Love in a headscarf

Interview With Author Shelina Zahra Janmohamed

Shelina Zahra Janmohamed is keeping a very surprising secret under her headscarf – she wants to fall in love and find her faith.

Torn between the Buxom Aunties, romantic comedies and mosque Imams, she decided to follow the arranged-marriage route to find Mr. Right, Muslim-style. Shelina's captivating journey begins as a search to find herself, her faith and love.

Shelina got the idea of writing her book Love in a Headscarf after toying with the idea of portraying and telling a story based on being a Muslim woman. Thinking global, Shelina focused on the most universal story of love.

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Gerrard’s geriatrics

A twinge ensued sharply by a wincing grimace
Oblivious onlookers munch on their carrots and houmous

Crouched, cheerless look, he signals code to the Gaffer
Furious flurry of gestures from head coach Rafa

Long before Gosling and the curse of Tictac
Our commander trudged off weary and ready to hit the sack

As Maximus rose to exit the coliseum
I thought he was heading for the Goodison mausoleum

Leaving the field for a cuppa in the blue canteen
The Toffee fan celebrations I have never ever seen

From our all action juggernaut we’ve come to expect the same
Absolutely nothing to do with an England game

Number7
© Emdad Rahman
www.football-poems.com

Captain Marvel - Bryan Robson

Up north where strangers are readily met with a greet
From the heart and the terraces of Chester le Street

Industrially produced from girders and an Irn Bru can
Make way, make way for the bionic man

Young Bryan held little appeal for Lawton or Greaves
No Milburn, Charlton or Gallacher, always Wyn Davies

Energy of an ox that could sprint full pelt for miles
Fashioned into a tower block by the fabled Johnny Giles

So Gilbert’s best accepted a too good offer from Don Howe
Fiver increasing to eight a week if he put in a good plough

Sheer strength of a bull, the speed and poise of a gazelle
At the tip of the sword New Balance, many a foe fell

With a purring Rolls Royce engine leaving many in his wake
To prise this young stallion a British record it would take

And so it was with Big Ron that Robbo took the red pill
To the steady tune of an awesome one and a half mil

A centre circle contract at the theatre of dreams
To revive a sleeping giant and to rule supreme

To rule the engine room was the task of this nipper
Thus Britley boy led United as longest serving skipper

Many memories including the Barca demo job
Skewered and braised El Diego, just like corn on the cob

Ninety caps for country, twenty six in the bag
Facing Marvel meant time to hoist the white flag

French humbled in Bilbao by Lord Lawson’s footballing lord
Twenty seven seconds in Bilbao to grab the world record

Throughout a splendid era pitch knocks cast a small dark shadow
Two world cup injury pullouts proved an all time career low

Things could have been very different for the Red Express
Could have formed a magnificent pairing with Graham Souness

But rejected the overtures of the legend Bob Paisley
Missed out as swashbuckling hero of the Mersey


Number 7
© Emdad Rahman
www.football-poems.com

Which one would you deep fry in batter?

Mmmm!

These delights were from one of my students.

It was tough, but I did get through them all. I can't understand why I now have an irritating chestburn...

Cheats prosper for third time

Customers stranded as Rupali UK Ltd closes up shop

After the scandal of First Solution another respectable Bangladeshi financial institution has followed suit, with innocent customers set to lose thousands of pounds.

Rupali UK Ltd has been conducting business in Brick Lane since 2005 and uses the logo of the Rupali Bank Ltd of Bangladesh. The logo has appeared and used in TV commercials and related adverts.

The Bangladesh High Commission in Britain have confirmed they do not have any connection with the Bank in Bangladesh, though they are under fire for not protesting against the misuse of the said banks video television commercial.

On 4th February 2009 Rupali UK Ltd closed for business and a notice was hung stating;

'Due to the present economic crisis it is no longer possible for us to run this business. This business has been handed over to the authority of insolvency recovery and they would contact to the clients as soon as possible.'

The total number of victims have yet to be confirmed, but one said; “We have lost the fruits of the sweat of our labour.”

This is the third high profile case to hit the Bangladeshi community, after the debacle surrounding First Solution and the Qibla Hajj Kafela group.

It is unclear as to whether the management of Rupali will explain the situation to the community.

On a separate note, the ex Managing Director of First Solution said that he and his colleagues with liability, have already paid back 50% of revenue owed to creditors.

The new Managing Director added that First Solution has already returned £820,000 to various clients.

Snow joke as youngsters build ice family

Emdad Rahman

An East End Family have made good use of time off school by building a batallion of snowmen.

The Bow youngsters spent the day having some old fashioned family fun by building a family of snow men, with the largest at 5'1" with a waist span of 360cm waist. The mammoth construction project in freezing conditions lasted from 10 am 3pm.

Older sister Shelima, a medical student at Kings College London said; “I can't remember the last snowy day we had like this, but it was absolutely great, got to spend lots of time with the family and community spirit was an all time high! There’s just something about snow that brings out the best in everyone.”

She added; “We all put a lot of hard work and effort into it, and my little brothers are ecstatic about it.”

“We started to build the smallest snowman on Sunday night, when the snow began to first fall. The neighbours bought us hot chocolate, as we were out till 11pm, building and fighting with the snow,” she added.

“Our Mother gave strict orders to not go out the next day, but we sneaked out nevertheless.

“We started with one but somehow, we ended up with a whole family of them. The largest was the hardest to build and we needed quite a bit of help with rolling it. It might be a fun act, but community spirit really came out that day, with our neighbours Ian & Celia helping out.”

Hussain; 11, a pupil at Bow school for boys spok Bangla; “My favourite part of the day was rolling up the enormous snow ball for the snowman, it was so much hard work, but it was really good fun!”

His older brother Akbur; 19, an aspiring chef and Tower hamlets College pupil added; “My favourite part was making the snow angels! Good times indeed. So many people came and took pictures of the snowmen, it was so cool.”

“I had a well deserved day off work for snowday funday” Said self employed Alinoor.

Another brother Alimul was away on holiday. He may hae returned with a tan, but missed out on all the excitement.; “I was expecting to be greeted by my family after a week away but was really surprised when a family of snowmen greet me instead.”

London Bangla Report

Ice age hits London and the UK

The sales of shovels boomd yesterday as the country came to a standstill.

Arctic conditions, not seen on these shores for 2 decades, ground all operations to a halt. Public service workers affected by icy road conditions and no government transport were unable to come into work.

In all 6 million people missed work and 3000 schools were closed, whilst passengers for flights at British airports were left stranded. 270 flights were cancelled at Stanstead, with 95 at Luton.

Snowy London

Snowy London...