Many human rights organisations appear to have now forgotten brother Rachid Ramda. But I still write to him and sometimes he writes back with requests for du`a. Please do not deprive him of your support.
Quick bio: Rachid Ramda, an Algerian architect and former British resident, was sentenced in France to life imprisonment without parole in 2007 for his alleged involvement in the 1995 Paris bombings - the verdict upheld when he appealed in late 2009. Key evidence against him was originally obtained from a co-defendant who had been tortured during interrogation while in French custody. He maintains his innocence to this day.
Prior to his extradition from the UK in 2005, Rachid spent a decade in the notorious HMP Belmarsh, locked up for 23 hours a day in a small cell. Known for his generosity and stoic patience, he was much loved by his fellow prisoners and became a lifeline for them, to the extent he became known as Rachid ‘One Brother Wonder’ Ramda. Whilst in prison, he completed his memorisation of the Qur'an as well as an Open University Course in English literature.
Before he was extradited, Rachid had commented:
"I keep flying the flag of hope but I can't go on forever without Allah's Support and your support".
Send a letter or card to console Rachid. Let him know he has not been abandoned. Monsieur Rachid RAMDA
92 1989
Div 2/15
MA Fresnes
Allée des Thuyas
94261 Fresnes Cedex,
France
Quick review: "Our relation to the world is one of concern. For students, social researchers and general readers, Why Things Matter to Peopleshows how social science and philosophy need to change to understand people's evaluative relation to the world, and particularly their ethical dispositions and sense of dignity."
Andrew Sayer undertakes a fundamental critique of social science's difficulties in acknowledging that people's relation to the world is one of concern. As sentient beings, capable of flourishing and suffering, and particularly vulnerable to how others treat us, our view of the world is substantially evaluative. Yet modernist ways of thinking encourage the common but extraordinary belief that values are beyond reason, and merely subjective or matters of convention, with little or nothing to do with the kind of beings people are, the quality of their social relations, their material circumstances or well-being. The author shows how social theory and philosophy need to change to reflect the complexity of everyday ethical concerns and the importance people attach to dignity. He argues for a robustly critical social science that explains and evaluates social life from the standpoint of human flourishing.
Take 3-5 photos that tell a story or show someone's various stages of life.
Find a dominant colour from the photos, I followed a blue/orange theme, and select 12x12" scrapbooking papers that match this colour in either shade or pattern.
Crop the photos to reduce extra space, matt and layer with plain coloured papers (by this I mean measure, cut and adhere the papers behind each photo) and then plan out a layout you're happy with.
Glue the photos down with enough border space for adding those 3D spiffy embellishments and decorations like tags, old toys, paperclips... As in my montage above I've used photos of my two favouritest teenagers' growing up from babyhood, I've covered the gaps with the buttons I had left over from clothing and the studio clearout; try to find beads and buttons that co-ordinate well with your colours and textures.
