FG NEWS 23 JULY 2014

There is nothing better than a friend, unless its a friend with chocolate ! Linda Grayson 1
FRIENDS

GAZETTE
Y O U R V I T A L A L T E R N A T I V E
ISSN: 2053-4426
SIR COLINS
ASHES SHOCK
T H E G R A N D -
DAUGHTER of Sir Colin
Garbett, lecturer, author
and mystical pioneer, has
spoken to FG about her
grandfathers legacy.
Company director Julia Long, 69,
was contacted by a journalist after
her grandfathers ashes were found
languishing on a rubbish skip in
Surrey.
Now she has given the remains a
proper interment along with those of
her mother, Susan, Si r Col i ns
daughter.
She told FG: They were interred
with his daughters ashes who had
died that year [2004] in London.
Theres a very nice headstone
there [in a London crematorium] in
memory to him.
Suzanne my mother was cremated
and I had the three names, her
mother, her father [Sir Colin] and
hers put in.
Si r Col i n, who was born i n
Castletown in the Isle of Mann in
1881, attended King Williams College
on the island for ten years before
leaving to study at Cambridge
University.
He joined the Indian Civil Service
becoming secretary to the High
Commissioner of Iraq from 1920 to
1922. His career continued with
several government posts in India
until 1945 and brought him several
awards including a knighthood in
1941. Sir Colin was also an author
and lecturer in mysticism.
His book The Ringing Radiance,
published in 1968, saw him initiated
by Sawan Singh, known as great
master, into the Sant Mat philosophy
(Radha Soami Satsang Beas).
His lectures included one to
Durbans Arabic Study Circle on the
poems of Sufi mystic Jalalul-din Rumi.
But after his death in 1972 his ashes
were dumped in a skip and found by
shocked workers at a Surrey
recycling centre as they sorted
through the contents.
The casket bore a simple metal
plaque with the name Sir Colin
Garbett. The recycling firm, Britannia
Crest, contacted a local newspaper
after the shock discovery and asked
for help tracing Sir Colins relatives.
After weeks of detective work by
Horley and Gatwick Mirror reporter
Mark Davison, who has relatives in
the Island, Sir Colins family was
traced and details of his distinguished
career were uncovered.
Julia who lives in County Meath,
Eire, got in touch after appeals in the
Isle of Mann paper.
She knew little of Sir Colins life as
he ha d s e pa r a t e d f r om he r
grandmother many years before he
died and spent most of his life
abroad. She only found out about the
discovery of his ashes after a funeral
director in Croydon who organised
her mothers funeral saw the piece in
the newspaper.
She told FG: It was very strange. It
was a series of most incredible
coincidences. You couldnt make it up.
Surrey reporter Mark said the
casket was probably dumped in the
ski p duri ng a house cl earance
following the death of Sir Colins
second wife. He said he was delighted
to be able to reunite Sir Colins family
with his ashes. !
Grand!daughter acts after remains of mystic pioneer found languishing on a rubbish skip
Ringing Radiance . . . Sir Colin Garbet#
FG NEWS 23 JULY 2014
There is nothing better than a friend, unless its a friend with chocolate ! Linda Grayson 2
THIS will go up on the notice
board.
That was the message when lucky
school bursar Lesley Levenson met up
with top restaurant executive in
fashionable Covent Garden recently.
Reason for Lesleys visit, along with
work colleague and friend Lorriane
Harris, was to pick up her 50
voucher for free curry at Masala
Zone, the popular Indian restaurant
chain.
She won the voucher for answering
some tricky questions about the
restaurant and being the first correct
entry to be picked out of the hat by
marketing manager Joe Sripitana.
After the presentation at the chains
busy Floral Street flagship in Covent
Garden, Lesley told FG editor, Steve
Ward: This will go up on the notice
board at school.
And she added: It makes you feel
really good winning something.
Now I have been introduced to the
wonderful flavours [at Masala Zone]
Ill definitely be back for more.
And Joe added: Congratulations to
Lesley for winning the prize and thank
you for supporting Mazala Zone.
Hopefully you can spread the word
about all the excellent vegetarian
dishes we have available at our
restaurants.
Lesley who has been vegan for three
years and a vegetarian for more than
20 works as a school bursar at nearby
Christopher Hatton Primary School.
Her friend Lorraine is an admin
officer there.
The non-denominational school in
Laystall Street takes boys and girls
from 3 to 11 and was classed as
outstanding in its Ofsted report.
Masala Zone is set to introduce a
new salad to its already diverse menu
later this month.
The dish, which has not yet been
officially named, comes as summer
heat grips the country and diners are
looking for lighter and more
refreshing eating.
Masala Zone branches can be found
at Bayswater: 75 Bishops Bridge Road,
W2 5BG Tel: 020 7221 0055. Camden
Town: 25 Parkway, NW1 7PG Tel: 020
7267 4422. Covent Garden: 48 Floral
Street, WC2E 9DA Tel: 020 7379 0101.
Earls Court: 147 Earls Court Road, SW5
9RQ Tel: 020 7373 0220. Islington: 80
Upper Street, N1 0NU Tel: 020 7359
3399. Soho: 9 Marshall Street, W1F 7ER
Tel: 020 7287 9966. Selfridges: Garden
Cafe, 4th Floor, Selfridges, 400 Oxford
Street, W1U 1AT. !
NEWS
"50 prize
Lesley gets noticed
Stab the cabbage
AN FG reader has scooped a
top job - as the sound effects
and composer on an Agatha
Christie crime spree!
Alexander Bermange who lives in
London told this magazine: I will be
performing my music in a new,
speedily-assembled, tour of Murder
On Air, which will be visiting theatres
across the UK between July and
September.
Murder on Air comprises staged
versions of three Agatha Christie
radio thrillers, one of which contains
half-a-dozen songs for which I
composed the music.
And I not only get to play the
piano but also to act as the Foley
artist, which involves (amongst other
delights) slamming doors, smashing
wine glasses and decimating cabbages.
The show is due to visit Glasgow,
Cambridge, Milton Keynes, Richmond,
Woking, Windsor, Brighton and
Salford. Please Google Murder on Air
for further information. !
Winning ways . . . Lesley picks
up her prize from Joe with
Lorraine and Stev$
FG NEWS 23 JULY 2014
There is nothing better than a friend, unless its a friend with chocolate ! Linda Grayson 3
ISSN: 2053-4426
PAELLA, torti l l as and
other Spanish meat and
fish dishes are taking a
back seat to vegetable
curry, mattar paneer and
tarka dhal l as I ndi an
restaurants mushroom up
and down Spanish high
streets, FG can report.
Leading the trend are seaside
towns like Malaga, Benalmadena
and Torremolinos along the Costa
Blanca on the Mediterranean.
FG reader and strict vegetarian,
Lorna Tarn, who visited the area in
April, said: Just had an excellent
Indian meal in Torremolinos.
On the InterNations - A Place for
Indians in Malaga website the home
page reads: Namaste (greetings) to
all Indians in Malaga! Would you like
to meet fellow Indian expats in
Malaga?
Would you like to get insider
suggestions from other Indians, e.g.
where in Malaga your hometown
teams next match is shown on TV or
where to get bhakri? (unleavened
Indian bread snack).
We would like to invite you
to become a member of
InterNations Malaga.
A s a m e m b e r o f
InterNations, you will have
access to an active group of
Indian expats, hailing from
New Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai
and all regions of India.
While business is the main
reason for moving to Spain
many Indian expats have set
up home in the country for
religious reasons.
The International Society for
Krishna Consciousness Hare
Krishna (ISKON) has temples
in Barcelona, Madrid, Malaga,
Tenerife and Brihuega along
with a Krishna restaurant in
Barcelona.
The sect maintains a pure lacto-
vegetarian diet and does not take
garlic or onions.
With a reputation for hard work
and responsible citizenship ex-pat
Indians are valued by the host nation.
The Indian community in Spain
enjoys a good reputation, according
to Wikepedia.
Indians are considered hard
working, non-political and peaceful.
The I ndi an communi ty has
integrated well with Spanish society.
Sindhis and Sikhs form the majority
of the Indian community.
!
Spain gets a veggie boost
as Asians flock to costas
Spanish meeting opens up
IN a surprise move UK
followers of RSSBI
have been invited to
next spring's meeting
in Malaga expected to
be attended by the
groups leader
Gurinder Singh.
Previously UK residents
were not allowed to attend
even if they belonged to the
same (extended) family.
It is thought the change
comes in order to address
this issue, prevalent among
some Asian members.
!
Radha Soami Satsang Beas India
!RSSBI" centre in Malaga, Spai#
Bhaji on the beach . . . Jaipur Palace restaurant, Malaga, Spai#
FG NEWS 23 JULY 2014
There is nothing better than a friend, unless its a friend with chocolate ! Linda Grayson 4
PLANT based living is on
the rise in London (writes Tom
Micklewright).
Its evident everywhere - from large
vegan-friendly stores like Wholefoods
and Veganz popping up, the word vegan
now appears in restaurant menus and
the other day @southwarkvegans
tweeted a picture of a vegan section in
Tesco (see below).
There are vegan festivals galore,
internet group London Vegan Meet-up
is more popular than ever and
Hackney and Hammersmith now have
veggie societies.
The big three supermarkets are
getting involved in a big way - Tesco
even sponsored The Vegetari an
Societys National Vegetarian Week.
Business is where the real change
will come - with so many people
looking to live healthier lives, the
market for veggie food is bigger than
ever. Sales of soya milk have risen by
155%. Bill Gates and Twitter founders,
Dorsey, Williams, Stone and Glass are
investing millions in mock-meat
companies like Beyond Meat and
Beyond Eggs so we can expect to see
the range of veggie options expand
massively in the next ten years.
We have seen a rise in support at
the London Vegan and Vegetarian
Societies too.
Every day I receive emails from
people wanting to get involved and
make their community greener and
healthy. We exist to achieve two aims
across Londons 32 boroughs.
Firstly, to have monthly local social
meet-ups where people can socialise,
enjoy food and share tips about veggie
stuff in their local area.
Secondly, by 2025, we aim for every
borough to have started a meat free
Monday programme.
Im creating a guidebook to help
volunteers implement this, detailing
how one goes about working with
local businesses, councils, schools,
media and faith groups to make our
community eat healthier and live
greener lives.
Southwark Council is meeting
this month to decide how to
implement meat free Monday
- a success we hope to
r e p l i c a t e a c r o s s t h e
boroughs of Hackney and
Lambeth in 2015. I hope
youll join us to celebrate
this rise in plant based living
at our Pizza night in Hackney
on Thursday 31
st
July at Black
Cat Cafe, London E5 8HB
from 7pm.
Well also be at London
Vegan Festival on 17
th
August
and the London Vegfest in
Olympia on 27
th
and 28
th

September - so come along,
eat some freebies and have a
chat about how you can
make your local community
greener and generally more
veggie friendly!
!
Tom is founder of the London
Vegan and Vegetarian Society.
Plant based
living grows
News in
Brief
IT WAS a case of Wot, Yes Dairy for
a vegan pudding recently when milk
was discovered in the ingredients.
The startling revelation concerns
the popular Wot, No Dairy dessert
from VBites Foods.
As a result both the raspberry and
black cherry flavours have been
withdrawn from supermarket and
health store shelves.
The f act that the products
contained milk was not mentioned
on its labels.
!
IF GOING veggie and/or vegan is good
for the environment then Carluccios
seems to be getting it right.
For environmental icon Jonathan
Porrett was recently spotted tucking in
at the Brunswick Square branch.
The upscale Italian chain recently
introduced separate vegetarian and
vegan menus!
They come on separate laminated
sheets and you can get them on
request. Not sure which if either,
Jonathan (plus friend) was using!
!
LICKING the bowl clean after mum
(or dad) has mixed up a delicious
vegan cake neednt be the only
cooking experience on offer to
youngsters these days, thanks to
Indian Vegan caterers Shambhus.
For the company, to be spotted at
any and every self-respecting vegan
event these days, is putting on its
own childrens plant-based cookery
course! Its on next month from
Monday 4th until Friday 8th in
Queensbury, north-west London.
Kids(?) between 9 and 17 only
allowed.
!
SOUTH African veggies (converted) will
be glad to hear they dont have to give
up one of their favourites now that
theyve stopped eating meat!
Boerewors were always popular over
the braaivleis (barbeque) with their
delicious spicy-sausage flavour.
Now you can get something similar
from vegan company Vegusto, FG is
reliably informed, even if they do use
the rather English monika farmhouse
sausage!
!
Tesco goes
%ega&
friendly
FG NEWS 23 JULY 2014
There is nothing better than a friend, unless its a friend with chocolate ! Linda Grayson 5
FRIENDLY
FEEDBACK
friendsgazette@gmail.com
FRIENDLY
COMMENT
When devils lie with
angels . . .
WITH a guru on almost every
street corner, a month-long holy
fast and mendicants wandering up-
and-down the countryside, India
must surely be right up there in
the most spiritual country in the
world stakes.
Yet, it seems, bloodshed, violence
and mayhem arent very far away
even in that serene sub-continent.
Partition and the slaughter which
came in its wake broke the
Mahatma's heart and finally killed
him. Wanton murder of the
innocent was the macabre feature
of the horrific Mumbai attacks. And
as reported in this issue (see
Murder in the Punjab on p.6) even
pilgrims on their way to see their
leader arent immune. Our hearts
go out to devastated families left
behind.
It seems the devil shares a bed
with angels, even in the country of
God! !
Ashes to ashes . . .
BEING buried alive haunts us (pun
intended) to this day.
Scratching at the lid of your
coffin whilst screaming: Hey, Im
still alive get me out, is the stuff
of nightmares and many a horror
movie.
In Victorian times, premature
burial was one of the main reasons
for bringing in cremation.
These days the remains of loved
ones mean a lot.
So hats off to Julia Long who,
after more than two decades,
found the ashes of her late
grandfather, and had them interred
along with those of her mother
and grandmother. (See our lead
story).
A fitting way of fulfilling both
traditions! ! ED
ISSN: 2053-4426
Published by Stephen Ward
Publications, London, England.
THE way animals are treated in
the factories which produce 95%
of the worlds meat are abysmal,
and abhorrent, and should offend
the sensibilities of any religious
person. (Top US rabbi goes vegan -
FG June)
The very first conversation
recorded in the Torah between
God and human beings has God
saying eat plants and only plants.
The laws of Kosher meat dont
mean that God condones the
killing of animals for food; the laws
were drawn up by rabbis over a
thousand years ago, in a society
which demanded only a tiny
amount of slaughter when
compared to todays numbers.
However you can definitely be a
great Jew and not be a vegetarian
but while eating meat is definitely
permitted it does not conform to
the highest ideals of the religion.
The Jewish Vegetarian Society of
North America is just one group
which believes that not eating
meat fulfills a great number of the
teachings of the Torah and the
Talmud, including respecting Gods
creation in its entirety and
preserving the natural
environment, as well as human
well-being.
Nachmanides, the 13th century
Jewish philosopher, is quoted as
having said: Living creatures
possess a moving soul and a
certain spiritual superiority which
in this respect make them similar
to those who possess intellect.
Dominion doesnt mean the
right to kill for food.
Thats perfectly clear in the
Bible. !
Jeffrey Cohan
executive director of the Jewish
Vegetarian Society of North
America was speaking to regular
FG contributor Sophie Shao;
(see her latest article on page 11).
Raw milk available at
Borough market
NICE article about raw milk.
(Clash over milk claim - FG April)
You know you can get it from
Hooks Farm stand at Borough
Market on Thursday-Saturday.
Steve, owner of Hooks was
there [at Food Standards Agency
meeting] speaking and is one of
the biggest forces for good in the
movement. !
Gratefully,
Hari Karam Singh
London
COMMENT
The Bible is perfectly
clear . . . dominion
doesnt mean the
right to kill for food
THE ARTICLE headlined Shaw comes on board in the FG (June)
page 5 read: The pivotal scene is the last in a short teaser for the
filmNothing and Everywhere for which funding is being sought.
This should have read: The pivotal scene is the latest in a short
teaser for the film Nothing and Everywhere for which funding is
being sought.
We apologise for the error which occurs in the last paragraph
which was added to the contributors work. !
CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS
FG NEWS 23 JULY 2014
There is nothing better than a friend, unless its a friend with chocolate ! Linda Grayson 6
NEWS
Murder in the Punjab
Ruthless terrorists mow down spiritual group volunteer as he flees for his lif$
RUTHLESS t er rori s t s
mowed down a pilgrim on
his way to see his guru and
killed the driver of the
vehicle in which he was
travelling in an horrific
attack, the FG can reveal.
Ajit Singh was doing building work
in Thandi Khuie in Vijaipur, Uttar
Pradesh, as part of his devotions.
He was hoping to travel to see the
spiritual leader of his group just a few
miles away.
But he never made it.
Instead he was gunned down in
cold blood after being turfed out of
his van and callously told to run for
his life.
Fellow devotee and driver Tarsem
Singh was found later on the roadside
with his hands bound behind his back
and his throat cut.
A man who claimed to be the
spokesperson of the Al Shohada
Brigade, believed to be a shadowy
proxy of the Lashkar-e-Toiba, called
news organisations in Srinagar and
claimed responsibility for the attack,
it was reported.
Survivor, Kamaljeet Singh, said:
They [the terrorists] told us to start
running away from the vehicle.
As we did, they opened fire, killing
one of us and injuring the others.
The bloody killings happened in the
early hours in driving rain at
Dayalachak on the Jammu-Kathua
national highway in north west India.
Ajit and others, including Kamaljit,
had left nearby Vijaypur around
4 am to go to the Radha Soami
Satsang group headquarters in
Beas for darshan (sight) of their
spiritual leader Gurinder Singh.
They also needed to pick up
materials for the ongoing works at
nearby Thandi Khuie, part of their
volunteer work.
Other devotees caught up in the
incident which happened in March
this year were fellow travellers Sahib
Singh, 50 and Gurpreet Singh, 35.
T h e y we r e t a k e n t o t h e
government medical college hospital
in Jammu.
They had been travelling together
in an army truck on their way to the
spiritual meeting in the Punjab.
Their vehicle was stopped by three
men in army uniform at a bridge on
the Tarnah nullah in Dayalachak.
The attack, which began in driving
rain before dawn, was similar to last
Septembers attack on the Hiranagar
police station and army camp in
Samba, in which ten people, including
an army lieutenant-colonel, three
soldiers and four policemen, were
killed, the Indian press has reported.
It was carried out no more than 20
kilometres from the location of the
attack six months earlier.
All three terrorists were killed by
security forces in a gun battle. !
See Friendly Comment p5
Tarsem Singhs wife Gurdeep
Kaur 'above(; and daughter
Simranjit Kaur and father
Thoru Ram 'right( remai&
inconsolable during his
cremation at Kotli Mirdia&
%illage in RS Pura.
AN INQUEST set for this month into
the death of a volunteer worker at a
spiritual centre in the UK has been
postponed, the FG has learnt.
Amrit Blaggan, 57, of Broad Street, Kidbrooke, south
east London, suffered severe head injuries in an
incident at the Radha Soami Satsang Beas Indias UK
headquarters in Haynes Park in south Bedfordshire in
April.
He was taken to Addenbrookes hospital in
Cambridge by Magpas Helimedix the helicopter
ambulance service where he died two days later, the
day after his birthday.
A spokesperson for central Bedfordshire coroners
office told FG: A new date has not yet been set. !
Inquest into birthday death postponed
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FG NEWS 23 JULY 2014
There is nothing better than a friend, unless its a friend with chocolate ! Linda Grayson 7
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THE FORMER Archbishop of
Canterbury, Rowan Williams
admission that he practices
Buddhi st medi tati on has
sparked concern among fellow
Christians.
Speaking to a UK national daily
Williams (pictured right) admitted that
his experiences as a priest lead to an
inner respect for the practice.
Over t he year s i ncreas i ng
exposure to and engagement with the
Buddhist world in particular has made
me aware of practices not unlike the
Jesus prayer and introduced me to
disciplines that further enforce the
stillness and physical focus that the
prayer entails, he told the Daily
Telegraph.
The regular ritual to begin the day
when Im in the house is a matter of
an early rise and a brief walking
meditation or sometimes a few slow
prostrations, before squatting for 30
or 40 minutes (a low stool to support
the thighs and reduce the weight on
the lower legs) with the Jesus
Prayer: repeating (usually silently) the
words as I breathe out, leaving a
moment between repetitions to
notice the beating of the heart, which
will slow down steadily over the
period.
But an article on the Christian Today
website downplays the revelations.
Ref err i ng t o s ens at i onal i s t
headlines and wild claims the
article points out: Williams insisted
that he is merely drawing on practices
long held by the Greek and Russian
Orthodox churches.
And the CT article draws parallels
with the Queens speech last year.
The UK monarch bears the title
Defender of the Faith and Supreme
Governor of the Church of England.
For Christians, as for all people of
faith, reflection, meditation and prayer
help us to renew ourselves in Gods
love, as we strive daily to become
better people, she declared, the
article reports. !
Top churchmans Buddhist
admission sparks concern
NEWS
THE beating heart of
Anglicanism in the
UK and a centuries-
old pilgrimage site
was the venue for a
Catholic requiem
mass this month.
The mass, one of Romes
most traditional ceremonies,
was said in Canterbury
Cathedral in remembrance of
Thrse Vanier, founder of the
learning difficulties charity
Larche Communities which
began in Kent.
The very reverend Robert
Willis, dean of Canterbury,
welcomed the congregation
and remained near the altar
throughout the service. !
Rome meets
the CoE in
Canterbury
FG NEWS 23 JULY 2014
There is nothing better than a friend, unless its a friend with chocolate ! Linda Grayson 8
FG NEWS 23 JULY 2014
There is nothing better than a friend, unless its a friend with chocolate ! Linda Grayson 9
Get away to bonnie Scotland!
Rennaldburn
self-catering farmhouse
Rennaldburn is a 17th century
farmhouse which sleeps seven to eight.
We also rent individual rooms ~ and can
provide a veggie or vegan breakfast if
requested the previous day.
We are Buddhists and revere all life - so
we do not take hunters or anglers.
Best rates. Reductions for FG readers.
Find us on: www.gonebeyond.co.uk
Eskdalemuir, Langholm. Tel: 01387 373277
FG NEWS 23 JULY 2014
There is nothing better than a friend, unless its a friend with chocolate ! Linda Grayson 10
MALAYSIA Airline
passengers were
considering their travel
plans this month after
news that one of the
operators planes had been
shot down over Ukrane
killing all 298 passengers.
The horrific news came in the wake
of the mystery of MH370 which
disappeared from the skies in July
with 239 passengers on board.
FG contributor and reader Maggy
Ng said: I have definitely lost
confidence with Malaysia Airline but if
the air fare has a massive discount
due to all these disasters I might still
consider flying with [them].
Writing on an Australian online
news portal an unnamed travel
reporter writes: I wrote an article
about why I still chose to fly Malaysia
Airlines despite the ongoing mystery
of disappearing flight MH370.
However waking up to this
mornings news that Malaysia Airlines
flight MH17 had been shot down
over Ukraine airspace, killing all 298
presumably innocent passengers on-
board, including 27 Australians, left
me shocked.
Was now the time to cancel my
existing reservation?
And later in the same article Larni
Whetton, a 23 year old from New
South Wales is ecstatic after getting a
full refund on her ticket to Europe.
Im so relieved. Im over the moon,
she enthuses on the website.
Brian Shields told the site: If
I was waiting for a flight on
Malaysia Airlines I would
probably cancel it.
And Ryan Toner said: I
think Im just gonna go
ahead and cancel my
November flight on
Malaysia Airlines.
Shares in the company
have plummeted since the
two disasters and
speculation about Malaysia
Airlines future in the press
and on social media has
been rife.
Malaysia Airline flight
MH17 was on its way from
Amsterdam to Malaysian
capital Kuala Lumpur on
Thursday, July 17th when it
hurtled to the ground in what has
been described as a fireball leaving a
trail of black smoke behind in the sky.
It is believed to have been shot
down with a Buk surface-to-air
missile and plummeted to earth near
Hrabove an area under military
control of the Donbass Peoples
Militia in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine
about 40 km (25 miles) from the
Ukraine-Russia border.
According to the International
AIDS Society a number of colleagues
and friends were on the plane, on
their way to the 20th International
AIDS Conference in Melbourne,
Australia.
Flight MH370 was a scheduled
international passenger flight from
Kuala Lumpur to Beijing that lost
contact with air traffic control and
disappeared on March 8th.
Despite a huge international search
operation no trace of the plane has
been found to date.
According to a recent BBC report:
[Malaysia Airline] has been losing
money for many years and its market
value has fallen by more than 40 per
cent in the past nine months.
Reports suggest that state
investment firm Khazanah Nasional,
the major shareholder in the airline,
is looking to take the carrier private.
The firm has invested more than
$1bn into the airline in recent years
and had previously indicated that a
major restructuring was on the cards.
Analysts said further investment
was needed if the airline was to
survive in the short term. !
NEWS FEATURE
Ill still fly . . .
Malaysian
Malaysian Airlines
Fligh# MH370 !
%anishes one hour
after take off fro)
Kuala Lumpur to
Beijing on March
8th ! 239 dead.
Malaysian Airlines
Fligh# MH17 ! sho#
down by terrorists
over Ukraine on its
*ay fro)
Amsterdam to
Kuala Lumpur o&
July 17th ! 298 dead.
FG special
report
Wreckage at the Ukranian crash sit$
RESIDENTS of Thailand are being
urged to report misbehavior by
unruly Buddhist monks on a new
24-hour hotline.
The move comes in the wake of reports
of monks taking drugs and drinking and five
defrocked abbots being accused of sexually
abusing boys.
A spokesman for the national office of
Buddhism told The Daily Telegraph: We
dont have enough staff to check every
monk so we need to mobilise the general
public. !
Thai public set
to shop monks
FEATURE 23 JULY 2014
There is nothing better than a friend, unless its a friend with chocolate ! Linda Grayson 11
GREEK folklore has it that honey bees
gathered on the lips of the infant Plato while
he was sleeping, prophesying the sweetness of
his future works, and Hannibal is said to have
given it to wounded troops while crossing the
Alps, suggesting that ancient people also knew
of honeys antibacterial properties.
Despite all its uses, however, honey (and other
substances obtained from bees such as beeswax) is still a
product made from animal labour, and so some vegans
steer clear of it.
Jennifer and Nathan
Winograd from All American
Vegan (see illustration right) say
that the idea of beekeeping as
a mutually beneficial
operation is a false
assumption, and ask us to
consider how such thinking
would apply to other kinds of
conservation work.
They told FG: Imagine that
those who run sanctuaries or
reserves would only do so if
they were allowed to cut off
and sell ivory tusks for
profit . . . they would be
helping to perpetuate the
very notion that is at the
heart of why those animals
were under threat in the first
place: the view that elephants
are commodities and that
their value comes from our
ability to get something from
them [is unacceptable].
Even so, there are those
who would argue that although vegans abstain from eating
animal products as a matter of principle, theres nothing
particularly wrong with eating honey.
One dedicated beekeeper claims he is helping honeybees
survive. Theres hardly anything of the honey bees natural
habitat left now,
says Michael,
who has been
keeping bees for
five years, and currently has thirteen hives, each with
between fifty and seventy thousand bees.
The hollow tree trunks and caves where bees used to
make their hives simply arent there anymore, and as such,
the safe homes which beekeepers provide for swarms are
the key factor in keeping the honeybee population up in
the UK, he told Friends Gazette.
Independent beekeepers
necessarily have to take
excellent care of their swarms,
he points out. Its a well
observed fact that honeybees
only produce lots of honey
when they are satisfied with
their living conditions;
otherwise, theyll simply leave
and look for somewhere else to
live.
Therefore, smalltime
beekeepers spend huge
amounts of time meticulously
taking care of their swarms by
warding off predators, treating
them for diseases and
parasites, supplementing their
nectar supplies with sugar
syrup if the workers fail to
collect enough, and much, much
more.
But that just doesnt buzz with
Jennifer and Nathan.
There are many common
practices, for example the
business of breeding, transporting and artificially
introducing queens which they object to.
They point out that the inadvertent smashing and
stepping on of bees that occur when beekeepers remove
or replace honeycomb trays, place lids and traps on parts
Honey ! are you
really a vegan?
Humans have been plundering the honey bees hives for almost as long as theyve
been around. Evidence of humanitys love for the sweet, long-lasting liquid
throughout history has been found all over the world, from the preserved Iron Age
apiaries in Israel, to paintings in the Araa caves of eastern Spain. Although honey
does not involve killing some vegans reject it. Why? Sophie Shao (pictured
right) finds out and asks our opinion.
FEATURE 23 JULY 2014
There is nothing better than a friend, unless its a friend with chocolate ! Linda Grayson 12
of the hive, not to
mention the bee
stings that can
occur from
defensive bees,
disprove the
humane argument.
Whats more,
although theyre
likely to have found
their way here
eventually anyway,
the arrival of some
of those
aforementioned
diseases was
actually sped up by
beekeepers
importing foreign
strains of bee in
attempts to strengthen their own swarms, they claim.
Being vegan and eating honey is nonsensical, they say. It
perpetuates the very idea that is at the heart of the
exploitation. The idea that
non-humans do not have a
right to an autonomous
existence, free of human
exploitation and interference is
unacceptable to them. So, are
Jennifer and Nathan right? Is
eating honey and veganism
inherently incompatible?
Are people who do everything
a vegan does, except not eating
honey, impostors?
Or should vegans consider
revising their blacklists? Let us
know what you think.
E-mail me on friendsgazette@
gmail.com marking your
subject matter as Sophie. !
eat as much as you like for 5.95 at the . . .
Tuck in where Miss India, Miss Philippines, Miss Asia and
Miss Afro-Carribean all once feasted - at the INDIAN VEG
92-93 Chapel Market, Angel, Islington,
London N1 9EX Tel: 020 7837 4607
INDIAN VEG
Sandra Seifert, Miss
Philippines Earth, 2009
Queen Bee
There is only one queen
per hive. The queen
mates only once with
several male (drone)
bees, and will remain
fertile for life.
Worker Bee
All worker bees are
female, but they are not
able to reproduce.
Worker bees live for 4-9
months in winter, but
only 6 weeks in summer.
The worker can only
sting once. She has a
barbed stinger which
means her insides get
torn out as she flies away
from her victim.
Drone Bee
These male bees are
kept on standby during
the summer for mating
with a virgin queen.
Drones have a barbed
sex organ, mating is
followed by death. The
drones are expelled from
the hive in the autumn. !
TO BEE OR NOT TO BEE
(the caste-system of the bee world)
FEATURE 23 JULY 2014
There is nothing better than a friend, unless its a friend with chocolate ! Linda Grayson 13
Friends Gazette is looking for a#
ADVERTISING ASSISTANTS
for its monthly email news magazin$
ad sales experience essential
*ork from hom$
right package for the right perso&
email: friendsgazette@gmail.com
*ith a covering letter and full cv
ISRAEL will rise and will remain erect
until Islam eliminates it as it had
eliminated its predecessors.
The prophet, prayer and peace be
upon him, said: The time [universal
Islam] will not come until Muslims will
fight the Jews (and kill them); until the
Jews hide behind rocks and trees,
which will cry: O Muslim! there is a
Jew hiding behind me, come on and
kill him!
There is no solution to the
Palestinian problem except by Jihad
(struggle). The initiatives, proposals and
International Conferences are but a
waste of time, an exercise in futility.
The Zionist invasion is a mischievous
one. It does not hesitate to take any
road, or to pursue all despicable and
repulsive means to fulfill its desires. It
relies to a great extent, for its meddling
and spying activities, on the clandestine
organizations which it has established,
such as the Freemasons, Rotary Clubs,
Lions, and other spying associations.
All those secret organizations, some
which are overt, act for the interests
of Zionism and under its directions,
strive to demolish societies, to destroy
values, to wreck answerableness, to
totter virtues and to wipe out Islam.
Israel, by virtue of its being Jewish
and of having a Jewish population,
defies Islam and the Muslims.
Under the shadow of Islam it is
possible for the members of the three
religions: Islam, Christianity and Judaism
to coexist in safety and security.
Safety and security can only prevail
under the shadow of Islam.
AS conflict rages in Gaza the FG publishes
here extracts from the Hamas Charter
which lays bare the motivation and radical
thinking behind one of the highest-profile
activist organisations in the world and
currently the governing body in the Gaza
strip. In our next issue well look at the Israeli
raison detre. !
EXTRACTS
FROM THE
HAMAS
CHARTER #1988$
The Charter of Allah: The
Platform of the Islamic
Resistance Movement #Hamas$
FG NEWS 23 JULY 2014
There is nothing better than a friend, unless its a friend with chocolate ! Linda Grayson 14
CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS
Is an article wrong or unclear?
Get your specs out and tell us about it
Friends Gazette
is keen to keep stories fair, balanced and accurate
email: friendsgazette@gmail.com
Please put c&c in the subject area
Thanks - from us and our readers!
AN I NVESTI GATI ON
into practices which may
allow fruit and vegetables
to carry food poisoning
bugs and spread animal
diseases to humans is
underway by the UK food
watchdog.
The research comes as a tracker
study reveals the general public is
concerned about food hygiene
when eating out, food poisoning in
general and the use of additives in
food products.
Results wont be known until next
summer when bof f i ns at food
poi s oni ng res ea rc h c ompa ny
Hutchison Scientific will report back
to the UK Food Standards Agency.
The main areas of concern are:

contaminated manure deposited

on to root crops like carrots
and turnips

contaminated water used to

wash root vegetables before
and after harvest

mixing infected crops with

uninfected ones

and farm workers handling

crops without washing their
hands after going to the
toilet.
Consumption of fresh fruit
and vegetables is associated
with good nutrition because
they provide an important
source of vitamins, minerals
and biochemical, the Agency
said.
In recent years, however,
there have been a number of high-
profile food-borne illness outbreaks
that have been traced back to fresh
produce.
A common issue with trying to
trace the source of an outbreak is
that the contaminated food may have
been consumed or spoiled and
disposed of before the outbreak is
even identified.
In 2011 an investigation concluded it
was likely that contaminated soil on
the surface of root vegetables was the
source of an outbreak, the FSA said.
The work will be separated into a
study of pre-harvest and post-harvest
contamination.
The pre-harvest studies will involve
growing experimental spring-planted
crops at Harper Adams University in
the Midlands and dousing them with
infected water and manure.
The post-harvest work will look at
how animal diseases can be carried to
mainly root crops mainly through
handling procedures.
The Food Standard Agencys tracker
study into public attitudes to food
hygiene took place in May when a
representative sample of 2,483 adults
in the UK was interviewed face-to-
face.
It showed that the top three food
safety issues of concern were food
hygiene when eating out (36%), food
poisoning (28%) and the use of
additives in food products (28%).
The top wider food issues of total
concern were food prices (51%), the
amount of sugar in food (48%), and
the amount of salt in food (47%).
This study was the eighth wave of a
biannual tracker, which started in
November 2010. !
Veggie food
poison probe