Smile!

Michael Mosley takes to the streets of Edinburgh to show people how to give themselves a hit of pleasure, using only a pencil.

Fighting Islamophobia

1. ITV REPORT
 
2. 9 December 2015 at 2:12am

British soldier who lost leg in Iraq issues powerful message to those who think he should hate Muslims

Chris Herbert said he was frustrated by people expecting racism from him. Credit: Facebook/Chris Herbert

   

British soldier who lost his leg in Iraq has posted a powerful message to people "expecting racism" from him just because he "got blown up".

Chris Herbert was just 19 when his vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb in Basra, Iraq which killed his friend, injured another and left him facing the prospect of living the rest of his life without his right leg.

In the weeks after the Paris atrocities, the former serviceman said he has been troubled by the number of people who have expected him to be Islamophobic just because a "Muslim man blew me up".

In a powerful Facebook message, which has been shared tens of thousands of times, Herbert goes on to list the Muslims who have helped him - including the Muslim surgeon who performed the surgery that saved his life.

Herbert, who lives in Portsmouth, also speaks about the "white Brits" who have done unpleasant things to him in his life.

"If you want to hate an entire race of men and women for the actions of a few dickheads feel free, but don't push your views on me, thinking I am an easy target because one douchebag decided it was my day to die," he wrote.

"Blaming all Muslims for the actions of groups like Daeshe and the Taliban, is like blaming all Christians for the actions of the KKK or Westboro Baptist Church."

"Get a grip of your lives, hug your family and get back to work."

Here's his Facebook post in full:

Getting frustrated by some people expecting racism from me, because I got blown up.

Here it is:

Yes. A Muslim man blew me up, and I lost my leg.

A Muslim man also lost his arm that day wearing a British Uniform.

A Muslim medic was in the helicopter that took me from the field.

A Muslim surgeon performed the surgery that saved my life.

A Muslim Nurse was part of the team that helped me when I returned to the UK.

A Muslim Healthcare Assistant was part of the team that sorted out my day to day needs in rehabilitation when I was learning to walk.

A Muslim taxi driver gave me a free ride the first time I went for a beer with my Dad after I came home.

A Muslim doctor offered my Dad comfort and advice in a pub, when he didn't know how to deal with my medicines and side effects.

Contrary to that:

A white Brit spat in my girlfriend's face for 'fucking a cripple when you could have me [him]'

A White Brit pushed my wheelchair away from a lift so he could use it first.

A White Brit screamed at my Dad for parking in a disabled bay when I was in the services coming home.

(Although, alot of people helped in my recovery! I dont hate white brits either! hahaha)

Point is, fuck off. I know who I dislike, and I know who I don't. I know who I appreciate, and I know who I don't.

If you want to hate an entire race of men and women for the actions of a few dickheads feel free, but don't push your views on me, thinking I am an easy target because one douchebag decided it was my day to die.

Blaming all Muslims for the actions of groups like Daeshe and the Taliban, is like blaming all Christians for the actions of the KKK or Westboro Baptist Church. Get a grip of your lives, hug your family and get back to work.

– CHRIS HERBERT

Sugar, Sugar by The Archies, 1969

Mafalda in Oviedo

Among many other things, Mafalda is an Oviedo girl. When she arrived in this Spanish northern town together with her creator, Argentinian cartoonist Quino, she said, "Stop the world, I want to get off!" And it's a good job that what Mafalda hates is soup and not fabada, the traditional Asturian bean stew. That happened in 2014, when the famous cartoonist received the Prince of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities. Since then, Mafalda spends her days sitting on a bench in Oviedo's San Francisco Park, contemplating the pond and thinking about how to change the world.

The Need to Read

Reading books is one of the most recommended language-learning activities to do outside the classroom. For one thing, reading is free. Also, reading helps you fix the structures you learn in your brain without you even noticing it. 

In hard times like these, when Public Education is subject to continuous budget cutbacks, checking out books freely from the Engineering School Library is one of those treats our diminishing welfare state still can provide for you. Take advantage of it! At the Sala de Autoaprendizaje you will find a collection of about 200 books aimed at A2, B1, B2 and C1 learners. Some of these reading books come with an audio CD. They are a suggestion to help you improve your vocabulary and syntax, and with the audio mp3, improve your comprehension of spoken English. Check some of them out and enjoy reading a good story.

Don't forget there are tons of free books on the Internet that you can download too, or read them online; a good place to start is Project Gutenberg, which has more than 50,000 free books. And, if you are using a Kindle, you can use the English-English dictionary or an English-Spanish dictionary for difficult words.