An explosive new study has shown that mothers in the UK are categorically being let down by our childcare system.

The report, which was published in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/money/2021/sep/12/uk-failing-on-childcare-finds-survey-of-over-20000-working-parents" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Guardian</a>, revealed that 84 per cent of women feel that childcare has impacted their progression and salary at work – compared to 58 per cent of men. In addition, more than 60 per cent of women cut back on their hours after having a baby, in contrast to just 26 per cent of men.

With this in mind, it's little wonder that 83 per cent of the women who participated in the survey said that childcare impacts mothers more than fathers.

"Often, it's brilliant women who are doing their absolute best to raise their children and keep a roof over their heads," says Joeli Brearley, the founder of <a href="https://pregnantthenscrewed.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pregnant Then Screwed</a>, a charity that helped distribute the survey. "But now, these women are ending up with serious mental health issues."

[caption id="attachment_12632249" align="alignnone" width="2560"]<img class="size-full wp-image-12632249" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/09/F8M7P5-scaled.jpeg" alt="pregnant woman " width="2560" height="1707" /> Mothers in the UK are categorically being let down on childcare (Credit: Alamy)[/caption]
<h2>Women 'having it all' is jibberish</h2>
While in 2021, you'd think that women would be closer than ever to "having it all", Brearley denounces the notion as "jibberish" during an exclusive interview with <strong>Four Nine</strong>.

This, she says, is only possible for the ultra-wealthy, who can afford to have a stay at home partner, a nanny, a cleaner and a cook. Otherwise, it can be virtually impossible to climb the career ladder with young children.
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/pregnancy-discrimination-nearly-killed-baby-boss">Pregnancy discrimination nearly killed my baby – I'll never forgive my manager</a></strong></p>
Given that the burden of childcare largely falls on women, Brearly explains that prohibitive childcare costs can entrench poverty, especially when it comes to single mothers.

For the 2021 and 2022 cohorts, <a href="https://www.daynurseries.co.uk/advice/childcare-costs-how-much-do-you-pay-in-the-uk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Day Nurseries</a> reports that a full-time nursery place for a child under two costs just over £13,700 a year, on average.

"Coupled families split that cost between them, but single parents don't have that option — especially because 90 per cent of single parents are women," she explains.

"They're left with an impossible scenario where they have to work to earn a living, and to keep food on the table — but they can't afford to work and pay for childcare. That's why we see so many single-parent families living in poverty."

[caption id="attachment_12632252" align="alignnone" width="1920"]<img class="size-full wp-image-12632252" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/09/bonnie-kittle-f7bKsvOgwU-unsplash.jpeg" alt="baby " width="1920" height="1439" /> The burden of childcare still largely falls on women (Credit: Alamy)[/caption]
<h2>'New mothers often take pay cuts and demotions'</h2>
While single mothers face the worst of this, in most cases, it's also largely women who are held back in their careers due to childcare expenses.

In the Guardian report, only 16 per cent of women said that childcare had not affected their seniority or income in the workplace, compared to 42 per cent of men. And just one-third of female respondents said they hadn't reduced their hours after becoming mothers.

Brearley explains that this is largely due to the fact that the parental leave system continues to favour men. She says that the UK's rules on parental leave are a failure, largely in part of its complexity. The policy <a href="https://www.acas.org.uk/parental-leave" target="_blank" rel="noopener">states</a> that parents are allowed up to 50 weeks of leave, which can be shared but only if the parents meet certain eligibility criteria.
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://www.fournine.net/body-positivity-meaning-fat-liberation-gina-tonic" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span data-sheets-value="{'1':2,'2':'Body positivity has lost its meaning, says Gina Tonic'}" data-sheets-userformat="{'2':2561,'3':{'1':0},'12':0,'14':{'1':2,'2':0}}">Body positivity has lost its meaning, says Gina Tonic</span></a></strong></p>
As such, the majority of men continue to take just one or two weeks of paternity leave, while women are left needing to take off considerably more time off work.

"So, we do much more of the domestic labour and almost three times the amount of caring than men," Brearley tells me. "It's not possible to do all this unpaid work, and a full-time job.

"It's unsurprising, then, that two-thirds of women say they need to work fewer hours to do all of this after they return from maternity leave.

"Women often take pay cuts and demotions in order to do that, and their careers completely stagnate as a result. The system is just not working for women — and it's their partners who end up getting raises and promotions when they have kids."

[caption id="attachment_12632250" align="alignnone" width="1920"]<img class="size-full wp-image-12632250" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/09/american-heritage-chocolate-qGC_VtXyyYY-unsplash.jpeg" alt="woman with children " width="1920" height="1280" /> Women are held back in their careers due to childcare expenses (Credit: Alamy)[/caption]
<h2>'Mothers outperform women without children'</h2>
Brearley also points out the implicit biases that new mothers face at work.

"From the point that they get pregnant, they're not seen as committed to their job," she explains. "So the response they get changes, they're less likely to be promoted, and more likely to be sidelined. They're also more likely to be made redundant, and some women are pushed out of their jobs entirely.

"It's not because their work ethic has changed. It's because perception of that work ethic has changed."
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/sexual-harassment-workplace-venus-libido">Sexual harassment in the workplace pushed me to try and take my own life</a></strong></p>
In fact, she continues, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2014/10/30/study-women-with-more-children-are-more-productive-at-work/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">research</a> has proven that mothers tend to be incredibly efficient and productive upon their return to the workplace — with mothers outperforming women without children at nearly every stage of their careers.

"When you're on maternity leave, you learn all these brilliant new skills about patience, as well as multitasking and emotional intelligence. And if you put the skills of motherhood next to what you need for a brilliant manager, they're almost identical. It's like this elite training programme that you go on, and all you need is to receive some support for the first three months of your transition back into the workplace.

"If you do that, employees will find that they have a really dedicated, brilliant member of the team. <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/women-in-the-workplace" target="_blank" rel="noopener">McKinsey's</a> research has shown that if you promote those women, and if you have more women on your senior leadership team, you're a more profitable company."

[caption id="attachment_12632251" align="alignnone" width="1920"]<img class="size-full wp-image-12632251" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/09/christina-wocintechchat-com-dFCOgR91H5M-unsplash.jpeg" alt="woman at work " width="1920" height="1282" /> The government is being called on to investment more in childcare (Credit: Alamy)[/caption]
<h2>'The government must do more'</h2>
So, what happens to the women who try and make it work under these incredibly tough circumstances? Oftentimes, they either take shorter maternity leave, for fear of exiting the workplace for too long, or they compromise on childcare.

For her part, Brearley says that she and her partner were able to make it work because she managed to find very affordable childcare, but she admits that she does not think the quality of care was up to scratch.

It is something she still feels guilt over: "No woman should ever have to be in that scenario. You don't want to feel like they may be crying, and that they're just left to scream because there are too many children there.
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/news/white-people-misidentify-colour-consequences">Why white people misidentify people of colour so often and its traumatic consequences</a></strong></p>
"They may not have been getting the same sort of mental nourishment they would have done if I'd been paying an extra £30 elsewhere. And that's what we're also seeing — the quality of our childcare in the UK is not good enough."

This is why it is imperative that the government invests more in childcare providers. To the present day, she says, the government has paid childcare workers appallingly for the work they do, which means the ratio between adult and child has increased. Inevitably, that means the quality has deteriorated too.

Naturally, it is the poorest who suffer here. "The attainment gap between the richest and poorest children is growing, and it's largely a result of the fact that the quality of our early year's sector is not there. These are the architects of our children's brains, after all."

[caption id="attachment_12632258" align="alignnone" width="1400"]<img class="wp-image-12632258 size-full" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/09/pexels-nappy-3536630.jpg" alt="father son baby (Credit: Pexels)" width="1400" height="934" /> Better paternity packages are needed to stop the burden falling so heavily on mums (Credit: Pexels)[/caption]
<h2>'We need to ringfence and properly pay paternity leave'</h2>
For Brearley, and the women behind Pregnant Then Screwed — the solution to this impenetrable-seeming situation has always remained the same, and it's simple: "We need to ringfence and properly pay paternity leave.

"And at the same time, the other big factor is childcare.

"If we don't have a system that is affordable and accessible, then inevitably one parent will have to take a step back from their career — and that tends to fall to women."

<p>An explosive new study has shown that mothers in the UK are categorically being let down by our childcare system.</p>
<p>The report, which was published in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/money/2021/sep/12/uk-failing-on-childcare-finds-survey-of-over-20000-working-parents" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Guardian</a>, revealed that 84 per cent of women feel that childcare has impacted their progression and salary at work – compared to 58 per cent of men. In addition, more than 60 per cent of women cut back on their hours after having a baby, in contrast to just 26 per cent of men.</p>
<p>With this in mind, it's little wonder that 83 per cent of the women who participated in the survey said that childcare impacts mothers more than fathers.</p>
<p>"Often, it's brilliant women who are doing their absolute best to raise their children and keep a roof over their heads," says Joeli Brearley, the founder of <a href="https://pregnantthenscrewed.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pregnant Then Screwed</a>, a charity that helped distribute the survey. "But now, these women are ending up with serious mental health issues."</p>
<figure>
            <img class="size-full wp-image-12632249" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/09/F8M7P5-scaled.jpeg" alt="pregnant woman " width="2560" height="1707" /><figcaption class='op-vertical-below'>
<h1>

 Mothers in the UK are categorically being let down on childcare (Credit: Alamy)</h1>
</figcaption></figure>
<h2>Women 'having it all' is jibberish</h2>
<p>While in 2021, you'd think that women would be closer than ever to "having it all", Brearley denounces the notion as "jibberish" during an exclusive interview with <strong>Four Nine</strong>.</p>
<p>This, she says, is only possible for the ultra-wealthy, who can afford to have a stay at home partner, a nanny, a cleaner and a cook. Otherwise, it can be virtually impossible to climb the career ladder with young children.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/pregnancy-discrimination-nearly-killed-baby-boss">Pregnancy discrimination nearly killed my baby – I'll never forgive my manager</a></strong></p>
<p>Given that the burden of childcare largely falls on women, Brearly explains that prohibitive childcare costs can entrench poverty, especially when it comes to single mothers.</p>
<p>For the 2021 and 2022 cohorts, <a href="https://www.daynurseries.co.uk/advice/childcare-costs-how-much-do-you-pay-in-the-uk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Day Nurseries</a> reports that a full-time nursery place for a child under two costs just over £13,700 a year, on average.</p>
<p>"Coupled families split that cost between them, but single parents don't have that option — especially because 90 per cent of single parents are women," she explains.</p>
<p>"They're left with an impossible scenario where they have to work to earn a living, and to keep food on the table — but they can't afford to work and pay for childcare. That's why we see so many single-parent families living in poverty."</p>
<figure>
            <img class="size-full wp-image-12632252" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/09/bonnie-kittle-f7bKsvOgwU-unsplash.jpeg" alt="baby " width="1920" height="1439" /><figcaption class='op-vertical-below'>
<h1>

 The burden of childcare still largely falls on women (Credit: Alamy)</h1>
</figcaption></figure>
<h2>'New mothers often take pay cuts and demotions'</h2>
<p>While single mothers face the worst of this, in most cases, it's also largely women who are held back in their careers due to childcare expenses.</p>
<p>In the Guardian report, only 16 per cent of women said that childcare had not affected their seniority or income in the workplace, compared to 42 per cent of men. And just one-third of female respondents said they hadn't reduced their hours after becoming mothers.</p>
<p>Brearley explains that this is largely due to the fact that the parental leave system continues to favour men. She says that the UK's rules on parental leave are a failure, largely in part of its complexity. The policy <a href="https://www.acas.org.uk/parental-leave" target="_blank" rel="noopener">states</a> that parents are allowed up to 50 weeks of leave, which can be shared but only if the parents meet certain eligibility criteria.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://www.fournine.net/body-positivity-meaning-fat-liberation-gina-tonic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Body positivity has lost its meaning, says Gina Tonic</a></strong></p>
<p>As such, the majority of men continue to take just one or two weeks of paternity leave, while women are left needing to take off considerably more time off work.</p>
<p>"So, we do much more of the domestic labour and almost three times the amount of caring than men," Brearley tells me. "It's not possible to do all this unpaid work, and a full-time job.</p>
<p>"It's unsurprising, then, that two-thirds of women say they need to work fewer hours to do all of this after they return from maternity leave.</p>
<p>"Women often take pay cuts and demotions in order to do that, and their careers completely stagnate as a result. The system is just not working for women — and it's their partners who end up getting raises and promotions when they have kids."</p>
<figure>
            <img class="size-full wp-image-12632250" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/09/american-heritage-chocolate-qGC_VtXyyYY-unsplash.jpeg" alt="woman with children " width="1920" height="1280" /><figcaption class='op-vertical-below'>
<h1>

 Women are held back in their careers due to childcare expenses (Credit: Alamy)</h1>
</figcaption></figure>
<h2>'Mothers outperform women without children'</h2>
<p>Brearley also points out the implicit biases that new mothers face at work.</p>
<p>"From the point that they get pregnant, they're not seen as committed to their job," she explains. "So the response they get changes, they're less likely to be promoted, and more likely to be sidelined. They're also more likely to be made redundant, and some women are pushed out of their jobs entirely.</p>
<p>"It's not because their work ethic has changed. It's because perception of that work ethic has changed."</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/sexual-harassment-workplace-venus-libido">Sexual harassment in the workplace pushed me to try and take my own life</a></strong></p>
<p>In fact, she continues, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2014/10/30/study-women-with-more-children-are-more-productive-at-work/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">research</a> has proven that mothers tend to be incredibly efficient and productive upon their return to the workplace — with mothers outperforming women without children at nearly every stage of their careers.</p>
<p>"When you're on maternity leave, you learn all these brilliant new skills about patience, as well as multitasking and emotional intelligence. And if you put the skills of motherhood next to what you need for a brilliant manager, they're almost identical. It's like this elite training programme that you go on, and all you need is to receive some support for the first three months of your transition back into the workplace.</p>
<p>"If you do that, employees will find that they have a really dedicated, brilliant member of the team. <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/women-in-the-workplace" target="_blank" rel="noopener">McKinsey's</a> research has shown that if you promote those women, and if you have more women on your senior leadership team, you're a more profitable company."</p>
<figure>
            <img class="size-full wp-image-12632251" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/09/christina-wocintechchat-com-dFCOgR91H5M-unsplash.jpeg" alt="woman at work " width="1920" height="1282" /><figcaption class='op-vertical-below'>
<h1>

 The government is being called on to investment more in childcare (Credit: Alamy)</h1>
</figcaption></figure>
<h2>'The government must do more'</h2>
<p>So, what happens to the women who try and make it work under these incredibly tough circumstances? Oftentimes, they either take shorter maternity leave, for fear of exiting the workplace for too long, or they compromise on childcare.</p>
<p>For her part, Brearley says that she and her partner were able to make it work because she managed to find very affordable childcare, but she admits that she does not think the quality of care was up to scratch.</p>
<p>It is something she still feels guilt over: "No woman should ever have to be in that scenario. You don't want to feel like they may be crying, and that they're just left to scream because there are too many children there.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/news/white-people-misidentify-colour-consequences">Why white people misidentify people of colour so often and its traumatic consequences</a></strong></p>
<p>"They may not have been getting the same sort of mental nourishment they would have done if I'd been paying an extra £30 elsewhere. And that's what we're also seeing — the quality of our childcare in the UK is not good enough."</p>
<p>This is why it is imperative that the government invests more in childcare providers. To the present day, she says, the government has paid childcare workers appallingly for the work they do, which means the ratio between adult and child has increased. Inevitably, that means the quality has deteriorated too.</p>
<p>Naturally, it is the poorest who suffer here. "The attainment gap between the richest and poorest children is growing, and it's largely a result of the fact that the quality of our early year's sector is not there. These are the architects of our children's brains, after all."</p>
<figure>
            <img class="wp-image-12632258 size-full" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/09/pexels-nappy-3536630.jpg" alt="father son baby (Credit: Pexels)" width="1400" height="934" /><figcaption class='op-vertical-below'>
<h1>

 Better paternity packages are needed to stop the burden falling so heavily on mums (Credit: Pexels)</h1>
</figcaption></figure>
<h2>'We need to ringfence and properly pay paternity leave'</h2>
<p>For Brearley, and the women behind Pregnant Then Screwed — the solution to this impenetrable-seeming situation has always remained the same, and it's simple: "We need to ringfence and properly pay paternity leave.</p>
<p>"And at the same time, the other big factor is childcare.</p>
<p>"If we don't have a system that is affordable and accessible, then inevitably one parent will have to take a step back from their career — and that tends to fall to women."</p>


Women are 'ending up with serious mental health issues' because of sexist childcare system

Gavin Williamson has been branded as the most "<a href="https://twitter.com/DavidLammy/status/1435567246601068544?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ignorant, clueless, and incapable</a>" education secretary in UK history this week.

In an interview with the <a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/gavin-williamson-interview-education-b954132.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Evening Standard</a>, the politician confused footballer, Marcus Rashford, with England rugby player, Maro Itoje.

Williamson was asked if he had met the Manchester United and England footballer, who has led a campaign to extend free school meals. He replied saying that he had met him over Zoom, where he seemed "incredibly engaged, compassionate and charming."

The paper later clarified that this was wrong – in fact, Williamson had actually met the Saracens and England rugby player, Itoje, who has campaigned to improve access to laptops and the internet for children unable to attend school during the pandemic.

Ivié Itoje, <a href="https://flairimpact.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Flair</a> anti-racist expert and the sister of the rugby player, tells <strong>Four Nine </strong>that misidentifying people of colour can take an emotional toll over time: "It's traumatic to be continually misidentified and it can definitely affect someone's mental health and self-esteem in a negative way."

[caption id="attachment_12632220" align="alignnone" width="2560"]<img class="size-full wp-image-12632220" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/09/PRAKXE-scaled.jpeg" alt="gavin williamson " width="2560" height="1708" /> Education secretary, Gavin Williamson, was the subject of outrage following recent remarks (Credit: Alamy)[/caption]
<h2>An 'honest' but unacceptable mistake</h2>
While Ivié says she wasn't particularly surprised by Williamson's mistake, it still proved disappointing. "I don't doubt that it was an honest mistake, but it is heavily loaded," she tells me.

"It speaks to a culture of seeing people of colour as a monolith, with their race or ethnicity being the defining characteristic of who they are, rather than their actual achievements.
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/news/devastating-impact-football-racism" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The devastating impact football racism has on players and how we can do better</a></strong></p>
"It creates the impression that white people are seen as individuals, while the same is not afforded to groups of people of colour."

Rashford and Itoje are two high-profile individuals, which begs the question of how often people in everyday life are misidentified in the workplace — which Ivié says is an example of microaggression.

[caption id="attachment_12632228" align="alignnone" width="2560"]<img class="size-full wp-image-12632228" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/09/M4FX3E-scaled.jpeg" alt="Maro Itoje" width="2560" height="1630" /> Williamson had met with Maro Itoje – not Marcus Rashford (Credit: Alamy)[/caption]
<h2>Why do white people misidentify people of colour?</h2>
Although it's not unusual to be confused with someone else, the frequency of it happening to people of colour, especially when in predominantly white spaces, is unacceptable.

According to research,  there is a scientific reason behind this. Studies have shown that people find it easier to identify faces from their own race — a phenomenon that is referred to as own-race bias or the cross-race effect.

However, this does not condone repeated errors, nor the emotional impact that this can have on people of colour.
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/news/r-kelly-trial-questions-prison-aaliyah">What to expect from R. Kelly trial – from prison sentences to testimonies from Aaliyah's family</a></strong></p>
A 2018 <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2703945" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a> on the experiences of Black, Hispanic and Native American resident physicians in the US showed that those particular groups of doctors "were routinely mistaken for other minority residents," sending a message that they were "indistinct from each other". Unsurprisingly, this contributed to their overall stress levels.

Certainly, as well as creating a culture where people feel invisible, Ivié corroborates that this can carry career implications.

"Being visible is a huge component when it comes to being advanced in the workplace," she explains. "While it may seem innocent, in the long run, this can have devastating effects on someone's career."

[caption id="attachment_12631839" align="alignnone" width="2560"]<img class="size-full wp-image-12631839" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/07/2D8TRC0-scaled.jpeg" alt="" width="2560" height="1642" /> Manchester United and England footballer, Marcus Rashford, brushed off the comments (Credit: Alamy)[/caption]
<h2>There is a pressure to not be seen as aggressive</h2>
Rashford and Itoje are both young Black sportsmen and philanthropists — but that's where the similarities end as they later pointed out on social media.

The footballer took to <a href="https://twitter.com/marcusrashford/status/1435565258932998148" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a> to jest that their different accents "could have been a giveaway", with the laughing-crying emoji. He of course hails from Manchester, while Itoje was born in Camden, North London.

Meanwhile, the rugby player also <a href="https://twitter.com/maroitoje/status/1435600502079868930" target="_blank" rel="noopener">joked</a>: "Due to recent speculation I thought it was necessary to confirm that I am not Marcus Rashford … And whilst we are here my name is not Mario either!! Just a simple Maro Itoje will do … Much love, Marcu … I mean Maro Itoje."
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/defamed-black-panthers-too-long-not-terrorists">We have defamed the Black Panthers for too long – they were not terrorists</a></strong></p>
As Ivié acknowledges, their response to the gaffe was largely to make light of it. This, she explains, is something that many Black and minority ethnic people are expected to do in light of microaggressions. "There is a pressure to not be seen as aggressive, or play into racist stereotypes of being perceived as being angry or 'too much' — this is a burden that is placed on us.

"It can be expected of employees of colour to dismiss things as 'not a big deal'," she continues, adding out that there is also a cultural history of Black men being seen as "aggressive, angry and dominant," creating a "criminality and aggressiveness that has been attached to Blackness.

"I'm not saying that Marcus or Maro were conscious of this, but if I am speaking more broadly, Black people are generally aware that our responses can be politicised. It only makes sense that we handle it in the best way we know to, and that can be by making jest of the situation."

[caption id="attachment_12632219" align="alignnone" width="1707"]<img class="size-full wp-image-12632219" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/09/HXPRYP-scaled.jpeg" alt="maro itoje" width="1707" height="2560" /> Itoje also poked fun at the gaffe on social media (Credit: Alamy)[/caption]
<h2>Gavin Williamson's apology 'should just be the start'</h2>
Cabinet MP, Williamson, has since issued an apology for the mixup, claiming to have made a "genuine mistake."

"Towards the end of a wide-ranging interview in which I talked about both the laptops and school meals campaigns, I conflated the issues and made a genuine mistake,” he said. "I have huge respect for both Marcus Rashford and Maro Itoje who run effective and inspiring campaigns."
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/news/what-sharia-law-women-afghanistan">How life could change for women in Afghanistan following Taliban takeover</a></strong></p>
Commenting on the apology, Ivié says that what should apply to Williamson also applies to the rest of us as a society. "He holds a great amount of power, so this could be an opportunity for him to be a role model," she explains.

"We need to be sure that anti-racist work is not just performative. People actually need to be learning about racial literacy, and doing the work to unlearn societal beliefs held about race.

"That's how we will be able to see a shift in how people of colour are viewed, and a shift in the structures around us."

[caption id="attachment_12632236" align="alignnone" width="1500"]<img class="wp-image-12632236 size-full" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/09/2C8YMTH.jpg" alt="Gavin Williamson (Credit: Alamy)" width="1500" height="1000" /> Williamson 'needs to do more than apologise'  (Credit: Alamy)[/caption]
<h2>Turning a 'gaffe' into an allyship</h2>
Hakeem S. Allen, the Founder and Executive Director of <a href="http://www.theantiracistsocial.club/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.theantiracistsocial.club&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1631359342303000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFHbY-xc56aLFg9_Y4fSiN4QrqR4w">The Anti-Racist Social Club</a>, corroborates Ivié's belief that Williamson now has an opportunity to model what active anti-racism work should look like.

He tells <strong>Four Nine</strong>: "Microaggressions have researched physical, mental, and emotional impacts on health, it's why they're called 'death by a thousand cuts'.

"This is exactly what we help people and organisations understand, that it's not about their intention, it's about their impact.
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/entertainment/britney-spears-relationshio-father-jamie">Inside Britney Spears' troubled relationship with her father Jamie</a></strong></p>
"It's not enough to just shrug our shoulders and say 'I'm sorry' for a 'simple mix-up,' a mix-up that required both of these young, Black men to validate their individual existences.

"This is a moment, to set an example as a government leader. The apology should just be the start, he should weaponise his privilege for good and invite Rashford to have an audience with him not only to rectify the issue but also give support to Rashford's admirable efforts to support young children around the UK.

"That's how you turn a 'gaffe' into allyship," he concludes.
<h5>Feature image credit: Alamy</h5>

<p>Gavin Williamson has been branded as the most "<a href="https://twitter.com/DavidLammy/status/1435567246601068544?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ignorant, clueless, and incapable</a>" education secretary in UK history this week.</p>
<p>In an interview with the <a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/gavin-williamson-interview-education-b954132.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Evening Standard</a>, the politician confused footballer, Marcus Rashford, with England rugby player, Maro Itoje.</p>
<p>Williamson was asked if he had met the Manchester United and England footballer, who has led a campaign to extend free school meals. He replied saying that he had met him over Zoom, where he seemed "incredibly engaged, compassionate and charming."</p>
<p>The paper later clarified that this was wrong – in fact, Williamson had actually met the Saracens and England rugby player, Itoje, who has campaigned to improve access to laptops and the internet for children unable to attend school during the pandemic.</p>
<p>Ivié Itoje, <a href="https://flairimpact.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Flair</a> anti-racist expert and the sister of the rugby player, tells <strong>Four Nine </strong>that misidentifying people of colour can take an emotional toll over time: "It's traumatic to be continually misidentified and it can definitely affect someone's mental health and self-esteem in a negative way."</p>
<figure>
            <img class="size-full wp-image-12632220" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/09/PRAKXE-scaled.jpeg" alt="gavin williamson " width="2560" height="1708" /><figcaption class='op-vertical-below'>
<h1>

 Education secretary, Gavin Williamson, was the subject of outrage following recent remarks (Credit: Alamy)</h1>
</figcaption></figure>
<h2>An 'honest' but unacceptable mistake</h2>
<p>While Ivié says she wasn't particularly surprised by Williamson's mistake, it still proved disappointing. "I don't doubt that it was an honest mistake, but it is heavily loaded," she tells me.</p>
<p>"It speaks to a culture of seeing people of colour as a monolith, with their race or ethnicity being the defining characteristic of who they are, rather than their actual achievements.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/news/devastating-impact-football-racism" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The devastating impact football racism has on players and how we can do better</a></strong></p>
<p>"It creates the impression that white people are seen as individuals, while the same is not afforded to groups of people of colour."</p>
<p>Rashford and Itoje are two high-profile individuals, which begs the question of how often people in everyday life are misidentified in the workplace — which Ivié says is an example of microaggression.</p>
<figure>
            <img class="size-full wp-image-12632228" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/09/M4FX3E-scaled.jpeg" alt="Maro Itoje" width="2560" height="1630" /><figcaption class='op-vertical-below'>
<h1>

 Williamson had met with Maro Itoje – not Marcus Rashford (Credit: Alamy)</h1>
</figcaption></figure>
<h2>Why do white people misidentify people of colour?</h2>
<p>Although it's not unusual to be confused with someone else, the frequency of it happening to people of colour, especially when in predominantly white spaces, is unacceptable.</p>
<p>According to research,  there is a scientific reason behind this. Studies have shown that people find it easier to identify faces from their own race — a phenomenon that is referred to as own-race bias or the cross-race effect.</p>
<p>However, this does not condone repeated errors, nor the emotional impact that this can have on people of colour.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/news/r-kelly-trial-questions-prison-aaliyah">What to expect from R. Kelly trial – from prison sentences to testimonies from Aaliyah's family</a></strong></p>
<p>A 2018 <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2703945" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a> on the experiences of Black, Hispanic and Native American resident physicians in the US showed that those particular groups of doctors "were routinely mistaken for other minority residents," sending a message that they were "indistinct from each other". Unsurprisingly, this contributed to their overall stress levels.</p>
<p>Certainly, as well as creating a culture where people feel invisible, Ivié corroborates that this can carry career implications.</p>
<p>"Being visible is a huge component when it comes to being advanced in the workplace," she explains. "While it may seem innocent, in the long run, this can have devastating effects on someone's career."</p>
<figure>
            <img class="size-full wp-image-12631839" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/07/2D8TRC0-scaled.jpeg" alt="" width="2560" height="1642" /><figcaption class='op-vertical-below'>
<h1>

 Manchester United and England footballer, Marcus Rashford, brushed off the comments (Credit: Alamy)</h1>
</figcaption></figure>
<h2>There is a pressure to not be seen as aggressive</h2>
<p>Rashford and Itoje are both young Black sportsmen and philanthropists — but that's where the similarities end as they later pointed out on social media.</p>
<p>The footballer took to <a href="https://twitter.com/marcusrashford/status/1435565258932998148" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a> to jest that their different accents "could have been a giveaway", with the laughing-crying emoji. He of course hails from Manchester, while Itoje was born in Camden, North London.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the rugby player also <a href="https://twitter.com/maroitoje/status/1435600502079868930" target="_blank" rel="noopener">joked</a>: "Due to recent speculation I thought it was necessary to confirm that I am not Marcus Rashford … And whilst we are here my name is not Mario either!! Just a simple Maro Itoje will do … Much love, Marcu … I mean Maro Itoje."</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/defamed-black-panthers-too-long-not-terrorists">We have defamed the Black Panthers for too long – they were not terrorists</a></strong></p>
<p>As Ivié acknowledges, their response to the gaffe was largely to make light of it. This, she explains, is something that many Black and minority ethnic people are expected to do in light of microaggressions. "There is a pressure to not be seen as aggressive, or play into racist stereotypes of being perceived as being angry or 'too much' — this is a burden that is placed on us.</p>
<p>"It can be expected of employees of colour to dismiss things as 'not a big deal'," she continues, adding out that there is also a cultural history of Black men being seen as "aggressive, angry and dominant," creating a "criminality and aggressiveness that has been attached to Blackness.</p>
<p>"I'm not saying that Marcus or Maro were conscious of this, but if I am speaking more broadly, Black people are generally aware that our responses can be politicised. It only makes sense that we handle it in the best way we know to, and that can be by making jest of the situation."</p>
<figure>
            <img class="size-full wp-image-12632219" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/09/HXPRYP-scaled.jpeg" alt="maro itoje" width="1707" height="2560" /><figcaption class='op-vertical-below'>
<h1>

 Itoje also poked fun at the gaffe on social media (Credit: Alamy)</h1>
</figcaption></figure>
<h2>Gavin Williamson's apology 'should just be the start'</h2>
<p>Cabinet MP, Williamson, has since issued an apology for the mixup, claiming to have made a "genuine mistake."</p>
<p>"Towards the end of a wide-ranging interview in which I talked about both the laptops and school meals campaigns, I conflated the issues and made a genuine mistake,” he said. "I have huge respect for both Marcus Rashford and Maro Itoje who run effective and inspiring campaigns."</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/news/what-sharia-law-women-afghanistan">How life could change for women in Afghanistan following Taliban takeover</a></strong></p>
<p>Commenting on the apology, Ivié says that what should apply to Williamson also applies to the rest of us as a society. "He holds a great amount of power, so this could be an opportunity for him to be a role model," she explains.</p>
<p>"We need to be sure that anti-racist work is not just performative. People actually need to be learning about racial literacy, and doing the work to unlearn societal beliefs held about race.</p>
<p>"That's how we will be able to see a shift in how people of colour are viewed, and a shift in the structures around us."</p>
<figure>
            <img class="wp-image-12632236 size-full" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/09/2C8YMTH.jpg" alt="Gavin Williamson (Credit: Alamy)" width="1500" height="1000" /><figcaption class='op-vertical-below'>
<h1>

 Williamson 'needs to do more than apologise'  (Credit: Alamy)</h1>
</figcaption></figure>
<h2>Turning a 'gaffe' into an allyship</h2>
<p>Hakeem S. Allen, the Founder and Executive Director of <a href="http://www.theantiracistsocial.club/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.theantiracistsocial.club&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1631359342303000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFHbY-xc56aLFg9_Y4fSiN4QrqR4w">The Anti-Racist Social Club</a>, corroborates Ivié's belief that Williamson now has an opportunity to model what active anti-racism work should look like.</p>
<p>He tells <strong>Four Nine</strong>: "Microaggressions have researched physical, mental, and emotional impacts on health, it's why they're called 'death by a thousand cuts'.</p>
<p>"This is exactly what we help people and organisations understand, that it's not about their intention, it's about their impact.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/entertainment/britney-spears-relationshio-father-jamie">Inside Britney Spears' troubled relationship with her father Jamie</a></strong></p>
<p>"It's not enough to just shrug our shoulders and say 'I'm sorry' for a 'simple mix-up,' a mix-up that required both of these young, Black men to validate their individual existences.</p>
<p>"This is a moment, to set an example as a government leader. The apology should just be the start, he should weaponise his privilege for good and invite Rashford to have an audience with him not only to rectify the issue but also give support to Rashford's admirable efforts to support young children around the UK.</p>
<p>"That's how you turn a 'gaffe' into allyship," he concludes.</p>
<h2>Feature image credit: Alamy</h2>


Why white people misidentify people of colour so often and its traumatic consequences

Since their shocking takeover of Afghanistan, the Taliban have stated that the country will be governed according to Islamic Law, also known as Sharia.

In the group's first press conference on August, Taliban spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid said that women's rights would be "respected within the framework of Islamic Law", and that they would have access to education and work.

They have not elaborated on what this means in reality, and reports are already emerging that women have been sent home from work and university in rural areas, per the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-taliban-7ab054c063e4ea1c14be9e4811f42982" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Associated Press</a>.

Here, <strong>Four Nine</strong> speaks to Simon Perfect — researcher at religious think tank, <a href="https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/about/our-people" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Theos</a> — about Sharia Law, and what it may mean for Afghanistan after US troops officially withdraw on their August 31st deadline.

[caption id="attachment_12632149" align="alignnone" width="2560"]<img class="wp-image-12632149 size-full" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/08/2GFP0CM-scaled.jpeg" alt="Taliban - what is sharia law" width="2560" height="1696" /> The Taliban have insisted that women's rights will be respected under its new regime (Credit: Alamy)[/caption]
<h2>What is Sharia Law?</h2>
Perfect explains that the term Sharia — which translates to "the way" —  is used in different ways by Muslims.

"Sharia encompasses a whole range of things, including what we in the West would identify as legal issues, and also how Muslims should conduct themselves in prayer and with people," he tells me.
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/health-beauty/never-ask-woman-pregnant">Why you should never, ever ask a woman if she's pregnant – even if she is</a>
</strong></p>
"Some scholars identify Sharia in another way, to mean God's will for humankind. So, here, you can make a distinction: there is God's will and then the human interpretations of that."

These human interpretations (Fiqh), or Islamic jurisprudence, have resulted in many different schools of thought when it comes to Sharia, some of which are contested.

As Perfect notes, this explains the huge diversity within Islamic law: "There is no single codebook, there are so many interpretations because it is a human attempt to interpret how God wants Muslims to behave."

[caption id="attachment_12632055" align="alignnone" width="2560"]<img class="wp-image-12632055 size-full" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/08/BCC7PP-scaled.jpeg" alt="women in afghanistan " width="2560" height="1707" /> During their previous rule in Afghanistan, the Taliban were known for enforcing strict modesty laws on women (Credit: Alamy)[/caption]
<h2>What rights are women given under Sharia Law?</h2>
Despite the Taliban and other militant Islamic groups' interpretation of Sharia, one of the starting principles within the Quran is equality between men and women.

"They are recognised as being equal in moral terms. However, equality in moral and spiritual terms can be contrasted with what men and women are expected to do within society," Perfect says, highlighting that in the early Muslim community, there was an expectation that men would be the ones going out and doing work, while mothers would primarily be mothers and carers.
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/10-absurd-pieces-of-advice-people-used-to-give-women-in-the-olden-days">10 absurd pieces of advice people used to give women</a>
</strong></p>
"Islam very much granted women new rights that were absent in pre-Islamic Arabia, and also absent in Christian Europe for centuries," he continues.

Certainly, the religion granted women the right to own their own personal property — and some of the women at the start of early Muslim community were highly independent. Khadija, the prophet's first wife, for example, was a very successful businesswoman.

Similarly, the importance that Islam places on education is equally weighted between men and women. "Women are exhorted to go pursue education, and that really manifested in the early Muslim community," adds Perfect. "There were many women who were important female scholars, they were involved in the compilation of the Hadith" — that is, reports about the Prophet Mohammed said and did.

"Many women were academics, and early jurists," Perfect continues. "They were important in the development of some of the earliest universities in the world, with Muslim civilisation being far ahead of Christian civilisation at the time in terms of education, and science.

"Islam was very forward-think for its time, and that's why so many Muslim women argue that liberation can come from within."

[caption id="attachment_12632150" align="alignnone" width="1932"]<img class="size-full wp-image-12632150" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/08/EJF4D3.jpeg" alt="Taliban" width="1932" height="1293" /> Over the past 20 years, women within Afghanistan have had greater rights — outside Taliban rule (Credit: Alamy)[/caption]
<h2>What is the Taliban's interpretation of Sharia Law?</h2>
The Taliban is known for its incredibly harsh implementation of Sharia Law.

In their previous reign of Afghanistan — from 1996 to 2001 — they were known for enforcing strict modesty laws, barring women from education and forbidding them from leaving their homes without a male companion.

Violating their rules carried a heavy penalty — they were arbitrarily beaten for exposing the skin on their feet, or hands or for wearing nail varnish.

There were also reports of executions. One woman who was <a href="https://feminist.org/news/taliban-executes-woman-in-a-sports-stadium/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accused of killing her husband</a>, who was an alleged domestic abuser, was shot in an abandoned sports stadium.
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/news/nirvana-nevermind-child-pornography-spencer-elden">Lawyers reveal likely outcome of Nirvana lawsuit as baby on 'Nevermind' album sues for child pornography</a></strong></p>
"The question of what is going to happen in the Taliban's subsequent regime is an unknown," Perfect comments. "Some women have already been told to stay at home, but we don't know whether this is a temporary thing, or the start of a permanent clampdown.

"But the context is different from 20 years ago. We have so many Afghan women who have had 20 years of education and being in employment, and being able to access political power.

"Trying to reverse those changes would be extremely difficult. At the moment they are trying to present a moderate image to the rest of the world. We don't know how long they will continue to do that, but the Afghan economy is collapsing. They need to secure economic support from the outside world, and they may have to actually adopt a pragmatic approach."

This may involve allowing women to have their basic fundamental rights — especially given the advent of social media — which means that there is a constant, renewed focus on the plight of women in the country.

As Perfect concludes, it is of the utmost importance that we keep our eyes on the situation as it continues to unfold.
<h5>Feature image credit: Alamy</h5>

<p>Since their shocking takeover of Afghanistan, the Taliban have stated that the country will be governed according to Islamic Law, also known as Sharia.</p>
<p>In the group's first press conference on August, Taliban spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid said that women's rights would be "respected within the framework of Islamic Law", and that they would have access to education and work.</p>
<p>They have not elaborated on what this means in reality, and reports are already emerging that women have been sent home from work and university in rural areas, per the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-taliban-7ab054c063e4ea1c14be9e4811f42982" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Associated Press</a>.</p>
<p>Here, <strong>Four Nine</strong> speaks to Simon Perfect — researcher at religious think tank, <a href="https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/about/our-people" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Theos</a> — about Sharia Law, and what it may mean for Afghanistan after US troops officially withdraw on their August 31st deadline.</p>
<figure>
            <img class="wp-image-12632149 size-full" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/08/2GFP0CM-scaled.jpeg" alt="Taliban - what is sharia law" width="2560" height="1696" /><figcaption class='op-vertical-below'>
<h1>

 The Taliban have insisted that women's rights will be respected under its new regime (Credit: Alamy)</h1>
</figcaption></figure>
<h2>What is Sharia Law?</h2>
<p>Perfect explains that the term Sharia — which translates to "the way" —  is used in different ways by Muslims.</p>
<p>"Sharia encompasses a whole range of things, including what we in the West would identify as legal issues, and also how Muslims should conduct themselves in prayer and with people," he tells me.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/health-beauty/never-ask-woman-pregnant">Why you should never, ever ask a woman if she's pregnant – even if she is</a><br />
</strong></p>
<p>"Some scholars identify Sharia in another way, to mean God's will for humankind. So, here, you can make a distinction: there is God's will and then the human interpretations of that."</p>
<p>These human interpretations (Fiqh), or Islamic jurisprudence, have resulted in many different schools of thought when it comes to Sharia, some of which are contested.</p>
<p>As Perfect notes, this explains the huge diversity within Islamic law: "There is no single codebook, there are so many interpretations because it is a human attempt to interpret how God wants Muslims to behave."</p>
<figure>
            <img class="wp-image-12632055 size-full" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/08/BCC7PP-scaled.jpeg" alt="women in afghanistan " width="2560" height="1707" /><figcaption class='op-vertical-below'>
<h1>

 During their previous rule in Afghanistan, the Taliban were known for enforcing strict modesty laws on women (Credit: Alamy)</h1>
</figcaption></figure>
<h2>What rights are women given under Sharia Law?</h2>
<p>Despite the Taliban and other militant Islamic groups' interpretation of Sharia, one of the starting principles within the Quran is equality between men and women.</p>
<p>"They are recognised as being equal in moral terms. However, equality in moral and spiritual terms can be contrasted with what men and women are expected to do within society," Perfect says, highlighting that in the early Muslim community, there was an expectation that men would be the ones going out and doing work, while mothers would primarily be mothers and carers.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/10-absurd-pieces-of-advice-people-used-to-give-women-in-the-olden-days">10 absurd pieces of advice people used to give women</a><br />
</strong></p>
<p>"Islam very much granted women new rights that were absent in pre-Islamic Arabia, and also absent in Christian Europe for centuries," he continues.</p>
<p>Certainly, the religion granted women the right to own their own personal property — and some of the women at the start of early Muslim community were highly independent. Khadija, the prophet's first wife, for example, was a very successful businesswoman.</p>
<p>Similarly, the importance that Islam places on education is equally weighted between men and women. "Women are exhorted to go pursue education, and that really manifested in the early Muslim community," adds Perfect. "There were many women who were important female scholars, they were involved in the compilation of the Hadith" — that is, reports about the Prophet Mohammed said and did.</p>
<p>"Many women were academics, and early jurists," Perfect continues. "They were important in the development of some of the earliest universities in the world, with Muslim civilisation being far ahead of Christian civilisation at the time in terms of education, and science.</p>
<p>"Islam was very forward-think for its time, and that's why so many Muslim women argue that liberation can come from within."</p>
<figure>
            <img class="size-full wp-image-12632150" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/08/EJF4D3.jpeg" alt="Taliban" width="1932" height="1293" /><figcaption class='op-vertical-below'>
<h1>

 Over the past 20 years, women within Afghanistan have had greater rights — outside Taliban rule (Credit: Alamy)</h1>
</figcaption></figure>
<h2>What is the Taliban's interpretation of Sharia Law?</h2>
<p>The Taliban is known for its incredibly harsh implementation of Sharia Law.</p>
<p>In their previous reign of Afghanistan — from 1996 to 2001 — they were known for enforcing strict modesty laws, barring women from education and forbidding them from leaving their homes without a male companion.</p>
<p>Violating their rules carried a heavy penalty — they were arbitrarily beaten for exposing the skin on their feet, or hands or for wearing nail varnish.</p>
<p>There were also reports of executions. One woman who was <a href="https://feminist.org/news/taliban-executes-woman-in-a-sports-stadium/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accused of killing her husband</a>, who was an alleged domestic abuser, was shot in an abandoned sports stadium.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/news/nirvana-nevermind-child-pornography-spencer-elden">Lawyers reveal likely outcome of Nirvana lawsuit as baby on 'Nevermind' album sues for child pornography</a></strong></p>
<p>"The question of what is going to happen in the Taliban's subsequent regime is an unknown," Perfect comments. "Some women have already been told to stay at home, but we don't know whether this is a temporary thing, or the start of a permanent clampdown.</p>
<p>"But the context is different from 20 years ago. We have so many Afghan women who have had 20 years of education and being in employment, and being able to access political power.</p>
<p>"Trying to reverse those changes would be extremely difficult. At the moment they are trying to present a moderate image to the rest of the world. We don't know how long they will continue to do that, but the Afghan economy is collapsing. They need to secure economic support from the outside world, and they may have to actually adopt a pragmatic approach."</p>
<p>This may involve allowing women to have their basic fundamental rights — especially given the advent of social media — which means that there is a constant, renewed focus on the plight of women in the country.</p>
<p>As Perfect concludes, it is of the utmost importance that we keep our eyes on the situation as it continues to unfold.</p>
<h2>Feature image credit: Alamy</h2>


How life could change for women in Afghanistan as the Taliban enforces its interpretation of Sharia Law

Nirvana are being sued for child sexual exploitation around their iconic Nevermind album cover.

Famous for being photographed nude at four-months-old for the 1991 record, Spencer Elden, 30, claims he was too young to give his consent at the time and that the band violated federal child pornography statutes by using the image.

Elden alleges that he has suffered "lifelong damages" due to the cover, including "extreme and permanent emotional distress with physical manifestations", as well as loss of education, financial gain, and "enjoyment of life".

Commenting on the case, <a href="https://www.howardkennedy.com/en/people/mark-stephens-cbe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Stephens</a>, human rights lawyer at Howard Kennedy, tells <strong>Four Nine </strong>that Elden's claim is "legally far fetched" and that it is likely to be dismissed.

[caption id="attachment_12632120" align="aligncenter" width="697"]<img class=" wp-image-12632120" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/08/Screen-Shot-2021-08-26-at-10.09.18.png" alt="Nirvana Nevermind" width="697" height="375" /> Spencer Elden was photographed nude as an infant for Nirvana's Nevermind album cover (Credit: Alamy)[/caption]
<h2>Has Spencer Elden 'missed the boat'?</h2>
Explaining Elden's legal rights, Stephens tells me: "According to the statute of limitations, Elden is allowed three years from his 18th birthday to file a complaint, and to withdraw his consent for its use.

"He's missed the boat on that now. Elden has complained about it – but his complaint seems to be around the fact that the album and the band made millions, while his family were only paid $250."

In the lawsuit, Elden alleges that he was never paid for appearing on the cover and that his parents never signed a release form for the image. However, other reports claim that he was paid around $250.
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/news/marilyn-manson-fans-responsibility-enable-abuse">Marilyn Manson fans have a responsibility to not enable him</a></strong></p>
"The amount he allegedly got paid at the time was a fair rate for the subject of a photograph. You can't go back and renegotiate the deal — and he's lost his opportunity to do so," Stephens continues, adding that the case is likely to be dismissed on those grounds.

"It appears that he's trying to shame the record company into paying more. It's an album that went on to become iconic, but no one knew that when the photograph was taken.

"If the album was a complete flop, would he still be making this claim?"

[caption id="attachment_12632124" align="alignnone" width="2560"]<img class="size-full wp-image-12632124" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/08/PY188Y-scaled.jpeg" alt="Nirvana" width="2560" height="1733" /> Nirvana's 1991 album Nevermind was certified Gold and Platinum (Credit: Alamy)[/caption]
<h2>Child exploitation claims against Nirvana</h2>
Elden's lawyers allege that the image makes him resemble "a sex worker — grabbing for a dollar bill". They further accuse the defendants of "commercial child sexual exploitation of him from while he was a minor to the present day," adding that they "knowingly produced, possessed and advertised commercial child pornography."

The defendants implicated in the case include the surviving members of the band, Kurt Cobain's widow, Courtney Love, and record labels that released or distributed the album over the past 30 years.
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/lifestyle/sexual-harassment-workplace-venus-libido">Sexual harassment in the workplace pushed me to try and take my own life</a>
</strong></p>
Elden is seeking damages of at least $150,000 from each of the defendants, plus costs, and asks that the case be tried with a jury.

Representatives for Nirvana, their record labels, and the defendants have not yet responded to the allegations.

[caption id="attachment_12632134" align="alignnone" width="964"]<img class="wp-image-12632134 size-full" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/08/Screenshot-2021-08-26-at-13.02.07.png" alt="Spencer Elden (Credit: ITV)" width="964" height="758" /> Elden's lawyers allege that the 'Nevermind' image makes him resemble a sex worker (Credit: ITV)[/caption]
<h2>Conflicting remarks</h2>
The 30-year-old's move to sue stands in contrast to some previous remarks he has made about the Nevermind cover. He recreated it several times as a teenager, and as an adult to mark the album's 10th, 20th and 25th anniversaries.

Back in 2015, he told the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2015/jan/16/thats-me-picture-spencer-elden-nirvana-nevermind">Guardian </a>that the cover had "always been a positive thing and opened doors."

He added: "It helps with girls, too. Sometimes girls chat me up about it more than the other way around.
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/relationships/revenge-porn-victom-struggling-six-years">Revenge Porn victim reveals she's still struggling six years on</a></strong></p>
"Sooner or later, I want to create a print of a real-deal re-enactment shot, completely naked. Why not? I think it would be fun.

Elder also told <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxwQMv6aUd8">CNN</a> in 2011: "I like Nirvana a lot and there's no songs I don't like. they all have as special place for people. I really like the album and I like to listen to it when no one's else around. I really like the album."

[caption id="attachment_12632136" align="alignnone" width="1300"]<img class="wp-image-12632136 size-full" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/08/BPTJX3.jpg" alt="Nirvana (Credit: Alamy)" width="1300" height="1287" /> Elden is taking legal action against the surviving members of Nirvana and Kurt Cobain's estate (Credit: Alamy)[/caption]
<h2>'It's hard not to get upset'</h2>
However, in recent years, Elden's concerns about the image have become more visible. In a 2016 interview with <a href="https://time.com/4499648/nirvana-nevermind-25-baby-spencer-elden/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Time Magazine</a>, he admitted that he "got a little upset" about the exposure he had received.

"I just woke up already being a part of this huge project. It's pretty difficult – you feel like you're famous for nothing.
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/entertainment/kanye-west-kim-kardashian-album-donda">What does Kanye say about Kim Kardashian on his new album 'Donda'?</a></strong></p>
"It's hard not to get upset when you hear how much money was involved. [When] I go to a baseball game and think about it: 'Man, everybody at this baseball game has probably seen my little baby penis,' I feel like I got part of my human rights revoked.".

[caption id="attachment_12632135" align="alignnone" width="1000"]<img class="wp-image-12632135 size-full" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/08/Screenshot-2021-08-26-at-13.01.49.png" alt="Spencer Elden (Credit: ITV)" width="1000" height="769" /> Elden's family were reportedly paid $250 for use of the image (Credit: ITV)[/caption]
<h2>'This case serves as a warning'</h2>
Speaking about his changing views on the photograph, sexual abuse solicitor at Hugh James, <a href="https://www.hughjames.com/our-people/alan-collins" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alan Collins</a>, tells <strong>Four Nine </strong>that "whether Elden or any other victim in such a case can prove they have suffered psychiatric harm after all this time may be a formidable obstacle".

He continues: "It is clearly understandable how such an image could potentially cause psychological injury.
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/entertainment/matt-damon-critics-attack-homophobic-slur">Have Matt Damon's critics been too quick to attack over his homophobic slur confession?</a></strong></p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">"There is a potential argument that to publish a photograph of a baby with genitalia exposed is likely to cause him or her, later in life, at the very least a degree of embarrassment, and at worse distress. That must surely be foreseeable, and so to use and publish such a photograph is a deliberate act with that risk in mind.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">"The case serves as a warning to those who take intimate images of themselves and others and share them without consent," he concludes.</p>

<h5>Feature image credit: Alamy</h5>

<p>Nirvana are being sued for child sexual exploitation around their iconic Nevermind album cover.</p>
<p>Famous for being photographed nude at four-months-old for the 1991 record, Spencer Elden, 30, claims he was too young to give his consent at the time and that the band violated federal child pornography statutes by using the image.</p>
<p>Elden alleges that he has suffered "lifelong damages" due to the cover, including "extreme and permanent emotional distress with physical manifestations", as well as loss of education, financial gain, and "enjoyment of life".</p>
<p>Commenting on the case, <a href="https://www.howardkennedy.com/en/people/mark-stephens-cbe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Stephens</a>, human rights lawyer at Howard Kennedy, tells <strong>Four Nine </strong>that Elden's claim is "legally far fetched" and that it is likely to be dismissed.</p>
<figure>
            <img class=" wp-image-12632120" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/08/Screen-Shot-2021-08-26-at-10.09.18.png" alt="Nirvana Nevermind" width="697" height="375" /><figcaption class='op-vertical-below'>
<h1>

 Spencer Elden was photographed nude as an infant for Nirvana's Nevermind album cover (Credit: Alamy)</h1>
</figcaption></figure>
<h2>Has Spencer Elden 'missed the boat'?</h2>
<p>Explaining Elden's legal rights, Stephens tells me: "According to the statute of limitations, Elden is allowed three years from his 18th birthday to file a complaint, and to withdraw his consent for its use.</p>
<p>"He's missed the boat on that now. Elden has complained about it – but his complaint seems to be around the fact that the album and the band made millions, while his family were only paid $250."</p>
<p>In the lawsuit, Elden alleges that he was never paid for appearing on the cover and that his parents never signed a release form for the image. However, other reports claim that he was paid around $250.</p>
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<p>"The amount he allegedly got paid at the time was a fair rate for the subject of a photograph. You can't go back and renegotiate the deal — and he's lost his opportunity to do so," Stephens continues, adding that the case is likely to be dismissed on those grounds.</p>
<p>"It appears that he's trying to shame the record company into paying more. It's an album that went on to become iconic, but no one knew that when the photograph was taken.</p>
<p>"If the album was a complete flop, would he still be making this claim?"</p>
<figure>
            <img class="size-full wp-image-12632124" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/08/PY188Y-scaled.jpeg" alt="Nirvana" width="2560" height="1733" /><figcaption class='op-vertical-below'>
<h1>

 Nirvana's 1991 album Nevermind was certified Gold and Platinum (Credit: Alamy)</h1>
</figcaption></figure>
<h2>Child exploitation claims against Nirvana</h2>
<p>Elden's lawyers allege that the image makes him resemble "a sex worker — grabbing for a dollar bill". They further accuse the defendants of "commercial child sexual exploitation of him from while he was a minor to the present day," adding that they "knowingly produced, possessed and advertised commercial child pornography."</p>
<p>The defendants implicated in the case include the surviving members of the band, Kurt Cobain's widow, Courtney Love, and record labels that released or distributed the album over the past 30 years.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/lifestyle/sexual-harassment-workplace-venus-libido">Sexual harassment in the workplace pushed me to try and take my own life</a><br />
</strong></p>
<p>Elden is seeking damages of at least $150,000 from each of the defendants, plus costs, and asks that the case be tried with a jury.</p>
<p>Representatives for Nirvana, their record labels, and the defendants have not yet responded to the allegations.</p>
<figure>
            <img class="wp-image-12632134 size-full" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/08/Screenshot-2021-08-26-at-13.02.07.png" alt="Spencer Elden (Credit: ITV)" width="964" height="758" /><figcaption class='op-vertical-below'>
<h1>

 Elden's lawyers allege that the 'Nevermind' image makes him resemble a sex worker (Credit: ITV)</h1>
</figcaption></figure>
<h2>Conflicting remarks</h2>
<p>The 30-year-old's move to sue stands in contrast to some previous remarks he has made about the Nevermind cover. He recreated it several times as a teenager, and as an adult to mark the album's 10th, 20th and 25th anniversaries.</p>
<p>Back in 2015, he told the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2015/jan/16/thats-me-picture-spencer-elden-nirvana-nevermind">Guardian </a>that the cover had "always been a positive thing and opened doors."</p>
<p>He added: "It helps with girls, too. Sometimes girls chat me up about it more than the other way around.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/relationships/revenge-porn-victom-struggling-six-years">Revenge Porn victim reveals she's still struggling six years on</a></strong></p>
<p>"Sooner or later, I want to create a print of a real-deal re-enactment shot, completely naked. Why not? I think it would be fun.</p>
<p>Elder also told <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxwQMv6aUd8">CNN</a> in 2011: "I like Nirvana a lot and there's no songs I don't like. they all have as special place for people. I really like the album and I like to listen to it when no one's else around. I really like the album."</p>
<figure>
            <img class="wp-image-12632136 size-full" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/08/BPTJX3.jpg" alt="Nirvana (Credit: Alamy)" width="1300" height="1287" /><figcaption class='op-vertical-below'>
<h1>

 Elden is taking legal action against the surviving members of Nirvana and Kurt Cobain's estate (Credit: Alamy)</h1>
</figcaption></figure>
<h2>'It's hard not to get upset'</h2>
<p>However, in recent years, Elden's concerns about the image have become more visible. In a 2016 interview with <a href="https://time.com/4499648/nirvana-nevermind-25-baby-spencer-elden/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Time Magazine</a>, he admitted that he "got a little upset" about the exposure he had received.</p>
<p>"I just woke up already being a part of this huge project. It's pretty difficult – you feel like you're famous for nothing.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/entertainment/kanye-west-kim-kardashian-album-donda">What does Kanye say about Kim Kardashian on his new album 'Donda'?</a></strong></p>
<p>"It's hard not to get upset when you hear how much money was involved. [When] I go to a baseball game and think about it: 'Man, everybody at this baseball game has probably seen my little baby penis,' I feel like I got part of my human rights revoked.".</p>
<figure>
            <img class="wp-image-12632135 size-full" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/08/Screenshot-2021-08-26-at-13.01.49.png" alt="Spencer Elden (Credit: ITV)" width="1000" height="769" /><figcaption class='op-vertical-below'>
<h1>

 Elden's family were reportedly paid $250 for use of the image (Credit: ITV)</h1>
</figcaption></figure>
<h2>'This case serves as a warning'</h2>
<p>Speaking about his changing views on the photograph, sexual abuse solicitor at Hugh James, <a href="https://www.hughjames.com/our-people/alan-collins" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alan Collins</a>, tells <strong>Four Nine </strong>that "whether Elden or any other victim in such a case can prove they have suffered psychiatric harm after all this time may be a formidable obstacle".</p>
<p>He continues: "It is clearly understandable how such an image could potentially cause psychological injury.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/entertainment/matt-damon-critics-attack-homophobic-slur">Have Matt Damon's critics been too quick to attack over his homophobic slur confession?</a></strong></p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">"There is a potential argument that to publish a photograph of a baby with genitalia exposed is likely to cause him or her, later in life, at the very least a degree of embarrassment, and at worse distress. That must surely be foreseeable, and so to use and publish such a photograph is a deliberate act with that risk in mind.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">"The case serves as a warning to those who take intimate images of themselves and others and share them without consent," he concludes.</p>
<h2>Feature image credit: Alamy</h2>


Lawyers reveal likely outcome of Nirvana lawsuit as baby on 'Nevermind' album sues for child pornography

R. Kelly faces up to 20 years in prison if he is found guilty of sexual abuse.

The multi-award-winning singer, famed for hits such as I Believe I Can Fly and Ignition, finally appeared in court yesterday (August 18) after years of delays to face charges of operating a criminal enterprise that forced women and underage girls to have sex with him.

Experts predict that the trial, which will include testimonies from females as well as one male accuser, will last for around one month. But even if he is acquitted, Kelly is yet to go on to face sex-related charges in Illinois and Minnesota.

Speaking exclusively to <strong>Four Nine</strong>, <a href="https://ricoact.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jeffrey Grell</a>, a professor at the University of Minnesota Law School, tells me that this case is "highly unusual" – but here is what we can expect...

[caption id="attachment_12632069" align="alignnone" width="2560"]<img class="wp-image-12632069 size-full" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/08/DB56WR-scaled.jpeg" alt="R. Kelly trial " width="2560" height="1857" /> R. Kelly is facing 20 years in prison over charges of sexual abuse (Credit: Alamy)[/caption]
<h2>The latest charges against R. Kelly</h2>
Kelly — full name Robert Sylvester Kelly — is facing charges of child pornography, obstruction of justice and racketeering. He is also facing eight counts of violating the Mann Act, which prohibits transporting individuals across state lines for prosecution. He is denying and pleading not guilty to every charge.

Commenting on how likely Kelly is to be convicted, Grell explains that "if the government can prove what's in the indictment, it's pretty overwhelming."
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"But this is not a typical case," he adds. "There's almost nothing typical about it. So there's no real blueprint that we can follow in a situation like this.

"This is a case where you have so many incidents that prosecutors are trying to overwhelm the defence."

[caption id="attachment_12632088" align="alignnone" width="1500"]<img class="wp-image-12632088 size-full" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/08/DB56WT.jpg" alt="R. Kelly (Credit: Alamy)" width="1500" height="1099" /> The I Believe I Can Fly singer is being held in a Brooklyn detention centre for the duration of the trial (Credit: Alamy)[/caption]
<h2>This time, it's different</h2>
This is the first criminal trial that Kelly has faced since he was acquitted on child pornography charges 13 years ago.

In June 2008, the singer was acquitted on 14 charges of child pornography after he was found not guilty of making a sex tape which allegedly showed him having sex with a 13-year-old girl.

However, the footage, which an FBI expert said had not been faked but had been duplicated several times, was reportedly grainy. When witnesses were called forward to confirm if the girl on the tape was the alleged victim, there were mixed testimonies, with some relatives saying they recognised the girl while other did not.
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Commenting on how this case is different to he 2008 trial, Grell says: "This time, Kelly can't get out of it on the basis of one grainy video. Even if you can argue your way out of one or two of these instances, there's so many more on the indictment this time.

"They're trying to box him in with the gravity of all the accusations. One statutory rape case is bad but when you so many alleged charges, it's really bad."

However, Grell stresses that it's important to remember that currently, it is just an indictment, and that everyone is entitled to a presumption of innocence regardless of their alleged behaviour.

[caption id="attachment_12632073" align="alignnone" width="2560"]<img class="wp-image-12632073 size-full" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/08/TXJ6PK-scaled.jpeg" alt="R. Kelly " width="2560" height="1628" /> Kelly was acquitted on child pornography charges back in 2008 (Credit: Alamy)[/caption]
<h2>R. Kelly could face 20 years in prison</h2>
According to Grell, Kelly could be looking at potential spending the next two decades behind bars if he is found guilty.

"I don't believe any of the charges against Kelly would carry a life sentence, or the death penalty," he tells me. "But Kelly could potentially be 74 by the time he is released – although that's only if the judge imposes the maximum sentence."

Kelly is being charged under the racketeering statute, also known as RICO – a 1970 law was originally designed to go after mafia bosses who used underlings to do their work.
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Authorities are taking this route because they claim Kelly's alleged abuse went hand-in-hand with an orchestrated criminal enterprise. They say that Kelly's racketeering "enterprise" ran from 1994 until his arrest in July of 2019.

In court documents, per <a href="https://www.vulture.com/2021/08/r-kellys-sex-crimes-trial-everything-you-need-to-know.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vulture</a>, they claim that Kelly, his managers, personal assistants, bodyguards, drivers, and other such individuals shared a common purpose of achieving the enterprise's objectives — luring girls and women into illegal sexual activity.

Commenting not he case, Grell, who is a RICO expert, says that the maximum sentencing you can receive under RICO is 20 years – unless the underlying act allows for the sentence of murder, which 54-year-old Kelly does not currently have.

"All of the charges against Kelly are criminal violations in and of themselves," adds Grell. "But the complexity of RICO is based on the fact that you have to submit all the proof that would be required to prove the underlying crimes — so you're essentially proving crimes within a bigger crime."

[caption id="attachment_12632072" align="alignnone" width="2400"]<img class="wp-image-12632072 size-full" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/08/MHKBR0.jpeg" alt="R. Kelly court trial" width="2400" height="1600" /> Authorities are insisting that Kelly's alleged abuse went hand-in-hand with an orchestrated criminal enterprise (Credit: Alamy)[/caption]
<h2>R.Kelly and Aaliyah</h2>
During the trial, Kelly's relationship and marriage to the late singer Aaliyah will be brought up as part of the racketeering charge.

In her opening statement yesterday, assistant US attorney Maria Cruz Melendez, claimed that Kelly started having sex with Aaliyah shortly after meeting her when she was just 12-years-old.
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Three years later, the star told Kelly she had fallen pregnant with his baby. According to Cruz Melendez, Kelly believed that Aaliyah wouldn't be able to file any criminal charges against him if they were married. So, he allegedly paid an Illinois government employee $500 for a fake ID for the then 15-year-old, falsely stating that she was 18.

After sourcing the ID, Kelly flew Aaliyah out to a Chicago hotel suite and married her. The marriage was annulled less than a year later.  Tragically, Aaliyah was then killed in a plane crash in the Bahamas in 2001. She was just 22-years-old.

Responding to the allegations, Kelly's attorney, Nicole Blank Becker, said in her opening statement that while Aaliyah's friends and relatives will give testimonies against her client, the late singer herself would obviously not be able to give her own account of what happened.

[caption id="attachment_12632070" align="alignnone" width="1640"]<img class="wp-image-12632070 size-full" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/08/MM4J14.jpeg" alt="Aaliyah" width="1640" height="2500" /> Relatives and friends of Aaliyah will testify against R. Kelly during the trial (Credit: Alamy)[/caption]
<h2>The victims</h2>
Including Aaliyah, the trial will centre around six women, referred to as "Jane Doe's". But to further legitimise the racketeering charge, prosecutors will also introduce other alleged crimes that were not included in the indictment.

These include accusations of sexual abuse that could involve up to 14 people. One such male individual, who is reportedly set to testify, will claim that Kelly pressured him to have sex when he was 17-years-old.
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Responding to the list of alleged victims, defence lawyers have described the individuals as "groupies", who routinely attended his shows and said that they were "dying to be with him".

The defence further claims that accusations of abuse against Kelly only surfaced in the midst of the #MeToo movement.

[caption id="attachment_12632071" align="alignnone" width="1617"]<img class="wp-image-12632071 size-full" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/08/KT5CT0.jpeg" alt="R. Kelly " width="1617" height="1544" /> An anonymous 12-person will determine R. Kelly's fate (Credit: Alamy)[/caption]
<h2>Who will decide R. Kelly's fate?</h2>
A 12-strong jury was been chosen to determine when Kelly is guilty.

Last Wednesday, the anonymous panel, which comprises seven men and five women, were sworn in by presiding judge, Ann M. Donnelly.

Ahead of the trial, she questioned the jurors over their awareness of Kelly and their impartiality to the case. In addition, the jurors were also quizzed on their personal views and experiences regarding sexual crimes and the #MeToo movement.
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Members of the jury include a mother of two school-aged children, a flight attendant, a fraud investigator who said she is an active member in her local church, a woman with several family members in prison, and a male who is employed in a hotel, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/17/nyregion/sexual-misconduct-r-kelly.html">The New York Times</a>.

However, all will remain anonymous.

A verdict is expected to be reached next month.
<h5>Feature image credit: Alamy</h5>

<p>R. Kelly faces up to 20 years in prison if he is found guilty of sexual abuse.</p>
<p>The multi-award-winning singer, famed for hits such as I Believe I Can Fly and Ignition, finally appeared in court yesterday (August 18) after years of delays to face charges of operating a criminal enterprise that forced women and underage girls to have sex with him.</p>
<p>Experts predict that the trial, which will include testimonies from females as well as one male accuser, will last for around one month. But even if he is acquitted, Kelly is yet to go on to face sex-related charges in Illinois and Minnesota.</p>
<p>Speaking exclusively to <strong>Four Nine</strong>, <a href="https://ricoact.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jeffrey Grell</a>, a professor at the University of Minnesota Law School, tells me that this case is "highly unusual" – but here is what we can expect...</p>
<figure>
            <img class="wp-image-12632069 size-full" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/08/DB56WR-scaled.jpeg" alt="R. Kelly trial " width="2560" height="1857" /><figcaption class='op-vertical-below'>
<h1>

 R. Kelly is facing 20 years in prison over charges of sexual abuse (Credit: Alamy)</h1>
</figcaption></figure>
<h2>The latest charges against R. Kelly</h2>
<p>Kelly — full name Robert Sylvester Kelly — is facing charges of child pornography, obstruction of justice and racketeering. He is also facing eight counts of violating the Mann Act, which prohibits transporting individuals across state lines for prosecution. He is denying and pleading not guilty to every charge.</p>
<p>Commenting on how likely Kelly is to be convicted, Grell explains that "if the government can prove what's in the indictment, it's pretty overwhelming."</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/news/whats-happening-afghanistan-women-taliban">Here's what's happening in Afghanistan and why 'women are scared out of their minds' </a></strong></p>
<p>"But this is not a typical case," he adds. "There's almost nothing typical about it. So there's no real blueprint that we can follow in a situation like this.</p>
<p>"This is a case where you have so many incidents that prosecutors are trying to overwhelm the defence."</p>
<figure>
            <img class="wp-image-12632088 size-full" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/08/DB56WT.jpg" alt="R. Kelly (Credit: Alamy)" width="1500" height="1099" /><figcaption class='op-vertical-below'>
<h1>

 The I Believe I Can Fly singer is being held in a Brooklyn detention centre for the duration of the trial (Credit: Alamy)</h1>
</figcaption></figure>
<h2>This time, it's different</h2>
<p>This is the first criminal trial that Kelly has faced since he was acquitted on child pornography charges 13 years ago.</p>
<p>In June 2008, the singer was acquitted on 14 charges of child pornography after he was found not guilty of making a sex tape which allegedly showed him having sex with a 13-year-old girl.</p>
<p>However, the footage, which an FBI expert said had not been faked but had been duplicated several times, was reportedly grainy. When witnesses were called forward to confirm if the girl on the tape was the alleged victim, there were mixed testimonies, with some relatives saying they recognised the girl while other did not.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/entertainment/matt-damon-critics-attack-homophobic-slur">Have Matt Damon's critics been too quick to attack over homophobic slur?</a></strong></p>
<p>Commenting on how this case is different to he 2008 trial, Grell says: "This time, Kelly can't get out of it on the basis of one grainy video. Even if you can argue your way out of one or two of these instances, there's so many more on the indictment this time.</p>
<p>"They're trying to box him in with the gravity of all the accusations. One statutory rape case is bad but when you so many alleged charges, it's really bad."</p>
<p>However, Grell stresses that it's important to remember that currently, it is just an indictment, and that everyone is entitled to a presumption of innocence regardless of their alleged behaviour.</p>
<figure>
            <img class="wp-image-12632073 size-full" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/08/TXJ6PK-scaled.jpeg" alt="R. Kelly " width="2560" height="1628" /><figcaption class='op-vertical-below'>
<h1>

 Kelly was acquitted on child pornography charges back in 2008 (Credit: Alamy)</h1>
</figcaption></figure>
<h2>R. Kelly could face 20 years in prison</h2>
<p>According to Grell, Kelly could be looking at potential spending the next two decades behind bars if he is found guilty.</p>
<p>"I don't believe any of the charges against Kelly would carry a life sentence, or the death penalty," he tells me. "But Kelly could potentially be 74 by the time he is released – although that's only if the judge imposes the maximum sentence."</p>
<p>Kelly is being charged under the racketeering statute, also known as RICO – a 1970 law was originally designed to go after mafia bosses who used underlings to do their work.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/news/what-happen-prince-andrew-virginia-giuffre">Here's what could happen to Prince Andrew as Virginia Giuffre files sex abuse lawsuit</a></strong></p>
<p>Authorities are taking this route because they claim Kelly's alleged abuse went hand-in-hand with an orchestrated criminal enterprise. They say that Kelly's racketeering "enterprise" ran from 1994 until his arrest in July of 2019.</p>
<p>In court documents, per <a href="https://www.vulture.com/2021/08/r-kellys-sex-crimes-trial-everything-you-need-to-know.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vulture</a>, they claim that Kelly, his managers, personal assistants, bodyguards, drivers, and other such individuals shared a common purpose of achieving the enterprise's objectives — luring girls and women into illegal sexual activity.</p>
<p>Commenting not he case, Grell, who is a RICO expert, says that the maximum sentencing you can receive under RICO is 20 years – unless the underlying act allows for the sentence of murder, which 54-year-old Kelly does not currently have.</p>
<p>"All of the charges against Kelly are criminal violations in and of themselves," adds Grell. "But the complexity of RICO is based on the fact that you have to submit all the proof that would be required to prove the underlying crimes — so you're essentially proving crimes within a bigger crime."</p>
<figure>
            <img class="wp-image-12632072 size-full" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/08/MHKBR0.jpeg" alt="R. Kelly court trial" width="2400" height="1600" /><figcaption class='op-vertical-below'>
<h1>

 Authorities are insisting that Kelly's alleged abuse went hand-in-hand with an orchestrated criminal enterprise (Credit: Alamy)</h1>
</figcaption></figure>
<h2>R.Kelly and Aaliyah</h2>
<p>During the trial, Kelly's relationship and marriage to the late singer Aaliyah will be brought up as part of the racketeering charge.</p>
<p>In her opening statement yesterday, assistant US attorney Maria Cruz Melendez, claimed that Kelly started having sex with Aaliyah shortly after meeting her when she was just 12-years-old.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/news/fair-trans-athletes-non-trans-olympics">Is it fair for trans athletes to compete against non-trans women?</a></strong></p>
<p>Three years later, the star told Kelly she had fallen pregnant with his baby. According to Cruz Melendez, Kelly believed that Aaliyah wouldn't be able to file any criminal charges against him if they were married. So, he allegedly paid an Illinois government employee $500 for a fake ID for the then 15-year-old, falsely stating that she was 18.</p>
<p>After sourcing the ID, Kelly flew Aaliyah out to a Chicago hotel suite and married her. The marriage was annulled less than a year later.  Tragically, Aaliyah was then killed in a plane crash in the Bahamas in 2001. She was just 22-years-old.</p>
<p>Responding to the allegations, Kelly's attorney, Nicole Blank Becker, said in her opening statement that while Aaliyah's friends and relatives will give testimonies against her client, the late singer herself would obviously not be able to give her own account of what happened.</p>
<figure>
            <img class="wp-image-12632070 size-full" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/08/MM4J14.jpeg" alt="Aaliyah" width="1640" height="2500" /><figcaption class='op-vertical-below'>
<h1>

 Relatives and friends of Aaliyah will testify against R. Kelly during the trial (Credit: Alamy)</h1>
</figcaption></figure>
<h2>The victims</h2>
<p>Including Aaliyah, the trial will centre around six women, referred to as "Jane Doe's". But to further legitimise the racketeering charge, prosecutors will also introduce other alleged crimes that were not included in the indictment.</p>
<p>These include accusations of sexual abuse that could involve up to 14 people. One such male individual, who is reportedly set to testify, will claim that Kelly pressured him to have sex when he was 17-years-old.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/entertainment/prince-harry-name-racist-royal-book">Here's what will happen if Prince Harry names and shames 'racist' royal in new book</a></strong></p>
<p>Responding to the list of alleged victims, defence lawyers have described the individuals as "groupies", who routinely attended his shows and said that they were "dying to be with him".</p>
<p>The defence further claims that accusations of abuse against Kelly only surfaced in the midst of the #MeToo movement.</p>
<figure>
            <img class="wp-image-12632071 size-full" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/08/KT5CT0.jpeg" alt="R. Kelly " width="1617" height="1544" /><figcaption class='op-vertical-below'>
<h1>

 An anonymous 12-person will determine R. Kelly's fate (Credit: Alamy)</h1>
</figcaption></figure>
<h2>Who will decide R. Kelly's fate?</h2>
<p>A 12-strong jury was been chosen to determine when Kelly is guilty.</p>
<p>Last Wednesday, the anonymous panel, which comprises seven men and five women, were sworn in by presiding judge, Ann M. Donnelly.</p>
<p>Ahead of the trial, she questioned the jurors over their awareness of Kelly and their impartiality to the case. In addition, the jurors were also quizzed on their personal views and experiences regarding sexual crimes and the #MeToo movement.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/entertainment/amy-winehouse-lesbian-relationships">Amy Winehouse's ex-girlfriend speaks out for the first time on anniversary of her death</a></strong></p>
<p>Members of the jury include a mother of two school-aged children, a flight attendant, a fraud investigator who said she is an active member in her local church, a woman with several family members in prison, and a male who is employed in a hotel, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/17/nyregion/sexual-misconduct-r-kelly.html">The New York Times</a>.</p>
<p>However, all will remain anonymous.</p>
<p>A verdict is expected to be reached next month.</p>
<h2>Feature image credit: Alamy</h2>


What to expect from R. Kelly trial – from possible prison sentences to testimonies from Aaliyah's friends and family

Afghan women face an uncertain future. After the Taliban took full control of the country by seizing the capital, Kabul, on Sunday, they have been vocal about their fears of inhabiting a world that their parents and grandparents only spoke about.

The Taliban takeover came after international forces withdrew from Afghanistan, with the United States officially beginning its departure back in May.

"Women are scared out of their minds," security and terrorism analyst, <a href="https://sajjangohel.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dr Sajjan Gohel</a> tells <strong>Four Nine</strong>. "From the Afghan women I've spoken to, it's incredibly traumatic. You're looking at an entire generation who only read about the Taliban in books. Now, they're having to live side-by-side with what is effectively a misogynistic cult."

While it is difficult to quantify the scale of what's happening as it continues to unfold, Dr Gohel says that he believes we are going to see a return "to some degree of what we saw in the 1990s".

And this has only been corroborated by events on the ground. "It is a situation where you could well see women being murdered by the Taliban," he warns.

[caption id="attachment_12632056" align="alignnone" width="2560"]<img class="wp-image-12632056 size-full" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/08/2GE80H2-scaled.jpeg" alt="women in afghanistan " width="2560" height="1440" /> The Taliban took full control of Afhganistan after seizing the capital, Kabul (Credit: Alamy)[/caption]
<h2>Women's lives were severely repressed</h2>
"Women's lives [from 1996 to 2001] were very bleak and severely repressed by the Taliban. You're looking at an era where every aspect of a woman's life was controlled, contained, and confined," the international security director at the Asia-Pacific Foundation explains.

The Taliban enforced <a href="https://www.hrw.org/report/2020/06/30/you-have-no-right-complain/education-social-restrictions-and-justice-taliban-held" target="_blank" rel="noopener">strict modesty laws</a>, barred women from education, and forbade them from leaving their house without a male companion. Violating their rules carried a heavy penalty — they were arbitrarily beaten for things such as being found wearing nail varnish, or exposing the skin on their feet.
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/news/what-happen-prince-andrew-virginia-giuffre">Here's what could happen to Prince Andrew amid sex abuse lawsuit</a></strong></p>
Then, it became deadly: one woman who was <a href="https://feminist.org/news/taliban-executes-woman-in-a-sports-stadium/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accused of killing her husband</a>, an alleged domestic abuser, was publically executed in an abandoned sports stadium.

Now, despite the Taliban's insistence that they will respect women's rights within Islamic (Sharia) law, it's eerie to see how quickly some personal freedoms have been curbed.

In their first press conference on August 17, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid claimed that "women are going to be very active without our society" and that they would be allowed to work "within the frameworks of our Islamic laws."

He did not, however, explain what this would mean in reality.

[caption id="attachment_12632055" align="alignnone" width="2560"]<img class="wp-image-12632055 size-full" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/08/BCC7PP-scaled.jpeg" alt="women in afghanistan " width="2560" height="1707" /> During their previous rule in Afghanistan (1996 - 2001), the Taliban enforced strict modesty laws on women (Credit: Alamy)[/caption]
<h2>Reports of women disappearing</h2>
Last week, families displaced to Kabul told the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-taliban-7ab054c063e4ea1c14be9e4811f42982" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Associated Press</a> last week that the Taliban lashed women for wearing "revealing sandals", and that women had been sent home from work and university in other areas. Several weeks ago, in certain areas, women had already been told to don the burqa, and that they could not attend university unless there were segregated classes.

Gohel paints a similarly bleak picture. He tells us<strong> </strong>that he is already hearing stories of women disappearing in some towns and cities. This, he says, could be because they have been taken off to be married to Taliban fighters without their consent – or because they were seen as enemies of the regime.
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/news/fair-trans-athletes-non-trans-olympics">Is it fair for trans athletes to compete against non-trans women?</a></strong></p>

<div class="content row"><aside class="left sticky column">Just a few weeks ago, it was reported that the Taliban were issuing <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/asia/2021/08/03/taliban-trying-to-force-afghan-girls-as-young-as-13-into-marriage/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">edicts</a> in certain areas of Afghanistan, demanding that families hand over women as young as 14, and widows of dead Afghan soldiers, to be married to Taliban fighters.</aside></div>
Likewise, the Taliban are known to have "kill lists" — and there is no reason why these could not contain female targets, Gohel points out. "They have been using these lists to kill members of the Afghan national army, and local administrators," he tells me. "Much of the focus has been on these targets being men, but women have started disappearing too."

This appears to be a concern on the ground. Last week, the country's first female mayor, 27-year-old Zarifa Ghafari, stated that she would likely be killed by the extremist group.

[caption id="attachment_12632058" align="alignnone" width="2560"]<img class="wp-image-12632058 size-full" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/08/2GE79NK-scaled.jpeg" alt="women in afghanistan " width="2560" height="1750" /> Women around the globe have been holding protests in solidarity with Afghan women (Credit: Alamy)[/caption]
<h2>It's difficult to believe the Taliban has changed</h2>
Despite their attempts to cut a more progressive picture, Gohel states that he does not trust the Taliban: "If anything, they have become more media savvy and understand how to use new media technology for propaganda purposes."

He points out that the atmosphere in the country is precarious, and that the group would not necessarily want to implement their "medieval mentality" fullscale while the West is still evacuating — a process that could now stretch beyond president Joe Biden's <a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-middle-east-evacuations-783b4aeabe20c709feed18129c49ac1e" target="_blank" rel="noopener">August 31 deadline</a>.
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/news/hollywood-christchurch-mosque-attack-movie-hurtful-muslims">Hollywood's Christchurch mosque attack movie is so hurtful to Muslims – it needs to be axed</a></strong></p>
"The problem is going to be once the West has completely departed and the Taliban are in full control of the situation," Gohel tells me. "Logically, it is in their interest to have women in the workforce and to be part of civil society. But when their entire doctrine is based on misogyny, it's very difficult to believe that the Taliban has changed.

"We could see very selective visuals of women from the Taliban, which would basically be propaganda to show the West that they have changed, and wanting to incorporate women.

"It's very important that the West doesn't fall into the trap of legitimising their rule. This, in turn, could result in the Taliban effectively reinstituting their misogyny and control over women."

[caption id="attachment_12632057" align="alignnone" width="2018"]<img class="wp-image-12632057 size-full" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/08/2GE8403-scaled.jpeg" alt="afghanistan taliban " width="2018" height="2560" /> Afghans have been attempting to flee the country since the Taliban's takeover (Credit: Alamy)[/caption]
<h2>It's up to women globally</h2>
Despite a lack of proximity, there are a number of ways that we can help the women of Afghanistan.
<p class="p1">You can donate to organisations that have a strong track record of helping Afghan girls and women, such as <a href="https://womenforwomen.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Women for Women International</a> — which provides aid to women in war-torn countries — and <a href="https://womenforafghanwomen.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Women for Afghan Women</a>, which aims to assist disenfranchised Afghan women in the country and beyond.</p>
There are also petitions you can sign to pressurise international governments to help Afghan refugees — such as the <a href="https://act.rescue.org/zGsSOp3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">International Rescue Committee petition</a>, which calls to raise the refugee ceiling.
<p class="p1">But according to Gohel, one of the most important things we can do is to retain and maintain a strong interest in what is happening in Afghanistan.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/news/is-bill-cosby-innocent-conviction-overturned">Why Bill Cosby was freed from jail just two years into his 10 year sentence</a></strong></p>
<p class="p1">"Women globally have to be committed to speaking out about the situation," he adds. "If there isn't that strong united voice by women across the world, then the women of Afghanistan will be forgotten.</p>
<p class="p1">"All of those hard-earned gains that they have achieved in the past 20 years could literally evaporate in the space of weeks if we lose focus.</p>
"Women are the vaccine against radicalisation, and if they are suppressed, then extremism will flourish."
<h5>Feature image credit: Alamy</h5>

<p>Afghan women face an uncertain future. After the Taliban took full control of the country by seizing the capital, Kabul, on Sunday, they have been vocal about their fears of inhabiting a world that their parents and grandparents only spoke about.</p>
<p>The Taliban takeover came after international forces withdrew from Afghanistan, with the United States officially beginning its departure back in May.</p>
<p>"Women are scared out of their minds," security and terrorism analyst, <a href="https://sajjangohel.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dr Sajjan Gohel</a> tells <strong>Four Nine</strong>. "From the Afghan women I've spoken to, it's incredibly traumatic. You're looking at an entire generation who only read about the Taliban in books. Now, they're having to live side-by-side with what is effectively a misogynistic cult."</p>
<p>While it is difficult to quantify the scale of what's happening as it continues to unfold, Dr Gohel says that he believes we are going to see a return "to some degree of what we saw in the 1990s".</p>
<p>And this has only been corroborated by events on the ground. "It is a situation where you could well see women being murdered by the Taliban," he warns.</p>
<figure>
            <img class="wp-image-12632056 size-full" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/08/2GE80H2-scaled.jpeg" alt="women in afghanistan " width="2560" height="1440" /><figcaption class='op-vertical-below'>
<h1>

 The Taliban took full control of Afhganistan after seizing the capital, Kabul (Credit: Alamy)</h1>
</figcaption></figure>
<h2>Women's lives were severely repressed</h2>
<p>"Women's lives [from 1996 to 2001] were very bleak and severely repressed by the Taliban. You're looking at an era where every aspect of a woman's life was controlled, contained, and confined," the international security director at the Asia-Pacific Foundation explains.</p>
<p>The Taliban enforced <a href="https://www.hrw.org/report/2020/06/30/you-have-no-right-complain/education-social-restrictions-and-justice-taliban-held" target="_blank" rel="noopener">strict modesty laws</a>, barred women from education, and forbade them from leaving their house without a male companion. Violating their rules carried a heavy penalty — they were arbitrarily beaten for things such as being found wearing nail varnish, or exposing the skin on their feet.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/news/what-happen-prince-andrew-virginia-giuffre">Here's what could happen to Prince Andrew amid sex abuse lawsuit</a></strong></p>
<p>Then, it became deadly: one woman who was <a href="https://feminist.org/news/taliban-executes-woman-in-a-sports-stadium/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accused of killing her husband</a>, an alleged domestic abuser, was publically executed in an abandoned sports stadium.</p>
<p>Now, despite the Taliban's insistence that they will respect women's rights within Islamic (Sharia) law, it's eerie to see how quickly some personal freedoms have been curbed.</p>
<p>In their first press conference on August 17, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid claimed that "women are going to be very active without our society" and that they would be allowed to work "within the frameworks of our Islamic laws."</p>
<p>He did not, however, explain what this would mean in reality.</p>
<figure>
            <img class="wp-image-12632055 size-full" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/08/BCC7PP-scaled.jpeg" alt="women in afghanistan " width="2560" height="1707" /><figcaption class='op-vertical-below'>
<h1>

 During their previous rule in Afghanistan (1996 - 2001), the Taliban enforced strict modesty laws on women (Credit: Alamy)</h1>
</figcaption></figure>
<h2>Reports of women disappearing</h2>
<p>Last week, families displaced to Kabul told the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-taliban-7ab054c063e4ea1c14be9e4811f42982" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Associated Press</a> last week that the Taliban lashed women for wearing "revealing sandals", and that women had been sent home from work and university in other areas. Several weeks ago, in certain areas, women had already been told to don the burqa, and that they could not attend university unless there were segregated classes.</p>
<p>Gohel paints a similarly bleak picture. He tells us<strong> </strong>that he is already hearing stories of women disappearing in some towns and cities. This, he says, could be because they have been taken off to be married to Taliban fighters without their consent – or because they were seen as enemies of the regime.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/news/fair-trans-athletes-non-trans-olympics">Is it fair for trans athletes to compete against non-trans women?</a></strong></p>
<aside class="left sticky column">Just a few weeks ago, it was reported that the Taliban were issuing <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/asia/2021/08/03/taliban-trying-to-force-afghan-girls-as-young-as-13-into-marriage/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">edicts</a> in certain areas of Afghanistan, demanding that families hand over women as young as 14, and widows of dead Afghan soldiers, to be married to Taliban fighters.</aside>
<p>Likewise, the Taliban are known to have "kill lists" — and there is no reason why these could not contain female targets, Gohel points out. "They have been using these lists to kill members of the Afghan national army, and local administrators," he tells me. "Much of the focus has been on these targets being men, but women have started disappearing too."</p>
<p>This appears to be a concern on the ground. Last week, the country's first female mayor, 27-year-old Zarifa Ghafari, stated that she would likely be killed by the extremist group.</p>
<figure>
            <img class="wp-image-12632058 size-full" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/08/2GE79NK-scaled.jpeg" alt="women in afghanistan " width="2560" height="1750" /><figcaption class='op-vertical-below'>
<h1>

 Women around the globe have been holding protests in solidarity with Afghan women (Credit: Alamy)</h1>
</figcaption></figure>
<h2>It's difficult to believe the Taliban has changed</h2>
<p>Despite their attempts to cut a more progressive picture, Gohel states that he does not trust the Taliban: "If anything, they have become more media savvy and understand how to use new media technology for propaganda purposes."</p>
<p>He points out that the atmosphere in the country is precarious, and that the group would not necessarily want to implement their "medieval mentality" fullscale while the West is still evacuating — a process that could now stretch beyond president Joe Biden's <a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-middle-east-evacuations-783b4aeabe20c709feed18129c49ac1e" target="_blank" rel="noopener">August 31 deadline</a>.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/news/hollywood-christchurch-mosque-attack-movie-hurtful-muslims">Hollywood's Christchurch mosque attack movie is so hurtful to Muslims – it needs to be axed</a></strong></p>
<p>"The problem is going to be once the West has completely departed and the Taliban are in full control of the situation," Gohel tells me. "Logically, it is in their interest to have women in the workforce and to be part of civil society. But when their entire doctrine is based on misogyny, it's very difficult to believe that the Taliban has changed.</p>
<p>"We could see very selective visuals of women from the Taliban, which would basically be propaganda to show the West that they have changed, and wanting to incorporate women.</p>
<p>"It's very important that the West doesn't fall into the trap of legitimising their rule. This, in turn, could result in the Taliban effectively reinstituting their misogyny and control over women."</p>
<figure>
            <img class="wp-image-12632057 size-full" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/08/2GE8403-scaled.jpeg" alt="afghanistan taliban " width="2018" height="2560" /><figcaption class='op-vertical-below'>
<h1>

 Afghans have been attempting to flee the country since the Taliban's takeover (Credit: Alamy)</h1>
</figcaption></figure>
<h2>It's up to women globally</h2>
<p>Despite a lack of proximity, there are a number of ways that we can help the women of Afghanistan.</p>
<p class="p1">You can donate to organisations that have a strong track record of helping Afghan girls and women, such as <a href="https://womenforwomen.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Women for Women International</a> — which provides aid to women in war-torn countries — and <a href="https://womenforafghanwomen.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Women for Afghan Women</a>, which aims to assist disenfranchised Afghan women in the country and beyond.</p>
<p>There are also petitions you can sign to pressurise international governments to help Afghan refugees — such as the <a href="https://act.rescue.org/zGsSOp3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">International Rescue Committee petition</a>, which calls to raise the refugee ceiling.</p>
<p class="p1">But according to Gohel, one of the most important things we can do is to retain and maintain a strong interest in what is happening in Afghanistan.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/news/is-bill-cosby-innocent-conviction-overturned">Why Bill Cosby was freed from jail just two years into his 10 year sentence</a></strong></p>
<p class="p1">"Women globally have to be committed to speaking out about the situation," he adds. "If there isn't that strong united voice by women across the world, then the women of Afghanistan will be forgotten.</p>
<p class="p1">"All of those hard-earned gains that they have achieved in the past 20 years could literally evaporate in the space of weeks if we lose focus.</p>
<p>"Women are the vaccine against radicalisation, and if they are suppressed, then extremism will flourish."</p>
<h2>Feature image credit: Alamy</h2>


Here's what's happening in Afghanistan and why 'women are scared out of their minds' amid Taliban takeover

Prince Andrew's future looks uncertain amid rumours he will never be allowed to resume royal duties.

The reports come after Virginia Giuffre filed a lawsuit against the Duke of York seeking significant damages on Monday (August 9), claiming she was forced to have sex with him when she was just 17-years-old at the home of convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein. He was 41 at the time.

According to court papers, the now 38-year-old "feared death or physical injury to herself or another and other repercussions" if she did not engage in sexual acts with the prince. She also alleges that Andrew knew she was a sex-trafficking victim who had suffered "significant emotional and psychological distress and harm".

While he has previously denied claims of sexual abuse, the Duke, 61, has so far refused to comment on Giuffre's latest allegations. But according to her lawyer, David Boies, the prince can no longer "<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-58167469">hide behind wealth</a> and palace walls" because his client is now fighting for a judge and jury to hear her case as she seeks substantial damages.

So what now for the prince? <strong>Four Nine</strong> talks to human rights lawyer <a href="https://www.howardkennedy.com/en/people/mark-stephens-cbe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Stephens</a> to find out.

[caption id="attachment_12632037" align="alignnone" width="2560"]<img class="size-full wp-image-12632037" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/08/FB2EWM-scaled.jpeg" alt="" width="2560" height="1707" /> Prince Andrew may never be allowed to resume royal duties (Credit: Alamy)[/caption]
<h2>Will Prince Andrew be forced to go to court?</h2>
Stephens, who famously represented James Hewitt when allegations of his affair with Princess Diana emerged, explains that in international law, criminal cases are taken before any civil case.

This means that Giuffre will likely have to wait until US law enforcement decide whether to prosecute Prince Andrew.
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/news/is-bill-cosby-innocent-conviction-overturned">Why Bill Cosby's conviction was overturned just two years into his 10 year sentence</a></strong></p>
If they do, the duke would face criminal prosecution in the United States as, despite being the son of a sovereign, he does not have diplomatic immunity. However, such a move could prove to be problematic.

Stephens explains: "What's happened here is unprecedented in the modern era for a member of the royal family to be the subject of a civil suit, or indeed a law enforcement investigation.

"But it is up to the British government. I can see every possibility that Boris Johnson would decline to extradite Prince Andrew."

[caption id="attachment_12632038" align="alignnone" width="2560"]<img class="wp-image-12632038 size-full" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/08/2CHPWCK-scaled.jpeg" alt="Virginia Giuffre and her lawyer" width="2560" height="1706" /> Virginia Giuffre's lawyer has accused the Duke of York of stonewalling the courts (Credit: Alamy)[/caption]
<h2>Will Prince Andrew have to give evidence?</h2>
Andrew can choose to ignore the judicial process. As Stephens details, he has no obligation to cooperate as a matter of law, meaning the duke, who is ninth in line to the throne, can refuse to be interviewed by the courts.

Stephens explains: "The American prosecutor is probably going to wait until the outcome of the Ghislaine Maxwell trial. If any evidence comes out of that to implicate Prince Andrew, then they would decide to interview him.
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/news/fair-trans-athletes-non-trans-olympics">Is it fair for trans athletes to compete against non-trans women?</a></strong></p>
"But again, he has no obligation to cooperate," Stephens says, adding that he could invoke the fifth amendment during the hypothetical interview, and issue "no comment" to any questions.

"There's a very strong moral imperative to be interviewed, but not a legal one," he adds. "From Prince Andrew's perspective, there's no good choice. If he speaks out he's going to be condemned, like after the Emily Matliss interview, and if he stays silent, he will be damned by his silence."

Epstein's associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, has also been implicated by Giuffre. She claims that the abuse took place at Epstein's New York mansion, at his property in the Caribbean, and at Maxwell's London apartment. Her own trial on sex trafficking charges is due to start in November.

[caption id="attachment_12632039" align="alignnone" width="1743"]<img class="size-full wp-image-12632039" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/08/2DDKJNY-scaled.jpeg" alt="" width="1743" height="2560" /> Giuffre has claimed that she was abused by Prince Andrew at the home of Jeffrey Epstein (Credit: Alamy)[/caption]
<h2>What will happen if Prince Andrew stays silent?</h2>
This would result in Giuffre receiving a default judgement – which will create issues for her.

"On the one hand, it would provide the vindication she seeks," explains Stephens. "But the monetary damages would not be enforceable in the United Kingdom against Andrew's assets."
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/news/marilyn-manson-fans-responsibility-enable-abuse">Marilyn Manson fans have a responsibility to not enable him – I won't be buying his music again</a></strong></p>
That is, the money she receives can only be levelled at his assets outside of the UK, as the court proceedings would take place in the States.

[caption id="attachment_12632045" align="alignnone" width="1300"]<img class="wp-image-12632045 size-full" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/08/2DGTPG3.jpg" alt="The Queen and Prince Andrew" width="1300" height="919" /> Unlike the Queen, Prince Andrew does not have diplomatic immunity (Credit: Alamy)[/caption]
<h2>What will happen next?</h2>
According to Stephens, Andrew's lawyers know that they will have already lost – at least in reputation terms if he appears to give evidence in either a civil or criminal case

So the lawyer predicts that the likely strategy for Giuffre and her lawyers is to pile on public pressure.
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/news/helens-law-marie-mccourt-ian-simms">My daughter's killer has been released from prison but won't tell us where her body is</a></strong></p>
"Prince Andrew's lawyers know that they will have lost at least in reputation terms if he appears to give evidence in either a civil or criminal case," Stephens continues. "What his lawyers are doing is tying the case up in legal knots.

"They've already delayed it by five years, and I can easily see them delaying it by another decade or two, because of the complexity of the matter. Essentially, they're dealing with this by stonewalling.

"It's like snakes and ladders. One misstep by the American prosecutor of Giuffre, and you slither down the snake to the start again."

[caption id="attachment_12632046" align="alignnone" width="1400"]<img class="wp-image-12632046 size-full" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/08/E1FWFA.jpg" alt="what is next for Prince Andrew? (Credit: Alamy)" width="1400" height="1033" /> Virginia Giuffre claims she was forced to have sex with Prince Andrew when she was 17-years-old – he was 41 (Credit: Alamy)[/caption]
<h2>High profile cases can have far-reaching consequences</h2>
The charges levelled against the royal are certainly damning, given that Giuffre detailed that the duke allegedly knew how old she was and that she was a sex-trafficking victim.

Commenting on her decision to sue Prince Andrew, Erin Mansell, the public affairs manager at women's aid charity, <a href="https://www.solacewomensaid.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Solace</a>, tells <strong>Four Nine</strong>: "Reporting sexual abuse is a courageous act under any circumstances, and all the more so when your abuser is powerful.
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/news/devastating-impact-football-racism">The devastating impact football racism has on players revealed – and how we can do better</a></strong></p>
"Too often, powerful men believe they can act with impunity when they abuse women and children whom they believe do not have a voice and will not be believed.
<p style="font-weight: 400;">"High profile cases can have far-reaching consequences as these men realise they are not above the law and survivors’ voices will be heard. When women come forward with their experiences of abuse we listen and we believe them."</p>
Four Nine has reached out to Downing Street and Buckingham Palace for comment.
<h5>Feature image credit: Alamy</h5>

<p>Prince Andrew's future looks uncertain amid rumours he will never be allowed to resume royal duties.</p>
<p>The reports come after Virginia Giuffre filed a lawsuit against the Duke of York seeking significant damages on Monday (August 9), claiming she was forced to have sex with him when she was just 17-years-old at the home of convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein. He was 41 at the time.</p>
<p>According to court papers, the now 38-year-old "feared death or physical injury to herself or another and other repercussions" if she did not engage in sexual acts with the prince. She also alleges that Andrew knew she was a sex-trafficking victim who had suffered "significant emotional and psychological distress and harm".</p>
<p>While he has previously denied claims of sexual abuse, the Duke, 61, has so far refused to comment on Giuffre's latest allegations. But according to her lawyer, David Boies, the prince can no longer "<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-58167469">hide behind wealth</a> and palace walls" because his client is now fighting for a judge and jury to hear her case as she seeks substantial damages.</p>
<p>So what now for the prince? <strong>Four Nine</strong> talks to human rights lawyer <a href="https://www.howardkennedy.com/en/people/mark-stephens-cbe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Stephens</a> to find out.</p>
<figure>
            <img class="size-full wp-image-12632037" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/08/FB2EWM-scaled.jpeg" alt="" width="2560" height="1707" /><figcaption class='op-vertical-below'>
<h1>

 Prince Andrew may never be allowed to resume royal duties (Credit: Alamy)</h1>
</figcaption></figure>
<h2>Will Prince Andrew be forced to go to court?</h2>
<p>Stephens, who famously represented James Hewitt when allegations of his affair with Princess Diana emerged, explains that in international law, criminal cases are taken before any civil case.</p>
<p>This means that Giuffre will likely have to wait until US law enforcement decide whether to prosecute Prince Andrew.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/news/is-bill-cosby-innocent-conviction-overturned">Why Bill Cosby's conviction was overturned just two years into his 10 year sentence</a></strong></p>
<p>If they do, the duke would face criminal prosecution in the United States as, despite being the son of a sovereign, he does not have diplomatic immunity. However, such a move could prove to be problematic.</p>
<p>Stephens explains: "What's happened here is unprecedented in the modern era for a member of the royal family to be the subject of a civil suit, or indeed a law enforcement investigation.</p>
<p>"But it is up to the British government. I can see every possibility that Boris Johnson would decline to extradite Prince Andrew."</p>
<figure>
            <img class="wp-image-12632038 size-full" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/08/2CHPWCK-scaled.jpeg" alt="Virginia Giuffre and her lawyer" width="2560" height="1706" /><figcaption class='op-vertical-below'>
<h1>

 Virginia Giuffre's lawyer has accused the Duke of York of stonewalling the courts (Credit: Alamy)</h1>
</figcaption></figure>
<h2>Will Prince Andrew have to give evidence?</h2>
<p>Andrew can choose to ignore the judicial process. As Stephens details, he has no obligation to cooperate as a matter of law, meaning the duke, who is ninth in line to the throne, can refuse to be interviewed by the courts.</p>
<p>Stephens explains: "The American prosecutor is probably going to wait until the outcome of the Ghislaine Maxwell trial. If any evidence comes out of that to implicate Prince Andrew, then they would decide to interview him.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/news/fair-trans-athletes-non-trans-olympics">Is it fair for trans athletes to compete against non-trans women?</a></strong></p>
<p>"But again, he has no obligation to cooperate," Stephens says, adding that he could invoke the fifth amendment during the hypothetical interview, and issue "no comment" to any questions.</p>
<p>"There's a very strong moral imperative to be interviewed, but not a legal one," he adds. "From Prince Andrew's perspective, there's no good choice. If he speaks out he's going to be condemned, like after the Emily Matliss interview, and if he stays silent, he will be damned by his silence."</p>
<p>Epstein's associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, has also been implicated by Giuffre. She claims that the abuse took place at Epstein's New York mansion, at his property in the Caribbean, and at Maxwell's London apartment. Her own trial on sex trafficking charges is due to start in November.</p>
<figure>
            <img class="size-full wp-image-12632039" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/08/2DDKJNY-scaled.jpeg" alt="" width="1743" height="2560" /><figcaption class='op-vertical-below'>
<h1>

 Giuffre has claimed that she was abused by Prince Andrew at the home of Jeffrey Epstein (Credit: Alamy)</h1>
</figcaption></figure>
<h2>What will happen if Prince Andrew stays silent?</h2>
<p>This would result in Giuffre receiving a default judgement – which will create issues for her.</p>
<p>"On the one hand, it would provide the vindication she seeks," explains Stephens. "But the monetary damages would not be enforceable in the United Kingdom against Andrew's assets."</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/news/marilyn-manson-fans-responsibility-enable-abuse">Marilyn Manson fans have a responsibility to not enable him – I won't be buying his music again</a></strong></p>
<p>That is, the money she receives can only be levelled at his assets outside of the UK, as the court proceedings would take place in the States.</p>
<figure>
            <img class="wp-image-12632045 size-full" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/08/2DGTPG3.jpg" alt="The Queen and Prince Andrew" width="1300" height="919" /><figcaption class='op-vertical-below'>
<h1>

 Unlike the Queen, Prince Andrew does not have diplomatic immunity (Credit: Alamy)</h1>
</figcaption></figure>
<h2>What will happen next?</h2>
<p>According to Stephens, Andrew's lawyers know that they will have already lost – at least in reputation terms if he appears to give evidence in either a civil or criminal case</p>
<p>So the lawyer predicts that the likely strategy for Giuffre and her lawyers is to pile on public pressure.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/news/helens-law-marie-mccourt-ian-simms">My daughter's killer has been released from prison but won't tell us where her body is</a></strong></p>
<p>"Prince Andrew's lawyers know that they will have lost at least in reputation terms if he appears to give evidence in either a civil or criminal case," Stephens continues. "What his lawyers are doing is tying the case up in legal knots.</p>
<p>"They've already delayed it by five years, and I can easily see them delaying it by another decade or two, because of the complexity of the matter. Essentially, they're dealing with this by stonewalling.</p>
<p>"It's like snakes and ladders. One misstep by the American prosecutor of Giuffre, and you slither down the snake to the start again."</p>
<figure>
            <img class="wp-image-12632046 size-full" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/08/E1FWFA.jpg" alt="what is next for Prince Andrew? (Credit: Alamy)" width="1400" height="1033" /><figcaption class='op-vertical-below'>
<h1>

 Virginia Giuffre claims she was forced to have sex with Prince Andrew when she was 17-years-old – he was 41 (Credit: Alamy)</h1>
</figcaption></figure>
<h2>High profile cases can have far-reaching consequences</h2>
<p>The charges levelled against the royal are certainly damning, given that Giuffre detailed that the duke allegedly knew how old she was and that she was a sex-trafficking victim.</p>
<p>Commenting on her decision to sue Prince Andrew, Erin Mansell, the public affairs manager at women's aid charity, <a href="https://www.solacewomensaid.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Solace</a>, tells <strong>Four Nine</strong>: "Reporting sexual abuse is a courageous act under any circumstances, and all the more so when your abuser is powerful.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/news/devastating-impact-football-racism">The devastating impact football racism has on players revealed – and how we can do better</a></strong></p>
<p>"Too often, powerful men believe they can act with impunity when they abuse women and children whom they believe do not have a voice and will not be believed.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">"High profile cases can have far-reaching consequences as these men realise they are not above the law and survivors’ voices will be heard. When women come forward with their experiences of abuse we listen and we believe them."</p>
<p>Four Nine has reached out to Downing Street and Buckingham Palace for comment.</p>
<h2>Feature image credit: Alamy</h2>


Here's what could happen to Prince Andrew as Virginia Giuffre files sex abuse lawsuit

Laurel Hubbard made history when she became the first openly trans woman to compete in the Olympic Games yesterday.

Despite being tipped to win gold, the 43-year-old athlete — who was born male but began identifying as a woman in 2013 — crashed out of the +87kg weightlifting final after failing to register a score. Ultimately, she lost out to non-trans athletes Emily Campbell, who took home silver for Britain, and China's Li Wenwen who won gold.

The disappointing result for Hubbard came after her participation was mired in controversy, with critics claiming she had an unfair physical advantage over non-trans women. Speaking out after the event, Hubbard admitted she struggled to block out the scrutiny and hinted the negativity had gotten the better of her.

Sadly, there is still a lot of misinformation about trans people in sport – especially when it comes to fairness around trans women competing against non-trans women. So to set the record straight, we decided to talk to Dr Jane Hamlin, the president of the <a href="https://www.beaumontsociety.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Beaumont Society</a> — the UK's longest established support group for transgender people.

[caption id="attachment_12631940" align="alignnone" width="2560"]<img class="size-full wp-image-12631940" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/08/MBB8FY-scaled.jpeg" alt="" width="2560" height="1707" /> "Laurel Hubbard didn't make up the rules, she’s competed within the rules," says Dr Hamlin (Credit: Alamy)[/caption]
<h2>'Any competition has to be fair'</h2>
Speaking exclusively to <strong>Four Nine, </strong>Dr Hamlin stresses that first and foremost, the level of speculation Hubbard was subjected to is not only unnecessary, but potentially harmful. "Any competition has to be fair," she tells me.

"Why should people assume that a trans person participating is unfair? There are rules. Clearly, if it was unfair, it wouldn’t be acceptable.
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<p class="p1">"As a trans person myself, my concern is that this speculation rattles the cage of people who are transphobic, and hate us. But if we worry about that constantly, we wouldn’t ever do anything."</p>
<p class="p1">Dr Hamlin then sadly points out that the reaction to Hubbard's participation may put trans people off competing in events like the Olympics in the future.</p>
<p class="p1">"So many trans people are terrified of rejection, of ridicule, of humiliation, and unkind comments," she explains. "It may well keep a lot of trans people out of the limelight, even when it comes to local sporting events, which is such a shame."</p>


[caption id="attachment_12631941" align="alignnone" width="2560"]<img class="size-full wp-image-12631941" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/08/2GB4W0R-scaled.jpeg" alt="" width="2560" height="1801" /> The 43-year-old's participation incited debate surrounding trans athletes' participation in sport (Credit: Alamy)[/caption]
<h2>'Laurel Hubbard didn't make the rules!'</h2>
Hubbard was of course allowed to fairly take part in the Games after the International Olympic Committee changed its rules.

Under the International Weightlifting Federation's 2015 guidelines, trans athletes must take medication to lower testosterone below 10 nanomoles per litre for 12 months before the competition. Hubbard followed these rules and so was permitted entry into the competition.
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Yet, <a href="https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1108399/anna-vanbellinghen-hubbard" target="_blank" rel="noopener">some still argued her entry wasn't unfair</a> — citing that athletic performance is gained during male puberty, which cannot be offset by testosterone-inhibiting medication.

Responding to these concerns, Dr Hamlin tells me: "Laurel Hubbard didn't make up the rules – she’s competed within the rules. That’s all anyone needs to know.

"If people have a problem, they needed to take it up with the relevant authorities – not her."

[caption id="attachment_12631942" align="alignnone" width="847"]<img class="size-full wp-image-12631942" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/08/Screen-Shot-2021-08-03-at-11.39.06.png" alt="" width="847" height="566" /> The abuse levelled against Hubbard has been intense (Credit: Alamy)[/caption]

Dr Hamlin continues: "There's a misconception that people choose to be trans. But we can't help it. Many of us would far rather be cis-gendered because life would be easier for us. But we’re not.

"So either we live with who we are, and make the most of what we’ve got, or we hide away and suffer from mental illnesses.
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/health-beauty/never-ask-woman-pregnant">Why you should never, ever ask a woman if she's pregnant – even if she is</a></strong></p>
"Trans people who are participating in anything are not cheating, or trying to get advantages. Whether they’re weightlifters or runners, they just want to be as good at it as they possibly can — just as any musician or artist wants to excel at their craft."

"Really, we should have been celebrating the fact that Hubbard's inclusion was an example of diversity, in contrast to hate and discrimination. That's what it was all about."

[caption id="attachment_12631943" align="alignnone" width="897"]<img class="size-full wp-image-12631943" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/08/Screen-Shot-2021-08-03-at-11.40.12.png" alt="" width="897" height="561" /> "There's a misconception that people choose to be trans," Hamlin explains. (Credit: Alamy)[/caption]
<h2>'It's a complex issue'</h2>
For further comment, <strong>Four Nine</strong> reached out to the charity, <a href="https://www.womeninsport.org/about-us/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Women in Sport</a> — which is "determined to break down stubborn gender inequalities through its work within the sports sector" — for its opinion on trans athletes competing against non-trans people.

Echoing Dr Hamlin's comments, a spokesperson passionately speaks out against abusing or harassing trans athletes: "Criticism and debate should be focused on the rules themselves, not rule-abiding individuals."

However, the spokesperson explains that achieving complete fairness in sport for trans and non-trans athletes is "complex".

"We recognise the difficulty in striking the right balance of fairness, inclusion, and safety in sport," they explain. "We are aware that the UK’s sports agencies have commissioned some research to assist in informing decisions. While this research has not yet been published, we look forward to seeing the outcome."
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/entertainment/prince-harry-name-racist-royal-book">Here's what will happen if Prince Harry names and shames 'racist' royal in new book</a></strong></p>
Following on from the controversy around Hubbard's participation in the Games, the International Olympic Committee confirmed this week that it will be updating its guidelines for transgender athletes within the next two months as they are currently not fit for purpose.

The IOC's medical and science director, Dr Richard Budgett, explained that individual sports will have a responsibility to find a "sweet spot" between fairness, inclusion and safety.

But for her part, Hubbard just wants to be viewed as a sportswoman. <a href="https://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/olympics/history-maker-laurel-hubbard-says-she-is-not-a-transgender-role-model-but-an-athlete-as-she-plans-to-retire-40713916.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Speaking after the Games</a>, the media-shy star explained that her participation  "should not be historic".

She explained: "As we move into a new and more understanding world, people are starting to realise that people like me are just people. We are human and as such I hope that just by being here is enough.

"All I have ever wanted as an athlete, is to be regarded as an athlete."

<p>Laurel Hubbard made history when she became the first openly trans woman to compete in the Olympic Games yesterday.</p>
<p>Despite being tipped to win gold, the 43-year-old athlete — who was born male but began identifying as a woman in 2013 — crashed out of the +87kg weightlifting final after failing to register a score. Ultimately, she lost out to non-trans athletes Emily Campbell, who took home silver for Britain, and China's Li Wenwen who won gold.</p>
<p>The disappointing result for Hubbard came after her participation was mired in controversy, with critics claiming she had an unfair physical advantage over non-trans women. Speaking out after the event, Hubbard admitted she struggled to block out the scrutiny and hinted the negativity had gotten the better of her.</p>
<p>Sadly, there is still a lot of misinformation about trans people in sport – especially when it comes to fairness around trans women competing against non-trans women. So to set the record straight, we decided to talk to Dr Jane Hamlin, the president of the <a href="https://www.beaumontsociety.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Beaumont Society</a> — the UK's longest established support group for transgender people.</p>
<figure>
            <img class="size-full wp-image-12631940" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/08/MBB8FY-scaled.jpeg" alt="" width="2560" height="1707" /><figcaption class='op-vertical-below'>
<h1>

 "Laurel Hubbard didn't make up the rules, she’s competed within the rules," says Dr Hamlin (Credit: Alamy)</h1>
</figcaption></figure>
<h2>'Any competition has to be fair'</h2>
<p>Speaking exclusively to <strong>Four Nine, </strong>Dr Hamlin stresses that first and foremost, the level of speculation Hubbard was subjected to is not only unnecessary, but potentially harmful. "Any competition has to be fair," she tells me.</p>
<p>"Why should people assume that a trans person participating is unfair? There are rules. Clearly, if it was unfair, it wouldn’t be acceptable.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: </strong><a href="https://fournine.net/transgender-military-ban-stopped-serving-pride"><strong>The transgender military ban stopped me from serving with pride</strong></a></p>
<p class="p1">"As a trans person myself, my concern is that this speculation rattles the cage of people who are transphobic, and hate us. But if we worry about that constantly, we wouldn’t ever do anything."</p>
<p class="p1">Dr Hamlin then sadly points out that the reaction to Hubbard's participation may put trans people off competing in events like the Olympics in the future.</p>
<p class="p1">"So many trans people are terrified of rejection, of ridicule, of humiliation, and unkind comments," she explains. "It may well keep a lot of trans people out of the limelight, even when it comes to local sporting events, which is such a shame."</p>
<figure>
            <img class="size-full wp-image-12631941" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/08/2GB4W0R-scaled.jpeg" alt="" width="2560" height="1801" /><figcaption class='op-vertical-below'>
<h1>

 The 43-year-old's participation incited debate surrounding trans athletes' participation in sport (Credit: Alamy)</h1>
</figcaption></figure>
<h2>'Laurel Hubbard didn't make the rules!'</h2>
<p>Hubbard was of course allowed to fairly take part in the Games after the International Olympic Committee changed its rules.</p>
<p>Under the International Weightlifting Federation's 2015 guidelines, trans athletes must take medication to lower testosterone below 10 nanomoles per litre for 12 months before the competition. Hubbard followed these rules and so was permitted entry into the competition.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/non-binary-aaliyah-ramsey-trolls-representation">Non-binary influencer discusses overcoming abusive trolls to fight for representation</a></strong></p>
<p>Yet, <a href="https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1108399/anna-vanbellinghen-hubbard" target="_blank" rel="noopener">some still argued her entry wasn't unfair</a> — citing that athletic performance is gained during male puberty, which cannot be offset by testosterone-inhibiting medication.</p>
<p>Responding to these concerns, Dr Hamlin tells me: "Laurel Hubbard didn't make up the rules – she’s competed within the rules. That’s all anyone needs to know.</p>
<p>"If people have a problem, they needed to take it up with the relevant authorities – not her."</p>
<figure>
            <img class="size-full wp-image-12631942" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/08/Screen-Shot-2021-08-03-at-11.39.06.png" alt="" width="847" height="566" /><figcaption class='op-vertical-below'>
<h1>

 The abuse levelled against Hubbard has been intense (Credit: Alamy)</h1>
</figcaption></figure>
<p>Dr Hamlin continues: "There's a misconception that people choose to be trans. But we can't help it. Many of us would far rather be cis-gendered because life would be easier for us. But we’re not.</p>
<p>"So either we live with who we are, and make the most of what we’ve got, or we hide away and suffer from mental illnesses.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/health-beauty/never-ask-woman-pregnant">Why you should never, ever ask a woman if she's pregnant – even if she is</a></strong></p>
<p>"Trans people who are participating in anything are not cheating, or trying to get advantages. Whether they’re weightlifters or runners, they just want to be as good at it as they possibly can — just as any musician or artist wants to excel at their craft."</p>
<p>"Really, we should have been celebrating the fact that Hubbard's inclusion was an example of diversity, in contrast to hate and discrimination. That's what it was all about."</p>
<figure>
            <img class="size-full wp-image-12631943" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/08/Screen-Shot-2021-08-03-at-11.40.12.png" alt="" width="897" height="561" /><figcaption class='op-vertical-below'>
<h1>

 "There's a misconception that people choose to be trans," Hamlin explains. (Credit: Alamy)</h1>
</figcaption></figure>
<h2>'It's a complex issue'</h2>
<p>For further comment, <strong>Four Nine</strong> reached out to the charity, <a href="https://www.womeninsport.org/about-us/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Women in Sport</a> — which is "determined to break down stubborn gender inequalities through its work within the sports sector" — for its opinion on trans athletes competing against non-trans people.</p>
<p>Echoing Dr Hamlin's comments, a spokesperson passionately speaks out against abusing or harassing trans athletes: "Criticism and debate should be focused on the rules themselves, not rule-abiding individuals."</p>
<p>However, the spokesperson explains that achieving complete fairness in sport for trans and non-trans athletes is "complex".</p>
<p>"We recognise the difficulty in striking the right balance of fairness, inclusion, and safety in sport," they explain. "We are aware that the UK’s sports agencies have commissioned some research to assist in informing decisions. While this research has not yet been published, we look forward to seeing the outcome."</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/entertainment/prince-harry-name-racist-royal-book">Here's what will happen if Prince Harry names and shames 'racist' royal in new book</a></strong></p>
<p>Following on from the controversy around Hubbard's participation in the Games, the International Olympic Committee confirmed this week that it will be updating its guidelines for transgender athletes within the next two months as they are currently not fit for purpose.</p>
<p>The IOC's medical and science director, Dr Richard Budgett, explained that individual sports will have a responsibility to find a "sweet spot" between fairness, inclusion and safety.</p>
<p>But for her part, Hubbard just wants to be viewed as a sportswoman. <a href="https://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/olympics/history-maker-laurel-hubbard-says-she-is-not-a-transgender-role-model-but-an-athlete-as-she-plans-to-retire-40713916.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Speaking after the Games</a>, the media-shy star explained that her participation  "should not be historic".</p>
<p>She explained: "As we move into a new and more understanding world, people are starting to realise that people like me are just people. We are human and as such I hope that just by being here is enough.</p>
<p>"All I have ever wanted as an athlete, is to be regarded as an athlete."</p>


Is it fair for trans athletes to compete against non-trans women? Setting the record straight

When Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka missed their penalties, resulting in England's defeat to Italy on Sunday, the fallout was disappointingly predictable. As former England footballer, Marvin Sordell, <a href="https://twitter.com/MarvinSordell/status/1414499590074687489?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">put it</a>: "The saddest thing is that as soon as three Black players missed penalties, we all knew exactly what was coming."

Vile racist attacks then poured down on the three footballers, who are 23, 21, and 19-years-old respectively. These are the same players that have fed hungry children, are A* students, and have repeatedly demonstrated that they are committed to giving back to their communities. Yet, after missing penalties when put under unimaginable pressure, their incredible work off the pitch was swiftly forgotten and their race was used to attack them.

Aliya Mohammed, CEO of <a href="https://raceequalityfirst.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Race Equality First</a>, reveals this reaction would have had a "devastating impact" on the players.

[caption id="attachment_1263117524" align="aligncenter" width="841"]<img class="wp-image-1263117524 size-full" src="https://img.vt.co/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-13-at-11.37.42.png" alt="" width="841" height="578" /> Pictured are Marcus Rashford, Jandon Sancho, Raheem Sterling, and Bukayo Saka (Credit: Alamy)[/caption]
<h2>A case of history repeating itself</h2>
Speaking exclusively to <strong>Four Nine</strong>, Mohammed admits that while the reaction was "saddening" and "shocking", unfortunately, it is a case of history repeating itself. She tells me: "We've seen it before after a missed penalty or a poor pass, but often it's just for being a Black football player."

Commenting on the toll this level of racism would have had on the players, she adds: "Racist abuse has a devastating impact on the victim, whatever their role or social standing."
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/equal-opportunities-photo-bame-gary-younge">We need equal opportunities not photo opportunities for BAME groups</a>
</strong></p>
Rashford himself hinted at how much he was struggling after Sunday's game. Taking to social media to address the result, he wrote a lengthy <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CRPWb3Ysf-2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram</a> post addressing the reaction. He said: "I’ve grown into a sport where I expect to read things written about myself. Whether it be the colour of my skin, where I grew up, or, most recently, how I decide to spend my time off the pitch.

"I can take critique of my performance all day long, my penalty was not good enough, it should have gone in but I will never apologise for who I am and where I came from."

On <a href="https://twitter.com/marcusrashford/status/1397709656240369665?lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a>, Rashford then revealed that one of the racist messages he received appeared to come from the account of a school maths teacher. "I'm more outraged that one of the abusers that left a mountain of monkey emojis in my DM is a maths teacher with an open profile," he wrote. "He teaches children!! And knows that he can freely racially abuse without consequence...''

[caption id="attachment_1263117526" align="aligncenter" width="862"]<img class="size-full wp-image-1263117526" src="https://img.vt.co/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-13-at-11.38.42.png" alt="" width="862" height="579" /> Street artist repairs the mural of Rashford, which was vandalised after the England team lost the UEFA Euro 2021 final (Credit: Alamy)[/caption]
<h2>Social media trolls should be punished</h2>
So, what needs to be done to protect our players? Since Sunday, a <a href="https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/575833" target="_blank" rel="noopener">petition</a> has been making the rounds online. It asks that people provide a form of verified identification to create a social media account. This would help make online hate traceable and enable authorities to more easily charge and prosecute racist individuals across the country.

Mohammed believes that this is imperative when it comes to dismantling the racism that is so embedded in England.

"Social media trolls should be punished for this type of racist abuse," she explains. "A lot of work needs to be done to deal with this on our social media platforms, but football also needs a strategy to counteract the racism especially when we knew what was to come after watching the game.

"The responsibility lies with police to deal with racist trolling as cyber-hate crimes, football clubs by sending out a clear message to their fans about racism not being tolerated by their club, and by social media platforms through banning any accounts that display or send out racist messages or images.

"Reports should be made to both the social media platform the abuse appeared on as well as the local police, with screenshots taken of the offending message or image. There needs to be a targeted effort to stamp out online racism and to send a loud and clear message that this will not be tolerated."

[caption id="attachment_12631839" align="alignnone" width="2560"]<img class="size-full wp-image-12631839" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/07/2D8TRC0-scaled.jpeg" alt="" width="2560" height="1642" /> Manchester United's Marcus Rashford battles for the ball with Arsenal's Kieran Tierney and Bukayo Saka (Credit: Alamy)[/caption]
<h2>'Deep-rooted and systemic racism'</h2>
Speaking to <strong>Four Nine</strong>, Dr Halima Begum, the CEO of the <a href="https://www.runnymedetrust.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Runnymeade Trust</a> — the UK's leading independent race equality think tank — corroborates that the fallout from the Euros 2020 final highlights the issue of racism within football.

She tells me: "The fact that England's heroic footballers could face such instant abuse is indicative of deep-rooted and systemic racism."
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/defamed-black-panthers-too-long-not-terrorists">We have defamed the Black Panthers for too long – they were not terrorists</a>
</strong></p>
Alarmingly, she emphasises that the racist reaction will not only have had a huge impact on the players, but also any person of colour off the pitch.

Dr Begum adds: "Given the abuse and suffering that such high profile individuals as our England footballers have faced, one can only imagine how ordinary British people from minority backgrounds struggle each day to get on with their lives in the face of such toxicity."

But according to Dr Begum, it's not just social media that needs to be held to account.

[caption id="attachment_1263117529" align="aligncenter" width="2214"]<img class="size-full wp-image-1263117529" src="https://img.vt.co/2021/07/2G78PB7.jpeg" alt="" width="2214" height="1521" /> Pictured is England manager Gareth Southgate (Credit: Alamy)[/caption]
<h2>Moral leadership nurtures the best of Britain</h2>
Despite condemning the attacks on the footballers, prime minister Boris Johnson and home secretary Priti Patel have both been <a href="https://news.sky.com/story/euro-2020-boris-johnson-and-priti-patel-accused-of-stoking-actions-of-vocal-minority-after-racist-abuse-of-england-players-12354768" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accused</a> of <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficialTM_3/status/1414655312074784785?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"stoking" the actions of a "vocal minority"</a> based on their previous remarks.

Earlier this month, Patel refused to criticise fans who booed England for taking the knee before games to protest against racial injustice — instead, she said that the players were engaging in "gesture politics". Similarly, Johnson refused to condemn those who booed players from taking a knee.

As Dr Begum comments: "Moral leadership nurtures the very best of Britain. We need our leaders at the highest level to adopt such conduct and speak out against racism frequently.

She continues to emphasise that each and every one of us has a role when it comes to tackling racism: "It is so endemic it takes a full team to dismantle, from England's squad captains to our teachers and journalists right through to our Prime Minister.

"We need the very best from all sides of our political and cultural spheres to pledge against it. Those at the top must rise to the challenge and stand taller and do the right thing for Britain, as Southgate so gracefully did himself.  He can't carry our country alone."
<h5>Feature image credit: Alamy</h5>

<p>When Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka missed their penalties, resulting in England's defeat to Italy on Sunday, the fallout was disappointingly predictable. As former England footballer, Marvin Sordell, <a href="https://twitter.com/MarvinSordell/status/1414499590074687489?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">put it</a>: "The saddest thing is that as soon as three Black players missed penalties, we all knew exactly what was coming."</p>
<p>Vile racist attacks then poured down on the three footballers, who are 23, 21, and 19-years-old respectively. These are the same players that have fed hungry children, are A* students, and have repeatedly demonstrated that they are committed to giving back to their communities. Yet, after missing penalties when put under unimaginable pressure, their incredible work off the pitch was swiftly forgotten and their race was used to attack them.</p>
<p>Aliya Mohammed, CEO of <a href="https://raceequalityfirst.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Race Equality First</a>, reveals this reaction would have had a "devastating impact" on the players.</p>
<figure>
            <img class="wp-image-1263117524 size-full" src="https://img.vt.co/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-13-at-11.37.42.png" alt="" width="841" height="578" /><figcaption class='op-vertical-below'>
<h1>

 Pictured are Marcus Rashford, Jandon Sancho, Raheem Sterling, and Bukayo Saka (Credit: Alamy)</h1>
</figcaption></figure>
<h2>A case of history repeating itself</h2>
<p>Speaking exclusively to <strong>Four Nine</strong>, Mohammed admits that while the reaction was "saddening" and "shocking", unfortunately, it is a case of history repeating itself. She tells me: "We've seen it before after a missed penalty or a poor pass, but often it's just for being a Black football player."</p>
<p>Commenting on the toll this level of racism would have had on the players, she adds: "Racist abuse has a devastating impact on the victim, whatever their role or social standing."</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/equal-opportunities-photo-bame-gary-younge">We need equal opportunities not photo opportunities for BAME groups</a><br />
</strong></p>
<p>Rashford himself hinted at how much he was struggling after Sunday's game. Taking to social media to address the result, he wrote a lengthy <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CRPWb3Ysf-2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram</a> post addressing the reaction. He said: "I’ve grown into a sport where I expect to read things written about myself. Whether it be the colour of my skin, where I grew up, or, most recently, how I decide to spend my time off the pitch.</p>
<p>"I can take critique of my performance all day long, my penalty was not good enough, it should have gone in but I will never apologise for who I am and where I came from."</p>
<p>On <a href="https://twitter.com/marcusrashford/status/1397709656240369665?lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a>, Rashford then revealed that one of the racist messages he received appeared to come from the account of a school maths teacher. "I'm more outraged that one of the abusers that left a mountain of monkey emojis in my DM is a maths teacher with an open profile," he wrote. "He teaches children!! And knows that he can freely racially abuse without consequence...''</p>
<figure>
            <img class="size-full wp-image-1263117526" src="https://img.vt.co/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-13-at-11.38.42.png" alt="" width="862" height="579" /><figcaption class='op-vertical-below'>
<h1>

 Street artist repairs the mural of Rashford, which was vandalised after the England team lost the UEFA Euro 2021 final (Credit: Alamy)</h1>
</figcaption></figure>
<h2>Social media trolls should be punished</h2>
<p>So, what needs to be done to protect our players? Since Sunday, a <a href="https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/575833" target="_blank" rel="noopener">petition</a> has been making the rounds online. It asks that people provide a form of verified identification to create a social media account. This would help make online hate traceable and enable authorities to more easily charge and prosecute racist individuals across the country.</p>
<p>Mohammed believes that this is imperative when it comes to dismantling the racism that is so embedded in England.</p>
<p>"Social media trolls should be punished for this type of racist abuse," she explains. "A lot of work needs to be done to deal with this on our social media platforms, but football also needs a strategy to counteract the racism especially when we knew what was to come after watching the game.</p>
<p>"The responsibility lies with police to deal with racist trolling as cyber-hate crimes, football clubs by sending out a clear message to their fans about racism not being tolerated by their club, and by social media platforms through banning any accounts that display or send out racist messages or images.</p>
<p>"Reports should be made to both the social media platform the abuse appeared on as well as the local police, with screenshots taken of the offending message or image. There needs to be a targeted effort to stamp out online racism and to send a loud and clear message that this will not be tolerated."</p>
<figure>
            <img class="size-full wp-image-12631839" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/07/2D8TRC0-scaled.jpeg" alt="" width="2560" height="1642" /><figcaption class='op-vertical-below'>
<h1>

 Manchester United's Marcus Rashford battles for the ball with Arsenal's Kieran Tierney and Bukayo Saka (Credit: Alamy)</h1>
</figcaption></figure>
<h2>'Deep-rooted and systemic racism'</h2>
<p>Speaking to <strong>Four Nine</strong>, Dr Halima Begum, the CEO of the <a href="https://www.runnymedetrust.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Runnymeade Trust</a> — the UK's leading independent race equality think tank — corroborates that the fallout from the Euros 2020 final highlights the issue of racism within football.</p>
<p>She tells me: "The fact that England's heroic footballers could face such instant abuse is indicative of deep-rooted and systemic racism."</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/defamed-black-panthers-too-long-not-terrorists">We have defamed the Black Panthers for too long – they were not terrorists</a><br />
</strong></p>
<p>Alarmingly, she emphasises that the racist reaction will not only have had a huge impact on the players, but also any person of colour off the pitch.</p>
<p>Dr Begum adds: "Given the abuse and suffering that such high profile individuals as our England footballers have faced, one can only imagine how ordinary British people from minority backgrounds struggle each day to get on with their lives in the face of such toxicity."</p>
<p>But according to Dr Begum, it's not just social media that needs to be held to account.</p>
<figure>
            <img class="size-full wp-image-1263117529" src="https://img.vt.co/2021/07/2G78PB7.jpeg" alt="" width="2214" height="1521" /><figcaption class='op-vertical-below'>
<h1>

 Pictured is England manager Gareth Southgate (Credit: Alamy)</h1>
</figcaption></figure>
<h2>Moral leadership nurtures the best of Britain</h2>
<p>Despite condemning the attacks on the footballers, prime minister Boris Johnson and home secretary Priti Patel have both been <a href="https://news.sky.com/story/euro-2020-boris-johnson-and-priti-patel-accused-of-stoking-actions-of-vocal-minority-after-racist-abuse-of-england-players-12354768" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accused</a> of <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficialTM_3/status/1414655312074784785?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"stoking" the actions of a "vocal minority"</a> based on their previous remarks.</p>
<p>Earlier this month, Patel refused to criticise fans who booed England for taking the knee before games to protest against racial injustice — instead, she said that the players were engaging in "gesture politics". Similarly, Johnson refused to condemn those who booed players from taking a knee.</p>
<p>As Dr Begum comments: "Moral leadership nurtures the very best of Britain. We need our leaders at the highest level to adopt such conduct and speak out against racism frequently.</p>
<p>She continues to emphasise that each and every one of us has a role when it comes to tackling racism: "It is so endemic it takes a full team to dismantle, from England's squad captains to our teachers and journalists right through to our Prime Minister.</p>
<p>"We need the very best from all sides of our political and cultural spheres to pledge against it. Those at the top must rise to the challenge and stand taller and do the right thing for Britain, as Southgate so gracefully did himself.  He can't carry our country alone."</p>
<h2>Feature image credit: Alamy</h2>


The devastating impact football racism has on players revealed – and how we can do better

Bill Cosby has left prison hours after his sexual assault conviction was overturned by Pennsylvania's Supreme Court – but does this mean he's actually innocent?

The Cosby Show actor, 83, was convicted in 2018 of drugging and assaulting Andrea Constand, and his trial — which was held after more than 50 women came forward with similar stories — was the first significant celebrity conviction of the #MeToo era.

Here's everything you need to know about why his conviction has been overturned.

[caption id="attachment_12631714" align="aligncenter" width="690"]<img class="wp-image-12631714 size-full" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-01-at-11.28.27.png" alt="Is Bill Cosby actually innocent" width="690" height="575" /> Bill Cosby left prison hours after his sexual assault conviction was overturned (Credit: Alamy)[/caption]
<h2>What was Bill Cosby convicted of?</h2>
Bill Cosby was found guilty on three counts of drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand in 2018.

The ex-basketball player, who was decades Cosby's junior, met him in 2002 while working at Temple University in Philadelphia. She later testified that he had drugged and molested her at his home in January 2004 – an incident that left her "frozen".

Constand, who said she initially saw the comedian as a "mentor" figure, came forward about the assault in 2005. However, former state prosecutor, Bruce Castor, did not press criminal charges. She proceeded to sue Cosby for sexual battery and defamation, and reached a confidential settlement in 2006.
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/relationships/revenge-porn-victom-struggling-six-years" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Revenge Porn victim reveals she's still struggling six years on: 'I just wanted someone to love me'</a></strong></p>
In 2014 and 2015, dozens of women came forward with similar allegations of drugging and assault. Unfortunately, laws around the statute of limitations meant that authorities could not pursue the majority of these claims, with the earliest allegation having taken place in the mid-1960s.

They did, though, reopen Constand's case, and charged Cosby just days before the 12-year limit on her allegations was due to expire.

On 25 September, 2018, Cosby was sentenced to three to ten years in state prison, and a $25,000 fine — in what was then declared a win for the #MeToo movement.

[caption id="attachment_12631715" align="alignnone" width="2560"]<img class="wp-image-12631715 size-full" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/07/2ERP233-scaled.jpeg" alt="Bill cosby " width="2560" height="1698" /> Cosby was found guilty on three counts of drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand (Credit: Alamy)[/caption]
<h2>Is Bill Cosby actually innocent?</h2>
The courts have not proclaimed Cosby's innocence, but have overturned his sexual assault conviction by saying that his due process rights were violated.

Per <a href="https://theweek.com/news/1002151/overturned-cosby-ruling" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Week</a>, the decision does not address "Cosby's conduct but rather the 'vast' violation of due process" he faced in the legal proceedings. As MSNBC's Joyce Vance explains, the ruling "does not mean the sexual assault Cosby was convicted for did not take place. It's a technical legal decision based on conduct by the DA."

As it stands, Cosby was still found guilty by a jury in 2018 of felony indecent assault against Constand.

[caption id="attachment_12631713" align="alignnone" width="2560"]<img class="wp-image-12631713 size-full" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/07/F5RM1J-scaled.jpeg" alt="bill cosby" width="2560" height="1917" /> The overturning of his conviction does not mean that Bill Cosby is actually innocent (Credit: Alamy)[/caption]
<h2>Why did they overturn Bill Cosby's conviction?</h2>
As mentioned above, Cosby's conviction was overturned because Philadelphia's highest court said that his due process rights were "<a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2021/06/30/us/bill-cosby-to-be-released/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">violated</a>".

The court ruled that Montgomery County District Attorney, Kevin Steele, was obligated to make an agreement set out by his predecessor to not charge Cosby when he later gave potentially incriminating testimony in a deposition as part of Constand's civil lawsuit. This is the basis of his release.
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/news/marilyn-manson-fans-responsibility-enable-abuse" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marilyn Manson fans have a responsibility to not enable him</a></strong></p>
Justice David Wecht said that the Cosby Show actor had relied on the previous prosecutor's decision not to charge him when he gave his deposition. He <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2021/06/30/us/bill-cosby-to-be-released/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stated</a> that overturning the prosecution was "the only remedy that comports with society’s reasonable expectations of its elected prosecutors and our criminal justice system."

During Cosby's first trial, the judge only allowed one other accuser to testify against him. However, during the retrial they allowed five other accusers to testify about alleged incidents that took place during the 1980s.

The state Supreme Court has ruled that that testimony tainted the trial, even though a lower court had declared it appropriate.

Now, the court has said that Cosby cannot be retried on the same charges.

[caption id="attachment_12631716" align="aligncenter" width="838"]<img class="wp-image-12631716 size-full" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-01-at-11.31.14.png" alt="Is Bill Cosby actually innocent? " width="838" height="558" /> The actor's due process rights were "violated", per the courts (Credit: Alamy)[/caption]
<h2>Did Bill Cosby ever plead guilty?</h2>
The 83-year-old has always <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/crime/bill-cosby-prison-conviction-overturned-b1875754.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">denied</a> any guilt. And he even stated that he would rather have served the maximum 10-year sentence than express any remorse for the alleged 2004 incident with Constand.

Cosby took to <a href="https://twitter.com/BillCosby/status/1410359498162769926?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1410359498162769926%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fvariety.com%2F2021%2Ftv%2Fnews%2Fbill-cosby-speaks-out-overturned-conviction-1235009347%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a> yesterday (June 30) to make his first public statement after being released from prison.

"I have never changed my stance nor my story. I have always maintained my innocence," he wrote alongside a picture of himself with a raised fist.

"Thank you to all my fans, supporters and friends who stood by me through this ordeal. Special thanks to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court for upholding the rule of law."

[caption id="attachment_12631717" align="aligncenter" width="844"]<img class="wp-image-12631717 size-full" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-01-at-11.32.11.png" alt="Bill cosby " width="844" height="561" /> Cosby has always maintained his innocence (Credit: Alamy)[/caption]
<h2>What has Andrea Constand said?</h2>
Constand told <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2021/06/30/andrea-constand-reaction-bill-cosby-conviction-overturned/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TMZ</a> that Cosby's release could discourage victims of sexual assault from seeking justice through the courts.

She said the "disappointing" decision "may discourage those who seek justice for sexual assault in the criminal justice system from reporting or participating in the prosecution of the assailant or may force a victim to choose between filing either a criminal or civil action."

Constand also stated that she and her team were never aware of any agreement made between Cosby and his former prosecutor.

[caption id="attachment_12631719" align="alignnone" width="2560"]<img class="size-full wp-image-12631719" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/07/MG6X9R-scaled.jpeg" alt="" width="2560" height="1707" /> Andrea Constand has criticised the decision (Credit: Alamy)[/caption]
<h2>What have Bill Cosby's other alleged victims said?</h2>
Three of Cosby's other accusers — Sammie Mays, Sarita Butterfield and Angela Leslie — have also criticised the ruling, per <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2021/06/30/andrea-constand-reaction-bill-cosby-conviction-overturned/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TMZ</a>.

Mays, who claimed that Cosby drugged and sexually assaulted her in the 1980s, told the publication that his release is "disrespectful and despicable" for Constand — a sentiment that Butterfield corroborated.
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/sexual-harassment-workplace-venus-libido">Sexual harassment in the workplace pushed me to try and take my own life</a>
</strong></p>
Angela Leslie added: "I'm surprised and shocked with today's news of Cosby's release. It seems the justice system served the criminal, in this case, as opposed to the victims."

[caption id="attachment_12631718" align="alignnone" width="2560"]<img class="size-full wp-image-12631718" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/07/EDR682-scaled.jpeg" alt="" width="2560" height="1703" /> Bill Cosby's alleged victim have spoken out to reinforce the message that the court ruling does not mean he is actually innocent (Credit: Alamy)[/caption]
<h2>Is Bill Cosby still married?</h2>
Cosby has remained married to his wife, Camille Cosby, throughout the entire legal process.

According to <a href="https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/bill-cosbys-wife-camille-reacts-ahead-of-prison-release/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">US Weekly</a>, the actor's lawyer said that Ms Cosby was "ecstatic, relieved, happy" about the news he was being released from prison..

She has previously <a href="https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/camille-cosby-unleashes-blistering-attack-bill-cosbys-sexual-assault-conviction/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spoken out</a> about the case against her husband, which she slammed as "unethical". She also asserted that his accusers were "lying" and maintain that Bill Cosby is actually innocent.
<h5>Feature image credit: Alamy</h5>

<p>Bill Cosby has left prison hours after his sexual assault conviction was overturned by Pennsylvania's Supreme Court – but does this mean he's actually innocent?</p>
<p>The Cosby Show actor, 83, was convicted in 2018 of drugging and assaulting Andrea Constand, and his trial — which was held after more than 50 women came forward with similar stories — was the first significant celebrity conviction of the #MeToo era.</p>
<p>Here's everything you need to know about why his conviction has been overturned.</p>
<figure>
            <img class="wp-image-12631714 size-full" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-01-at-11.28.27.png" alt="Is Bill Cosby actually innocent" width="690" height="575" /><figcaption class='op-vertical-below'>
<h1>

 Bill Cosby left prison hours after his sexual assault conviction was overturned (Credit: Alamy)</h1>
</figcaption></figure>
<h2>What was Bill Cosby convicted of?</h2>
<p>Bill Cosby was found guilty on three counts of drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand in 2018.</p>
<p>The ex-basketball player, who was decades Cosby's junior, met him in 2002 while working at Temple University in Philadelphia. She later testified that he had drugged and molested her at his home in January 2004 – an incident that left her "frozen".</p>
<p>Constand, who said she initially saw the comedian as a "mentor" figure, came forward about the assault in 2005. However, former state prosecutor, Bruce Castor, did not press criminal charges. She proceeded to sue Cosby for sexual battery and defamation, and reached a confidential settlement in 2006.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/relationships/revenge-porn-victom-struggling-six-years" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Revenge Porn victim reveals she's still struggling six years on: 'I just wanted someone to love me'</a></strong></p>
<p>In 2014 and 2015, dozens of women came forward with similar allegations of drugging and assault. Unfortunately, laws around the statute of limitations meant that authorities could not pursue the majority of these claims, with the earliest allegation having taken place in the mid-1960s.</p>
<p>They did, though, reopen Constand's case, and charged Cosby just days before the 12-year limit on her allegations was due to expire.</p>
<p>On 25 September, 2018, Cosby was sentenced to three to ten years in state prison, and a $25,000 fine — in what was then declared a win for the #MeToo movement.</p>
<figure>
            <img class="wp-image-12631715 size-full" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/07/2ERP233-scaled.jpeg" alt="Bill cosby " width="2560" height="1698" /><figcaption class='op-vertical-below'>
<h1>

 Cosby was found guilty on three counts of drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand (Credit: Alamy)</h1>
</figcaption></figure>
<h2>Is Bill Cosby actually innocent?</h2>
<p>The courts have not proclaimed Cosby's innocence, but have overturned his sexual assault conviction by saying that his due process rights were violated.</p>
<p>Per <a href="https://theweek.com/news/1002151/overturned-cosby-ruling" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Week</a>, the decision does not address "Cosby's conduct but rather the 'vast' violation of due process" he faced in the legal proceedings. As MSNBC's Joyce Vance explains, the ruling "does not mean the sexual assault Cosby was convicted for did not take place. It's a technical legal decision based on conduct by the DA."</p>
<p>As it stands, Cosby was still found guilty by a jury in 2018 of felony indecent assault against Constand.</p>
<figure>
            <img class="wp-image-12631713 size-full" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/07/F5RM1J-scaled.jpeg" alt="bill cosby" width="2560" height="1917" /><figcaption class='op-vertical-below'>
<h1>

 The overturning of his conviction does not mean that Bill Cosby is actually innocent (Credit: Alamy)</h1>
</figcaption></figure>
<h2>Why did they overturn Bill Cosby's conviction?</h2>
<p>As mentioned above, Cosby's conviction was overturned because Philadelphia's highest court said that his due process rights were "<a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2021/06/30/us/bill-cosby-to-be-released/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">violated</a>".</p>
<p>The court ruled that Montgomery County District Attorney, Kevin Steele, was obligated to make an agreement set out by his predecessor to not charge Cosby when he later gave potentially incriminating testimony in a deposition as part of Constand's civil lawsuit. This is the basis of his release.</p>
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<p>Justice David Wecht said that the Cosby Show actor had relied on the previous prosecutor's decision not to charge him when he gave his deposition. He <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2021/06/30/us/bill-cosby-to-be-released/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stated</a> that overturning the prosecution was "the only remedy that comports with society’s reasonable expectations of its elected prosecutors and our criminal justice system."</p>
<p>During Cosby's first trial, the judge only allowed one other accuser to testify against him. However, during the retrial they allowed five other accusers to testify about alleged incidents that took place during the 1980s.</p>
<p>The state Supreme Court has ruled that that testimony tainted the trial, even though a lower court had declared it appropriate.</p>
<p>Now, the court has said that Cosby cannot be retried on the same charges.</p>
<figure>
            <img class="wp-image-12631716 size-full" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-01-at-11.31.14.png" alt="Is Bill Cosby actually innocent? " width="838" height="558" /><figcaption class='op-vertical-below'>
<h1>

 The actor's due process rights were "violated", per the courts (Credit: Alamy)</h1>
</figcaption></figure>
<h2>Did Bill Cosby ever plead guilty?</h2>
<p>The 83-year-old has always <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/crime/bill-cosby-prison-conviction-overturned-b1875754.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">denied</a> any guilt. And he even stated that he would rather have served the maximum 10-year sentence than express any remorse for the alleged 2004 incident with Constand.</p>
<p>Cosby took to <a href="https://twitter.com/BillCosby/status/1410359498162769926?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1410359498162769926%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fvariety.com%2F2021%2Ftv%2Fnews%2Fbill-cosby-speaks-out-overturned-conviction-1235009347%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a> yesterday (June 30) to make his first public statement after being released from prison.</p>
<p>"I have never changed my stance nor my story. I have always maintained my innocence," he wrote alongside a picture of himself with a raised fist.</p>
<p>"Thank you to all my fans, supporters and friends who stood by me through this ordeal. Special thanks to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court for upholding the rule of law."</p>
<figure>
            <img class="wp-image-12631717 size-full" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-01-at-11.32.11.png" alt="Bill cosby " width="844" height="561" /><figcaption class='op-vertical-below'>
<h1>

 Cosby has always maintained his innocence (Credit: Alamy)</h1>
</figcaption></figure>
<h2>What has Andrea Constand said?</h2>
<p>Constand told <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2021/06/30/andrea-constand-reaction-bill-cosby-conviction-overturned/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TMZ</a> that Cosby's release could discourage victims of sexual assault from seeking justice through the courts.</p>
<p>She said the "disappointing" decision "may discourage those who seek justice for sexual assault in the criminal justice system from reporting or participating in the prosecution of the assailant or may force a victim to choose between filing either a criminal or civil action."</p>
<p>Constand also stated that she and her team were never aware of any agreement made between Cosby and his former prosecutor.</p>
<figure>
            <img class="size-full wp-image-12631719" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/07/MG6X9R-scaled.jpeg" alt="" width="2560" height="1707" /><figcaption class='op-vertical-below'>
<h1>

 Andrea Constand has criticised the decision (Credit: Alamy)</h1>
</figcaption></figure>
<h2>What have Bill Cosby's other alleged victims said?</h2>
<p>Three of Cosby's other accusers — Sammie Mays, Sarita Butterfield and Angela Leslie — have also criticised the ruling, per <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2021/06/30/andrea-constand-reaction-bill-cosby-conviction-overturned/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TMZ</a>.</p>
<p>Mays, who claimed that Cosby drugged and sexually assaulted her in the 1980s, told the publication that his release is "disrespectful and despicable" for Constand — a sentiment that Butterfield corroborated.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/sexual-harassment-workplace-venus-libido">Sexual harassment in the workplace pushed me to try and take my own life</a><br />
</strong></p>
<p>Angela Leslie added: "I'm surprised and shocked with today's news of Cosby's release. It seems the justice system served the criminal, in this case, as opposed to the victims."</p>
<figure>
            <img class="size-full wp-image-12631718" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/07/EDR682-scaled.jpeg" alt="" width="2560" height="1703" /><figcaption class='op-vertical-below'>
<h1>

 Bill Cosby's alleged victim have spoken out to reinforce the message that the court ruling does not mean he is actually innocent (Credit: Alamy)</h1>
</figcaption></figure>
<h2>Is Bill Cosby still married?</h2>
<p>Cosby has remained married to his wife, Camille Cosby, throughout the entire legal process.</p>
<p>According to <a href="https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/bill-cosbys-wife-camille-reacts-ahead-of-prison-release/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">US Weekly</a>, the actor's lawyer said that Ms Cosby was "ecstatic, relieved, happy" about the news he was being released from prison..</p>
<p>She has previously <a href="https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/camille-cosby-unleashes-blistering-attack-bill-cosbys-sexual-assault-conviction/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spoken out</a> about the case against her husband, which she slammed as "unethical". She also asserted that his accusers were "lying" and maintain that Bill Cosby is actually innocent.</p>
<h2>Feature image credit: Alamy</h2>


Is Bill Cosby actually innocent? Here's why his conviction was overturned just two years into his 10 year sentence

Mariam* says that the Christchurch mosque terror attacks had a "very devastating" affect on the Muslim community in South London.

The March 15th, 2019 tragedy —which was the worst terror attack New Zealand has ever endured — saw a white supremacist claim the lives of 51 Muslims, who were simply observing their Friday (Jummah) prayers.

"We have a really strong concept of community, so when one Muslim suffers any affliction, we all feel the pain of that," the 27-tells <strong>Four Nine.</strong> "To have 51 of us killed under such horrible violence in a place of worship, which should be a safe haven, was distressing for everyone."

Understandably then, Mariam believes that the planned film about the attacks is incredibly "insensitive". Instead of focusing on the lives that were lost and the aftermath for New Zealand's Muslim community, They Are Us, is due to hone in on Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's response.

[caption id="attachment_12631643" align="alignnone" width="2560"]<img class="size-full wp-image-12631643" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/06/T0YB5T-scaled.jpeg" alt="" width="2560" height="1879" /> (Credit: Alamy)[/caption]
<h2>'You do not get to tell this story'</h2>
After the film's angle was publicised online, the backlash was swift. Muslims from all over the globe denounced the film's premise as promoting a "white saviour narrative". <a href="https://twitter.com/mohamedwashere/status/1403108587740798982" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a> user, Mohammed Hassan, wrote: "You do not get to tell this story. This is not yours. This pain is still fresh and real. This is upsetting, obscene and grotesque. I am tired."

This is a sentiment that Mariam echoes. "As a Muslim, it is still very fresh and very painful, particularly for the people who were touched personally. To capitalise on that by making a movie so soon, which is clearly not intended to tell the story from the victim's perspective, is incredibly insensitive. There's a responsibility to get it right."

"This isn't about Jacinda Ardern and her response, favourable though it was. It's great when politicians support Muslim communities, and call out acts of wrongdoing. But that in itself does not make you a hero. That's your job."
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/failing-teach-black-history-schools-harming-children">Failing to teach Black history in schools is harming children more than you may realise</a></strong></p>
Ardern, for her part, has since denounced the film. Speaking on <a href="https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/jacinda-ardern-says-christchurch-mosque-attacks-film-very-soon-and-raw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TVNZ's Breakfast</a> on June 14, she said that the film felt "very soon and very raw" for New Zealand. "While there are so many stories that should be told at some point, I don’t consider mine to be one of them," she said. "They’re the community’s stories, they’re the families’ stories."

Earlier this week, producer, Philippa Campbell, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-57465471" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pulled out of the film</a> and issued an apology for her involvement — saying that she didn't foresee the "distress" the film would cause.

Her withdrawal does not mean that the US-backed feature is off the cards, however.

[caption id="attachment_12631642" align="alignnone" width="2560"]<img class="size-full wp-image-12631642" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/06/T0A66W-scaled.jpeg" alt="" width="2560" height="1707" /> (Credit: Alamy)[/caption]
<h2>"People like me aren't represented on TV'</h2>
Then, there is the matter of representation. It is a well-known fact that there is a woeful lack of Muslims in front or behind the camera. As Mariam comments, "I don't personally feel as if people like me are represented within TV or the media."

"You see a few more hijabis in adverts nowadays, but in no way compensates for the overwhelmingly large proportion of us that are portrayed in a negative light," she continues. "I am a practising, Muslim woman who observes the hijab — but I am also a doctor, a wife, a friend, and an active member of my Muslim and non-Muslim community.
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/equal-opportunities-photo-bame-gary-younge">We need equal opportunities not photo opportunities for BAME groups if we want a fair press</a>
</strong></p>
"All I see are storylines about extremism, usually where the Muslim ends being killed by a 'white saviour'. We're nearly a quarter of the world's population — we are a very diverse lot, and that needs to be portrayed."
<h2>'The industry must change'</h2>
This is an issue that British-Pakistani actor, Riz Ahmed, has also been vocal about. "I’m fed up of seeing Muslim characters on-screen either negative or non-existent. The industry must change," the actor wrote on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CP80V8mCN_3/?utm_source=ig_embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram</a> last week, when announcing his new <a href="https://www.esquireme.com/content/53224-riz-ahmed-launches-plan-to-change-the-way-muslims-are-depicted-in-film" target="_blank" rel="noopener">initiative</a> to fund and mentor Muslim storytellers from their careers' earl stages.

It's worth noting that Ahmed is the only individual from the Islamic faith to ever be nominated for a Best Actor Oscar — which he received for Sound of Metal this past April.

The actor also referenced a <a href="https://pillarsfund.org/2021/06/10/coalition-unites-to-define-and-address-issues-of-muslim-representation-in-film/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recent study</a> that found that less than 10 per cent of the top-grossing films from 2017 to 2017 from the US, UK, Australia, and New Zealand featured at least one Muslim speaking character. When they did, they were depicted as an outsider, a threat, or subservient to non-Muslim characters.

[caption id="attachment_12631641" align="alignnone" width="860"]<img class="size-full wp-image-12631641" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/06/Screen-Shot-2021-06-18-at-15.27.21.png" alt="" width="860" height="579" /> (Credit: Alamy)[/caption]
<h2>'We need to tackle Islamaphobia'</h2>
Speaking about Ahmed's initiative, 27-year-old Mariam — who is a committee member of her local mosque — says it's a "positive first step", but she maintains that more needs to be done. "Someone may say, 'well if Muslims want to be seen more on television, they need to engage more,' but we don't have those opportunities — which is why schemes like this are so great.

"Young Muslims need to be empowered to avail those opportunities. The problem is, most of the time, we are criminalised and marginalised by the media. When you have that culture of criminalisation, and even demonisation, you are going to be less likely to want to be in the spotlight.
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</strong></p>
"If we really want Muslims to come out and start engaging in these roles and be seen, we need to tackle Islamaphobia. We need to address the way we're portrayed in the first place. Otherwise, people aren't going to want to step up because people are scared."

This Mariam, says, begins by getting the most important stories right, first.

"If they are going to make a movie [about the Christchurch Mosque attacks], it should be one that predominantly focuses on the victims, their experiences, and the Muslim community, which has been so marginalised.

"This film has the potential to cause so much pain to the victims' families, so they have to be involved. But the overwhelming feeling from that group of people is that it's too soon. We're not happy with this. We don't want it. And no matter what way you spin it, producers should have the respect not to make it."

<em>*Mariam's name has been changed to protect her privacy. </em>
<h4>Feature image credit: Alamy</h4>

<p>Mariam* says that the Christchurch mosque terror attacks had a "very devastating" affect on the Muslim community in South London.</p>
<p>The March 15th, 2019 tragedy —which was the worst terror attack New Zealand has ever endured — saw a white supremacist claim the lives of 51 Muslims, who were simply observing their Friday (Jummah) prayers.</p>
<p>"We have a really strong concept of community, so when one Muslim suffers any affliction, we all feel the pain of that," the 27-tells <strong>Four Nine.</strong> "To have 51 of us killed under such horrible violence in a place of worship, which should be a safe haven, was distressing for everyone."</p>
<p>Understandably then, Mariam believes that the planned film about the attacks is incredibly "insensitive". Instead of focusing on the lives that were lost and the aftermath for New Zealand's Muslim community, They Are Us, is due to hone in on Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's response.</p>
<figure>
            <img class="size-full wp-image-12631643" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/06/T0YB5T-scaled.jpeg" alt="" width="2560" height="1879" /><figcaption class='op-vertical-below'>
<h1>

 (Credit: Alamy)</h1>
</figcaption></figure>
<h2>'You do not get to tell this story'</h2>
<p>After the film's angle was publicised online, the backlash was swift. Muslims from all over the globe denounced the film's premise as promoting a "white saviour narrative". <a href="https://twitter.com/mohamedwashere/status/1403108587740798982" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a> user, Mohammed Hassan, wrote: "You do not get to tell this story. This is not yours. This pain is still fresh and real. This is upsetting, obscene and grotesque. I am tired."</p>
<p>This is a sentiment that Mariam echoes. "As a Muslim, it is still very fresh and very painful, particularly for the people who were touched personally. To capitalise on that by making a movie so soon, which is clearly not intended to tell the story from the victim's perspective, is incredibly insensitive. There's a responsibility to get it right."</p>
<p>"This isn't about Jacinda Ardern and her response, favourable though it was. It's great when politicians support Muslim communities, and call out acts of wrongdoing. But that in itself does not make you a hero. That's your job."</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/failing-teach-black-history-schools-harming-children">Failing to teach Black history in schools is harming children more than you may realise</a></strong></p>
<p>Ardern, for her part, has since denounced the film. Speaking on <a href="https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/jacinda-ardern-says-christchurch-mosque-attacks-film-very-soon-and-raw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TVNZ's Breakfast</a> on June 14, she said that the film felt "very soon and very raw" for New Zealand. "While there are so many stories that should be told at some point, I don’t consider mine to be one of them," she said. "They’re the community’s stories, they’re the families’ stories."</p>
<p>Earlier this week, producer, Philippa Campbell, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-57465471" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pulled out of the film</a> and issued an apology for her involvement — saying that she didn't foresee the "distress" the film would cause.</p>
<p>Her withdrawal does not mean that the US-backed feature is off the cards, however.</p>
<figure>
            <img class="size-full wp-image-12631642" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/06/T0A66W-scaled.jpeg" alt="" width="2560" height="1707" /><figcaption class='op-vertical-below'>
<h1>

 (Credit: Alamy)</h1>
</figcaption></figure>
<h2>"People like me aren't represented on TV'</h2>
<p>Then, there is the matter of representation. It is a well-known fact that there is a woeful lack of Muslims in front or behind the camera. As Mariam comments, "I don't personally feel as if people like me are represented within TV or the media."</p>
<p>"You see a few more hijabis in adverts nowadays, but in no way compensates for the overwhelmingly large proportion of us that are portrayed in a negative light," she continues. "I am a practising, Muslim woman who observes the hijab — but I am also a doctor, a wife, a friend, and an active member of my Muslim and non-Muslim community.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/equal-opportunities-photo-bame-gary-younge">We need equal opportunities not photo opportunities for BAME groups if we want a fair press</a><br />
</strong></p>
<p>"All I see are storylines about extremism, usually where the Muslim ends being killed by a 'white saviour'. We're nearly a quarter of the world's population — we are a very diverse lot, and that needs to be portrayed."</p>
<h2>'The industry must change'</h2>
<p>This is an issue that British-Pakistani actor, Riz Ahmed, has also been vocal about. "I’m fed up of seeing Muslim characters on-screen either negative or non-existent. The industry must change," the actor wrote on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CP80V8mCN_3/?utm_source=ig_embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram</a> last week, when announcing his new <a href="https://www.esquireme.com/content/53224-riz-ahmed-launches-plan-to-change-the-way-muslims-are-depicted-in-film" target="_blank" rel="noopener">initiative</a> to fund and mentor Muslim storytellers from their careers' earl stages.</p>
<p>It's worth noting that Ahmed is the only individual from the Islamic faith to ever be nominated for a Best Actor Oscar — which he received for Sound of Metal this past April.</p>
<p>The actor also referenced a <a href="https://pillarsfund.org/2021/06/10/coalition-unites-to-define-and-address-issues-of-muslim-representation-in-film/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recent study</a> that found that less than 10 per cent of the top-grossing films from 2017 to 2017 from the US, UK, Australia, and New Zealand featured at least one Muslim speaking character. When they did, they were depicted as an outsider, a threat, or subservient to non-Muslim characters.</p>
<figure>
            <img class="size-full wp-image-12631641" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/06/Screen-Shot-2021-06-18-at-15.27.21.png" alt="" width="860" height="579" /><figcaption class='op-vertical-below'>
<h1>

 (Credit: Alamy)</h1>
</figcaption></figure>
<h2>'We need to tackle Islamaphobia'</h2>
<p>Speaking about Ahmed's initiative, 27-year-old Mariam — who is a committee member of her local mosque — says it's a "positive first step", but she maintains that more needs to be done. "Someone may say, 'well if Muslims want to be seen more on television, they need to engage more,' but we don't have those opportunities — which is why schemes like this are so great.</p>
<p>"Young Muslims need to be empowered to avail those opportunities. The problem is, most of the time, we are criminalised and marginalised by the media. When you have that culture of criminalisation, and even demonisation, you are going to be less likely to want to be in the spotlight.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://fournine.net/defamed-black-panthers-too-long-not-terrorists">We have defamed the Black Panthers for too long – they were not terrorists</a><br />
</strong></p>
<p>"If we really want Muslims to come out and start engaging in these roles and be seen, we need to tackle Islamaphobia. We need to address the way we're portrayed in the first place. Otherwise, people aren't going to want to step up because people are scared."</p>
<p>This Mariam, says, begins by getting the most important stories right, first.</p>
<p>"If they are going to make a movie [about the Christchurch Mosque attacks], it should be one that predominantly focuses on the victims, their experiences, and the Muslim community, which has been so marginalised.</p>
<p>"This film has the potential to cause so much pain to the victims' families, so they have to be involved. But the overwhelming feeling from that group of people is that it's too soon. We're not happy with this. We don't want it. And no matter what way you spin it, producers should have the respect not to make it."</p>
<p><em>*Mariam's name has been changed to protect her privacy. </em></p>
<h2>Feature image credit: Alamy</h2>


Hollywood's Christchurch mosque attack movie is so hurtful to Muslims – it needs to be axed

In the early hours of yesterday morning (June 3), Minneapolis construction crews started removing concrete barriers around the intersection where George Floyd was killed on the 25th May 2020 by former police officer, Derek Chauvin. The disruption to the memorial site — known as George Floyd Square — was undertaken in order to reopen the street to traffic after it had been closed for over a year.
<p class="p1">[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/sarasidnerCNN/status/1400460878399479821]]</p>
Activists and Black Lives Matter supporters have since expressed their outrage over the decision. Some even went so far as to respond by erecting makeshift barricades to protect the intersection where Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck for over nine minutes.

Speaking about the situation, CEO of <a href="https://raceequalityfirst.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Race Equality First</a>, Aliya Mohammed, tells <strong>Four Nine</strong>: "The unannounced dismantling of George Floyd’s memorial was disrespectful and handled wrongly."

[caption id="attachment_12631513" align="alignnone" width="2560"]<img class="size-full wp-image-12631513" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/06/2CFD51A-scaled.jpeg" alt="" width="2560" height="1707" /> (Credit: Alamy)[/caption]

"The backlash would have been avoided if the dismantling had been properly announced along with what the city officials’ plans were for a permanent memorial," she continues. "It is a protest for racial justice and George Floyd's death is still fresh in people’s minds, so this needed to be handled a lot more carefully if they want to improve the relationship between residents and police.

"Floyd’s family members and the locals should have also been asked how they felt Floyd should be commemorated at this site, and allowed to decide this for their own neighbourhood. A permanent memorial at this site is important because his death is a message that the long reign of systemic racism must come to an end."

As Mohammed touches on, much of the response seems centred around the fact that citizens were not told about what was going on.

As one <a href="https://twitter.com/StopThisMadniss/status/1400689198441578503?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a> user wrote yesterday: "They destroyed this memorial in such a tactless and unnecessarily cruel way. There should've been public meetings about this so everybody could be heard." CNN reporter Sara Sidner, who shared a <a href="https://twitter.com/sarasidnerCNN/status/1400460878399479821?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video</a> of the scene, added that "now tempers are flaring".

[caption id="attachment_12631515" align="alignnone" width="984"]<img class="size-full wp-image-12631515" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/06/Screen-Shot-2021-06-04-at-16.16.58.png" alt="" width="984" height="654" /> (Credit: Alamy)[/caption]

Workers for the city of Minneapolis started removing barriers at the intersection at around 4:30 am Thursday morning, per <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2021/06/03/us/george-floyd-square-reopening/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN</a>. The Minneapolis police department was not involved in the removal, a spokesperson for the city <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/03/us/george-floyd-memorial-minneapolis.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confirmed</a> yesterday.

Instead, it was an effort by the community group, Agape, who have provided security for the area. It took the crews, who used bulldozers, around four hours to clear the barriers, as well as the artwork, flowers and other items.

"Great care was taken to preserve as much of the memorial, artwork and artefacts as possible," Sarah McKenzie, a spokesperson for the city has since <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/03/us/george-floyd-memorial-minneapolis.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">clarified</a>. "Some pieces were collected and moved away from the right of way."

However, it was only after crews had dismantled the barricades that city leaders announced that they are "committed to establishing a permanent memorial at the intersection, preserving the artwork, and making the area an enduring space for racial healing."

"The City's three guiding principles for the reconnection of 38th and Chicago have been community safety, racial healing and economic stability and development for Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian and other communities of color," Mayor Jacob Frey, City Council Vice President Andrea Jenkins, and City Council member Alondra Cano asserted in a joint <a href="https://www.minneapolismn.gov/news/2021/june/38th-and-chicago-reconnection-/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>.

Their reasoning behind reopening the intersection, Jenkins said, was because people felt trapped in their homes and businesses lost revenue with it closed.

[caption id="attachment_12631516" align="alignnone" width="2560"]<img class="size-full wp-image-12631516" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/06/2CC78TP-scaled.jpeg" alt="" width="2560" height="1706" /> (Credit: Alamy)[/caption]

While <a href="https://twitter.com/RestoringFreed1/status/1400518387873173504?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">many accept that the arguments</a> behind the reopening of the intersection are valid, it is the activists who have been working for a year to preserve the artwork in George Floyd Square that have been left in the lurch.

Jeanelle Austin said that the city did not notify them despite previously telling volunteers that they would be informed before anything happened.

"We didn't know that today would be the day that the streets would be reopened," she said in tears during a community <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2021/06/03/us/george-floyd-square-reopening/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press conference</a> on Thursday.

"The city told us that they would let us know in advance. That didn't happen. All we asked for was some restorative justice that the trauma the community endured, that the harm would be repaired prior to the reopening of the streets.

"But instead, we were met with more trauma this morning."

<p>In the early hours of yesterday morning (June 3), Minneapolis construction crews started removing concrete barriers around the intersection where George Floyd was killed on the 25th May 2020 by former police officer, Derek Chauvin. The disruption to the memorial site — known as George Floyd Square — was undertaken in order to reopen the street to traffic after it had been closed for over a year.</p>
<figure class='op-interactive'>
              <blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en-gb'>
                <a href='https://twitter.com/sarasidnerCNN/status/1400460878399479821'></a>
                <script async src='//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js' charset='utf-8'></script>
              </blockquote>
            </figure>
<p>Activists and Black Lives Matter supporters have since expressed their outrage over the decision. Some even went so far as to respond by erecting makeshift barricades to protect the intersection where Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck for over nine minutes.</p>
<p>Speaking about the situation, CEO of <a href="https://raceequalityfirst.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Race Equality First</a>, Aliya Mohammed, tells <strong>Four Nine</strong>: "The unannounced dismantling of George Floyd’s memorial was disrespectful and handled wrongly."</p>
<figure>
            <img class="size-full wp-image-12631513" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/06/2CFD51A-scaled.jpeg" alt="" width="2560" height="1707" /><figcaption class='op-vertical-below'>
<h1>

 (Credit: Alamy)</h1>
</figcaption></figure>
<p>"The backlash would have been avoided if the dismantling had been properly announced along with what the city officials’ plans were for a permanent memorial," she continues. "It is a protest for racial justice and George Floyd's death is still fresh in people’s minds, so this needed to be handled a lot more carefully if they want to improve the relationship between residents and police.</p>
<p>"Floyd’s family members and the locals should have also been asked how they felt Floyd should be commemorated at this site, and allowed to decide this for their own neighbourhood. A permanent memorial at this site is important because his death is a message that the long reign of systemic racism must come to an end."</p>
<p>As Mohammed touches on, much of the response seems centred around the fact that citizens were not told about what was going on.</p>
<p>As one <a href="https://twitter.com/StopThisMadniss/status/1400689198441578503?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a> user wrote yesterday: "They destroyed this memorial in such a tactless and unnecessarily cruel way. There should've been public meetings about this so everybody could be heard." CNN reporter Sara Sidner, who shared a <a href="https://twitter.com/sarasidnerCNN/status/1400460878399479821?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video</a> of the scene, added that "now tempers are flaring".</p>
<figure>
            <img class="size-full wp-image-12631515" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/06/Screen-Shot-2021-06-04-at-16.16.58.png" alt="" width="984" height="654" /><figcaption class='op-vertical-below'>
<h1>

 (Credit: Alamy)</h1>
</figcaption></figure>
<p>Workers for the city of Minneapolis started removing barriers at the intersection at around 4:30 am Thursday morning, per <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2021/06/03/us/george-floyd-square-reopening/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN</a>. The Minneapolis police department was not involved in the removal, a spokesperson for the city <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/03/us/george-floyd-memorial-minneapolis.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confirmed</a> yesterday.</p>
<p>Instead, it was an effort by the community group, Agape, who have provided security for the area. It took the crews, who used bulldozers, around four hours to clear the barriers, as well as the artwork, flowers and other items.</p>
<p>"Great care was taken to preserve as much of the memorial, artwork and artefacts as possible," Sarah McKenzie, a spokesperson for the city has since <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/03/us/george-floyd-memorial-minneapolis.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">clarified</a>. "Some pieces were collected and moved away from the right of way."</p>
<p>However, it was only after crews had dismantled the barricades that city leaders announced that they are "committed to establishing a permanent memorial at the intersection, preserving the artwork, and making the area an enduring space for racial healing."</p>
<p>"The City's three guiding principles for the reconnection of 38th and Chicago have been community safety, racial healing and economic stability and development for Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian and other communities of color," Mayor Jacob Frey, City Council Vice President Andrea Jenkins, and City Council member Alondra Cano asserted in a joint <a href="https://www.minneapolismn.gov/news/2021/june/38th-and-chicago-reconnection-/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>.</p>
<p>Their reasoning behind reopening the intersection, Jenkins said, was because people felt trapped in their homes and businesses lost revenue with it closed.</p>
<figure>
            <img class="size-full wp-image-12631516" src="https://img.fournine.net/2021/06/2CC78TP-scaled.jpeg" alt="" width="2560" height="1706" /><figcaption class='op-vertical-below'>
<h1>

 (Credit: Alamy)</h1>
</figcaption></figure>
<p>While <a href="https://twitter.com/RestoringFreed1/status/1400518387873173504?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">many accept that the arguments</a> behind the reopening of the intersection are valid, it is the activists who have been working for a year to preserve the artwork in George Floyd Square that have been left in the lurch.</p>
<p>Jeanelle Austin said that the city did not notify them despite previously telling volunteers that they would be informed before anything happened.</p>
<p>"We didn't know that today would be the day that the streets would be reopened," she said in tears during a community <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2021/06/03/us/george-floyd-square-reopening/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press conference</a> on Thursday.</p>
<p>"The city told us that they would let us know in advance. That didn't happen. All we asked for was some restorative justice that the trauma the community endured, that the harm would be repaired prior to the reopening of the streets.</p>
<p>"But instead, we were met with more trauma this morning."</p>


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