Rapper Stormzy addresses Mcdonald's backlash, asylum seeker lay dead for 4 months & more stories from Black, Asian & Arab communities you shouldn't have missed - curated by Melissa Sigodo
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This week, there was one story that I feel sums up how dehumanised people seeking refuge have become. The story coming to light should have been a turning point, but there is little sign that it will be. My newsletter aims to highlight important stories from Black, Asian and Arab communities in the UK which I feel don’t get the attention they deserve and this story from Hyphen Online is certainly one of them. It is the first story in the newsletter this week.
News
An Iranian asylum seeker, Mehrab Omrani lay dead in Home Office accommodation last year for up to four months wearing an electronic tag which should have alerted authorities. A coroner said it was difficult to say how the 45-year-old had died as his body was so “severely decomposed”. Read the full story by Lucas Cumiskey at Hyphen
The Marcus Garvey Centre where Windrush generation elders socialise and eat hot meals has been closed by Nottingham City Council after being “the heart of the community for 40 years” over fire door safety concerns even though staff want to help with repairs. Read the full story by Miya Chahal at BBC News. A petition has been launched to save the centre.
Hackney Carnival which has taken place since the 1970s has had its funding withdrawn “for the foreseeable future” with warnings that the decision would affect “future generations”. Read the full story by Josef Steen at Hackney Gazette
Islamophobic incidents have reached a record level making it the “most dangerous time” to be a Muslim, monitoring organisation Tell Mama has said. 5,837 reports of anti-Muslim hate were made in 2024 which is the most ever received in a single year. Read the full story on Sky News
More than 100 victims of child sexual abuse could bring cases against Lambeth council after the government announced it would remove the three-year time limit on claims. The change in law has been hailed a victory for survivors of former children’s home Shirley Oaks and the Melting Pot homes for black children in Brixton. Read the full story by Claudia Lee in The South London Press
A teacher who was stabbed in school by a 14-year-old pupil in 2015 says that knife crime is getting worse. Vincent Uzomah said he thought he was dying after being attacked and that the educational system needs reform. Watch the full interview by Katerina Vittozzi at Sky News
Entertainment
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