of genocide, ethnic cleansing, destruction, mass killings, bombings, starvation, forced displacement, and over 70,000 killed with tens of thousands injured and missing, Gaza ceasefire agreement has been reached. I am currently happy that Gaza Families might get a break in Israel's violent terrorism

let’s ensure  the ceasefire is respected (last time Israel didn't), that aid flows in without barriers, Israel's illegal occupation and apartheid in Palestine are dismantled  and genocide perpetrators are held accountable. 

At  the  same  time Free Dr Hussam Abu Safiya and lets not forget the 10,000 Palestinians, including Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, and the children imprisoned without charge or trial in jails, suffering torture and inhumane abuse, and risking the death penalty reinstated by the Genocidal State. Free Palestine.

In The Stillness Of The Night

In The Stillness Of The Night 

I am who I am, I can't deny my nature 

My way of laughing, feeling, crying, 

Or what I love, It belongs to me 

And all of this has been shaped, 

By the hands of life and time itself 

And people I've met along the way, 

A lone candle among nights embers 

Painting words under constellations, 

As the universe spins and swirls 

Mind flows with consciousness,  

Opening doors and refreshing ideals 

Casting aside thoughts of bitterness,  

Grateful to souls that lift my heart 

Bringing kindness, peace and solidarity,

An end to conflict in the world 

Walls of division falling, tumbling,

Despite the madness and sadness

Two years of murder, pain and loss,

No one can break the spirit

Of a people fighting for freedom!

We need an end to the killing

Remember those lost under  rubble, 

Justice must be served without compromise

Oppression only breeds resistance,

Make room for truth and reconciliation 

On roads that give birth to hope,

Concerted consequential efforts 

Must override perfunctory tokenism,

Autumn delivering fresh beginnings 

Keep calling for a free Palestine. 

Some thoughts on attacks on Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue and Peacehaven mosque

I was  deeply saddened by the news of the attack at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in north Manchester. And condemn this horrific act of violence that has taken the lives of two innocent people and injured many more.  My heart  went  out  to  the Jewish community and all those affected by this appalling attack on such an important and holy day in the Jewish calendar.

We must be unequivocal and be united  in our condemnation of all hatred and violence in our society  that only deepen division among communities. The synagogue’s Rabbi  it  is  important  to  note  though also supported the United Jewish Israel Appeal, which is Britain’s major fundraising org for the Zionist regime. 

The  synagogue  also  supports  the IDF.  Moreover, it’s associated with Chabad Lubavitch, a fiercely Zionist organisation that materially supports Israel across its 5,000 branches dotted around the world  and  has not  offered  no words, no empathy themselves for the children, babies savagely bombed and shot in Gaza. That isn’t controversial to point out. You can oppose the violence in Manchester without distorting reality.   

On Saturday there  was also a terror attack on the Peacehaven mosque, which is located  in a suburb just outside Brighton. This arson attack followed a months-long campaign of intimidation and has left the local Muslim community feeling terrified. Am equally saddened  by this  incident.  

But it has not garnered wall-to-wall coverage. No urgent statements from Starmer or Lammy announcing police protection for mosques.  No collective blame placed on white people. No calls for accountability. The racist double standard couldn’t be clearer, the hypocrisy is blinding.

This was Keir Starmer  just 90 minutes after the attack on the Heaton Park Synagogue. As of yet, not a mention on the terror attack on the Peacehaven mosque. I'm sure he's just  been  busy.

"I’m appalled by the attack at a synagogue in Crumpsall.  The fact that this has taken place on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, makes it all the more horrific.  My thoughts are with the loved ones of all those affected, and my thanks go to the emergency services and all the first responders."

If leaders can swiftly condemn a synagogue attack, they must do the same to condemn attacls  on mosgues, a terrorist attack on a mosque   that was downgraded to  a hate crime as the perpetrator/s were  white and  the victims were Muslim.

Remember the attack on the mosque in Peacehaven did not happen in a vacuum. For months, right-wing outlets like GB News and parts of the British press have been smearing the entire pro-Palestine movement as extremist, terror-linked or un-British. 

They have helped create an atmosphere where showing solidarity with Palestine is seen as dangerous and where Muslims are portrayed as a threat from within. This constant fear-mongering fuels hate, emboldens extremists, and makes attacks like the one in Peacehaven not only possible but predictable.  When a white man sets fire to a mosque, it is treated as an isolated incident. When Muslims march for peace or justice, it is framed as a national security concern. The same media that gives airtime to far-right talking points suddenly goes quiet when hate turns into violence.  

This is not just about one mosque or one attack. It is about the toxic climate built day after day by networks that dehumanise Muslims, demonise solidarity and whitewash state violence abroad. 

The Peacehaven attack is not separate from the headlines, talk show panels, or political dog whistles. It is their logical outcome.  We must  continue to  confront the poison of Islamophobia and anti-Semitism  in  equal  measure. 

I'm  also appalled that Israeli forces boarded vessels of the Global Sumud Flotilla  last week in international waters and illegally detained those on board, including a number of British citizens. Has Keir Starmer  made  an announcement about this too and condemned Israel?

Today on  the  anniversary  of  October  7th, my  sympathy remains  with  the  Palestinian   people. I cried and raged this morning on hearing on Today that it is “unBritish” for students to demonstrate for Palestine on this anniversary of October 7 when ….. blah, blah. 

What we need now is a brave politician like the beloved Tony Benn to walk into a BBC news studio, thump the desk and say: most of the dead were killed by Israel under the Hannibal Directive. The lies that they were all killed by Hamas have been debunked by the Israeli media time and time again. It is  so important  to  point this out.  

Today  it is October 7 in Gaza. Marking two years of a genocide. Two years of bombs, murder, pain, starvation, grief, and loss. But it's also two years of steadfastness, endurance, faith, and resistance. Two years of resuscitating the very humanity of our world. Free Gaza. Free Palestine. 

Global Sumud Flotilla Interception brings Global Condemnation

 

 The Global Sumud Flotilla which was on a peaceful  mission seeking to bring humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip  has  been intercepted by the Israeli navy in  international  waters bringing  about global  condemnation  and outrage.

The Global Sumud Flotilla had been sailing towards Gaza with more than 40 civilian boats carrying about 500 people. Among them were parliamentarians from various countries, lawyers  activists,  and hundreds of humanitarians, journalists, and other noteworthy figures from dozens of countries around the world. 

They included the late South African President Nelson Mandela’s grandson, Mandla Mandela; American actress Susan Sarandon; former Barcelona Mayor Ada Colau; and multiple other European politicians.  including the Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg. 

The Guardian reported that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) boarded at least two vessels roughly 75 miles away from Gaza. A livestream from the flotilla showed signals from boat after boat going dark after the convoy was surrounded by over 20 Israeli naval ships.  

Activists aboard the Gaza aid flotilla accused Israeli forces of "illegally intercepting" their vessels and coming aboard as the flotilla approached the Israeli blockade.  

According to Drop Site News, whose editor Alex Colston has been reporting from one of the vessels—by midnight local time, at least six boats from the flotilla had been intercepted and boarded by the IDF.  After midnight, one sailor shared on the livestream that Israeli ships were spraying the flotilla boats with water cannons. 

By 1:00 am, the stream only showed the Meteque, where sailors held their hands above their heads as the IDF ordered them to stop their engine. An earlier video from flotilla activists shows the moment that Brazilian organizer Thiago Ávila received a message from an IDF soldier who ordered the flotilla to turn around.  “You are entering an active war zone,” the soldier is heard saying over an intercom. “If you attempt to breach the naval blockade, we will stop your vessel and act to confiscate it through legal proceedings in court.”  

In response, Ávila pointed to the International Court of Justice’s provisional measures on Gaza and the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Ávila asked Israeli forces to “stand down,” “not commit another war crime,” and “not engage with our peaceful, nonviolent, humanitarian solidarity mission for the Palestinian people in Gaza.”  

Another video shows the people aboard the vessels defiantly chanting pro-Palestine slogans at Israeli ships.https://x.com/fjadaoud/status/1973482317793599719?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1973482317793599719%7Ctwgr%5E1e7d5f338265f71700d618079ec8783476cae4cd%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.commondreams.org%2Fnews%2Fisrael-flotilla   

Another video shows one of the flotilla’s most famous participants, 22-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, being detained by an IDF soldier.  https://x.com/Seamus_Malek/status/1973481168994705610?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1973481168994705610%7Ctwgr%5E1e7d5f338265f71700d618079ec8783476cae4cd%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.commondreams.org%2Fnews%2Fisrael-flotilla 

The flotilla, carrying urgently needed food, medicine, and humanitarian supplies, set sail set sail from Barcelona a few weeks ago,after nearly two years of Israel’s relentless attacks on Gaza and 18 years of an illegal near-total blockade that has left Palestinians in Gaza deliberately starved and deprived of essentials, as part of Israel's ongoing unlawful occupation of the Palestinian territory.  

The persistent inaction of states in the face of Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip  forced activists from across the world to take peaceful measures to break the siege. But  not content with genocide, starvation, torture, the deliberate destruction of civilian infrastructure and targeting of medical facilities and personnel, Israel is now violating all laws of the sea in attacking dozens of boats manned by the bravest of the brave in international waters. 

No aid the flotilla could have brought Gaza would have been even remotely sufficient in alleviating the horrors of the genocide. That was not the point. The flotilla meant to reveal Israel for what it is - capable of unleashing its tremendous power exclusively against civilians, interested only in cementing its strangle hold on Gaza so it can continue its genocide, now silently approved by the "peace deal" discussed in Washington,

While caring only for demonstrating it's impunity and supremacy, with hateful intentions. By blocking a humanitarian mission, and unarmed civilians carrying life-saving humanitarian supplies for Gaza, Israel has shown utter contempt not only for the rights of the Palestinian people but also for the conscience of the world. No amount of propaganda will undo what we're witnessing here.

The flotilla embodies solidarity, compassion and the hope of relief for those under blockade. Netanyahu and his far right fascist regime can pay influencers all they want but no amount of money is going to make people forget this cowardly display in international waters. The flotilla attack is not just an assault at sea, It’s an assault on the conscience of humanity! Shame on all those that remain complicit.

A group of United Nations experts warned in early September that any attempt by Israel to stop the vessels from delivering aid “would constitute a grave violation of international law and humanitarian principles.”  

Throughout their journey toward Gaza, the flotilla members have faced numerous threats from the Israeli government, which has attempted to smear the humanitarian mission as an effort to advance the agenda of Hamas.  

Last week, while still off the coast of Greece, the flotilla was swarmed with drones and attacked with flash-bang grenades believed to have been launched by Israel, which has a history of targeting such missions. That attack initially led the governed the governments of Italy and Spain to send naval ships to offer protection to the flotilla, but they have since turned back as the boats moved closer to Gaza.

The  actions by  Israel  have generated outrage and displays of solidarity from across the globe.   “History will side with the flotilla,” said former UK Labour Party Leader Jeremy Corbyn, who remains in Parliament. “And their bravery will only inspire more people to join our global movement for Palestine.”  

Turkey’s foreign ministry described the interception as a “terrorist act... which targeted civilians acting peacefully,” while Colombian President Gustavo Petro booted the entire Israeli diplomatic delegation from his country immediately following the news.  

People of conscience have now been abducted. The flotilla broke no laws. What is illegal is Israel’s genocide, and  the criminal entity known  as  Israel which will not allow a single vessel to reach the starving. Even mercy is blockaded.

Participants on board were assaulted and detained in yet another act of piracy.  A state so terrified of compassion it blockades bread and medicine and  uses starvation as a weapon. 

Solidarity is currently surging as people globally rally in support of the Global Sumud Flotilla following the illegal Israeli interception. In Barcelona, hundreds of outraged protesters gathered outside the Israeli consulate. 

Similar scenes broke out in other cities around the world, including Sweden,  Istanbul,  Germany and Brussels, while major Italian trade unions CGIL and USB have announced a 24-hour general strike for October 3, 2025, as per their promise if the Gaza flotilla was attacked, as it has been now. Unions accuse the Italian government of failing to protect its citizens aboard the vessels. 

Even with the flotillas  interception it  reminds us of  the power of  humanity. When leaders failed, ordinary people stepped up and risked their lives to do what’s right. Israel has weapons,  the flotilla had the world. They stood on the right side of history. 

Despite Israeli Interception  and Intimidation Israeli forces have detained 223 international activists aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla. Despite more than 40 reported interceptions, one vessel, Mikeno, successfully broke through and reached Palestinian waters for the first time in a historic development, breaching the Israeli blockade.

It is one of the rare times throughout history that fleets move from West to East or south in order to help and not invade, and yet it is prevented. This world has a lot of good, but only bad people control it.

The illegal detention of Global Sumud Flotilla activists, and the confiscation of vital aid just miles from a starving population in Gaza, is a crime against humanity.  

Israel is still  enforcing a complete blockade on Gaza, using starvation as a weapon of war against children, women, and men. Humanity must not look the other way. The courage and human decency of the activists on the flotilla, is to be commended.  

Their brave actions stand in stark contrast to that of Israeli war criminals. We  must continue to press the British Government to end their complicity in genocide, impose serious sanctions on Israel, and join international calls for the urgent release of flotilla activists. We must  condemn in the strongest terms Israel’s interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla. 

The interception of the flotilla in international waters is contrary to international law and violates the sovereignty of every nation whose flag was flown on the dozens of vessels in the flotilla.  This action also violates an International Court of Justice injunction that humanitarian aid must be allowed to flow unimpeded.  

My thoughts are with all of the abductees and their families and it is my expectation that Israel will release the human rights activists as these abductions serve no purpose in the context of efforts to secure peace in the Middle East. 

These vessels carried unarmed civilians and life-saving humanitarian supplies for Gaza, yet they were met with intimidation and coercion all were lying in a passive position or sitting in a passive position on the deck in the cockpit. They had trained to not respond, not do anything aggressive at all in response to anything that Israel would do or say. Israel's actions are  a war crime. 

The Sumud Flotilla's main goal was to draw attention to the genocide in Gaza that mainstream media is disappearing from headlines and Western politicians are looking away from if not actively complicit in.  The least we can do is speak up and  condemn in the strongest terms Israel’s interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla. The bravery of the Global Sumud Flotilla puts our own cowardly Government to shame.

In Britain, a powerful response to  this is to  keep building and escalating the Palestine movement. 

Pkease  Email your MPs now to demand protection for the UK citizens illegally kidnapped by the IOF.

2 October, join todays emergency demo, 5.30pm, parliament square. 

4 October, join the witness circle at the Defend Our Juries action against the Palestine Action ban. Go to DOJ for details. https://defendourjuries.net/ 

8 October, protest at sites supplying Israel’s F35 jets. Go to the Palestine Solidarity Campaign for more details https://palestinecampaign.org/events/ 

11 October, national demonstration for Palestine. Go to stopwar.org.uk for more details. https://www.stopwar.org.uk/

Keep  calling  for  the full lifting of the siege and unrestricted humanitarian access for food, water, medicine, fuel, and other essentials. An end to the use of starvation as a weapon of war.

As long as the Palestinian people are denied their fundamental rights and aspirations, we  must  stand unflinchingly with them. And  not relent in demanding an end to the injustice and dispossession that have plagued Palestine for generations. We cannot remain silent while the foundations of life are being destroyed.

And  will  add  only Palestinians deserve to determine their future, not Tony Blair, Donald Trump or Benjamin Netanyahu! Real peace is not imposed by Washington and Tel Aviv. It comes from ending the siege, ending  the  genocide , ending the occupation  and giving Palestinians their freedom and dignity back. Free Palestine.

Donald Trump's 20-point Gaza peace plan

I know how upsetting and overwhelming the news from Gaza has been, for  many of you. Day after day, for two long years, the same horror repeats itself, and yet some  are still  indifferent, as if Palestinian lives mean nothing, as if they aren’t even human beings! 

What a rotten, sick, dehumanised world  it  is that  some watch genocide unfold in real time and still choose silence!  The reports we’re seeing now of people starving, children going without food, aid convoys being blocked are utterly  heart breaking. 

What’s happening in Gaza isn’t just a crisis, it’s a man-made tragedy, and it’s getting worse by the day. Do people understand the mental toll  all  this is taking?  It’s unbearable, and people have next to no idea that what we’re seeing on our screens, doesn’t begin to describe the reality on the ground. 

At least 42 Palestinians, including five aid seekers, have been killed and 190 others injured in Israeli attacks across Gaza in the past 24 hours, The recent invasion of Deir al-Balah has only added to the horror. Families already displaced and traumatised are being forced to flee once again, and the lives of the remaining Israeli hostages are in even greater danger because of this continued escalation. 

Gaza City is living through one of its harshest phases, as the Israeli military assault targets its neighbourhoods and drives residents into forced displacement, hundreds of thousands insist on staying, clinging to their city and hope they can foil Israel’s plans to destroy it. 

While at  same time  we are told to cheer when Western governments recognise the State of Palestine  and we are urged to stay riveted by the soap operas of the West, the feigned “martyrdoms” of men like Charlie Kirk, while the true martyrs, those without choice, those without cameras, are buried by bulldozers in Gaza. 

The number of deaths caused by hunger and malnutrition in Gaza has risen to 453, including 150 children, the Hamas-run Health Ministry has said. Something has to happen to make all  this stop. The Israeli Government must end this offensive, open the borders to let aid in, and allow international journalists in to report freely. We need diplomacy now not more bombs. People deserve food, safety, and dignity, no matter who they are or where they live. 

Meanwhile   Donald Trump's 20-point Gaza peace plan to end the war in Gaza has been accepted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while Hamas is yet to issue an official response.

Though Hamas is "leaning toward accepting" the deal, a source told CBS News but its key requirements haven't really changed since it first agreed to a ceasefire in July 2024,  it demands Israel withdraw from most of Gaza and agree to end the war. 

Remember  though  that  Hamas already accepted a US ceasefire proposal in August  but Israel then demanded the group release all the hostages at once and bombed the Hamas negotiators when they met to discuss the amended offer in Doha in early September.  

The Trump plan contains elements that run counter to the goals of both Hamas (survival and continued armed struggle from within the Palestinian territories) and Israel (control of Gaza, destruction of Hamas, prevention of the Palestinian Authority taking over, prevention of a Palestinian state).

Israel has outwardly agreed to the plan, while Hamas will face intense pressure from Qatar and Egypt to accept it. Trump has said he will give Hamas three to four days to meet his demands. This plan is not an offer, as Trump has made quite clear. It’s an ultimatum. 

Hamas was not given any details on the proposal prior to Trump and Netanyahu unveiling it at the White House, a senior leader told Al Jazeera Mubasher. “Not a single Palestinian has reviewed this plan, and what was recounted … represents a tilt toward the Israeli vision—an approach close to what Netanyahu insisted on and pleaded for—to continue the war and the annihilation. Nothing more, nothing less,” said senior Hamas leader Mahmoud Mardawi immediately following the Trump–Netanyahu press conference. 

“To negotiate an end to this criminal war in exchange for ending the Palestinian people’s right to their state and their rights to their land, homeland, and holy sites—no Palestinian will accept that.”  Mardawi said that Hamas and other Palestinian factions would need to study the proposal, adding that, “the official position must be issued after reading the proposal and then stating our position and making amendments that conform with our right to self-determination.” 

The last time Hamas leaders gathered to discuss a U.S. proposal, on September 9, Israel attempted to assassinate its negotiators.  

Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari said Tuesday that Egypt and Qatar had delivered the plan to Hamas and, along with Turkish officials, would be holding a “consultative meeting.” Al-Ansari added, “We are optimistic that Trump’s plan is comprehensive, and the Hamas delegation is studying it responsibly, and we continue to consult with them.”  

While Trump praised his own plan as a landmark opportunity for “eternal peace in the Middle East,” the exclusion of all Palestinians from the process is an extension of decades of Western colonial dominance of decision-making surrounding the future of Palestine. 

Far-right Israeli minister Bezalel Smotrich  has slammed PM Netanyahu for accepting Trump's plan and thus missing "a historic opportunity to break free from the shackles of the Oslo Accords." Netanyahu said that establishing a Palestinian state "is not even written in the agreement."

At the heart of Trump’s plan is a thinly-veiled ultimatum to Palestinians: bend the knee to Israel, renounce the right of armed resistance, and agree to indefinite subjugation by foreign actors.

Here is the full text of the proposal, as provided by the White House:  

1. Gaza will be a deradicalised terror-free zone that does not pose a threat to its neighbours.  

2. Gaza will be redeveloped for the benefit of the people of Gaza, who have suffered more than enough.  3. If both sides agree to this proposal, the war will immediately end. Israeli forces will withdraw to the agreed upon line to prepare for a hostage release. During this time, all military operations, including aerial and artillery bombardment, will be suspended, and battle lines will remain frozen until conditions are met for the complete staged withdrawal.

4. Within 72 hours of Israel publicly accepting this agreement, all hostages, alive and deceased, will be returned.  

5. Once all hostages are released, Israel will release 250 life sentence prisoners plus 1,700 Gazans who were detained after 7 October 2023, including all women and children detained in that context. For every Israeli hostage whose remains are released, Israel will release the remains of 15 deceased Gazans. 

6. Once all hostages are returned, Hamas members who commit to peaceful co-existence and to decommission their weapons will be given amnesty. Members of Hamas who wish to leave Gaza will be provided safe passage to receiving countries. 

7. Upon acceptance of this agreement, full aid will be immediately sent into the Gaza Strip. At a minimum, aid quantities will be consistent with what was included in the 19 January 2025 agreement regarding humanitarian aid, including rehabilitation of infrastructure (water, electricity, sewage), rehabilitation of hospitals and bakeries, and entry of necessary equipment to remove rubble and open roads.  

8. Entry of distribution and aid in the Gaza Strip will proceed without interference from the two parties through the United Nations and its agencies, and the Red Crescent, in addition to other international institutions not associated in any manner with either party. Opening the Rafah crossing in both directions will be subject to the same mechanism implemented under 19 January 2025 agreement. 

9. Gaza will be governed under the temporary transitional governance of a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee, responsible for delivering the day-to-day running of public services and municipalities for the people in Gaza. This committee will be made up of qualified Palestinians and international experts, with oversight and supervision by a new international transitional body, the "Board of Peace," which will be headed and chaired by President Donald J. Trump, with other members and heads of state to be announced, including Former Prime Minister Tony Blair. This body will set the framework and handle the funding for the redevelopment of Gaza until such time as the Palestinian Authority has completed its reform programme, as outlined in various proposals, including President Trump's peace plan in 2020 and the Saudi-French proposal, and can securely and effectively take back control of Gaza. This body will call on best international standards to create modern and efficient governance that serves the people of Gaza and is conducive to attracting investment. 

10. A Trump economic development plan to rebuild and energise Gaza will be created by convening a panel of experts who have helped birth some of the thriving modern miracle cities in the Middle East. Many thoughtful investment proposals and exciting development ideas have been crafted by well-meaning international groups, and will be considered to synthesize the security and governance frameworks to attract and facilitate these investments that will create jobs, opportunity, and hope for future Gaza.  Leaders in Middle East and Europe welcome Trump's Gaza peace plan  Trump's Gaza plan is a significant step - but faces fundamental obstacles  

11. A special economic zone will be established with preferred tariff and access rates to be negotiated with participating countries.

12. No one will be forced to leave Gaza, and those who wish to leave will be free to do so and free to return. We will encourage people to stay and offer them the opportunity to build a better Gaza. 

13. Hamas and other factions agree to not have any role in the governance of Gaza, directly, indirectly, or in any form. All military, terror, and offensive infrastructure, including tunnels and weapon production facilities, will be destroyed and not rebuilt. There will be a process of demilitarisation of Gaza under the supervision of independent monitors, which will include placing weapons permanently beyond use through an agreed process of decommissioning, and supported by an internationally funded buy back and reintegration programme all verified by the independent monitors. New Gaza will be fully committed to building a prosperous economy and to peaceful coexistence with their neighbours.  

14. A guarantee will be provided by regional partners to ensure that Hamas, and the factions, comply with their obligations and that New Gaza poses no threat to its neighbours or its people.  

15. The United States will work with Arab and international partners to develop a temporary International Stabilisation Force (ISF) to immediately deploy in Gaza. The ISF will train and provide support to vetted Palestinian police forces in Gaza, and will consult with Jordan and Egypt who have extensive experience in this field. This force will be the long-term internal security solution. The ISF will work with Israel and Egypt to help secure border areas, along with newly trained Palestinian police forces. It is critical to prevent munitions from entering Gaza and to facilitate the rapid and secure flow of goods to rebuild and revitalize Gaza. A deconfliction mechanism will be agreed upon by the parties.  16. Israel will not occupy or annex Gaza. As the ISF establishes control and stability, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will withdraw based on standards, milestones, and timeframes linked to demilitarization that will be agreed upon between the IDF, ISF, the guarantors, and the Unites States, with the objective of a secure Gaza that no longer poses a threat to Israel, Egypt, or its citizens. Practically, the IDF will progressively hand over the Gaza territory it occupies to the ISF according to an agreement they will make with the transitional authority until they are withdrawn completely from Gaza, save for a security perimeter presence that will remain until Gaza is properly secure from any resurgent terror threat.  

17. In the event Hamas delays or rejects this proposal, the above, including the scaled-up aid operation, will proceed in the terror-free areas handed over from the IDF to the ISF.  

18. An interfaith dialogue process will be established based on the values of tolerance and peaceful co-existence to try and change mindsets and narratives of Palestinians and Israelis by emphasizing the benefits that can be derived from peace.  

19. While Gaza re-development advances and when the PA reform programme is faithfully carried out, the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood, which we recognise as the aspiration of the Palestinian people.  

20. The United States will establish a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians to agree on a political horizon for peaceful and prosperous co-existence.

Here's my personal  response to  this so called peace plan. This is not a roadmap to peace, but a ceasefire package favoring Israel. It is colonialism dressed up as diplomacy.

Unlike Oslo or Camp David, it omits borders, Jerusalem, settlements, refugees, and a two-state vision. Palestinians gain no sovereignty or justice, only disarmament and control. 

It demands the “de-radicalization” of Palestinians. It insists that all Israeli captives be released within 48 hours, while only some Palestinian detainees would be freed. 

It installs a foreign-designed governance system: a temporary “technocratic” committee overseen by a body convened by the U.S. with European and Arab partners . It proposes a foreign “stabilization force” to police Gaza, disarm resistance groups, and secure Israel’s interests . Reconstruction and the economy would be dictated externally, not by Palestinians themselves .

The result is not peace, but the entrenchment of repression with Israeli impunity guaranteed and the Palestinian right to self-determination denied, enforced by the very powers complicit in their dispossession. Hamas says it can't sign up to anything that does not include Palestinian self-determination. Which this, pointedly, doesn't.

The plan simply envisions a U.S run trusteeship for 10 years, turning the Strip into a “Riviera of the Middle East and sadly begins with the “voluntary” relocation of 2M Palestinians. It is genocide packaged as real estate. The plan also kicks Hamas out without giving Palestinians a real say, hands Gaza to foreign overseers, and tells Palestinians to give up their weapons while Israel keeps all its military power. Nothing about Trump's "Peace Plan" guarantees a Palestinian state, and nowhere does it acknowledge Gaza as a Palestinian homeland. 

Trump may dream of a Nobel Peace Prize, but that is where it ends. For Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, he offers neither vision nor even the start of a genuine political process, nor does he challenge Netanyahu's outright opposition to Palestinian statehood. In reality, Hamas and the Palestinian Authority alike are being forced to choose between foreign rule or open-ended occupation, without any clear framework.

Meanwhile  Israel gets more breathing room, global cover, and a weaker, divided Palestine thus making it easier for Israel to expand settlements and tighten control over the land. This plan is not peaceful in any shape or form,  it is just a full-on public relations stunt aimed at shielding war criminal Netanyahu from international prosecution while attempting to uphold a declining Zionist narrative. 

While at the same time seeks to strip Palestinians of integrity, dignity, solidarity, self-determination, and above all, their homeland. It does absolutely nothing to alleviate the pain, heartbreak and misery or in anyway hold Israel accountable for genocide or punish them for killing hundreds of thousands of people, releasing all the thousands of Palestinian hostages and ending the cruel barbaric occupation. A civilized world cannot accept this and must be rejected outright by world leaders. 

Trump and Netanyahu call this a peace plan but it's  reprehensible and is nothing more than a blueprint for permanent occupation. Whitewashing the oceans of innocent blood Israel  has already spilled and encouraging  them  to "finish the job"

Imagine: Donald Trump crowned head of a “Board of Peace” and Tony Blair, the Iraq war criminal,  who should be in The Hague, deciding Gaza’s future. Palestinians are erased from the table, while the U.S. and Israel script their oppression. What the Palestinian people deserve is not another sham, but real peace: justice, freedom, and security. Gaza belongs to the Palestinians. Anything less is unacceptable. Real peace needs a concrete roadmap, not empty pauses. 

Stop arming Israel. End the genocide. Free Palestine.

“Peace deal”

Yemeni Cartoonist Kamal Sharaf  cartoon on Trump’s plan to “end” the genocide in Gaza.

Say no to digital ID cards

The Government has announced that they are planning to introduce mandatory Digital ID cards called “BritCard” that would make us all reliant on a digital pass to go about our daily lives,  In  what appears to  be a desperate attempt to control and limit us.  

Digital ID is being pushed in the name of convenience and security, but in reality, it hands unprecedented control to governments, corporations, and unelected bodies,  while giving the state enormous control and treat the population with suspicion. Introducing one in Britain would fundamentally change the nature of our relationship with the state, eroding our rights and freedoms.  

Keir Starmer has defended  these plans for a new digital ID held on people’s phones as an “enormous opportunity” for the UK amid a fierce backlash.  

The Prime Minister said: “I know working people are worried about the level of illegal migration into this country. A secure border and controlled migration are reasonable demands, and this government is listening and delivering. Digital ID is an enormous opportunity for the UK. It will make it tougher to work illegally in this country, making our borders more secure.  

And it will also offer ordinary citizens countless benefits, like being able to prove your identity to access key services swiftly – rather than hunting around for an old utility bill.”  

We all want to be able to prove who we are safely, privately, and conveniently but while digital ID I guess can be helpful for some people in certain situations, it is certainly not a magic solution for all scenarios. 

People in marginalised, vulnerable and minority groups are more likely to have reduced access to online services (e.g. people with disabilities, low income or the elderly), particularly where digital identity is a requirement. While many of us do  not have access to  smartphones, 

Digital ID is not a neutral piece of technology. It is a mechanism of control. Once accepted, it will shape the conditions of your daily life, whether you can work, access healthcare, travel, or even use your own money.

The digital ID would  be  used  as an authoritative proof of identity and residency status in the UK and include name, date of birth, and a photo as well as information on nationality and residency status , which potentially connects your employment, tax, benefits to your passport, your criminal record, your health records, NHS access, your driving license, and very probably to your internet and social media access. 

This is not a left or right issue. It does not matter if you are Conservative, Labour, Green, Reform, or even a lifelong communist. Digital ID does not discriminate by party. It is an infrastructure of surveillance that, once built, will be used by whoever holds power next, and the one after that.

Authoritarians want the ID cards. Ordinary people are being lied to about what Digital ID is.  Anyone who understands the implications of centralized tracking/surveillance system and how it will be abused understands it's a bad idea. No citizen is safe when freedom becomes conditional on a digital profile. History shows us the trajectory.

South Africa’s pass laws. East Germany’s Stasi. Modern-day China’s social credit system. Each began with assurances that ordinary citizens had nothing to fear. Each grew into systems that monitored, excluded, and controlled entire populations. 

To believe Britain is immune to that pattern is wilful blindness. Technical arguments matter too. A centralised database will be a permanent target for hackers, foreign states, and criminals. 

Data leaks will be catastrophic because biometric identifiers cannot be changed. System errors will strand innocent people outside hospitals, workplaces, and homes. The poor, the elderly, and the disabled will be hit hardest.  

I do not trust a Government with ID cards which, among other things, abuses its power now to label a non-violent group protesting against a genocide, as “terrorists”, with all the draconian legal consequences that result from such a label.

Today it's a mandatory ID card to prove you have the right to work but in the future you might have to use it to access the NHS, to rent or buy a home, or to access benefits. These schemes always expand. Once the infrastructure is in place, it's easy to  sleepwalk into surveillance state where we constantly have to prove who we are just to go about our daily lives. It will be a bureacratic nightmare.

A centralised database could be shared across government departments and the police, and fed into AI systems that effectively create an authoritarian pre-crime state. 

Digital ID cards can be used by abusers who want to control. For example, abusers will be able to prevent someone from getting a job by denying them access to their digital ID.

This is dangerous for everyone in the UK. Alongside very serious concerns about civil liberties, data security and misuse, ID cards are also  a huge waste of money,

In WW2 it was mandatory for UK citizens to carry ID cards everywhere, at all times. After the war, In 1950, Harry Willcock, a 54-year-old dry-cleaner and former councillor, refused to show his identity card,   he stated to the Police Officer demanding his ID; “I am a Liberal, I am against this sort of thing.” His case helped turn the tide. Citizens rejected this authoritarian control as  they  were deemed fundamentally at odds with British values and civil liberties. and  protested against ID cards, 

In April 1951, members of the British Housewives’ League burned ID cards outside Parliament. Within months, in February 1952, the new  Churchill government abolished them.  What was true then is  also  true now.

Starmer's views himself as a shepherd and the people as his flock of sheep. But in his dystopian vision of society, we are mere chattel to be controlled by ever more encroaching laws. A former prosecutor, for him we are  all of us guilty until proved innocent.  He is  mendacious, malevolent, conniving  and corrupt.

We need to send a loud and clear message to him that we do not support mandatory digital ID cards. 

Far from being a panacea to solve illegal migration, digital ID cards would give the government unprecedented mass surveillance powers and the risk of malicious access to our personal data can not be overstated. 

We’re already living through an unprecedented crackdown on hard-won freedoms. Labour has branded Palestine Action a terrorist group, locked up climate protesters for taking part in a Zoom call and threatened privacy online. 

Now Starmer wants to force people to put all their details on their phones.  Downing Street claims there will be “no requirement for individuals to carry their ID or be asked to produce it”, but with the latest polls suggesting a Reform government would be a “near-certainty” it’s hard to avoid the question of what Farage would do with this handy tool for authoritarian control. Starmer’s half-baked pre-conference distraction may prove to be his most costly blunder yet.

Tony Blair tried all this in the 2000s with the Identity Cards Act, and again in 2021 through the Institute for Global Change. British people were not stupid, It was rejected  then, and  must  be rejected again for very good reasons. We’ve already got  birth  certificates, passports, National Insurance numbers, driving licences etc.

We don’t need compulsory Digital ID cards! A hard no to digital ID, surveillance, control, and conditional freedom. No consent. Not now. Not ever. As Liberty  has said :  "Technological advancements mean that digital ID systems pose an  even greater risk to privacy than they did when last proposed in the  2000s." https://www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk/issue/digital-id-liberty-position/

Digital ID won’t “control immigration”  It will however  control you!  BritCard / Digital ID  will also  fundamentally change the nature of our relationship with the state and turn Britain into a “papers, please” society, putting the burden on all of us to prove our right to be here. It must be campaigned against and rejected.

Over 1 million people so far for a multitude of different reasons have signed the  following  petition telling Starmer that they will not comply with his mandatory ID cards. Please sign and share.

It reads: "We demand that the UK Government immediately commits to not introducing a digital ID cards." 

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/730194?fbclid=IwY2xjawNDZ4pleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETA2cHNoaHNxOXVteFpxRkVtAR4I6F2B6ayTne0xMzx7SRKZQx_Mibpr4o0Xliw9ghXDx-GDOezTJJsr-RBn8Q_aem_FhltJMOPvSK5yf2Phd5RjA

First they came for

 

The following is adapted from the original poem by Martin Niemöller written in 1946 following the horrors of WW2 that lots of people are currently sharing after Jimmy Kimmel and  all others repressed in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s death. While most understand the poem’s a reflection on the Nazi rise to power, we can’t forget how ultimately it does start from state repression of the left. 

It also came into my mind because of the orgy of hate that is being whipped up in Britain against asylum seekers. I think too of the many journalists killed and silenced in Gaza.

First they came for

First they came for the Palestinians 

And I did not speak out 

Because I was not Palestinian. 

Then they came for the refugees 

But I did not speak out 

Because I was not a refugee 

Then they came for people of colour

but I did not speak out

Because I was not a person of colour 

Then they came for the Muslims 

but I did not speak out 

Because I was not Muslim 

Then they came for the disabled 

But I did not speak out 

Because I was not disabled 

Then they came for the Trans community

But I did not speak out 

Because I was not Trans 

Then they came for the rest of the LGBTQ+ community 

But I did not speak out Because I was not LGBTQ+ 

Then they came for the socialists, 

But I did not speak out 

Because I was not a socialist 

Then they came for the trade unionists 

But I did not speak out 

Because I was not a trade unionist 

Then they came for the anti-fascists 

But I did not speak out

Because I was not an anti-fascist 

Then they came for the poor, the vulnerable

But I  did not speak out 

Because I was none of these 

Then they came for the journalists 

But I did not speak out

Because I was not a journalist 

Then they came for me 

And there was no one left 

To speak out for me

Nobody left at all.  

First they came for- Martin Niemöller 

First they came for the Communists 

And I did not speak out 

Because I was not a Communist 

Then they came for the Socialists 

And I did not speak out 

Because I was not a Socialist 

Then they came for the trade unionists 

And I did not speak out 

Because I was not a trade unionist 

Then they came for the Jews 

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a Jew 

Then they came for me 

And there was no one left 

To speak out for me.  

Martin Niemöller (1892–1984) was a German Lutheran pastor and prominent Confessing Church leader who initially supported the Nazis but later became a vocal critic.and was imprisoned in Sachsenhausen and Dachau from from 1938 to 1945. but survived the war. After the war he became a campaigning pacifist.  died on  the  6th  of  March 1984 aged 92.

His lines, written just after the Holocaust, were used as a confession of his own inaction  and to argue against apathy, inaction in the face of oppression and for the moral connectedness of all people. At the core of human nature whether religious, secular or spiritual, is a profound evolutionary disposition towards compassion, fairness and kindness. 

Niemöller’s words still act as a warning about the ease with which such an event could occur again, if we of the present allow ourselves to become ignorant of the lessons of the past. Human beings are capable of doing such wicked things, so that is why we should continue to confront the dangers of intolerance, hate, racism and fascism, and defeat the ideas that continue to create so much pain  and continue to use our voices and speak out.

Elie Wiesel  once  famously stated, "What hurts the victim most is not the cruelty of the oppressor, but the silence of the bystander" and "Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented"

Martin Niemöller didn't think the Nazis would come for him. People who are comfortable with other groups of people being rounded up, tortured, and murdered are always surprised when they are members of the next group to hate. Niemöller's "First They Came..." is a reminder that a totalitarian government starts by persecuting people it's easy to dislike, to get us used to the abuse. And by the time you're on the list yourself, it's too fucking late.

We have to learn from history, and we have to fight like hell to shift our course towards a future in which all people are treated with dignity, and human rights and international law are universally upheld. Everything depends on it.

Martin Niemöller 

Autumn Equinox Meditation

Autumn Equinox Meditation

Autumn Equinox/ Mabon 

A time to embrace balance, 

A magical period for reflection

Enabling pathways of transition, 

Hours of light and dark equal 

Air crisp while leaves turn gold,  

The trees speak of change 

Under a waning, cooling sun,

As the veil between the worlds thin 

A moment of release and gratitude, 

In Palestine hope still glistens 

Though life hangs by a thread,

A land scarred by destruction 

But still alive with resilience,

Despite each night in pain, hunger

Hearts steadfast release prayer,

Holding on to their land and faith

Voices refuse to be silenced, 

The cry for justice keeps echoing  

Lets send blessings and healing.  

Happy Autumn Equinox / Mabon.  Don't stop  speaking  about Palestine.   🍉🙏🏼

Donald Trump’s royal banquet

 

On September 17, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were honored with an extravagant state banquet at Windsor Castle during his unprecedented second official state visit to the United Kingdom. Hosted by King Charles III and Queen Camilla, the event described across media outlets as a "lavish" display of royal pomp and diplomacy brought together 160 high-profile guests in the historic St. George's Hall for an evening of fine dining, speeches, and subtle geopolitical signaling. 

This marked the first time a world leader has received two such visits, underscoring the enduring U.S.-UK "special relationship" amid global tensions like the war in Ukraine  and the  ongoing conflict  in  Gaza. Surrounded by high-level politicians, a media mogul, tech giants and athletes, the grandeur-loving Donald Trump was treated to a fawning spectacle at a banquet at Windsor Castle as the best of British royal finery was rolled out for the banquet, while thousands protested in London against Trump's policies.  

Inside the 50-metre-long grand Waterloo Table was set with 1,462 pieces of silver that sparkled in the light from 139 candles. Royal staff were on hand to cater to 160 guests, who were seated at the 50-metre-long grand Waterloo Table in St George's Hall. 

King Charles and Mr Trump walked side by side to enter the hall, followed by Queen Camilla and Melania Trump. Each table setting was adorned with golden utensils and hand-picked flowers from the grounds of Windsor Castle. Traditional British beefeaters and a band of pipers lined the halls of the castle in preparation for the event. 

About 100 staff members were on hand to serve 160 guests, including technology CEOs Tim Cook of Apple, Demis Hassabis of Google DeepMind and Sam Altman of OpenAI. Pascal Soriot, who heads drug-maker Astrazeneca, the most valuable company on the London Stock Exchange, was also in attendance. 

Donald Trump and King Charles III were seated side by side throughout the banquet dinner. The king sat next to Mr Trump at the centre of the table, under a ceiling adorned with the coat of arms of every Knight of the Garter since the order was founded in 1348. 

Catherine, the Princess of Wales, was seated to the president’s right, while on the other side of the table, Queen Camilla sat next to Ms Trump and US Treasury chief Scott Bessent. Princess Anne, the only daughter of the late Queen Elizabeth II, was among other royal family representatives in St George's Hall. Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester and the first cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth II, was also on the royal guest list. 

Each table place at the banquet was afforded several glasses of specialty wine, including a Wiston Estate Cuvee 2016, Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello 2000, Pol Roger Extra Cuvee de Reserve 1998, and Domaine Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne grand cru 2018.  

A special cocktail, the Transatlantic Whisky Sour, was also created for the banquet. It was designed as a twist on a whisky sour, made with Johnnie Walker Black, topped with a pecan foam and a toasted marshmallow and set on a star-shaped biscuit. 

The banquet dinner featured three courses, including a first course of Hampshire watercress panna cotta and a lengthy list of specialty wines. The after-dinner menu included Warre’s 1945 vintage port, a nod to Mr Trump as the 45th president of the United States, Hennessy 1912 Cognac Grande Champagne, from the year Mr Trump’s mother was born and Bowmore Queen’s Cask 1989, Islay, bottled for Queen Elizabeth’s Golden Jubilee in 2002.  

The opulent banquet menu included a first course of Hampshire watercress panna cotta with parmesan shortbread and quail egg salad. The second course was Norfolk chicken ballotine wrapped in courgettis, with a thyme and savoury infused jus, and dessert was a vanilla ice cream bombe with a Kentish raspberry sorbet interior and lightly poached Victoria plums. 

I have read that the cost of Trumps  banquet cost UK taxpayers over £1million for one evening only, in  what was a clear show of excess and vulgarity for these millionaire/billionaires to have a jolly good time. For me, during a  rising cost of  living crisis it is disgusting to see the elite enjoying every second of their lives while millions of people do not know what they will have on their plates the next day and  people are  literally starving to  death in Gaza, 

All that glitters is corrupt. The vanity of the few matters more than the people. The true costs of such trips are rarely published but it’s estimated that Air Force One costs up to $200,000 (€170,000) an hour to fly. That’s before you add in the whole entourage, often hundreds strong, that comes along for the ride.

Many countries have been asking whether they can justify the extravagance of such state occasions while telling their citizens that there’s little money to spare for public services. Trump’s welcome in the UK has been so over the top that  even Piers Morgan said he has never seen anything like it in his entire career covering the Royal Family. I simply can’t believe what I’ve seen in the UK over these past couple of days, pandering to this vile man-child’s ego? 

Trump was greeted with flypasts and military parades. But what’s the publicity value of a state visit if you have to be kept away from the disgruntled citizens of the country that is supposed to welcome you?

Then have a banquet, while the rest of the UK is broken, and austerity measures are being implemented! 14 million people, including 3.8 million children, went hungry last year with malnutrition in UK children at Victorian levels. One in six households missed meals, and  there are 2883 food banks in the UK. Food banks are now the ‘new normal’. All because of the decisions of many of those who sat around this table.

Your energy bills went up recently again. Your food bills are continuing to rise steeply. Your council tax went up but the services go down.  Yet in the last few days we’ve seen golden carriages travel through London and obscene inherited wealth like this monstrosity, King Charles and Trump  are cut from the same cloth. Elites protecting elites while ordinary people pay the price. Perfect match, really.

There's so much wealth in the UK we shouldn't need food banks. Unfortunately, all that wealth is in the hands of the top 1-5% wealthiest! The majority of them couldn't care less if children and the elderly can't afford to buy food. 

The trust in government and royalty is at very low levels now too! Charles is the corrupt billionaire-in-chief. He also avoids taxes wherever he can, it's more than time he paid his fair share. These parasites get to live lavish lives while millions of kids barely get to eat a proper meal. What the hell is wrong with society? Why are there so many children  going  without while these parasites walk around in tiaras worth millions? 

While world leaders feast in opulence at Windsor Castle, families in Syria, Palestine scrape by amid endless rubble and despair. This isn't just inequality! it's a slap in the face to humanity. When will the elite's extravagance spark real change? 

There is no greater signal that we must abolish the monarchy than the monarchy celebrating the presence of a narcissistic ogre like Donald Trump as there is literally no Western politician alive that I can think of that has incited more hate, bigotry, and violence than him. 

Animal Farm (1954). George Orwell.