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BBC News
2 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Harrogate art gallery to display female refugees' art project
Artwork created by Afghan women who fled their home to settle in North Yorkshire will be displayed at a Harrogate art gallery throughout Refugee part of a six-week project at The Royal Pump Room Museum the women worked together on creating a 'dastarkhan' or Amelia Hawk, who ran the workshops with Harrogate and Knaresborough District of Sanctuary, described the project as "a coming together" of different communities."Eating together is a way of bonding in all cultures, it's an opportunity to learn more about one another, even in the smallest of ways," she said. The group also worked with clay and glass painting to create crockery and other objects, to form part of the installation which will be displayed at Mercer Art Gallery until of the women, Nahid, said creating the artwork had had "a profoundly positive impact". Museum curator Karen Southworth said: "We're so pleased that the museum and its stories have been a starting point for such a creative project to welcome newly arrived neighbours and share some of the rich history of their new home."All of the women came to the country as part of the Government's Vulnerable Persons and Vulnerable Children's Resettlement Scheme after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in Yorkshire Council's executive member for corporate services, Heather Phillips said: "North Yorkshire is renowned for the warmth of its welcome and it is right that we open our doors to those fleeing war and persecution."Projects such as this help bring communities together and foster greater understanding and I would encourage people to call into the museum and take a look at what has been created in the spirit of togetherness."The project formed part of a £25,000 scheme at the museum, funded by government's UK Shared Prosperity is part of the wider initiative of this year's Refugee Week, which has a theme of "community as a superpower". Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘There's a smell of death in the air': chaos in Tehran as residents try to flee or find shelter
It was just past 4pm when Nahid's* windows began to shake. An Israeli bomb hit a building nearby – she could not see where – and soon her house began to fill up with smoke. It was the third day of Israeli bombing of Iran and the situation in Tehran was just getting worse. 'This is a massacre. The blasts haven't stopped. Children are crying and we fear many civilians have been killed. There's a smell of death in the air. I can't stop crying,' Nahid*, a 25-year-old finance analyst at an e-commerce company in Tehran, told the Guardian via text. Residents began to flee Tehran and head towards the countryside on Sunday as Israeli attacks on the Iranian capital escalated, with bombs raining down on residential and government buildings alike. Authorities gave no official death toll, but at least 138 people have been killed and hundreds wounded by strikes on Iran since Friday. The bombing started early on Friday morning when Israel launched hundreds of strikes in what it said was an operation aimed at preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Iran quickly responded with a barrage of ballistic missiles and has continued to hit Israel, killing 10 people, including three children, in strikes on residential buildings on Saturday night. As the conflict continued to escalate, Iranian authorities announced they would open Tehran's metro stations and schools to use as shelters. 'Unfortunately, we in Tehran and in other cities do not have shelters,' said Mehdi Chamran, the chair of the city council, as he urged civilians to use tunnels and basements as makeshift bomb shelters. The ferocity of the Israeli assault caught Iran's citizens and government by surprise, as Israel's jets flew with virtual freedom over Iranian skies. While Iranian missiles flew towards Israel, its military seemed incapable of stopping Israeli attacks. 'We are not confident mosques, schools or metro stations will be safe. What if we get buried under? My sisters and I are going to urge my parents and neighbours to leave home,' Nahid said. There were scenes of chaos on Tehran's streets as residents rushed to buy food amid bombings before shops shut. 'People are running around in the streets and screaming. It's extremely dangerous to step outside now but we don't have an option,' said Reza*, a student at the University of Tehran. The 21-year-old described long lines at petrol stations as he and others filled their cars before making the journey out of the city. While residents queued for fuel, or for cash at ATMs, a sense of panic began to spread as the strikes were joined by car-bombings, reportedly targeting Iranian nuclear scientists. People struggled to contact their loved ones as Iran's mobile phone network failed, giving only sporadic coverage. Experts said Israel's attack had come at a critical point for the Iranian government, which has been rocked by protests in recent years and by a deepening economic crisis. 'This war comes at a most acute situation domestically, because we have the gravest economic crisis for decades,' said Dr Ali Fathollah-Nejad, the founder and director of the Center for Middle East and Global Order. Prices of food and other essential goods have rocketed over the past year as the Iran's currency, the rial, rapidly depreciated. Trump quickly signed an executive order after retaking office in January that tightened sanctions against Iran, choking off oil exports from the already beleaguered economy. Fathollah-Nejad said the economic crisis had been one of the key factors alongside military pressure that pushed the Iranian government towards diplomacy with the US, with which it had been negotiating over its nuclear programme for the past couple of months. Iranians took to social media to mock the government's lack of preparedness, sharing videos of top military officials saying Israel would never dare to attack Iran. Officials had previously trumpeted Iran's ability to deter strikes through its fierce military capabilities. Within Iran, state TV replayed footage of Iranian strikes on Israel and played down the impact of Israeli attacks. The feeling of being under attack has prompted a sense of unity among some Iranians. 'We have been hearing the rumours of regime change, especially by the Israelis and Americans. It seems more like a joke,' said Hadi*, a Tehran resident in his 60s. He added that among his friends, those who were initially against Iran developing nuclear weapons now felt the country needed an atomic arsenal to defend itself from Israel. 'Many Iranians may criticise the government and object to the strategies, but history has proven that Iranians unite when attacked by a foreign country,' Hadi said. * Some names have been changed
The Guardian
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
‘There's a smell of death in the air': chaos in Tehran as residents try to flee or find shelter
It was just past 4pm when Nahid's windows began to shake. An Israeli bomb hit a building nearby – he could not see where – and soon his house began to fill up with smoke. It was the third day of Israeli bombing of Iran and the situation in Tehran was just getting worse. 'This is a massacre. The blasts haven't stopped. Children are crying and we fear many civilians have been killed. There's a smell of death in the air. I can't stop crying,' Nahid*, a 25-year-old finance analyst at an e-commerce company in Tehran, told the Guardian via text. Residents began to flee Tehran and head towards the countryside on Sunday as Israeli attacks on the Iranian capital escalated, with bombs raining down on the residential buildings and government buildings alike. Authorities gave no official death toll, but at least 138 people have been killed and hundreds wounded by strikes on Iran since Friday. The bombing started early on Friday morning when Israel launched hundreds of strikes in what it said was an operation aimed at preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Iran quickly responded with a barrage of ballistic missiles and has continued to hit Israel, killing 10 people, including three children, in strikes on residential buildings on Saturday night. As the conflict continued to escalate, Iranian authorities announced they would open Tehran's metro stations and schools to use as shelters. 'Unfortunately, we in Tehran and in other cities do not have shelters,' said Mehdi Chamran, the chair of the city council, as he urged civilians to use tunnels and basements as makeshift bomb shelters. The ferocity of the Israeli assault on Tehran caught both Iran's citizens and government by surprise, as Israel's jets flew with virtual freedom over Iranian skies. While Iranian missiles flew towards Israel, its military seemed incapable of stopping Israeli attacks. 'We are not confident mosques, schools or metro stations will be safe. What if we get buried under? My sisters and I are going to urge my parents and neighbours to leave home,' Nahid said. There were scenes of chaos on Tehran's streets as residents rushed to buy food amid bombings before shops shut. 'People are running around in the streets and screaming. It's extremely dangerous to step outside now but we don't have an option,' said Reza*, a students from the University of Tehran. The 21-year-old described long lines at petrol stations as he and others filled their cars before making the journey out of the city. While residents queued for fuel, or for cash at ATMs, a sense of panic began to spread as the strikes were joined by car-bombings, reportedly targeting Iranian nuclear scientists. People struggled to contact their loved ones as Iran's mobile phone network failed, giving only sporadic coverage. Experts said Israel's attack had come at a critical point for the Iranian government, which has been rocked by protests in recent years and by a deepening economic crisis. 'This war comes at a most acute situation domestically, because we have the gravest economic crisis for decades,' said Dr Ali Fathollah-Nejad, the founder and director of the Center for Middle East and Global Order. Prices of food and other essential goods have skyrocketed over the past year as the Iran's currency, the rial, rapidly depreciated. Trump quickly signed an executive order after retaking office in January that tightened sanctions against Iran, choking off oil exports from the already beleaguered economy. Fathollah-Nejad said the economic crisis had been one of the key factors alongside military pressure that pushed the Iranian government towards diplomacy with the US, with which it had been negotiating over its nuclear programme for the past couple of months. Online, Iranians took to social media to mock the government's lack of preparedness, sharing videos of top military officials saying Israel would never dare to attack Iran. Officials had previously trumpeted Iran's ability to deter strikes through its fierce military capabilities. Within Iran, state TV replayed footage of Iranian strikes on Israel and played down the impact of Israeli attacks. The feeling of being under attack has prompted a sense of unity among some Iranians. 'We have been hearing the rumours of regime change, especially by the Israelis and Americans. It seems more like a joke,' said Hadi*, a Tehran resident who is in his 60s. He added that among his friends, those who were initially against Iran developing nuclear weapons now felt the country needed a an atomic arsenal to defend itself from Israel. 'Many Iranians may criticise the government and object to the strategies, but history has proven that Iranians unite when attacked by a foreign country,' Hadi said. * Some names have been changed
NDTV
22-05-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
'Traumatised' Bangladesh Star Withdraws From Pakistan Tour After Border Tension With India: Report
Bangladesh tearaway Nahid Rana is among the three members to withdraw from their upcoming tour of Pakistan, which is set to kick off next week at Lahore's iconic Gaddafi Stadium. According to the Bangladesh Cricket Board's (BCB) cricket operations chairman, Nazmul Abedeen Fahim, there is a possibility that Nahid could have withdrawn from the squad, considering the difficult situation he faced when trying to leave Pakistan earlier this month due to the cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan. Nahid was a part of Peshawar Zalmi's squad when the players had to be withdrawn from the Pakistan Super League. Nahid's national teammate, Rishad Hossain, was also a part of Zalmi's squad, but he is touring with Bangladesh. Fahim revealed that most of the players were hesitant to tour Pakistan but changed their minds after most of the Bangladesh players decided to embark on the three-match T20I series. "What Nahid Rana and Rishad faced recently, you can't blame them for being traumatised. Which is probably why Rana has withdrawn from the tour. Among the coaching staff, James [Pamment] and Nathan [Keily], who are our fielding coach and trainer, aren't going. The rest are ready to go there," Fahim said, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo. "There were hesitations among few other players. But later, when they saw others are going, they felt that it might not be difficult to go there and they changed their initial position," he added. According to Fahim, Pakistan provides high security during cricketing tours and said, "I saw during the Champions Trophy how much security is provided in Pakistan. I don't think you can do more than that. The PCB chairman (Mohsin Naqvi) assured us to give the highest security." Bangladesh's tour will feature three T20Is, reduced from the initial five-match affair. The series will kick off on May 28, the second will be played on May 30 and run through to June 1. Listen to the latest songs, only on
Boston Globe
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Nahid Rachlin, novelist who explored the Iranian psyche, dies at 85
Advertisement 'There is a subtle shift in 'Foreigner' that is fascinating to watch,' Anne Tyler, who won the 1989 Pulitzer Prize for fiction, wrote in a review for The New York Times in 1979, 'a nearly imperceptible alteration of vision as Feri begins to lose her westernized viewpoint.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'What is apparent to Feri at the start -- the misery and backwardness of Iranian life -- becomes less apparent,' Tyler continued. 'Is it that America is stable, orderly, peaceful, while Iran is turbulent and irrational? Or is it that America is merely sterile while Iran is passionate and openhearted?' In a 1990 lecture, Trinidadian writer V.S. Naipaul, who received the Nobel Prize in 2001, noted that 'Foreigner,' 'in its subdued, unpolitical way, foreshadowed the hysteria that was to come' for Iran -- the popular uprisings that forced out the repressive Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, who was backed by the United States, and ushered in a theocratic republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Advertisement Ms. Rachlin grew up steeped in those contradictions. In her hometown, Ahvaz, Iran, the local cinema featured American films even as the mosque across the street 'warned against sinful pleasures,' she wrote in a memoir, 'Persian Girls' (2006). Her own home 'was chaotic, filled with a clashing and confusing mixture of traditional Iranian/Muslim customs and values, and Western ones,' she wrote. 'None of us prayed, followed the hijab, or fasted.' But her parents insisted on arranged marriages for their children and reserved higher education for their sons. Ms. Rachlin's second novel, 'Married to a Stranger' (1983), explored post-revolutionary Iran. Reviewing it in the Times, Barbara Thompson said it depicted, 'better than most factual accounts, what was happening in Iran that made the Ayatollah's theocracy possible.' Nahid Bozorgmehri was born June 6, 1939, in Ahvaz, the seventh of 10 children of Mohtaram (Nourowzian) and Manoochehr Bozorgmehri. Her father was a prominent lawyer and judge. Three of her siblings died in childhood. At 6 months, Nahid was given by her mother to her Aunt Maryam, her mother's widowed sister, who longed for a child after years of infertility. But when Nahid was 9 -- the age at which girls in Iran could legally marry -- her father, most likely concerned that her more traditional aunt would follow that custom, retrieved her. (Perhaps he understood the consequences, having married Nahid's mother when she was 9 years old and he was 34.) The separation devastated Nahid. Feeling 'kidnapped,' Ms. Rachlin wrote in a 2002 essay for The New York Times Magazine, she had a strained relationship with her birth mother and would never call her Mother. Advertisement A childhood photo of Ms. Rachlin, then Nahid Bozorgmehri (far left), with her parents and siblings in Iran. VIA RACHLIN FAMILY/NYT Over time, she grew close to her older sister Pari, who fought their father over her pursuit of acting and her resistance to arranged marriage -- battles she lost. Determined to avoid such a fate, Nahid implored her father to send her to America to attend college, like her brothers. She enlisted her brother Parviz to persuade him: She was first in her high school class, and her writing showed promise. Her father adamantly refused. But as political tensions escalated -- both Nahid's outspoken feminist teacher and the bookseller who sometimes slipped her banned literature had disappeared -- her father, who had resigned his judgeship after interference from the government, feared a servant or neighbor might tattle about Nahid's stories and her 'white jacket' books to the Savak, the shah's notorious secret police. When Parviz found her a women's college near St. Louis, where he was studying medicine, their father allowed Nahid to apply, hoping his headstrong daughter would cause less trouble abroad -- though not without stipulating that she return home after graduation to marry. While attending Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Mo., on a full scholarship, Ms. Rachlin discovered that though she had escaped the 'prison' of her home, as she wrote in her memoir, she felt utterly isolated in America. 'Late at night I turned to my writing, my long-lasting friend,' she wrote. She had quickly developed fluency in English -- though she had taken only hasty lessons in Iran before her departure -- and had begun writing in her adopted tongue about the difficulty of feeling neither Iranian nor American. 'Writing in English,' she said, 'gave me a freedom I didn't feel writing in Farsi.' Advertisement She majored in psychology and, after graduating with a bachelor's degree in 1961, resolved not to return to Iran. She curtly informed her father in a letter; he would not speak to her for 12 years. With only $755, she took a Greyhound bus to New York City, where she picked up odd jobs -- babysitting, waitressing -- and, to maintain her student visa, enrolled at the New School, where she met Howie Rachlin. They married in 1964. Their daughter, Leila, was born in 1965. In addition to her, Ms. Rachlin leaves a grandson. Rachlin died in 2021. After a few years in Cambridge, where Howie Rachlin studied for a doctorate in psychology at Harvard, and then in Stony Brook, N.Y., where he taught, they moved to Stanford, Calif., in the mid-1970s. There, on a Wallace Stegner Fellowship, she worked on 'Foreigner.' Her novel would never find a home in Iran. Censors blocked its publication in Farsi, arguing that Nahid Rachlin's descriptions of dirty streets and hole-in-the-wall hotels suggested a failure of the shah's modernization plans. Her literary agent, Cole Hildebrand, said as far as he knows, none of her books was ever translated into Farsi. In 1981, she received devastating news: Her sister Pari had died after a fall down a flight of stairs. For decades, Ms. Rachlin could not bear to write about the tragedy; she did not turn to the subject until her memoir, in 2006. 'Yes, dearest Pari,' the last line of that work reads, 'it is to bring you back to life that I write this book.' Advertisement Her other works, all of which explore Iranian social and political life, include two short-story collections, 'Veils' (1992) and 'A Way Home' (2018); and three novels, 'The Heart's Desire' (1995), 'Jumping Over Fire' (2006), and 'Mirage' (2024). Her last novel, 'Given Away,' which will be published next year, is the story of an Iranian child bride. It draws from the life of her birth mother, who gave birth to her first child at 14. The mother-daughter connection featured prominently in Ms. Rachlin's work and in her life. She dreamed of living near her Aunt Maryam, whom she always called Mother, but Maryam felt that life in America would be too jarring and preferred to stay in Iran. With her own daughter, however, Ms. Rachlin found the tight mother-daughter bond that had always eluded her. 'Even in our rare disagreements,' Leila Rachlin wrote in an email, 'she would gently reassure me afterward, 'We're still best friends, right?'' This article originally appeared in
