Rachid Mekhloufi was more than a football star, he was a symbol of Algerian resistance: The death of football star Rachid Mekhloufi at the age of 88 has marked the end of an era. For more than half a century, he was an integral part of Algeria’s football landscape, becoming one of the country’s most …
Why food is such a powerful symbol in political protest: Shutterstock Food is a hot issue in today’s activism. Last year, UK climate group Just Stop Oil hurled tomato soup at Vincent Van Gogh’s Sunflowers at the National Gallery in London. Later they smeared cake on a Madame Tussauds waxwork of King Charles. Protesters affiliated …
Brazil’s iconic football shirt was a symbol of Bolsonaro – here’s how the World Cup is changing that: Like many extremist and authoritarian leaders before him, outgoing Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro seized on national symbols during his rise to power and tried to make them his own. The national football shirt is a case in …
The history of secret education for girls in Afghanistan – and its use as a political symbol: In August 2021 the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan, and since then secondary education for girls in the country has been banned. However, there have been reports of clandestine girls’ schools operating despite the ban. Teenage girls are …
How the kimono became a symbol of oppression in some parts of Asia: Now a symbol of Japanese culture, the Kimono has Chinese roots. supawat bursuk/Shutterstock A woman in Suzhou, China, was reportedly detained recently for “provoking trouble”. Her alleged crime was being spotted outside wearing a kimono. The woman was dressed like a character …
Grenfell Tower anniversary: how a quilt in the making is a symbol of the community’s love and quest for justice: Quilts are a repository of memory, personal and collective. The Conversation Tuesday Greenidge is a multimedia artist based in North Kensington, London. When Grenfell tower caught alight on the night of June 14, 2017, her …
Marie Antoinette – extravagant French queen has long been a symbol of female excess: The Met The hashtag #CarrieAntoinette, which compares prime minister Boris Johnson’s wife Carrie Johnson to the French queen Marie Antoinette (1755-1793), has been criticised as sexist. Commentators feel it relies on gender stereotypes and distracts from unfolding political events. Those events …
The hijab is not a symbol of gender oppression – but those who choose to wear it risk Islamophobia: Covering is a matter of personal choice, faith and, for many women, freedom. Jacob Lund | Shutterstock In a recent New York Times podcast on the alleged “Trojan Horse” Islamisation of schools in Birmingham, England, a …
Portland stone: how a creamy British limestone became a symbol of empire and elitism: If you were asked what links Buckingham Palace, the British Museum, the Foreign Office, the Cenotaph and St Paul’s Cathedral, you might say that they are all London landmarks and iconic symbols of the British state. You may not realise, however, …
Billionaire space race: the ultimate symbol of capitalism’s flawed obsession with growth: Tom Leishman/Pexels Mars ain’t the kind of place to raise your kids, laments the Rocket Man in Elton John’s timeless classic. In fact, it’s cold as hell. But that doesn’t seem to worry a new generation of space entrepreneurs intent on colonising the …
South Africa in the news: The Lion King! Warren Gatland on his ‘unfinished business’ with the squad ahead of their South Africa tour, why he believes the team needs to be ‘protected’ as a symbol in …: Why after four Lions tours, three unbeaten as the head coach, did Warren Gatland come back for more …
Dear Mr Trump: the Bible has a long history as a symbol of protest, so don’t use it as a sign of repression: Amid Black Lives Matter protests taking place in Washington DC and nationwide on the evening of Monday June 1, US president Donald Trump walked the short distance from the White House to …
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Trapped girl a symbol for Mexico’s quake rescue efforts: A delicate effort to reach a young girl buried in the rubble of her school stretched into a daylong vigil for Mexico, much of it broadcast across the nation as rescue workers still struggled in rain and darkness early Thursday trying to pick away unstable debris …
Photo of mother and baby’s rescue becomes symbol of storm new: Houston Police SWAT officer Daryl Hudeck carries Catherine Pham and her 13-month-old son Aiden after rescuing them from their home surrounded by floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017, in Houston. The remnants of Hurricane Harvey sent devastating floods pouring into Houston …
Finsbury Park Mosque: from ‘terrorist hostel’ to symbol of modernity, openness and tolerance: The shadow of Abu Hamza and Al Qaeda lies long and heavy across Finsbury Park Mosque in north London. The mosque has long been cast in the public imagination by the terrorist activities that were so brazenly carried out there until Hamza …