WARNING FOR MOTORISTS AHEAD OF FESTIVAL OF CHARIOTS

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Warning for motorists ahead of Festival of Chariots

Motorists are being warned about possible delays due to the annual Festival of Chariots that takes place in Leicester tomorrow.

The Hare Krishna Festival of Chariots, known as Rathayatra, is the second largest festival of its kind in Europe, with 10,000 people expected to attend

The procession is due to start at the Clock Tower at 11.30am before moving along Haymarket, Belgrave Gate, Belgrave Road, Cossington Street and Rendell Road.

It is due to arrive at Cossington Park at about 2.30pm.

As well as delays along these roads, there will also be diversions for some buses. Passengers are advised to check with their bus company for further details.

The festival includes people pulling three huge chariots carrying the Deities of Lord Jagannatha (Krishna), his sister Subhadra, and Lord Balarama from the Clock Tower to Cossington Park, accompanied with music, singing and dancing.

THIS WEEK'S VISITORS (3,366)

Here are the top ten countries from which the blog has received visits in the past week.

1. United States 1176
2. Indonesia 802
3. United Kingdom 335
4. Saudi Arabia 298
5. France 219
6. Russia 131
7. China 118
8. Venezuela 112
9. Germany 83
10. Ukraine 72

This week's total: 3,366 (last week: 3,293). These are aggregates of figures from the top ten countries only. Blogger's analytics doesn't show the numbers of pageviews below the tenth-ranking country and they don’t show the cumulative total including those additional countries, which is undoubtedly larger than the number shown above.

The world map at the top of this post is the graphic that I see on the stats page. The darker the green, the more pageviews from that country. I can see different versions of that map for "now" (i.e. in the last two hours), "today", "this week", "this month" and "all time". They're updated each time I look at them.

GROOVY GIRL SIGNS UP FOR PEACE

A new wooden sculpture, in the style of a Totem Pole, has fetched up in Wigston's Peace Memorial Park. When Grace sees it on one of our frequent visits to the park, she says, "Oh cool; it's got the Groovy Girl sign on top!" Nice bit of brand appropriation - and there's the groovy girl herself.

JESUS PEOPLE, LOVING PEOPLE

A striking sight today, of two Jesus Army minibuses parked in Springfield Road to the side of London Road United Church, within sight of Bishop's Lodge, the residence of the Bishop of Leicester. Makes it sound like a rather sacred spot!

Also known as the Jesus Fellowship, this organisation has weekly meetings at three separate spots around Leicester. Their motto is "Jesus People, Loving People". Just about all of us could do with a bit more loving in our lives these days.

DELIGHT AS RIAZ GIVEN HONOUR

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury: 

 

Delight as Riaz given honour

A charity working to strengthen interfaith relations has congratulated a member of staff who has received a major award from De Montfort University.

The director of St Philip's Centre, The Rev Canon Dr John Hall, expressed delight after Riaz Ravat, deputy director of the centre was honoured as Alumnus of the Year. He accepted the award at a graduation ceremony at Curve.

CARIBBEAN CARNIVAL: SUNSHINE'S ON ITS WAY, WHATEVER THE WEATHER

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Caribbean Carnival: sunshine's on its way, whatever the weather

by Yasmin Duffin

Thousands of people will enjoy a sunburst of colour this weekend as Leicester's annual Caribbean Carnival takes place.

Entertainers, floats and bands will take to the streets for the 28th carnival tomorrow.

The parade will leave Victoria Park, in London Road, at 1pm and enter the city centre before returning to the park at 4pm.

Celebrations will be taking place from at the park from midday until 8pm.

Entertainment will be provided by dancers, music and other performers throughout the day.

Carnival chairman Dennis Christopher said: "The theme is Colour My World because we want to bring all races and religions together."The street carnival will be full of beautiful colours.

"People should expect different foods, music, dance – from all cultures.

"Visitors can meet old and new friends and just enjoy themselves."The meaning of carnival, is emancipation of slavery – when slaves were freed, they did their own thing and that's what it's all about."

Mr Christopher said this was an important year for the carnival because of Leicester's bid to be UK City of Culture in 2017.

He said he hoped the carnival would play a major part in securing the coveted title for Leicester.

The carnival route will see the procession travel from Victoria Park, along London Road, Waterloo Way, Charles Street, Gallowtree Gate, Granby Street, Northampton Street, Waterloo Way and up London Road back to Victoria Park.

The main stage at Victoria Park will feature a variety of local, regional and national artists, ranging from the sound of R 'n' B, reggae, hip-hop and chart pop.

Mr Christopher said: "There will be all kinds of different music played but the majority will be calypso, steel band and soca – the rest will fit in between.

"I'm looking forward to it, I'm just hoping for a safe carnival and I'm keeping my eye on the weather.

"We've already started planning the 2014 carnival."

Police have given carnival goers advice on how to stay safe and crime-free at the event.

Chief Superintendent Stuart Prior said: "Last year around 15,000 people attended the event at Victoria Park and no crimes were reported.

"However, as with all events which attract large crowds, there are some simple steps that we urge people to consider to reduce the risk of them becoming a victim of crime."

To prevent the probability of crime, officers have suggested keeping valuables out of sight; keeping belongings with you at all times; keeping bags fastened securely and not to carry too much cash.

SEX EXPLOITATION TRIAL: THREE MEN PLEAD GUILTY

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

An artist's impression of the three men accused of sexually exploiting a 16-year-old schoolgirl

Sex exploitation trial: three men plead guilty

The trial of three men accused of sexually exploiting a 16-year-old schoolgirl was dramatically stopped today, for guilty pleas to be entered.

Aabidali Mubarak Ali (39), Rakib Iacub (20) and Wajid Usman (22), admitted seven of the 22 counts they originally faced.

The prosecution accepted the guilty pleas to the lesser number of offences “in the public interest” and to spare the “vulnerable victim” the ordeal of giving evidence in court.

The girl, now 17, was due to go into the witness box at Leicester Crown Court this afternoon to be cross-examined by three defence advocates.

The prosecution claimed the defendants ignored her young age and paid, or offered to pay her, for sexual activity.

During the trial, the court heard the victim had voluntarily sold sexual services to friends to raise money because she wanted to leave home.

She admitted taking cannabis and drinking vodka to excess to “ease my sorrow.”

Whilst in that vulnerable state, she met Iacub at a Diwali festival last November, which led to the co-accused and three other men becoming sexually involved with her.

Judge Michael Pert QC discharged the jury from further involvement.

Ali, of Guthlaxton Street, Highfields, admitted two counts of paying for the sexual services of a child under 18 - at a guest house in Saxby Street, Highfields, and at a flat in Kashmir Road, St Matthews - as well one offence of facilitating child prostitution at the flat, between last November and January.

Iacub, of Maynard Road, Highfields, admitted offering to pay for the sexual services of a child under 18 and facilitating child prostitution, at the guest house.

He also admitted offering to pay the girl for a sexual encounter in a car at Leicester’s Watermead Park.

Usman, an illegal immigrant from Afghanistan, of no fixed address, admitted one count of paying for the sexual services of a child under 18, at a flat attached to the Mogul Durbar, restaurant in East Park Road, Spinney Hills.

Usman stayed at the flat for three or four weeks, whilst informally helping out at the restaurant – which was ransacked by members of the Sikh community, mainly from Derby, who were protesting about the perceived lack of police action in relation to the victim in this case, in January.

A group of 40 to 50 men burst in and attacked innocent members of staff, who had nothing to with the child exploitation allegations, causing customers to flee in terror.

The prosecutor, Matthew Lowe, said today: “Regarding the guilty pleas, the matter has been considered at a very high level within the CPS, the police force and there’s been consultation with the complainant and those who are looking after her interests.

“It avoids a damaged and fragile young women giving evidence and being asked questions.”

They will be sentenced on August 30, along with three other men, who have already admitted related charges involving the same victim.

They are Bharat Modhwadia (25), of Wycombe Road, Humberstone, Leicester, Hamza Imtiazali (25), of Kashmir Road, and Chandresh Mistry (37), of Berridge Lane, Belgrave, Leicester.

Afterwards, head of Leicestershire Police Safeguarding department, Det Superintendent David Sandall, said: “The victim supports the action that’s been taken today.

“It’s a relief for her, and her family, that she won’t have to re-live her ordeal and be cross-examined by three defence barristers“She was targeted because of her vulnerability and that’s why she was exploited.

“She’s had a wide range of support, including from her family and the police to prepare her for the trial.”

He said although the police were informed about exploitation relating to the girl, before the Moghul Durbar restaurant was ransacked, it was not until after that incident that she actually made “disclosures” about what had happened to her.

He said: “She was supported by third parties and we were victim-led and didn’t pressure her.

“Within three days of her telling us we’d made arrests.“

Det Supt Sandall said the suggestion, by the victim in her tape-recorded police interview, that other Sikh girls may have been exploited was “proactively investigated”.

He said: “People haven’t told us of any other victim, but we would encourage anyone to come forward.

“We’ve worked closely with social care, health services and schools as part of this investigation.”

EVERYBODY WAS KUNG FU FIGHTING

Diversity comes in many forms. I do like to get a bit of everything on the blog that reflects the varied experience in and around Leicester. I was taken by surprise by an open-air Kung Fu lesson outside the Royal British Legion club in Wigston. And for diversity-upon-diversity, yes, there's a white Rastaman in there. That's not me he's up against - perish the thought. It was a little bit frightening; those cats were fast as lightning!

KING RICHARD III VISITOR CENTRE BRIEFING

At Leicester's medieval Guildhall this afternoon (the hottest day of the year so far) for a briefing for "key individuals and organisations" regarding the latest developments on the King Richard III Visitor Centre and its relation to Leicester's bid to become UK City of Culture 2017.

City Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby leads both parts of the meeting, with contributions from many of the attendees, representing interested parties from city and county.

City Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby & Nisha Popat (Business Development Manager, Leicester City Council)

Early in the meeting we break into small groups for a quick bit of workshopping, in which we consider three questions:

• What are the opportunities for the city in general in relation to Richard III?
• What are the opportunities for your organisation in relation to Richard III?
• What opportunities could arise for your organisation from the Richard III Visitor Centre?

It's revealed for the first time today that the major themes around which the Richard II visitor experience will be structured are:

• Death
• Dynasty
• Discovery

Since final planning approval is still pending for the Visitor Centre and eveyone is avoiding the temptation to count their chickens before they've hatched, the presentation today is more concept than content. But even that offers an inspiring glimpse of the benefits to come.

There's an exhibition of artist's impressions of the Visitor Centre that we can peruse at our leisure before and after the formal presentations. A few of us sneak into the temporary Richard III exhibition in the Cathedral Visitor Centre attached to the Guildhall. This exhibition welcomed its 100,000th visitor this week.

I'm glad to see Smita Shah here. Smita represents the Jain Centre on Leicester Council of Faiths, Since the Jain Centre is just a stone's throw from the site of the Visitor Centre, she publicly acknowledges that they expect a positive impact on the number and range of visitors they'll expect to receive once the Visitor Centre opens. I hope that the example of the Jain Centre will help other faith communities and organisations in the city feel involved in what has already become a great boon to Leicester - one which can only increase in years to come.

FIRST PERSON: A FEAST WHICH FOLLOWS A FAST IS NOT IN SPIRIT

Manzoor Moghal has written the First Person column in today's Leicester Mercury:

A feast which follows a fast is not in spirit

The month of Ramadan is once again upon us and Muslims everywhere are fasting. It is obligatory for Muslims to fast during this month, as laid down in the Qu'ran, and they refrain from food, drink and tobacco from dawn to sunset, which at this time of year would be an average of 19 hours a day in Britain.

Before the advent of Islam, fasting was also prescribed for other religions but, with the passage of time, their fasting practices became truncated, distorted and were tailored to the convenience of their followers, with the result that the whole concept of fasting in these religions became totally corrupted.

In one of these religions, a whole month designated for fasting allows its people to eat and drink everything except cooked food and a few other items during the fasting period from morning to evening.In another religion where fasting stretches beyond 30 days, its adherents have to give up one item of their daily favourite food, while allowing them to eat and drink everything else at any time.

In yet another religion, two separate fasting days are extended to 24 hours of total refrain from any eating or drinking, and it has four other days which are somewhat similar to the Islamic way of fasting.

Other minor faiths have some variations, but none of these are anywhere near the Muslim way, which has remained in its pristine purity since its inception some 1,400 years ago.

However, there is a worrying trend which has recently crept into the Islamic way of fasting and it has begun to undermine both the spirit and the letter of fasting.

The time of breaking the Muslim fast at sunset is called iftar, and Muslims do this generally by eating a couple of dates and drinking tea or a glass of milk or water, followed by the fourth obligatory prayer of the day called maghrib.

After this, they disburse to their homes where they eat a modest meal before they go into the long night prayers at their mosques.

Unfortunately, the breaking of the fast time iftar is being turned into feasting by well-heeled Muslims – and it is becoming fashionable practice among many Muslims in some countries, including Britain.

Arab Muslims in the Middle East gorge themselves routinely with large quantities of food every evening after breaking their fast, and Muslims in places such as Pakistan have big iftar parties in restaurants, hotels and community centres.

Of late, a national Muslim organisation is encouraging Muslims in Britain to organise such iftar parties, inviting non-Muslims to participate in order to socialise and promote better understanding between different faiths.

The month of Ramadan is for fasting and not feasting!

Manzoor Moghal is an author and social commentator