Interim publisher vows to restore paper's influence; N.Y. Times, MSNBC knocked for takes on Latinos and race; so many of our members know personally somebody who died overseas"; N.Y. Post has it both ways on Kanye-Kardashian wedding; biracial background compounded mass killer's problems; Mark Cuban remarks prove fodder for TV food fights; advocate takes "LinkedIn for Journalists" to 55,000; granted British asylum, Somali harassed as journalist (5/26/14)Interim Publisher Vows to Restore Paper's Influence
Granted British Asylum, Somali Harassed as Journalist
"If you are British and think that every British citizen enjoys the same rights, my story and those of thousands of others should convince you otherwise,"Jamal Osman wrote Sunday for Britain's Guardian newspaper.
"I arrived in Britain in 1999 having fled the civil war in my home country, Somalia. My asylum application was approved a year later. During that time I was given accommodation and a weekly food voucher worth £35 [$59]. For this I will always be grateful.
"As soon as I was permitted to seek employment I started looking for a job. I worked in a laundry, a warehouse and as a taxi driver — simply to survive. Later I trained to become a journalist.
"I joined Channel 4 News as a reporter, largely covering Africa — a role that required frequent travelling. And that is when my nightmare at the hands of Britain's security services began. I have been detained, questioned and harassed almost every time I have passed through Heathrow airport. In 10 years, only one of my colleagues has been stopped.
"During the past five years I have also been repeatedly approached by security services trying to 'recruit' me. The incentives they offer range from a 'handsome salary' or a 'nice car' to a 'big house'. I have even been told that they 'could help me marry four wives'. I have declined all their offers. Their psychological tactics include telling me how easy it is for them to take away my British passport and destroy my career — and even my life. . . ."